Disenfranchised

[Yorkshire Blue]

We're third in the league and I've never felt so disenfranchised with Southend United.

I just can't connect with the air of entitlement and expectation that surrounds the place. Maybe I'm stuck in the past - whilst I still attend every home game I've been exiled for a decade and a half - but there seems to be no connection for me between the club I fell in love with when watching us in the fourth division launching long balls for Roy McDonough to battle for and the team that is now supposed to play everything on the ground and has to get out of this poxy division at all cost because "we're bigger than that". I don't recognise this club that we apparently have become.

The club is it's fans, but I feel as if I've been left behind. I still want to sing and cheer and jump up and down. I feel like a relic of a by-gone age. My views seem so disconnected from the vast majority of the fan-base - how can one of us be feeling apathy and the other excitement?

Maybe it's because I can't let go of the Tilson era, yearning for a wide midfielder with as sweet as foot as him and as comfortable playing inside as out. It's the Tilson era with him playing balls up in the air for Benji to bring down and Brettie Angell to head home that was my football upbringing. As a disciple of the Tilly era I expect my Halls to be ineffective not full of trickery and end product. I expect Dave Martin to be hacking anything that moves in midfield, not dancing down the wing. But midfielders aren't now supposed to be hatchet men and battlers in the mould of Dave Martin (Mk I) and Peter Butler but rather silky passers who collect the ball off the centre-halves and spray it along the deck. Although if the midfielders do that then they better put their foot in regularly or else they'll be dismissed as lightweight and/or anonymous and just waiting for their move to a Championship club, but I digress.

I fear my views are going to be misunderstood, maybe even my disattachment mocked, but maybe there are a few more out there like me who feel the way I do?

 

[Jam_Man]

Think this would have been received better if not posted the day after a 4-1 home defeat YB :)

Football changes and Ive gone through cycles of going to every game and not going for years.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

There is an element of expectation that changes how people look at a match. With the glory of the first half of the Tilson era you learn to expect to win and are disappointed when you don't. This season has brought that expectation back. I kinda enjoyed going to matches expection to lose and getting a pleasant surprise occasionally and singing 'lets pretend we scored a goal' the rest of the time. Away at Rotherham was fantastic as I didn't expect to see a win, Shrewsbury was crap because I did expect to and didn't and Daggers (league) was evens because I expected a win and only just about got one.

 

[Blue_Shrimper1959]

I think YB's post is backed up by the fact we are 3rd in the league, but last night's game could've sent us top. Yet only just under 6k attend the game. People can state that funds are low to go to everygame, or people have work etc but the last time we were pushing for promotion I'm sure we would've hit at the very least 7.5k.

The manner we were relegated last time around, the manner in which Paul Brush left, the manner in which Steve Tilson was sacked, the manner in which the former players were treated, the on-going FF saga which is has left nearly all fans with a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude, the on-going financial issues, the way the chairman has lied to the fans in recent times, the departure of tara brady and also significantly (despite me having the utmost respect for Paul Sturrock) the manner we are playing football this season, has really led myself and other fans feeling like it isn't our club anymore.

YB, it seems you feel disenfranchised from a long time back. I came to Roots Hall for my 7th birthday for the first time back in 1997, and even through the Little, Wignall, Newman era; even though it was utter **** at times, I still loved going to watch Southend, or if I couldn't make a game watching the scores coming up on teletext before the days of blue's player. The Tilson era was a fantastic one for me (as a manger not a player), until his last season in charge where I started to lose my love for the blues and it hasn't really come back...in fact it's drifted further away.

4 years ago I would've ensured I left work on time to make the two hour drive to Roots Hall for a game like last night, but instead found myself watching SSN & the City game, not even bothering to turn on Blues Player (mainly because it never ****ing works anyway). You're not alone YB, and based on recent attendances I think other fans also feel the same way.

 

[Jam_Man]

I think YB's post is backed up by the fact we are 3rd in the league, but last night's game could've sent us top. Yet only just under 6k attend the game. People can state that funds are low to go to everygame, or people have work etc but the last time we were pushing for promotion I'm sure we would've hit at the very least 7.5k.

The manner we were relegated last time around, the manner in which Paul Brush left, the manner in which Steve Tilson was sacked, the manner in which the former players were treated, the on-going FF saga which is has left nearly all fans with a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude, the on-going financial issues, the way the chairman has lied to the fans in recent times, the departure of tara brady and also significantly (despite me having the utmost respect for Paul Sturrock) the manner we are playing football this season, has really led myself and other fans feeling like it isn't our club anymore.

YB, it seems you feel disenfranchised from a long time back. I came to Roots Hall for my 7th birthday for the first time back in 1997, and even through the Little, Wignall, Newman era; even though it was utter **** at times, I still loved going to watch Southend, or if I couldn't make a game watching the scores coming up on teletext before the days of blue's player. The Tilson era was a fantastic one for me (as a manger not a player), until his last season in charge where I started to lose my love for the blues and it hasn't really come back...in fact it's drifted further away.

4 years ago I would've ensured I left work on time to make the two hour drive to Roots Hall for a game like last night, but instead found myself watching SSN & the City game, not even bothering to turn on Blues Player (mainly because it never ****ing works anyway). You're not alone YB, and based on recent attendances I think other fans also feel the same way.

Last time we went up prices were cheaper yet our attendances overall are higher this year. Last nights was disappointing though, I was expecting 7000 +

Unfortunately the biggest gate would have been Crawley but now that's being televised that may not be the case.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Last time we went up prices were cheaper yet our attendances overall are higher this year. Last nights was disappointing though, I was expecting 7000 +

Unfortunately the biggest gate would have been Crawley but now that's being televised that may not be the case.

The crowd would have been higher by maybe 1,000 if it had been on the Saturday as Swindon would probably have had 800+ instead of the 458 they had last night & we would have had more fans as well. I said before the match last night that we should have played the Aldershot match and played Swindon in Feb.

With regards to the Crawley match I know it upsets Season Ticket holders but the club should surely look at making that another £5 for all tickets game?

 

[IloveShrimp]

Doesn't help that someone I know left work early, got messed around to get his ticket (£25) and then had to watch 8 of his team get totally outclassed (including the manager) or some not even be bothered to try!

Not sure he will be back anytime soon!

 

[superblue24]

To be honest, I grew up supporting Southend when we were challenging the likes of Blackburn in the second tier, and I recall us being top for about half an hour or so. The days of Ansah, Benjamin, Angell, Cornwall, Prior, Powell, Sansome etc etc....

I still believe that we are underachievers given the towns population and catchment area, and that stands to reason when you look at our attendances in the Championship a few years ago....Couldn't buy a ticket at RH for love nor money....I think we should be looking to be where Peterborough are currently.....

But I do know through my Dad that prior to the period I talk about, we were always hovering around Div 3/4

 

[Blue_Shrimper1959]

To be honest, I grew up supporting Southend when we were challenging the likes of Blackburn in the second tier, and I recall us being top for about half an hour or so. The days of Ansah, Benjamin, Angell, Cornwall, Prior, Powell, Sansome etc etc....

I still believe that we are underachievers given the towns population and catchment area, and that stands to reason when you look at our attendances in the Championship a few years ago....Couldn't buy a ticket at RH for love nor money....I think we should be looking to be where Peterborough are currently.....

But I do know through my Dad that prior to the period I talk about, we were always hovering around Div 3/4

Very true, for some reason we've always been a tier 3/4 club, although the size of the town and catchment is big enough to draw in maybe 15k in the Championship?

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

We're third in the league and I've never felt so disenfranchised with Southend United.

I just can't connect with the air of entitlement and expectation that surrounds the place. Maybe I'm stuck in the past - whilst I still attend every home game I've been exiled for a decade and a half - but there seems to be no connection for me between the club I fell in love with when watching us in the fourth division launching long balls for Roy McDonough to battle for and the team that is now supposed to play everything on the ground and has to get out of this poxy division at all cost because "we're bigger than that". I don't recognise this club that we apparently have become.

The club is it's fans, but I feel as if I've been left behind. I still want to sing and cheer and jump up and down. I feel like a relic of a by-gone age. My views seem so disconnected from the vast majority of the fan-base - how can one of us be feeling apathy and the other excitement?

Maybe it's because I can't let go of the Tilson era, yearning for a wide midfielder with as sweet as foot as him and as comfortable playing inside as out. It's the Tilson era with him playing balls up in the air for Benji to bring down and Brettie Angell to head home that was my football upbringing. As a disciple of the Tilly era I expect my Halls to be ineffective not full of trickery and end product. I expect Dave Martin to be hacking anything that moves in midfield, not dancing down the wing. But midfielders aren't now supposed to be hatchet men and battlers in the mould of Dave Martin (Mk I) and Peter Butler but rather silky passers who collect the ball off the centre-halves and spray it along the deck. Although if the midfielders do that then they better put their foot in regularly or else they'll be dismissed as lightweight and/or anonymous and just waiting for their move to a Championship club, but I digress.

I fear my views are going to be misunderstood, maybe even my disattachment mocked, but maybe there are a few more out there like me who feel the way I do?

It's called getting old I'm afraid.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

The days of Benji, Angell, Butler et al were great great days and ones I will fondly remember. Part of that fondness was standing in the North Bank, and that really was where the atmosphere made that era so special.

We spent 6 years in the second flight after that promotion in 91, then another year there under Tilly, but ultimately we are a yo-yo team between the bottom 2 divisions.

I go to support the players and I have never felt detached....dismayed, disappointed and downright gutted on many many occasions, but never detached.

SUFC are my team, and my team they will always be.

 

[Napster]

It's called getting old I'm afraid.

exactly. and yorkshire looks older than he is which cant help.

 

[Piece of String]

I've read the initial post 5 or 6 times now & maybe it's just me but I detect a tongue-in-cheek element in the tone of YB's comments...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TrueBlue]

Keep the faith people

Southend Till I Die!!

 

[Rayleigh boy]

i think there really was a very nasty cynical exploitation of the loyalty of Tilson Brush and a good group of players that crushed a lot of passion out of SUFC -

and the loyalty of the fans was equally exploited - paying ticket money when players were not paid -

caring about something that takes you for a mug ...... something that rips the **** out of men you admire .....

just feels like a sad episode from another life .....

 

[Tommy2holes]

[h=2]

[/h]

I think YB's post is backed up by the fact we are 3rd in the league, but last night's game could've sent us top. Yet only just under 6k attend the game. People can state that funds are low to go to everygame, or people have work etc but the last time we were pushing for promotion I'm sure we would've hit at the very least 7.5k.

​

I too was dissapointed , but the facts are that it was below freezing and many of our elderly fans and those with children would have stayed at home. 6k for league 2 football is a good gate for a very very cold tuesday night when premier league football is on the telly and during a recession.

As for the football club. I grew up watching the barry fry team and have always wondered if we will have another team as good as them.

Football has changed and so has its magic . The prem get richer greedier and more corrupt and the lower league get poorer poorer and more honest .

Its the way of things unfortunately. Get promotion and start playing at bigger and better stadiums and life will be just a little sweeter all round. League two quite frankly is dog ****.

 

[Shrimpson]

I agree with a lot of what you say YB. I think a lot of it comes down to when we all started supporting them. SUFC was a yo yo third/fourth division team when I started supporting them in the 80s. It seems now that many people fell it is our right to be mixing it with the bigger boys and be playing Arsenal style football.

To me, football is always exciting if you're threatening the opposition goal, so the quicker you get it there the better. You don't win anything by passing sideways( I think Keith Jones got a lot of stick for this-how things change!!)

These days I feel with the introduction of Football Manager games, more supporters feel they have some sort of knowledge of how to win a football game and do less supporting and more Discussing and we need to remember that theyre on the pitch and in the dug out cos theyre pros and we're not!

 

[David Essex]

its because we are all getting older and dare i say it...Maturing ...the excitement of football as a kid is something else as a teenager out with the lads 20 somethings a few beers a fight ....get into your 30s and you see the world as a different place....southend will continue long after we are all dust ....just keep following them and supporting them :thumbsup:

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

The days of Benji, Angell, Butler et al were great great days and ones I will fondly remember. Part of that fondness was standing in the North Bank, and that really was where the atmosphere made that era so special.

We spent 6 years in the second flight after that promotion in 91, then another year there under Tilly, but ultimately we are a yo-yo team between the bottom 2 divisions.

I go to support the players and I have never felt detached....dismayed, disappointed and downright gutted on many many occasions, but never detached.

SUFC are my team, and my team they will always be.

Quite a few of those crowds during that 6 seasons in Div 1 (Championship) were a lot lower than our current average crowd. In fact 1992/3 Collymore season the average home crowd was only 5,400 and that included crowds of over 12,800 for West Ham match & 11,400 for the Luton match.

But even though crowds were lower then I agree the atmosphere was much better and yes thats due to home fans standing in the North Bank. Although I have to say you can create an atmosphere in the West Stand if everyone joins in, this was proved when Chelmsford City had about 1,500 fans in the West Stand for the Essex Senior Cup Final a few seasons ago.

We have been spoilt with high crowds during the recent Championship season and the following relegation season. You may not feel detached from the club but clearly 2,000+ of our fans that we gained during the Tilson era have felt that way.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I think you're all victims of a YB woosh moment!