DoDTS
The PL League Boss⭐⭐
I'm not sure how these episodes are going down but here's the fifth episode of season 1931-32 as was printed in the Oldham programme.
No. 5 IMPRESSIVE AWAY POOR AT HOME
Southend, despite poor showings at the Kursaal had been very impressive on their travels and were top of the Third Division (South) table, now they had two more difficult fixtures Reading at home and Clapton Orient away.
Division Three (South) results on Thursday 24th September 1931
Brentford 3-0 Reading
Saturday 26th September 1931
SOUTHEND UNITED 1-1 READING
Match No.8 Division 3 (South)
Southend were sharing top spot with both Bournemouth and Fulham the Blues having the superior gaol average, Reading were in ninth place five points behind. They had played four games away having won one drawn one and lost two. There was a crowd of nearly 10,000 present on a fine if dull day for the 3.30 p.m. kick off. 650 had come from Reading on the L.M.S. excursion and there was also many from other places in south east Essex notably Shoeburyness, Thundersley, Rochford etc. For the third match running Southend were unchanged but Reading surprised the home spectators by their skilful game keeping the ball on the turf and accurate passing, and it was the visitors who took the lead five minutes after the break. For a while it looked like the Biscuitmen might take control but then Shankly headed a wonderful goal to great enthusiasm from the home spectators. The remainder of the game was just a matter of would Southend get the winner or not, they didn’t. Nevertheless Southend had gone a tremendous eight game unbeaten run, brilliant on their travels disappointing at the Kursaal, and they were still top of the league. Team; Moore, French and Robinson; Dixon, Wilson and Donoven; Barnett, Jones, Shankly, Pike and Crompton.
London Combination; The Reserves were at Reading where they recorded another good win, if somewhat close, by a 2-1 margin. All the more remarkable as the side was badly hit by injuries with two amateurs in the side, one at Centre Half and a new centre forward with Baron out injured.
Other Division Three (South) results on Saturday 26th September 1931
Brentford 1-0 Luton Town
Brighton 2-0 Bristol Rovers
Crystal Palace 2-2 Coventry City
Exeter City 4-0 Gillingham
Fulham 1-3 Northampton
Mansfield 2-2 Q.P.R.
Norwich City 2-0 Torquay United
Swindon 2-3 Clapton Orient
Thames 1-3 Cardiff City
Watford 4-2 Bournemouth
Division Three (South) results on Monday 28th September 1931
Northampton 1-2 Luton Town
Division Three (South) results on Wednesday 30th September 1931
Exeter City 3-1 Brighton
Saturday 3th October 1931
CLAPTON ORIENT 2-4 SOUTHEND UNITED
Match No.9 Division 3 (South)
Clapton were fourteenth in the table having won two and lost two of their four home games, their best result being a 4-0 win against Mansfield. It was our third visit to Orient in three years and after playing at Wembley Stadium, this game was played at the Lea Bridge Ground but already there was talk of them moving again. There were talks of a merger with Thames F.C., and moving to Hackney Wick Stadium where the rent would be less, (this never happened and Thames eventually disappeared). Subsequent improvements to Lea Bridge including the provision of a covered enclosure on the east side and concrete terracing around all the sides other than the south which remained as a flat standing area provided an overall capacity of about 20,000. (Clapton Orient were never happy at the speedway stadium, and eventually moved on again to Brisbane Road). They averaged gates of about 7,000 but a record crowd of nearly 18,000 turned up at the Lea Bridge Ground to see the only unbeaten side in the country, and this included some 2,000 Blues supporters who had travelled by rail, coach and charabanc. Only those who have seen the Lea Bridge pitch can appreciate how poor it is and how difficult it is to play good football on it, having played eight games on it (first team and reserve) it looked like a farm meadow with tufts of coarse grass on patches of soil. Those present witnessed an entertaining but goalless first half and then almost straight from the restart Jimmy Shankly got the better of a tackle and opened the score three more were scored within a space of two minutes and a total of six within half an hour. Shankly scored three the other was scored by Barnett. Southend’s extra pace made the difference, the Orient defence bombarded by swift subtle attacks which they struggled to cope with. Nevertheless Clapton were the first side to score twice in a match against Southend. The London press in their usual anti Southend stance didn’t manage to publish the correct scorers claiming that Thomson had scored one of the goals. Southend were nine games unbeaten and top of the e league. Team; Whitelaw; French and Robinson; Dixon, Wilson and Donoven; Barnett; Jones, Shankly; Thomson and Crompton.
London Combination: The Junior Blues learnt from early mistakes to beat Clapton Orient 5-1 at the Kursaal. The Blues took the lead after only six minutes but Orient soon equalised, and that’s how it stayed at half time. The second half saw Southend overwhelm their visitors and score four more goals thanks to Fryar, Oakes, Clenshaw and Pike
Div 3 (South)
3rd October 1931......P....W....D....L.....F....A.... .P
1...SOUTHEND UTD...9.....6....3....0....19....8.....15
2...Bournemouth......9.....6....2....1....23...13.....14
3...Brentford..........9.....6.....1...2.....17...11....13
4...Fulham.............9.....6....0....3....31...18.....12
5...Crystal Palace.....9.....5....2....2.....22...15....12
6...Luton Town......10.....6....0....4.....20...14....12
7...Watford...........9.....5.....1...3.....29...22....11
8...Cardiff City.......9.....4.....2...3.....19...13....10
9...Norwich City......9.....4.....2...3.....13....9.....10
Other Results
Bournemouth 3-2 Mansfield Town
Bristol Rovers 0-1 Norwich City
Cardiff City 3-2 Brentford
Crystal Palace 2-1 Watford
Gillingham 1-3 Coventry City
Luton Town 6-3 Exeter City
Northampton 0-4 Thames
Q.P.R. 1-1 Brighton
Reading 4-2 Fulham
Torquay United 2-1 Swindon Town
I saw on Saturday, the Blues in action away for the first time this season. The football served up was a revelation, and as one Orient supporter said in the second half “On this form Southend will walk away with the league”. We have not seen football like it yet at the Kursaal this season. Why? Thinking it over I have come to the conclusion we have to blame our own supporters. At Lea Bridge the players were too far away to hear their critics. On own “comfy ,matey” little ground remarks are heard all over the field. Players must hear themselves called “old women” etc for the slightest mistake and surely cannot feel “bucked”. Why not try a “cheering” afternoon at the next home match? Cheer them on the whole 90 minutes. Let them know we do appreciate the football we are being treated to and I believe the result would make the goal average go up with a bound. We might need a good goal average in April next. Anyway try just one afternoon of “cheering on” and cut out the barracking.
Priory Avenue Supporter
From the Southend Standard 8th October 1931
SOUTHEND UNITED SUPPORTERS CLUB
A further rally will take place on the occasion of Swindon’s visit. The Supporters Club whose motto is “Help not Hinder” has done excellent work in aiding the United Football club, a membership of 2,000 is aimed for. Applications for seats in the charabanc to Fulham on Saturday can be made to any member of the committee. Owing to late advice many were disappointed last Saturday. If you are going take up the reservation at once.
From the Southend Standard 8th October 1931
Forthcoming Matches:
Thursday 8th October 1931......Brentford v Southend United......London Combination
Saturday 10th October 1931.....FULHAM v SOUTHEND UNITED....Division 3 (South)
Saturday 10th October 1931.....Southend United v Arsenal.........London Combination
Saturday 17th October 1931.....SOUTHEND UNITED v SWINDON..Division 3 (South)
Saturday 17th October 1931.....Chelsea v Southend United........London Combination
Extracts from "The Forgotten years of the Kursaal"
by Peter William Baker
No. 5 IMPRESSIVE AWAY POOR AT HOME
Southend, despite poor showings at the Kursaal had been very impressive on their travels and were top of the Third Division (South) table, now they had two more difficult fixtures Reading at home and Clapton Orient away.
Division Three (South) results on Thursday 24th September 1931
Brentford 3-0 Reading
Saturday 26th September 1931
SOUTHEND UNITED 1-1 READING
Match No.8 Division 3 (South)
Southend were sharing top spot with both Bournemouth and Fulham the Blues having the superior gaol average, Reading were in ninth place five points behind. They had played four games away having won one drawn one and lost two. There was a crowd of nearly 10,000 present on a fine if dull day for the 3.30 p.m. kick off. 650 had come from Reading on the L.M.S. excursion and there was also many from other places in south east Essex notably Shoeburyness, Thundersley, Rochford etc. For the third match running Southend were unchanged but Reading surprised the home spectators by their skilful game keeping the ball on the turf and accurate passing, and it was the visitors who took the lead five minutes after the break. For a while it looked like the Biscuitmen might take control but then Shankly headed a wonderful goal to great enthusiasm from the home spectators. The remainder of the game was just a matter of would Southend get the winner or not, they didn’t. Nevertheless Southend had gone a tremendous eight game unbeaten run, brilliant on their travels disappointing at the Kursaal, and they were still top of the league. Team; Moore, French and Robinson; Dixon, Wilson and Donoven; Barnett, Jones, Shankly, Pike and Crompton.
London Combination; The Reserves were at Reading where they recorded another good win, if somewhat close, by a 2-1 margin. All the more remarkable as the side was badly hit by injuries with two amateurs in the side, one at Centre Half and a new centre forward with Baron out injured.
Other Division Three (South) results on Saturday 26th September 1931
Brentford 1-0 Luton Town
Brighton 2-0 Bristol Rovers
Crystal Palace 2-2 Coventry City
Exeter City 4-0 Gillingham
Fulham 1-3 Northampton
Mansfield 2-2 Q.P.R.
Norwich City 2-0 Torquay United
Swindon 2-3 Clapton Orient
Thames 1-3 Cardiff City
Watford 4-2 Bournemouth
Division Three (South) results on Monday 28th September 1931
Northampton 1-2 Luton Town
Division Three (South) results on Wednesday 30th September 1931
Exeter City 3-1 Brighton
Saturday 3th October 1931
CLAPTON ORIENT 2-4 SOUTHEND UNITED
Match No.9 Division 3 (South)
Clapton were fourteenth in the table having won two and lost two of their four home games, their best result being a 4-0 win against Mansfield. It was our third visit to Orient in three years and after playing at Wembley Stadium, this game was played at the Lea Bridge Ground but already there was talk of them moving again. There were talks of a merger with Thames F.C., and moving to Hackney Wick Stadium where the rent would be less, (this never happened and Thames eventually disappeared). Subsequent improvements to Lea Bridge including the provision of a covered enclosure on the east side and concrete terracing around all the sides other than the south which remained as a flat standing area provided an overall capacity of about 20,000. (Clapton Orient were never happy at the speedway stadium, and eventually moved on again to Brisbane Road). They averaged gates of about 7,000 but a record crowd of nearly 18,000 turned up at the Lea Bridge Ground to see the only unbeaten side in the country, and this included some 2,000 Blues supporters who had travelled by rail, coach and charabanc. Only those who have seen the Lea Bridge pitch can appreciate how poor it is and how difficult it is to play good football on it, having played eight games on it (first team and reserve) it looked like a farm meadow with tufts of coarse grass on patches of soil. Those present witnessed an entertaining but goalless first half and then almost straight from the restart Jimmy Shankly got the better of a tackle and opened the score three more were scored within a space of two minutes and a total of six within half an hour. Shankly scored three the other was scored by Barnett. Southend’s extra pace made the difference, the Orient defence bombarded by swift subtle attacks which they struggled to cope with. Nevertheless Clapton were the first side to score twice in a match against Southend. The London press in their usual anti Southend stance didn’t manage to publish the correct scorers claiming that Thomson had scored one of the goals. Southend were nine games unbeaten and top of the e league. Team; Whitelaw; French and Robinson; Dixon, Wilson and Donoven; Barnett; Jones, Shankly; Thomson and Crompton.
London Combination: The Junior Blues learnt from early mistakes to beat Clapton Orient 5-1 at the Kursaal. The Blues took the lead after only six minutes but Orient soon equalised, and that’s how it stayed at half time. The second half saw Southend overwhelm their visitors and score four more goals thanks to Fryar, Oakes, Clenshaw and Pike
Div 3 (South)
3rd October 1931......P....W....D....L.....F....A.... .P
1...SOUTHEND UTD...9.....6....3....0....19....8.....15
2...Bournemouth......9.....6....2....1....23...13.....14
3...Brentford..........9.....6.....1...2.....17...11....13
4...Fulham.............9.....6....0....3....31...18.....12
5...Crystal Palace.....9.....5....2....2.....22...15....12
6...Luton Town......10.....6....0....4.....20...14....12
7...Watford...........9.....5.....1...3.....29...22....11
8...Cardiff City.......9.....4.....2...3.....19...13....10
9...Norwich City......9.....4.....2...3.....13....9.....10
Other Results
Bournemouth 3-2 Mansfield Town
Bristol Rovers 0-1 Norwich City
Cardiff City 3-2 Brentford
Crystal Palace 2-1 Watford
Gillingham 1-3 Coventry City
Luton Town 6-3 Exeter City
Northampton 0-4 Thames
Q.P.R. 1-1 Brighton
Reading 4-2 Fulham
Torquay United 2-1 Swindon Town
I saw on Saturday, the Blues in action away for the first time this season. The football served up was a revelation, and as one Orient supporter said in the second half “On this form Southend will walk away with the league”. We have not seen football like it yet at the Kursaal this season. Why? Thinking it over I have come to the conclusion we have to blame our own supporters. At Lea Bridge the players were too far away to hear their critics. On own “comfy ,matey” little ground remarks are heard all over the field. Players must hear themselves called “old women” etc for the slightest mistake and surely cannot feel “bucked”. Why not try a “cheering” afternoon at the next home match? Cheer them on the whole 90 minutes. Let them know we do appreciate the football we are being treated to and I believe the result would make the goal average go up with a bound. We might need a good goal average in April next. Anyway try just one afternoon of “cheering on” and cut out the barracking.
Priory Avenue Supporter
From the Southend Standard 8th October 1931
SOUTHEND UNITED SUPPORTERS CLUB
A further rally will take place on the occasion of Swindon’s visit. The Supporters Club whose motto is “Help not Hinder” has done excellent work in aiding the United Football club, a membership of 2,000 is aimed for. Applications for seats in the charabanc to Fulham on Saturday can be made to any member of the committee. Owing to late advice many were disappointed last Saturday. If you are going take up the reservation at once.
From the Southend Standard 8th October 1931
Forthcoming Matches:
Thursday 8th October 1931......Brentford v Southend United......London Combination
Saturday 10th October 1931.....FULHAM v SOUTHEND UNITED....Division 3 (South)
Saturday 10th October 1931.....Southend United v Arsenal.........London Combination
Saturday 17th October 1931.....SOUTHEND UNITED v SWINDON..Division 3 (South)
Saturday 17th October 1931.....Chelsea v Southend United........London Combination
Extracts from "The Forgotten years of the Kursaal"
by Peter William Baker
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