Memory Lane Ernie Shepherd

[Rob Noxious]

A friend gave me a copy of 'Goal' magazine from March 15th, 1969, as it featured this article on Ernie Shepherd: -

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

There were grounds for confidence back then ..."We want first division socer at Roots Hall". Signing Phil Chisnall and Eddie Clayton.Improving the match programme.Now....... (sigh)

 

[LCBB72]

I cannot think of any other 4th Division club who signed players like Phil and Eddie at the time .

 

[ozzie]

What i remember of ES was what a gentleman he was.
Found great players like King Billy,Chico,think Bill Garner as well.
Doubt if we ever had before or after such entertaining football...still trying to get over that 67-68 season...

 

[blues exile]

What i remember of ES was what a gentleman he was.
Found great players like King Billy,Chico,think Bill Garner as well.
Doubt if we ever had before or after such entertaining football...still trying to get over that 67-68 season...

For me, this was the most enjoyable period of watching Southend, regardless of whether we got promoted or not. A team that never failed to entertain, full of players you would happily pay good money to watch.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

What i remember of ES was what a gentleman he was.

Ozzie without doubt Ernie Shepherd was one of the nicest people that I have ever come across in almost 60 years of following the team (maybe too nice people would always say). Looking at the players he managed to bring to the football club back then reads like a real who's who and this has been mentioned many times on SZ that the team really should have achieved so much more at that time. Not every player signed was a success but there were a hell of a lot that were like the following:- Phil Chisnall, Joe Ashworth, Mike Beesley (the 2nd. time), Jimmy Stevenson, Sammy McMillan, Billy Best, Eddie Clayton, Dave Chambers, Gary Moore, Chico Hamilton, Frank Haydock, John Kurila, Lawrie Leslie & Keith Lindsey. You could possibly also add Bill Garner to that list although Geoff Hudson had taken over from Ernie as manager when Bill joined us from Bedford Town in November 1969.
Too nice to be a manager who knows?, but Ernie Shepherd certainly knew how to pick a player that's for sure.

 

[LCBB72]

Ozzie without doubt Ernie Shepherd was one of the nicest people that I have ever come across in almost 60 years of following the team (maybe too nice people would always say). Looking at the players he managed to bring to the football club back then reads like a real who's who and this has been mentioned many times on SZ that the team really should have achieved so much more at that time. Not every player signed was a success but there were a hell of a lot that were like the following:- Phil Chisnall, Joe Ashworth, Mike Beesley (the 2nd. time), Jimmy Stevenson, Sammy McMillan, Billy Best, Eddie Clayton, Dave Chambers, Gary Moore, Chico Hamilton, Frank Haydock, John Kurila, Lawrie Leslie & Keith Lindsey. You could possibly also add Bill Garner to that list although Geoff Hudson had taken over from Ernie as manager when Bill joined us from Bedford Town in November 1969.
Too nice to be a manager who knows?, but Ernie Shepherd certainly knew how to pick a player that's for sure.

I remember playing football for Leigh Com over Belfairs Park on a pitch that had such a slope we used to called it Boot Hill back in the late 60s early 70s . Ernie turned up a couple times to watch and we all used to think 'is he watching me' .

 

[KiwiRob]

There were grounds for confidence back then ..."We want first division socer at Roots Hall". Signing Phil Chisnall and Eddie Clayton.Improving the match programme.Now....... (sigh)

Ernie Shepherd had a great eye for midfield and attacking players. His big weakness was his inability to sort out the Southend defence and in particular his inability to find an adequate replacement for Eddie May, the centre-back he sold to Wrexham. After trying to play Mike Beesley as a centre-back, Shepherd eventually signed Frank Haydock from Portsmouth, but Haydock did not really come to expectations. I think it was Shepherd's successor, Geoff Hudson, who signed the admirable Joe Jacques from Darlington, but I seem to recall Hudson soon got fired after that.

 

[LCBB72]

Ernie Shepherd had a great eye for midfield and attacking players. His big weakness was his inability to sort out the Southend defence and in particular his inability to find an adequate replacement for Eddie May, the centre-back he sold to Wrexham. After trying to play Mike Beesley as a centre-back, Shepherd eventually signed Frank Haydock from Portsmouth, but Haydock did not really come to expectations. I think it was Shepherd's successor, Geoff Hudson, who signed the admirable Joe Jacques from Darlington, but I seem to recall Hudson soon got fired after that.

I am sure that he signed Bill Garner as well .

 

[rigsby]

I remember playing football for Leigh Com over Belfairs Park on a pitch that had such a slope we used to called it Boot Hill back in the late 60s early 70s . Ernie turned up a couple times to watch and we all used to think 'is he watching me' .

Was that the one that later became known as Pork Chop Hill.

 

[Blue Yonder]

Ozzie without doubt Ernie Shepherd was one of the nicest people that I have ever come across in almost 60 years of following the team (maybe too nice people would always say). Looking at the players he managed to bring to the football club back then reads like a real who's who and this has been mentioned many times on SZ that the team really should have achieved so much more at that time. Not every player signed was a success but there were a hell of a lot that were like the following:- Phil Chisnall, Joe Ashworth, Mike Beesley (the 2nd. time), Jimmy Stevenson, Sammy McMillan, Billy Best, Eddie Clayton, Dave Chambers, Gary Moore, Chico Hamilton, Frank Haydock, John Kurila, Lawrie Leslie & Keith Lindsey. You could possibly also add Bill Garner to that list although Geoff Hudson had taken over from Ernie as manager when Bill joined us from Bedford Town in November 1969.
Too nice to be a manager who knows?, but Ernie Shepherd certainly knew how to pick a player that's for sure.

‘Geoff Hudson took over from Ernie as manager’ …. We've been getting it wrong for so long !

 

[LCBB72]

Was that the one that later became known as Pork Chop Hill.

There used to be two pitchs there but they are both gone now , it might be the same pitch both the pitchs were on a slope .

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I remember playing football for Leigh Com over Belfairs Park on a pitch that had such a slope we used to called it Boot Hill back in the late 60s early 70s . Ernie turned up a couple times to watch and we all used to think 'is he watching me' .

Tony P or Bill K?.

 

[LCBB72]

Tony P or Bill K?.

Tony never played for Leigh Com , he was at Southend and had trials with Chelsea and Orient . , I think it was Steve T .

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Tony never played for Leigh Com , he was at Southend and had trials with Chelsea and Orient . , I think it was Steve T .

He was quite slim in his younger days, i knew his sister Susan. Next time i saw him must have been in the 80's or 90's, working at the petrol station on the Ashingdon Rd.
He had ballooned big time.

 

[LCBB72]

He was quite slim in his younger days, i knew his sister Susan. Next time i saw him must have been in the 80's or 90's, working at the petrol station on the Ashingdon Rd.
He had ballooned big time.

Died last year or the year before , he was an alky , sad .

 

[Zeuss]

Was that the one that later became known as Pork Chop Hill.

No Pork Chop Hill is at Oakwood Park.
I played my first ever Borough Comb match there just after my 15th birthday for Old Southendian Fourths.Centre-forward,the late,great Dave Juniper looked after me.

 

[Tony Allen]

Up North now and a long time ago. Is Oakwood Park next to the Arterial Road - if so definitely played there. Also re Belfairs - was there a pitch next to one of the fairways - I also seem to remember some old prefab building from the war perhaps

 

[Stan33]

Up North now and a long time ago. Is Oakwood Park next to the Arterial Road - if so definitely played there. Also re Belfairs - was there a pitch next to one of the fairways - I also seem to remember some old prefab building from the war perhaps

Yes