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Memory Lane FA Cup Memories

As a six year old Dad took me to Roots Hall in 1968 and as you say may be I was spoilt with my first season watching Kings Lynn and Brentwood.
Like many, great memories of cup games versus Aston Villa, Watford, Liverpool and Everton, Huddersfield, Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea away but also the horrors of Aylesbury away , Kingstonian , Donny and Chester at home!
We have all suffered in recent years but with Chris Powell in charge hopefully today our luck will change! Come on you Shrimpers !

Well fellow Shrimpers perhaps I was a bit too optimistic earlier today, but at least we are still in the Cup and the second round draw which we haven't been in for a few years!! Keep the faith.
 
The greatest cup competition in the world is nearly upon us again.

What are your fondest memories in the FA Cup - someone must be old enough to remember us winning a match in it!
Following on from my previous post on this thread(#56). I thought it only right to mention the amazing F.A.Cup match 2nd.Round match which was played 50 years ago on Saturday December 7th. 1968. The following match report's were taken from both the Southend News Review & Southend Standard and are as follows:- "FIVE for BEST and FOUR for MOORE" "The Massacre at Roots Hall". Southend United 10, Brentwood Town 1. Southend United dominated the headlines in the Sunday press and received rave notices on T.V & radio and deserved every carefully thought out word of praise. Saturday's magnificent 10-1 2nd. round F.A.Cup triumph over Southern Leaguers Brentwood Town was brought about by swift powerful build-up and ended with deadly finishing. Make no mistake about it Brentwood were not just lambs for the slaughter. They came to Roots Hall boasting a run of 13 matches without defeat and left dejected and demoralised after one of the most dynamic performances I have ever seen. Believe me United earned every goal. Brentwood gave them nothing but were simply powerless to stop the pressure from all quarters. Every Southend goal was a gem. Nine of them were scored by front runners Gary Moore & Billy Best whose four goals in the last six minutes must surely be some sort of record. Brentwood were so busy watching Best in the first hour that big Gary Moore loped up to crack in four wonderful headers. Then when they switched their attention to Moore there was Billy Best stealing in with five of the very "best" in the last 18 minutes. The goal chart sums up the complete ninety minutes:- 1st. MINUTE: Clayton held the ball on the left until he forced Birks into position for a clear run and the full-back's centre was judged to perfection by Moore at the far post as he headed past Dunbar. 17 MINUTES: A tragic moment for United as Kurila passed back to Roberts with nothing to spare and Stratton moved in to force the ball in for an equaliser. 20 MINUTES: A repeat of United's first goal as Moore rose elegantly to head in Hamilton's centre from the left. 35 MINUTES: McMillan intercepted in mid-field ran on before passing to Best and was carried forward by his own impetus to be on the spot to slot home when Best sent over the return pass. 52 MINUTES: Another brilliant Moore header as he acted superbly to a quick one-two by Best and a Hamilton centre to flash the ball into the net. 63 MINUTES: The same formula as the previous goal as Moore nodded in a Hamilton centre. 71 MINUTES: The first of Best's five as he headed in direct from a Hamilton right wing corner. 84 MINUTES: Another Best header into the net and again from Hamilton's cross this time from the left. 87 MINUTES: Moore headed on a Birks centre and Best was there to nod it in. 88 MINUTES: A bit of argy-bargy in the Brentwood goalmouth and Best made no bones of hammering the ball into the back of the net. 89 MINUTES: Double figures came up on the scoreboard when McMillan slide-ruled a pass through the middle and Best clipped the ball around Dunbar to complete the scoring. Southend United Team that day was as follows: Roberts, Bentley, Birks, McMillan, Beesley, Kurila, Clayton, Chisnall, Moore, Best & Hamilton. Sub:Baber. Having posted about the match against Kings Lynn(#56)prior to the 1st. Round tie against Crawley Town we came up trumps scoring six goals in the replay which was the most F.A.Cup goals we had scored since the 1970-71 tie against Weymouth(7-0). Let's hope for more of the same on Saturday against Barnsley!!
 
What a great header of the ball Best was for someone small ,had forgotten that Brentwood actually equalised...great memories
 
Billys five goals were scored in front of the North bank. As a 14 year old boy that day it left lasting memories.
 
It's funny how, with people clamouring for a big guy upfront in our team, that the great goalscorers for us have generally been small guys - Billy Best, Freddy Eastwood, Richard Cadette and so on.

Great memories 'BB Legend' from the days when we played fearless football, by the sounds of things.

Love the idea of all Billy's goals being at the North Bank end in front of 'the pack'. :Thumbs up:
 
Sadly Billys goal against Villa was scored at the Southbank End , I am sure had that been scored in the North Bank End we would still be waiting for the roof to come back down .
 
It's funny how, with people clamouring for a big guy upfront in our team, that the great goalscorers for us have generally been small guys - Billy Best, Freddy Eastwood, Richard Cadette and so on.

Best played alongside Moore; Eastwood alongside Goater; Cadette alongside McDonough(?) which rather suggests the need for a big bloke doesn’t it?
 
Best played alongside Moore; Eastwood alongside Goater; Cadette alongside McDonough(?) which rather suggests the need for a big bloke doesn’t it?

Don't think anyone's seriously disputing that we need a big bloke up front but the point is we can't get another one in until January.

BTW, I think you'll find that Richard Cadette played quite a few games up front with David Crown,who wasn't all that tall.
 
Best played alongside Moore; Eastwood alongside Goater; Cadette alongside McDonough(?) which rather suggests the need for a big bloke doesn’t it?

Not particularly.

Eastwood also played two seasons with Wayne Gray, but I'm going to park this now as it's a good thread and this will spoil it and BB's excellent post.

It was the wrong thread to bring it up on. Apologies.

As you were, everyone.
 
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Don't think anyone's seriously disputing that we need a big bloke up front but the point is we can't get another one in until January.

BTW, I think you'll find that Richard Cadette played quite a few games up front with David Crown,who wasn't all that tall.
They most certainly didn't play together. Cadette left us to join Sheffield United in July 1987, and we didn't sign David Crown from Cambridge United until November 1987.
 
Don't think anyone's seriously disputing that we need a big bloke up front but the point is we can't get another one in until January.

BTW, I think you'll find that Richard Cadette played quite a few games up front with David Crown,who wasn't all that tall.

Your memory is playing tricks on you old chap.

Richard Cadette left for Sheffield United after the Stockport game (ask The Boy Robbie) having played a huge part in getting us up.

David Crown was signed the following November and played a huge part in keeping us up.

Both, however, were hugely indebted to Roy, Roy, super Roy.
 
Yes, but he did play upfront with 'Inch High Private Eye' Steve Phillips!

... and Dean Neal, come to think of it.

Went to the same Junior School as me did the Neal. :Thumbs up:
 
Many memories brought back of games I saw in the late fifties and sixties, when growing up in Southend. One mentioned earlier, that incredible 4-4 draw with Northampton. My memory could be playing tricks but I had the impression of, after the match, passing a TV shop (Kelly's in the High Street (?) and seeing the highlights being played on one of the TV's in the window). Could be talking rubbish..............wouldn't be the first time! :Smile:
You seek to find matches that not everyone refers to and attended. I can think of that great victory against Liverpool in 1957 where, on a rare occasion, I sat in the East Stand. Maybe not so well remembered was the luck we had in drawing Liverpool again in the Third Round a year later. We achieved another great result, with McGuigan scoring, to earn us a replay back at Roots Hall. That match was arranged for a Wednesday afternoon, 3pm KO! I've always thought that I must have bunked off school to see the game but aged 12, I doubt that was likely. I think I may have been 'ill' that day! Wasn't that another case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? IIRC we were leading 2-1 and ended up losing 2-3.
Another game that may have escaped a number on here was back in 1960 when I made the 'long' trip up to see us play Clacton Town in the First Round. We may have gone behind? but ended up easy winners 1-3 with Stenhouse, Corthine and Bobby Kellards scoring for us. That led to a 2nd Round game, across the water at Gillingham................what a horror! IIRC we were leading 1-2 with ten minutes to go and ended up losing 3-2.
 
Did you ever see Hollis and McCrory play, Yogi?

That looked a hell of a side back then.
 
Thanks, Tangles.

I've often wondered what they were like to see playing together.

Their goals ratio per game is extraordinary.
 
Did you ever see Hollis and McCrory play, Yogi?

That looked a hell of a side back then.

Oh yes! I never found it easy to recite things but Southend United.........Threadgold, Anderson, Williamson, Duffy, Stirling, Duthie, McGuigan, Baron, Hollis, McCrory and Crossan, has always tripped easily off my tongue!:Smile: For me football has always been more of an emotional experience rather than a technical tactical one. (a reason I still find it difficult to give ratings to the whole side today) but I did understand why they refered to Hollis as spindlelegs. Tall and ungainly, he managed always get the ball from out under his feet. McCrory was an early favourite, especially remember when he scored the winner in his sole appearance for Northern Ireland against England. I must have seen them both regularly during their last two playing seasons.
Just found this in my searches, don't know how old it is?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROY-HOLL...IGINAL-HAND-SIGNED-CUTTING-CARD-/292070619744
 
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Thanks, Tangles.

I've often wondered what they were like to see playing together.

Their goals ratio per game is extraordinary.
Yes,indeed.
Inside-left Kevin Baron provided a great number of what some people now like to call assists(don’t get me on about that one!),shrewd through passes.He’d played for Liverpool in the FA Cup Final back in 1950.
 
Oh yes! I never found it easy to recite things but Southend United.........Threadgold, Anderson, Williamson, Duffy, Stirling, Duthie, McGuigan, Baron, Hollis, McCrory and Crossan, has always tripped easily off my tongue!:Smile: For me football has always been more of an emotional experience rather than a technical tactical one. (a reason I still find it difficult to give ratings to the whole side today) but I did understand why they refered to Hollis as spindlelegs. Tall and ungamely, he managed always get the ball from out under his feet. McCrory was an early favourite, especially remember when he scored the winner in his sole appearance for Northern Ireland against England. I must have seen them both regularly during their last two playing seasons.
Just found this in my searches, don't know how old it is?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROY-HOLL...IGINAL-HAND-SIGNED-CUTTING-CARD-/292070619744

From what I've read of him, I think of Hollis as an earlier version of Goater or Angell. Tall, ungainly, awkward but ever so effective. Is that fair?
 
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