Episode 24; The Big Day out at Everton
Everton 4-2 Southend United.
F.A.Cup Round 3 Saturday 11th January 1947
Although beaten 4-2 by Everton at Goodison Park the United were certainly not disgraced, on the contrary they enhanced their reputation as Cup fighters and they provided the best game seen on the ground this season. Everton were slightly the better team and deserved the victory, but the United had no complaints, no excuses, they met a formidable side and went down fighting. The attendance was 50,124 the largest any Southend side has ever played before, and but for the fact that the top deck of one of the stands is out of use due to war damage, there is little doubt that the ground record of 68,000 would have been equalled if not passed. The gates were closed before kick off and thousands were unable to gain admission. Southend were the first out and received a warm welcome as great in fact as Everton as all the usual “Anfield” supporters were over at Goodison cheering on Southend.
The United took the field in their borrowed Aston Villa kit of claret and Blue and indeed they glorified the colours more than Villa who lost to Burnley 5-1. The game started in lively fashion with Everton pressing for an early goal and after several near misses they had a goal disallowed for a reason obscure to most. Southend then had a spell of pressure forcing a couple of well directed corners. The home side had to wait thirty minutes before they gained their first corner, but succeeded in heading home the first goal from it.
Straight from the kick off Sibley went storming down the wing and sent over a centre which was misjudged and if the ball hadn’t already crossed the line Thompson made sure, with the ball, the goalkeeper and a defender all ending up across the line. A further minute later Everton were in the lead when Hankey misjudged a high centre and the ball was headed home.
For the remainder of the match the game swung from end to end with Southend just as dangerous as their hosts, and in the first ten minutes of the second half the United seemed certain to equalise but chance after chance went begging. With fifteen minutes gone with all eleven Everton players either in their own goalmouth or their own half they gained a breakaway and gained their third goal after 17 minutes, and four minutes later following a free kick they scored their fourth and last goal.
Southend were obviously beaten but their was no surrender and five minutes from the end secured their just reward when Sibley dribbled through passed to Bennett who scored a beautiful goal to atone for an earlier blatant miss. The two hundred or so supporters who were able to make the journey were more than satisfied and proud to wear their claret and blue favours.
Team; Hankey; Linton and F. Walton; Harris, Jackson and Montgomery; Sibley, Smirk, Thompson, Bennett and Lane.
Poor Quality but this is a picture that appeared in the Southend Standard
THE TWO PLANES
Owing to adverse weather conditions the two planes were unable to make the journey, but the intending passengers travelled by railway.
STANDARD OFFICE
A large crowd assembled outside Standard House, in Cliff Town Road, where they followed the progress of the match from the bulletins posted up at fifteen minute intervals in the window, In addition no fewer than 350 calls were dealt with at the switchboard during the afternoon.
SCHOOL BOYS HITCH HIKE
Two Southend High School boys hitch-hiked all the way to Liverpool on Friday night to see Southend play Everton. When they reached home tired and dishevelled on Monday morning they learned that as they were thumbing their first ride a man was at the other end of the road getting his car ready to go to Liverpool and had room to spare in his car.
Southend United 1-2 Swindon Town.
Football Combination: Saturday 11th January 1947
An unaccountably ordinary match, only brightened by patches of sparkling cleverness by the Southend men was witnessed by a crowd of about 5,000 spectators at the Southend Stadium. Swindon possessed ten commonplace men and an outstanding goalkeeper, and they started comfortably with the strong wind behind them and scored after four minutes and seven minutes from half time. Dudley was limping badly for most of the second half but he was not out of the action and it was he who scored after eighty minutes. Southend played the better football but were unable to force a draw.
Team: Davies; Woodward and Bell; H. Walton, Guest and Shallcross; Bailey, Gibson, Dudley, Hamilton and S. Bell.
Brighton 2-1 Southend United.
No. 23 Div 3 (South) Wednesday 15th January 1947
Although Southend’s football skill was always in evidence they had the misfortune to meet Brighton and Hove in one of their best moods and eventually victory went to the superior side by the narrow margin of 1-2. Hankey in goal gave an outstanding display and but for his efforts the home side would have won by a more convincing score. Throughout the game he fielded the ball with confidence and always took up possession with a splendid judgement. Bennett was injured in the early stages and was a passenger for most of the game, while Sibley and Lane showed speed and skill on the wings but it was not their lucky day. Brighton took a two goal lead before Smirk replied for the United just on time.
Team: Hankey; Linton and Walton; Harris, Jackson and Montgomery; Sibley, Smirk, Thompson, Bennett and Lane.
Southend United League and Cup Goalscorers
Cyril Thompson 20, Harry Lane 12, Alf Smirk 9,
Frank Dudley 7, Joe Sibley 6, Ken Bennett 5,
Stan Montgomery 1 and 1 own goal
Next Thursday Episode 25:
Can Blues get back to winning ways against Palace