Memory Lane First Ever Match

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

I do remember having to duck a from few cushions in the late 70's when they were hurled onto the pitch at the end of a match.

NO I wasn't playing...Just invading as a young 'erbert' in a blue snorkel with real rabbits fur trim complete with not just blue and white scarf but it had red in it as well.

The first time I remember the cushions was after a cup game v Colchester which we lost at home and the referee was the aptly named Mr Bent. I think (but may be wrong) that he gave them 2 penalties.

I seem to recall the flying cushions on several occasions after that.

Remember the cushions being chucked from the East after the pitch invasion when we secured promotion in 77-78.
Cannot remember my first game although I can recall I was in the North Bank as my sister took me there (Don't scoff) as she was friendly (ahem) with some of the Pak. Sure it was the end of the 72-73 season.

 

[RobM]

I also remember the cost of my first game. Bus 2/3d Admission 9d with 6d transfer to the west stand, programme 4d.
Change from 20p!

 

[blues exile]

Regarding the above season of 1968-69, I can tell you that I know of at least 2 people that went to every match that season and there could possibly be others which included 46 league games, 4 F.A.Cup + 2 league cup matches a total of 52!!(You could also add on E.P.C.matches as this was often seen as a 1st.Team fixture).
The amazing thing about that season in particular was the amount of matches that were played away on a weekday which were as follows:Tues.Bournemouth(LC);Wed.Lincoln City;Wed.Wolves(LC)Wed.Aldershot;Mon.Port Vale;Fri.Colchester Utd;
Mon.Brentford;Fri.Wrexham;Tues.Bradford Park Avenue(Easter Tuesday afternoon?);Fri.Chesterfield;Fri.Bradford City;
Mon.Darlington;Tues.Scunthorpe(this match was also P/P twice);Sat.Rochdale which was also P/P twice in midweek).
We scored a total of 106 league and cup goals with most of the goals coming from Billy Best 31; Gary Moore 21; Ian"Chico"Hamilton 12; Eddie Clayton 11, & Phil Chisnall 8.(we also conceded 66).
Although we failed again to get promotion that season, we finished in 7th.place. However for many people of a certain age this was and always will be a quite remarkable season to have followed the club.

My favourite season despite failing to go up. The away win in the cup at Swindon was unforgettable, so many other great games and individual performances.The loss of McKinven early in the season was a blow but there were so many players in that side who were potential match winners and the football was so good to watch that you looked forward to every game with high expectations.Those really were the days, division 4 notwithstanding.

 

[Ex-Member1]

Talking about the old days, just watching 'the Chase' on the box, one of the first questions asked which World Cup winner managed Southend United ! Contestant got it wrong BTW. Nostalgic day today. COYBB

 

[mattytheshrimper]

Wish I could remember my first game but I must have been about 6 and have no memory of it. Although I remember regularly hanging off the metal fence in front of the north bank with many other kids.

 

[Stan33]

Zthat's a minimum of 21p in my book ,so you couldn't have had change from 20 p

 

[Shrimper Neil]

Cambridge at home. Christmas 1985. Won 1-0 with a second half goal from old donut. About 2500 in attendance which was probably a decent crowd that year..!

 

[OldBlueLady]

I have no idea how you lot always remember this stuff - I honestly couldn't tell you! I know it was around 1972 and that I saw Billy Best and Bill Garner play - though not necessarily at the same time. We sat in the East Blues and I was shocked when I first saw the cushions being thrown on the pitch!

I still have one of the blue and white - with red - scarves that Rigsby mentions!

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Japan sometime in the 80's standing on the south bank - we lost.

 

[LBBlue]

Regarding the above season of 1968-69, I can tell you that I know of at least 2 people that went to every match that season and there could possibly be others which included 46 league games, 4 F.A.Cup + 2 league cup matches a total of 52!!(You could also add on E.P.C.matches as this was often seen as a 1st.Team fixture).
The amazing thing about that season in particular was the amount of matches that were played away on a weekday which were as follows:Tues.Bournemouth(LC);Wed.Lincoln City;Wed.Wolves(LC)Wed.Aldershot;Mon.Port Vale;Fri.Colchester Utd;
Mon.Brentford;Fri.Wrexham;Tues.Bradford Park Avenue(Easter Tuesday afternoon?);Fri.Chesterfield;Fri.Bradford City;
Mon.Darlington;Tues.Scunthorpe(this match was also P/P twice);Sat.Rochdale which was also P/P twice in midweek).
We scored a total of 106 league and cup goals with most of the goals coming from Billy Best 31; Gary Moore 21; Ian"Chico"Hamilton 12; Eddie Clayton 11, & Phil Chisnall 8.(we also conceded 66).
Although we failed again to get promotion that season, we finished in 7th.place. However for many people of a certain age this was and always will be a quite remarkable season to have followed the club.

Looking back in the history alongside John "Killer" Kurila the centre half duties were shared largely by Dave Stone who wasn't very good and only played 6 games for us Sam McMillan, Mike Beesley as fill ins and a few from an aging Frank Haydock (think slower than Anton and Turner).

Even though we finished 7th, if we had won at Rochdale in that last game but one we could have gone up and not them. Our third year of just missing out on promotion finishing 6, 6 and 7. It was Rochdale's first ever promotion.

The season was one of extremes brilliant wins and poor defeats. Somehow we lost 5 home games, two close together to Scunthorpe 0-3 and Grimsby 0-1 which were the only defeats in a run of 17 games between mid January and the end of April. We were then 2-0 at half time at Bradford City only to lose 3-2 ( if we'd hung on to the win we could have got promoted and not them). 3 days later we were 2-0 down at half time at the "animals" at Darlington only to win 3-2. Then came the Rochdale game. These were the days when you only got the scores at the end of the game in the evening on the late news, if you were lucky, or the paper the next morning.

My other memories of that season was the 4-0 defeat at Colchester on a Friday night with somehow 10604 in Layer Road. Trevor Roberts laid out Terry Dyson I think and got away with it, us playing in several different kits in our last few home games - we had to give up Navy Blue - the Exeter manager had complained their players couldn't see us in Navy under floodlights after they lost 6-1 at Roots Hall and the final home game of the season against Newport the PA announcer urging the fans to give on last cheer as the game was 0-0 near the end and John Kurila bursting through to score the winner in, I think, West Brom's kit.

As has been said this was the most eventful season ever and ultimately heartbreaking - but we were getting used to it.

The following season failed to live up to it in the biggest possible way as we finished 17th only winning 10 out of the first 37 games and being saved by a run in of 5 wins and 3 draws in the last 9 - King Billy got his mojo back with 11 goals in those last 9 games including beating Peterborough away 4-3 by himself.

Edit
I've changed some woulds to coulds - of course it was only 2 points for a win in those days. we'd have been one point short unless we beat them both or the won the last game at Scunthorpe.

But it was all very exciting - which is why some of old uns find todays football so sterile and tedious.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Halesowen at home FA Cup 1st Round Nov 1986, 4-1 to the mighty Shrimpers!

 

[LBBlue]

I have no idea how you lot always remember this stuff - I honestly couldn't tell you!

It's cos we've got the programmes (which come out now and again) in our lofts/garages and "The Official History of the Blues".:winking:

 

[Firestorm]

October 1967 Aldershot 1 1 Chisnall. 50 years ago...

I also recall a popular poster on here’s first game . It involved standing on a box :winking:

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Halesowen at home FA Cup 1st Round Nov 1986, 4-1 to the mighty Shrimpers!

Remember that one well, Halesowen equalised and the south erupted! My mate turned round to me saying "must be a great moment to be a Halesowen fan" nice touch.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Remember that one well, Halesowen equalised and the south erupted! My mate turned round to me saying "must be a great moment to be a Halesowen fan" nice touch.

I was 9 so I can remember absolutely nothing about the game, I was hooked though!

 

[turkishm]

Southend v Man City 4th round F Cup, lost 1 0. If you think the pitch is bad now, you should have seen the mudbath that day. Only denied by the brilliance off Cities keeper Trautman.

 

[RobM]

Zthat's a minimum of 21p in my book ,so you couldn't have had change from 20 p

I make it 3/10d which equates to about 19p.

 

[rigsby]

North paddock 1-1 v Aldershot the Friday before Christmas 1974. A surprise treat for the football team. Managed to get Peter Taylors autograph amongst others, after the game as we were allowed to hang around on the stairs that now lead up to the Captains Bar....Stairs I regularly go up on match days 43 years later.

Cant remember being hooked first game, but on the back of that visit my cousin took me the FAC round 3 game just a few weeks later v QPR. They were one of the top teams in the old first division at the time. If I remember it right then we came back from 2-0 down to equalise in front of 18,000 and then I knew what being a fan was all about.

 

[Lord Football]

16th August, 1975 vs Sheffield Wednesday.

It was Wednesday's first game in the third tier. Expecting a bumper away turnout, they had the North Bank. I went with my dad and grandad (the only time the three of us went to a game) and not realising the change went into the wrong end. We had to be moved to the South, so my first experience at Roots Hall saw me get pitch side. Lol.

We were a goal down at half time. It kicked off during the break. Someone (possibly my cousin) threw a bottle of their keeper (Peter Fox, on debut) at the beginning of the second half. The whole thing was pretty scarey for an 8 year old.

Stuart Brace got a brace, and we won 2-1.

Sure some our older (than me) fans may remember it.

As a result of the trouble, my mum put her foot down and wouldn't let me go again. My dad convinced her it would be ok, and she relented by the end of January, where we played (and beat) Brighton in the FA Cup (4th Rd, I think). It kicked off there as well. I wasn't allowed back for some time after that.

 

[Lord Football]

I was 9 so I can remember absolutely nothing about the game, I was hooked though!

We scored in the first 30 seconds. I was still queuing outside the West when it went in.