Got me looking up the story now, Lol, doubting myself.
10th April
'It was Vic Jobson who signed Stan Collymore for Southend United' By, Chris Phillips.
STAN Collymore is regarded by many as the greatest player in
Southend United’s history.
But it may surprise you who actually signed the former striker.
Colin Murphy was Blues boss when Collymore arrived at Roots Hall.
However, former Echo sports editor Howard Southwood has revealed it was actually then chairman Vic Jobson who made sure the Shrimpers signed Collymore.
“I still see speculation from fans who don’t seem to understand who signed Stan but it was Vic Jobson,” said Southwood.
“He was having talks with Colin Murphy who was manager at the time.
“Murphy was very keen on getting Steve Jones from Billericay and he had a big discussion with Jobson who said he didn’t think Jones would be up to stepping up from non league to fill the hole Southend needed at that stage.
“He told him he had seen Crystal Palace reserves and had seen a bloke called Collymore who could be just the answer and it was him who he wanted to sign.”
But Murphy was initially not too pleased with the decision.
“At the time Murphy phoned me up and he was moaning about Jobson interfering and how he wanted to get Jones who in fairness went on to do well for
West Ham,” said Southwood.
“But I tended to agree with Murphy at the time and I wrote a comment piece in the Echo criticising Jobson for forcing the Collymore decision on Murphy.”
And that led to Jobson deciding to ban Southwood from covering Blues.
“It got Vic’s back up and I was subsequently banned from the ground,” said Southwood.
“The paper backed me and I managed to still get smuggled in to cover Blues.
“Jobson tried to sue me and the paper as well for libel which he was never going to win but he stepped down on that in the end and I got invited back.”
Collymore scored 18 goals in 32 games while with Blues during the 1992/93 season.
And the striker played a huge part in keeping the Shrimpers in the second tier of English football.
“Jobson was proved right about Collymore because he had a brilliant time with Southend and they got a lot of money for him,” said Southwood.
“He was the best striker I ever saw for Southend and the most exciting as well.”
Collymore joined Nottingham Forest at the end of his only season with the Shrimpers in a deal which eventually earned the club more than £3 million.
And Jobson also apologised to Southwood before his death in 1999.
“In fairness to Vic he rang me from his death bed to apologise for what he did to me over the Collymore thing,” said Southwood.
“He said he didn’t mean to hurt me or upset me but I told him not to worry and to just get better but that was the type of guy he was.
“He was a real character.
“He was a football man through and through and I always felt he was a frustrated manager.”
