First Southend game???

[E for B and Billy Best]

Home to Coventry, still remember it like it was yesterday Tony Bentley racing down the wing , Ray Smith looking like he had ran into a wall and the shirts were thick blue stripes and thin white stripes (still my favorite SUFC shirt).

 

[Portuguese Shrimper]

First game was in 1958, memory has let me down on opposition but Doncaster is ringing bells. Harry Threadgold was the usual goalkeeper but think he was injured and Norman Uprichard played!! In those days Roots Hall was a bit of a fortress and we won the game but ,again, can't remember score. Sat on wall behind North Bank goal( helped there by suppporters who lifted me over), copper stood beside me and I threw some of the shingle of the dirt track at the boy walking round with half time scores to the amusement of the copper! Seem to remember that the band leader dropped the large baton he was throwing in the air, much to the amusement of the crowd. At half time walked around shingle track to take my place behind the South goal - Happy days

 

[Tommy2holes]

My first game was against luton town at the hall in the 92 ? Stan collymore's last ever game and we had to win and look to other results for us to stay in what is now the championship.

We won the match 2-1 i think it was angel and sussex the scorers. What i do remember is the wait in silence at the end of the match as the results came in and the eruptions around a packed roots hall when safety was comfirmed. I pitch invasion followed and i climbed on spinners back as he chased around the pitch.

Not a bad first game and i was gullible enough to beleive that every game would be the same!

I have been hooked ever since and even when times have been dark and they have been , i have always had that fire in my heart to cheer on the blues

 

[1966 and all that]

Can't remember my first match (would have been around 1971), but does anyone recall Southend playing Barking away in a televised match in the late 50s/early 60s, when I was at school? It would have been a mid-week afternoon game if memory serves. It may have been an experimental thing, because it would have been most unusual to televise a whole match at that time, and at that level

 

[turkishm]

Winter of 1955 i think, no problems with the game Southend v Man City, we lost 1 0 but should of won, Trautman saved everything that came his way. I also think it was our 1st season back at the new Roots Hall.

 

[grassroots]

First game was in 1958, memory has let me down on opposition but Doncaster is ringing bells. Harry Threadgold was the usual goalkeeper but think he was injured and Norman Uprichard played!! In those days Roots Hall was a bit of a fortress and we won the game but ,again, can't remember score. Sat on wall behind North Bank goal( helped there by suppporters who lifted me over), copper stood beside me and I threw some of the shingle of the dirt track at the boy walking round with half time scores to the amusement of the copper! Seem to remember that the band leader dropped the large baton he was throwing in the air, much to the amusement of the crowd. At half time walked around shingle track to take my place behind the South goal - Happy days

Thank God for that - thought I was the oldest poster!! You beat me by a year see my post way back - strange we both remember Norman Uprichard!

 

[BrettieAngell]

FA Cup 1st Round v Halesowen November 1986.

 

[turkishm]

Thank God for that - thought I was the oldest poster!! You beat me by a year see my post way back - strange we both remember Norman Uprichard!

Fear not, an old git resides here in Turkey

 

[Shrimper]

Game against Mansfield I think in 1998/9.

 

[JD]

Wed 15-Sep 1993 Watford H Anglo Italian Cup 3 0 Otto Lee Ansah 1,881

 

[DistantBlue]

April 2nd 1960 v Newport County
My 10th birthday present
My Dad took me - sat in the East Stand
Bud Houghton became my immediate hero - winning goal in a 5 goal thriller
Mid Table that year but we scored 70+ and let in 70+
Interesting stats there - guarantee of 3 goals a game
I too have distinct memories of the band leader dropping his big baton- so he clearly made a bit of a habit of it.
Crowd of 8500 + that day
And so an obsession was born

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

Early '70 for me, can't remember who against mind you, bit can remember my first away game as though it was yesterday. Derby away in the cup, lost 0-1, but will never get that god awful train journey out of my head. Happy days

 

[twobob]

The first game I really remember going to was against Millwall in October 1965, though my dad had taken me a few times before but I don't recall much about these games. At the time I actually was pleased to see Millwall win 2-0 as my dad had a friend who was a Millwall fan and he used to give me his Millwall programmes (which I've still got) and I knew their players names. In hindsight dropping points that day was bad news as we were relegated that season and spent far too long in the 4th division.

However, the following season I became a regular at Roots Hall and have been pretty much ever since.

At the time I lived in Wickford and it used to cost 2/6 (£0.12) on the train, 2/0 (£0.10) admission, 0/6 (£0.03) for a programme & my brother & I shared a bag of Merry Maids 1/0 (£0.05)! Total 30p

 

[south247]

Home to Liverpool in January 79.

Freezing cold, seem to remember being up a flood light so I could get a view of game. 0-0, don't remeber much more other than the snow and coloured ball and being in awe of seeing such a great team in action!

 

[chris wood]

1st Game was a pre seaon friendly against West Ham at the start of the 81-82 season my dad said come on grab your claret and blue bobble hat were off to watch the Hammers at Southend.
I was only just 10 didnt really support anyone apart from following villa who were sucessful at the time hence the claret and blue bobble hat.
Was really excited about seeing my 1st real game we drove to the match in dads blue mk2 cortina with black vinyal roof.
As we drove down the hospital road i could see the fans walking to the ground the expectation was great as the floodlights grew bigger and bigger.
We walked into the West Bank think it was 70p to get in i remember looking down from the top of the west bank thinking amazing how high up i was. We walked to the front and i stood down by the wall on the half way line.
The ground had about 8000 in it and remember Southend parading the Div 4 Trophy round the pitch with West Ham Showing off the FA Cup.
As the game wore on i remember dad saying "what do you think?" i was loving every min the buzz i had inside me was like no other.
At half time i said to dad "here dad take the bobble hat" he said why, i replied "I want to support the blues" and there i had the start of my love affair with Southend..
On the way back after the game i kept on at dad to take me to more games and the next pre season game would see us return with my grandad as well to see us against Norwich.
Its funny i can remember it so clear just a great memory!

 

[coogeeblue]

Mine is the promotion of 86 or 87 .

Home against wolves Martin Ling scored a header in front of the barmy wolves fans. After that goal i never seen so much trouble with the opposing team on/off the pitch. Wolves fans climbing the fences trying to get into the west stand, where i stood with my dad. It all kicked off around the ground and to this day ive been hooked with southend.

Yellow army

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Thank God for that - thought I was the oldest poster!! You beat me by a year see my post way back - strange we both remember Norman Uprichard!

I certainly remember seeing Harry Threadgold play in goal.When would he have retired?:unsure:

 

[turkishm]

I certainly remember seeing Harry Threadgold play in goal.When would he have retired?:unsure:

Think Harry went on to 63 or 64, i remember playing with Threadgold arond 65 66 when he played centre forward for Southchurch Rovers after he retired from league football.

 

[leeblue]

is it wrong i have no idea of who we played or result or anything it was 83 or 84 been hooked ever since

 

[Sleaford Shrimper]

My first visit to Roots Hall was to watch Southend against Swansea in 1966/67. It was a Friday night game that we won 1-0 with an Andy Smillie goal. It was in the good old days when you could follow the attack by standing on the South Bank terracing in the first half and then, at half time, walk round the back of the West Stand to the North Bank shed for the second half.

I seem to remember that we had an average home attendance of over 12000 that season in the equivalent division (Division 4) to the one we're in now.