ManchesterBlues
Schoolboy
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2008
- Messages
- 70
here you go.... What a cracking fellow and managed to persuade him to come to the last away game of the season!
Cheers Spencey!
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What was Dave Smith like to play for?
He was a bit of an enigma. If he liked you life was great and if he didn’t god help you. He knew I liked him so it was OK until I got injured then he walked past me in the corridor without as much as a ‘Hello’.
One day after a match he told all of us that we were not having the day off and would all be going on a coaching course. I not so politely told him I wouldn’t be… after much (not so polite) toing and froing I did the course! He knew what he wanted and he usually got it. He was strict but not in a loud aggressive way.
His management style was good but training methods could be bizarre or boring. Once made us do a complete training session without kicking a ball. Not so uncommon these days but back then seemed very strange!
Was John Keeley really as crap as we thought?
What a lovely bloke. Would not say he was crap but how did we sell him for as much as we did! As I said I would not say he was crap but could have done with losing a few pounds. As I said he was not crap but he would not make it in my top 600 players
Blues fans singing "Derek Spence is an International". Cringeworthy or good effort?
Fantastic effort! Always makes me laugh and still get the song from people at Blackpool today!
Any good stories from your time playing in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong was a difficult time. Missing out on the world Cup was a devastating blow and it was the move there which really ended my career with all the road running we had to do. Whilst out there I met Bobby Moore who returned to England and Southend. Southend initially loaned me and whilst on loan I was released. If they had not released me I would have returned to Southend to play for Bobby Moore.
From someone who spoke to him at the LDV final. How is his kid?
Hes fine. Got his coaching badges and doing well.
Best game he played in for the blues?
Two games stick out. York away where I scored 3 in a 5 – something win.
And Burnley against a side who were to get promoted. We won 5-1 or 5-2 and I scored 2 with garry Nelson having a stormer!
Is the Southend United result at 4.45pm on Saturday one of the first results you keep an eye out for?
Of course! Along with some of my other former clubs but my time at Southend was a special one!
What were your best Memories when playing for the Shrimpers
There are a few….
The fact we use to train in Priory park. Great times and crap pitches. Me and the players used to have a spot the dog poo competition and see how many different colours of poo we could find!
I loved the crack after the game in the Shrimpers bar and meeting up with supporters. Every game used to have a scoop or two with Ken frost, the window cleaner and it was great to have a drink and laugh with the fans a bit of a dance and there was always a bit of stuff (I am presuming by ‘stuff’ he meant te female variety) about which was good!
Finally I used to love wandering around the market in the car park before or after training! Could pick up some great bargains.
What was your favourite game?
My first game against Hull, I think. Boring game but I had one shot in the whole game and it went in! cant beat that shot to goal ratio!
What was it like to play in front off our Massive South stand with over 15,000 in the Roots Hall?
The atmosphere at roots Hall was awesome. Playing in a good team helped.
Also thanks for making me a Southend United Supporter the season 1980-81 winning the Div 4 Championship cemented my allegiance to the Shrimpers
That was great however I always regret the fact we were unbeaten at home in the League all season and we get dumped out of the FA cup by Hereford @ home in a game we should have won. We could have had a great cup run that season.
Mr Spence, do you remember being chaired off the pitch at Plainmoor at the end of the 80/81 season helped by Suffolk Shrimper?
I am sorry but I don’t remember much about the game just a very pleasant journey home (?????)
Keith Mercer was your strike partner in those glory days, he seemed to chip in with a few goals despite looking less than shall we say trim and athletic. I understand he is a taxi driver around Blackpool these days, do you still meet up now for a crafty pint every now and then?
I still see keith who was possibly the best partner I had as he made a great target man. He lives just round the corner and when I came up to Blackpool we worked together at their Centre of Excellence
Cheers Spencey!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What was Dave Smith like to play for?
He was a bit of an enigma. If he liked you life was great and if he didn’t god help you. He knew I liked him so it was OK until I got injured then he walked past me in the corridor without as much as a ‘Hello’.
One day after a match he told all of us that we were not having the day off and would all be going on a coaching course. I not so politely told him I wouldn’t be… after much (not so polite) toing and froing I did the course! He knew what he wanted and he usually got it. He was strict but not in a loud aggressive way.
His management style was good but training methods could be bizarre or boring. Once made us do a complete training session without kicking a ball. Not so uncommon these days but back then seemed very strange!
Was John Keeley really as crap as we thought?
What a lovely bloke. Would not say he was crap but how did we sell him for as much as we did! As I said I would not say he was crap but could have done with losing a few pounds. As I said he was not crap but he would not make it in my top 600 players
Blues fans singing "Derek Spence is an International". Cringeworthy or good effort?
Fantastic effort! Always makes me laugh and still get the song from people at Blackpool today!
Any good stories from your time playing in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong was a difficult time. Missing out on the world Cup was a devastating blow and it was the move there which really ended my career with all the road running we had to do. Whilst out there I met Bobby Moore who returned to England and Southend. Southend initially loaned me and whilst on loan I was released. If they had not released me I would have returned to Southend to play for Bobby Moore.
From someone who spoke to him at the LDV final. How is his kid?
Hes fine. Got his coaching badges and doing well.
Best game he played in for the blues?
Two games stick out. York away where I scored 3 in a 5 – something win.
And Burnley against a side who were to get promoted. We won 5-1 or 5-2 and I scored 2 with garry Nelson having a stormer!
Is the Southend United result at 4.45pm on Saturday one of the first results you keep an eye out for?
Of course! Along with some of my other former clubs but my time at Southend was a special one!
What were your best Memories when playing for the Shrimpers
There are a few….
The fact we use to train in Priory park. Great times and crap pitches. Me and the players used to have a spot the dog poo competition and see how many different colours of poo we could find!
I loved the crack after the game in the Shrimpers bar and meeting up with supporters. Every game used to have a scoop or two with Ken frost, the window cleaner and it was great to have a drink and laugh with the fans a bit of a dance and there was always a bit of stuff (I am presuming by ‘stuff’ he meant te female variety) about which was good!
Finally I used to love wandering around the market in the car park before or after training! Could pick up some great bargains.
What was your favourite game?
My first game against Hull, I think. Boring game but I had one shot in the whole game and it went in! cant beat that shot to goal ratio!
What was it like to play in front off our Massive South stand with over 15,000 in the Roots Hall?
The atmosphere at roots Hall was awesome. Playing in a good team helped.
Also thanks for making me a Southend United Supporter the season 1980-81 winning the Div 4 Championship cemented my allegiance to the Shrimpers
That was great however I always regret the fact we were unbeaten at home in the League all season and we get dumped out of the FA cup by Hereford @ home in a game we should have won. We could have had a great cup run that season.
Mr Spence, do you remember being chaired off the pitch at Plainmoor at the end of the 80/81 season helped by Suffolk Shrimper?
I am sorry but I don’t remember much about the game just a very pleasant journey home (?????)
Keith Mercer was your strike partner in those glory days, he seemed to chip in with a few goals despite looking less than shall we say trim and athletic. I understand he is a taxi driver around Blackpool these days, do you still meet up now for a crafty pint every now and then?
I still see keith who was possibly the best partner I had as he made a great target man. He lives just round the corner and when I came up to Blackpool we worked together at their Centre of Excellence
