Memory Lane Introduction

[lesgood]

Hi everyone !
I was born in Southend ( Beresford Rd close to the Kursaal. Was 14 when WW2 started. I Joined the Navy in 42 and demobbed 1946. Was at Sicily, Italy and Normandy. My family owned the Jolly Spot across from the Kursaal which is now a car park. I was in the East Suffolk Police stationed at Felixstowe 1947-53 when I imigrated to the U.S. Have lived in the Columbus, Ohio area since then and retired 1993. As you can tell I am an"old fart" Have been a Shrimper supporter, mostly from afar, for mmany years. I remember the team playing on the Kuursaal grounds guessing now around the 1930's As a young kid playing and watching one of their practices, I fell and cut my knee open. The goalkeeper hearing me yell came and picked me up and took me home. Had to have stitches and still have the scar. ( Thought maybe I should rub it for good luck when the team plays) Since I have been here I have been involved in soccer. Started a youth program in town many years ago and did some coaching and referring up to the college level. Have for the past 15 years been a season ticket holder for theColumbus Crew MLS Team. Well, enough of that. Would appreciate some dialogue whith anyone. Thanks

 

[Cricko]

Welcome to the Zone les...nice first post.Look out for canveyshrimper, he is a bit older than you,but will no doubt be able to remember a lot of your days.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Welcome indeed, one of our more senior members...that makes you 83 or 84 by my reckoning???!!!! Reckon you'll be very hard pushed to meet anyone on here even remotely near your age! DoDtS may have some stories that you'll be able to identify with.

 

[Mick]

Welcome indeed, one of our more senior members...that makes you 83 or 84 by my reckoning???!!!! Reckon you'll be very hard pushed to meet anyone on here even remotely near your age! DoDtS may have some stories that you'll be able to identify with.

.... and the rest. Is it your history or your maths ?

 

[DTS]

Welcome to the board Les. Nice introdcution.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Welcome to the Zone les...nice first post.Look out for canveyshrimper, he is a bit older than you,but will no doubt be able to remember a lot of your days.

Ignore Cricko who is now in his dotage and occasionally forgets he helped found the club in 1906.

Welcome to the board and I'm sure that we'd all like to hear your recollections of the pre & post war years.

 

[OldBlueLady]

.... and the rest. Is it your history or your maths ?

14 at the start of WW2 so must have been born in 1924 or 25, ok I'm a few years out, but that's still a remarkable age! :raspberry:

 

[Beardoblue]

A big welcome to you. Glad to have you on board and its really true once a shrimper always a shrimper. Lets hope we have a good season for you to follow.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

As one of the 'older' posters on here it's always nice to have even more senior representatives. I never knew the Kursaal and whilst I remember Grainger Road as a stadium, I never saw the Blues play there..........my first match, as a nine year old, was the memorable Cup tie against Man City at Roots Hall ......ironically more poignant due to todays events.
Like yourself I bacame an exile but not quite as far flung, moving to the S-W of France, at the end of the eighties. Came to the US for the first time last Spring and spent eight days in New York............LOVED IT!!!

 

[USAShrimper]

Les:

I'm just down the road in Erie, PA. moved to the US 33 years ago. Go back about twice a year to watch the Shrimpers. Hoping to make the scottish pre-season games.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Hi everyone !
I was born in Southend ( Beresford Rd close to the Kursaal. Was 14 when WW2 started. I Joined the Navy in 42 and demobbed 1946. Was at Sicily, Italy and Normandy. My family owned the Jolly Spot across from the Kursaal which is now a car park. I was in the East Suffolk Police stationed at Felixstowe 1947-53 when I imigrated to the U.S. Have lived in the Columbus, Ohio area since then and retired 1993. As you can tell I am an"old fart" Have been a Shrimper supporter, mostly from afar, for mmany years. I remember the team playing on the Kuursaal grounds guessing now around the 1930's As a young kid playing and watching one of their practices, I fell and cut my knee open. The goalkeeper hearing me yell came and picked me up and took me home. Had to have stitches and still have the scar. ( Thought maybe I should rub it for good luck when the team plays) Since I have been here I have been involved in soccer. Started a youth program in town many years ago and did some coaching and referring up to the college level. Have for the past 15 years been a season ticket holder for theColumbus Crew MLS Team. Well, enough of that. Would appreciate some dialogue whith anyone. Thanks

Crickey you couldn't have been much closer to the old Kursaal ground, some of those houses in Beresford road were still quite new in 1925. The last match at the Kursaal was in 1934 did you go to many matches around that time & from what I gather the move to The Stadium was not popular. What was the Jolly Spot?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Welcome! :clap:

 

[Crabby Shrimper]

Welcome from here too.

Served in the Mediterranean, and Normandy, and demobbed in '46? Sounds like you spent your time following HMS Warspite.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Welcome les, great to hear from someone who has so much Shrimpers history running through his veins. As Canvey Shrimper mentioned, you will be hard pushed to out age Cricko.

 

[MR BLUE]

Welcome Les.My first game was at Grainger Road,1946 played Mansfield.My son lives in Utah,still follows Southend United,but the success story over their is where he watches his games at Real Salt Lake sell out crowds of 30.000 every match

 

[Ex-Member1]

Fantastic to hear from a more mature supporter!! I can only boast watching SUFC from 1958 onwards, remembering the Birmingham City FA Cup tie and going to Norwich City when they were on their great Cup Run and seeing us 4-0 down before we arrived in the ground!! Also winning 5-0 against Coventrry....Ah the memories. A big welcome to you and here's to sharing many memories in the future of our beloved team.

 

[Tinks]

Good to see both young and mature (noted I never said old) people on here.
Welcome

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Welcome home Les .Would be great to hear a desciption and some memories of what the the old ground was like . Just think in a few years we might be saying I remember Roots Hall before that supermarket was built.With Ron still around might be a long time before it happens!

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Fantastic to hear from a more mature supporter!! I can only boast watching SUFC from 1958 onwards, remembering the Birmingham City FA Cup tie and going to Norwich City when they were on their great Cup Run and seeing us 4-0 down before we arrived in the ground!! Also winning 5-0 against Coventrry....Ah the memories. A big welcome to you and here's to sharing many memories in the future of our beloved team.

I think you are doing yourself out of a few years support? The Birmingham FA Cup match was 1956/7 season.

Did you go to Coventry in 1962 you might see yourself in the crowd? a 3-3 draw pity the cameraman missed all 6 goals, some nice shots of Jimmy's chin though! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GXXB3Jms1Q

 

[The Big Dady]

Hi Les, you have some great memories, do you remember these?

Southend United Kursaal Ground 1919-1934

Southend United Team Photo 1930-31 Season at the Kursaal

Southend Stadium Granger Road 1934-1955

Southend Stadium Granger Road in the snow