Ref Watch ..... Mansfield H

[Mick]

This will be our fourth game against Mansfield since they returned from 5 years exile in non-league football. Last year's home match against them saw that unlikeliest of combinations - 3 red cards and 3 home goals! Mansfield were far from convincing on their last visit to the area when they squeezed past Concord in a Cup replay on Canvey.

Last time we were due to play Mansfield at home in April we had the tragic match when referee, Mike North collapsed during the match and subsequently passed away.

Well, will we have a good referee for Good Friday ? The prospects are reasonable.

Tomorrow's referee, Stephen Martin from Stafford, has a well below average card count. In his third season, he has shown 79 yellows in 30 matches and just 2 reds, both in the same match. He is quite highly rated and gets plenty of Championship appointments.

This will be his fifth Southend match with 2 draws, a win and a defeat thus far.

The second match of his League career was our 3-3 draw at Northampton in 2012/13 (all goals in the second half), when Cresswell popped up with a last minute equaliser and he cautioned Ferdinand and Spicer and a couple of theirs.

The second Southend game he did was the home draw with Bradford that same season, a caution apiece (ours was Timlin).

Then came the 2-0 away win at Oxford last season. A yellow for Coker and one of theirs.

Finally later last season he presided over our disappointing 1-0 defeat at Torquay - no cards were shown.

Assisting will be building contractor, Chris Pollard from Stowmarket, whose father was linesman at the 1999 League Cup Final at Wembley and Stephen Ross from Boston. Michael Webb from Woking will be in charge of the numbers board.

 

[AndyT]

Last time we were due to play Mansfield at home in April we had the tragic match when referee, Mike North collapsed during the match and subsequently passed away.

Of course. :sad:

Thankfully, I missed that game.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Last time we were due to play Mansfield at home in April we had the tragic match when referee, Mike North collapsed during the match and subsequently passed away.

Can't ever think of Mansfield (H) without being taken back to that terrible afternoon...

 

[Richard Hearn]

Last time we were due to play Mansfield at home in April we had the tragic match when referee, Mike North collapsed during the match and subsequently passed away.

The way he went down that day I think he was dead before he hit the ground.

 

[Mick]

The way he went down that day I think he was dead before he hit the ground.

Not that it makes any difference, but John Gowans, our physio at the time treated him on the pitch and there was a shallow pulse; he was transferred to hospital and died 5 minutes after reaching the emergency unit. A very sad day 14 years ago.

 

[Fish]

I will never forget the sheer panic in Danny Webb's body language as he was waving the physio on.

Horrible day. 16 years ago already. I wonder how his family are now?

 

[SHRIMPERPETER]

Not that it makes any difference, but John Gowans, our physio at the time treated him on the pitch and there was a shallow pulse; he was transferred to hospital and died 5 minutes after reaching the emergency unit. A very sad day 14 years ago.

Crikes, doesn't time fly!!!