Memories of favourite players past and present. Who's yours and why?

[fredheim_holm]

He's not my all time favourite, but one I'll always be fond of is Duncan Jupp. There's something about an unassuming, tough tackling full back who gives it everything. Obviously if I had to pick a moment it would be *that* goal at the Millenium Stadium.

 

[Cricko]

Billy Best would be a close choice for me , but it has to be Trevor Roberts, the man that made me fall in love with the club in the first place.

 

[Richard Hearn]

King Richard, for me.

I will never forget his home debut against his previous club. Completely demolishing them and knocking in four goals for good measure.

I was really sad when he went to Sheffield United as I thought then (even with my limited football insight) that it was the wrong club for him. At the time they were largely a team of cloggers and I don't think his career ever recovered from the move or ever reached the heights that it could/should have done.

I also loved Bilel too.

 

[manor15]

My weird one - Jay Smith. My first game was his debut in 2002 and he scored two, then not long later he scored that injury time winner against Canvey in the FA Cup. Shame injuries stopped him from really kicking on but he still played a part in those L1 and L2 promotion seasons.

My more normal ones:

King Kev for all the obvious reasons that really don’t need repeating again. One specific moment I would have to go for the 5-0 vs QPR and his free-kick then which was probably the high point in the league of that season.

Michael Timlin because I’m not sure we’ve had many if any more committed players to the cause since I started supporting the Blues. Plus that goal he scored at the death at Exeter in 2015 is up there as one of my all-time favourite memories.

Special mentions for Barry Corr (scoring with a broken face at Portsmouth) and Ryan Leonard (and that tackle against Bury (?) after an 80-yard sprint).

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Nothing beats a bit of nostalgia to give you a real lift in your life and as I sit here at this moment in time we could all do with a bit of cheering up and remembering the days when going to Roots Hall really was one of life's pleasure.
One of the biggest problems when you do this type of thread is that if you go back before the early 1990's there is very little footage available to view because only now and again was a lower league club like ours on TV and that is especially true of my favourite all time player one BILLY BEST which I am sure will be of no surprise to anybody that knows me well.
I was present at every Southend Utd. match at Roots Hall when Billy was playing for us back between 1968-1973. when he scored an incredible 85 goals in just about 127 matches?. In that total at Roots Hall Billy scored 7 hat-tricks for the club which is a club record, he also scored a couple away from home at both Reading & Peterborough Utd. where he scored all four goals with his hat-trick being scored in just 5 mins, In the match at Posh some 53 years
ago it was the very last time a Southend United player scored 4 times away from home. Obviously most older supporters on here are aware of his F.A,Cup goals but his 15 goals in 12 matches playing alongside the late great Gary Moore included back to back matches when both players scored hat-tricks a record that still stands to this very day. Without doubt I could go on and on and it may well be an age thing (I was 18 at that time) but trust me Billy Best was a very special player,small in stature, standing just about 5ft 6in. but boy could he head a ball, and it is fair to say that all us older members on SZ often talk about Billy Best as if he was playing for us just a few years ago when it is in fact well over 50 years ago. *As I mentioned earlier the only footage of Billy Best at Southend United can be found on the DVD "The Team we call United". However if you go onto You Tube you can see Billy scoring a couple of goals against Bournemouth in a 6-0 win back in the 1975-76 season.

 

[Richard Hearn]

My weird one - Jay Smith. My first game was his debut in 2002 and he scored two, then not long later he scored that injury time winner against Canvey in the FA Cup. Shame injuries stopped him from really kicking on but he still played a part in those L1 and L2 promotion seasons.

Not weird at all, a cracking player. Another who never achieved what he might have done thanks to that Cambridge barbarian, Warren Goodhind.

(Although what else would one expect from a South African, I suppose we should be thankful that he left his sjambok in the dressing room.)

 

[Strykr]

He's not my all time favourite, but one I'll always be fond of is Duncan Jupp. There's something about an unassuming, tough tackling full back who gives it everything. Obviously if I had to pick a moment it would be *that* goal at the Millenium Stadium.

I must have watched juppys goal on youtube 1000 times.

I challenge anyone to watch that and not smile :)

 

[sufcrocks]

Mohsni…..what a character and 100% entertainment! Even scored a few good goals!

 

[Stubb]

Eddie Firmani for me. A class player who had that indefinable talent that all top class sports players have...that of time. He didn't look interested some of the time but then produced a piece of magic that justified the entrance money.

 

[old leigh shrimper]

Roy,Roy,Super Roy,
Roy Roy,Super Roy,
Roy ,Roy, Super Roy,
Super Roy Mcdonough!
Chicken in a basket Super Roy! etc

 

[Sea Cadette]

I've many favourites over my 45 years plus of supporting The Blues. Colin Morris was one of the first, he was replaced by Derek Spence (quite literally), Andy Polycarpou (always scored important goals from distant memory)& through the 80s there was Clarky, Ron Pountney (my all time favourite), Inchy Phillips, Richard Cadette, Peter Butler, Chris Powell, Crowny etc.
Barry Fry's team was exciting to watch with Ricky Otto, Tilly, Stanley Collymore (as a player) & strong defenders like Andy Edwards, Leo Roget & Pat Scully.
21st century has seen some good ones as well Eastwood, Timlin, Bentley, Barrett & Leonard have all been favourites of mine.
With our future in such a precarious position, I only hope my grandkids can have a team with heroes like that in the future to watch & enjoy

 

[Goldinm]

Brett Angell?

Have to agree man was amazing special.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

When I were but a nipper my favourite player was John McKinven. Many more in later years but the dual wing pairing of Britt Assombolonga and Gavin Tomlin live on in my memory. I must have a soft spot for wingers.

I always thought Colin Morris was one of our best wingers whilst he was here.

 

[choggy]

Ricky Otto for me. Oppo players had no idea what he'd do next when he was on the ball, I suspect neither did he. I hated Barry Fry for nicking him when he went to Birmingham.

Special mention to Roy McDonough. When he was in the starting XI, the haters booed him. When he was a sub, the same people demanded he be bought on. And that karate kick against Newport in the FA cup is the stuff of legends...I was in the West Bank not 20 foot away from him when he tried to decapitate that guy.

 

[Southstand blue]

Eastwood
Gower
Maher
Flavs
red card Roy
Roget
Stan
Jupps
Barret
Cort
Tess the cat

The best manager. Sir Steve tillson

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Eastwood
Gower
Maher
Flavs
red card Roy
Roget
Stan
Jupps
Barret
Cort
Tess the cat

The best manager. Sir Steve tillson

It almost works as an XI

……..……Tes
Jupp Roget Cort Barrett
Flahavan Maher Gower
McDonough Collymore Eastwood

 

[Mad Dog Shrimper]

I'd go with Chris Powell, my first ever favourite player. Then Steve Tilson for his loyalty even in periods when first team football was lacking for him and Leo Roget because he was amazing when he came into the team during a bad time.

 

[discord]

For me Stan the Man, the best player I have ever seen in a Blues shirt and those 2 goals v Brizzle Rovers, what more can you say, I would also add Kanu Robson, his positional play was top class, however their time was short lived, so would have to omit them from my all time team and go for seasoned players;
Sansome
Austin Clarke Barret Powell
Ansah Maher Butler Gower
Angell Eastwood
Subs W Gray Bently Jupp Flavs

 

[kevin_h]

My favourites are from the 70's when I saw my first games at RH. Peter Sylvester - the season when he must have scored over 26 goals. Willie Coulson for nutmegging Stan Bowles at the QPR FA cup replay right in front of me and Stan just turned and applauded. Chris Guthrie - immense and Stuart Brace scoring on his debut against Walsall. Out and out favourite was Ron Pountney. Great days