My Dream Is Coming True or My Wife Is The Best

[southend4eva]

:happy:Something that most on here has taken for granted, is coming true for me, thanks to my awesome wife.
i am going to my first Southend United matches.
I'll be able to attend the Northampton on the 25th, Dag n Red on the 28th and finally Newport on the 31st.
I can't believe, it as I have been trying to make this happen since the mid-90s.
I live in the outback North-Western-Australia and my son and I will be leaving around the 21st arriving hopefully around the 23rd.
i suppose I can book tickets on line, but where is the best please to sit and travel to and form.
i am going to stay in Southend as I want to attend a couple of trainings, so any suggestions of good places to stay would be helpful.
Aany info, advice, etc... Would be appreciated.
merry Christmas and UTB's:loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter:

 

[The Watermill Wino]

Hi Southendforeva, tickets are sometimes a problem but for Northampton you should be ok, Daggers mid week, again shouldn't be a problem either. West Stand in the Blue Voice section is always an experience mind you so is the food there. :(
Pubs around Roots are Spread, and Railway, Blue Boar is for away fans now and the Nelson ...well don't know what's going on there.
Safe journey fella.

 

[shrimperjon]

Holiday Inn near the airport is a nice place to stay, not too far from the ground or town and next door to the railway station so convenient for transport. As for tickets, Northampton away will be fine, should take good numbers, but won't sell out, Daggers away will probably be close to a sell out for us, but you can easily get tickets in their end. Newport at home, you will have no problem. I sit in the east yellows, which has a good view, but west stand for atmosphere would be best if that's what you prefer. Safe trip. Utb

 

[Dazzaref]

Thats really great. Hope you have a brilliant trip. Would love to hear about how you have come to be a Southend fan? I guess the West stand would be best for tickets. Not living in Southend myself anymore I wouldnt be able to offer advice on where to stay.

 

[tia]

:happy:Something that most on here has taken for granted, is coming true for me, thanks to my awesome wife.
i am going to my first Southend United matches.
I'll be able to attend the Northampton on the 25th, Dag n Red on the 28th and finally Newport on the 31st.
I can't believe, it as I have been trying to make this happen since the mid-90s.
I live in the outback North-Western-Australia and my son and I will be leaving around the 21st arriving hopefully around the 23rd.
i suppose I can book tickets on line, but where is the best please to sit and travel to and form.
i am going to stay in Southend as I want to attend a couple of trainings, so any suggestions of good places to stay would be helpful.
Aany info, advice, etc... Would be appreciated.
merry Christmas and UTB's:loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter:

Great news for you mate,proper football in January is what its all about! West stand is best for atmosphere at Roots Hall,hope you and your son have a great time over here

 

[OldBlueLady]

Great news! There's also the Park Inn to stay, right at the top of Pier Hill and on the seafront overlooking the pier for a great view, and there is a guest house down that way owned by a Southend fan - if anyone on here is still in contact with Aberdeen Shrimper, he will know the name of it as he's stayed there several times. You can also drink in the Far Post or in the Shrimpers or any of the other bars at the ground on matchdays.

East Stand is good if you are "average" sized - if you're tall then you'll have problems with your legs, and some of the seats are the old wooden ones. View from the South Upper is good generally, but obviously some of the action may well be going on at the other end of the pitch, as it's behind one goal. I swear by the adage "West is best" myself! :winking:

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

:happy:Something that most on here has taken for granted, is coming true for me, thanks to my awesome wife.
i am going to my first Southend United matches.
I'll be able to attend the Northampton on the 25th, Dag n Red on the 28th and finally Newport on the 31st.
I can't believe, it as I have been trying to make this happen since the mid-90s.
I live in the outback North-Western-Australia and my son and I will be leaving around the 21st arriving hopefully around the 23rd.
i suppose I can book tickets on line, but where is the best please to sit and travel to and form.
i am going to stay in Southend as I want to attend a couple of trainings, so any suggestions of good places to stay would be helpful.
Aany info, advice, etc... Would be appreciated.
merry Christmas and UTB's:loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter:

Best place to stay in Southend Pier View Guest House owned by a Southend fan. You will be sure of a good welcome, especially if you mention you are coming over for the football.
http://www.pierviewguesthouse.co.uk/

Have a good trip.

 

[thorpebayshrimper]

:happy:Something that most on here has taken for granted, is coming true for me, thanks to my awesome wife.
i am going to my first Southend United matches.
I'll be able to attend the Northampton on the 25th, Dag n Red on the 28th and finally Newport on the 31st.
I can't believe, it as I have been trying to make this happen since the mid-90s.
I live in the outback North-Western-Australia and my son and I will be leaving around the 21st arriving hopefully around the 23rd.
i suppose I can book tickets on line, but where is the best please to sit and travel to and form.
i am going to stay in Southend as I want to attend a couple of trainings, so any suggestions of good places to stay would be helpful.
Aany info, advice, etc... Would be appreciated.
merry Christmas and UTB's:loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter:

Congratulations southend4eva. This has got to be worthy of an article in a home programme and/or a some kind of recognition from the club, e.g. meet the manager and team at training or something more fitting. We have numerous examples of brilliant loyalty and devotion but it's not every day two fans travel 1/2 way around the world to visit SUFC. Well done. Let's hope the team perform when you're here...but if they have an off day that's football!
Have a good trip.
UTB.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Thats really great. Hope you have a brilliant trip. Would love to hear about how you have come to be a Southend fan? I guess the West stand would be best for tickets. Not living in Southend myself anymore I wouldnt be able to offer advice on where to stay.

http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/show...e-you-worn-your-colours&p=1367688#post1367688

 

[Tinks]

Wow, such a long way to travel. As other posters have said, if you are looking for a warm welcome then the Pier View Guest House is probably best as the landlord is a SUFC supporter.
As for tickets may I suggest you contact the club explain the distance travelled etc, etc and you never know they put some by for you.
From a personal perspective I would say West stand is probably the best.
Have a safe trip oh and bring some warm clothes

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

Wow, safe trip! I am sure the club will be able to do something. Is Helen Giles still there? I am sure she would help, or try contacting the Trust.

West would be best for atmosphere, but East stand would be the best view depends what you wanted.

 

[SUFCFANS]

Better bar in the East Black seats, but I can understand most recommening the West for atmosphere.. Personally I still find the East Blacks comfortable enough, you get the noise from the west, and the best (ish) bar in the ground..

 

[Dazzaref]

:happy:Something that most on here has taken for granted, is coming true for me, thanks to my awesome wife.
i am going to my first Southend United matches.
I'll be able to attend the Northampton on the 25th, Dag n Red on the 28th and finally Newport on the 31st.
I can't believe, it as I have been trying to make this happen since the mid-90s.
I live in the outback North-Western-Australia and my son and I will be leaving around the 21st arriving hopefully around the 23rd.
i suppose I can book tickets on line, but where is the best please to sit and travel to and form.
i am going to stay in Southend as I want to attend a couple of trainings, so any suggestions of good places to stay would be helpful.
Aany info, advice, etc... Would be appreciated.
merry Christmas and UTB's:loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter:

How's your planning going? Less than two weeks and you'll be here. Hope you have a great time.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Southend is a dump - stay in Leigh

 

[undercovershrimper]

At least you dont have to go Northampton now, you can watch the blues at home to Prem opposition instead, Enjoy!

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Have a great stay. Are you an expat or a wise choosing team selector (how did you become a blue)? Have you been to Southend before as it has changed hugely over the last 20/30 years, and do you want some suggestions for day trips, restaurants etc?

 

[Fish]

If you're here for a few games and don't know where to go in the ground, my suggestion would be to get tickets for different stands each game. East is in front of the dugouts and with the dignitaries (if you're in East Reds, anyway), South Upper great view but behind one goal (above the height of the crossbar), and the West is, well, the West.

If you want to try the revered North bank as well, which is for away fans, the best game for that would be Newport I would imagine. Can be nice and noisy in there because the barrel roof traps all the sound and reverberates well.

 

[enfieldblue]

if you're booking in the West you want block u,v,w if you want to be near the blue voice. p, q, r, is near the family enclosure down by the Home goal which blues tend to attack in the second half. have a brilliant trip. whatever happens she'll be right, no worries

 

[southend4eva]

Hi All,
I am flying from Australia (with my 16 year old son) on the 23rd of January until Feb 1, 2014, to finally fulfill my dream of seeing the shrimpers live.
I am only coming to the UK to see Southend play and hopefully attend some training sessions and if possible meet the players and manager.
I am only able to see two games which hopefully will be Hull and the Dag&Red game.
I will be staying at the 'Pier View' guest house in Southend on these dates.
I have tried to do this trip on several occasions, but a death in the family or a sickness, or lack of funds have prevented it.
But my 16 year old saved some money from an internship; so him and my wife have worked together to bring it too pass: with my son footing the bill... :clap:How awesome is that.:happy::thumbsup:


Though I am Australian and have never been to Southend, I have been a fanatical fan for twenty years, sitting up to the early hours of the morning listening to Blues Player!
I am a member of the 'Shrimpers Trust' and tried to by some shares when they where for sale some years back, but for some reason I missed out. :'(

I love English football and in 1994 I decided I didn't want to support the topflight teams but wanted to support a 'real' team.
Meaning one that is local and has supporters who are born and die their club.
Who support through thick and thin.
Who have stories that speak of their life their friends and family, many who are not here anymore, but their memories live on strong.
So in 1994 looked at all the teams I could, and decided on the shrimpers.

I have never looked back as this team has seen me through a lot of hard times.
I lived in an African Country called Malawi for ten years (1999-2009), working in community development.
There were a lot of saddness working with people in extreme poverty and getting on to forums like shrimperzone bought me great relief just reading all the stories about where folks went to watch the blures.
Serioulsy laughed my guts out at times and really felt it got me into it.
It would cost about 5 pounds a session on the net and i would have spent a few hundred over those years, but it was worth it.
I have been following shrimperzone since it started, but only joined in 2010 when I settled back in Australia, as for some reason it wouldn't let me join while I lived in Africa.
I still work in Community Development, now working in the outback with Indigenous Australians.
Southend still brings me endless hours of pleasure.
So hopefully I can bump into a few of you and live the dream:loyalsupporter:




The photo is of my family and me!

If anyone is extra bored, the below posts just fill in how much the Srimpers mean to me... UTB'S:loyalsupporter::loyalsupporter:

How ashamed do you feel ? (from 3/2011)
This sums it all up for me...
I don't know about everyone else but I am just tired of all this... Why don't we beat a different drum... I love Southend United. Full stop... That's the way it is. I'll support them no matter what. It's about our story of why we support this club. This negative stuff doesn't encourage support only discouragement and resentment.

My other passion is the St.Kilda Football Club in Australia. I can't remember when I started supporting them, i just always have, for over 40 years. It just part if my blood, my culture, my story. My mum who has passed on has left me that passion. It's part of our story!
This is despite the fact that they are the worst performed team of any club in Australian Rules Football, ever! I watched them every few weeks at their home ground from around 1979 to around 1983 and I don't remember them winning one of those games. I just remember turning to my mates after a game and saying, "well we support a s..t team don't we?" we would laugh and look forward to when we could go again.

Look them up and you'll see just how painful it's to pour your hard earned into this club that really never brings home the bacon. But I love this club as they are part of who I am. All the characters and stories they have produced, those who we loved and have since passed on, in hindsight have made it all worthwhile.

Supporting Southend is the same. Clubs like these are like a roller coaster ride. You think you are going to crash, throw up, even die... But when you get of, you see that your ok, so back on you go for anther ride.

I'll never stop being a sainter or a shrimper, cause it's who i am, it's my story... So for me let the ride continue, for who knows where it we will end up!? Have an opinion; sure... But don't spoil the the ride for others because your feeling a little sick. :nope: Lift your arms and scream, "bring it on." Let our story be told.

Where in the World, have you worn your colours? (from 2/2012)
I got my first shirt by meeting someone from Southend who lived near the hall, while we were holidaying in Egypt.
They were so amazed that I supported the Blues, in 2003 they sent me a shirt to Malawi where I was living.
I have worn this shirt in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, America (New York, New Orleans and Washington) Australia (Perth, Sydney, Tasmania, Adelaide and Melbourne) and Thailand.
My second shirt was bought for me in 2010 by some friends in Perth who had family again living near the ground.
This shirt has been worn in Nepal, Australia (Perth, Melbourne and Tasmania) and will come with me in July, August to a trip to the US and Canada, hopefully with a couple of new shirts that I will by soon!

UTB's

 

[OldBlueLady]

Fantastic stuff! Your wife and son have done you proud, looking forward to meeting up with you! :clap:
Not intending to see the Newport game now?