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buffalowolf

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I was recalling my young days a few years after the ww2 ,the days when we didnt have a TV,and sitting on a Saturday night playing cards with my Father and listening to the radio,and the foot ball results would come on.The man reading out them he was a legend,read them very slowly and i used to wait for Southends result ,holding my breath and hoping for the best.I cant remember that mans name ,all i can remember is when Southend won i was all smiles and soooooooo happy, opposite when we lost.I just thought i wonder how many here can recall those days, must be some here around my age .:smile:
 
John Webster? I think he was the early one and the most iconic of course was James Alexander Gordon from the 70's on.
 
Those where the days, rashon books, pig bins and football under the gas lights, better than today with all the play stations ect that keep kids indoors sitting on there a** in front of the telly, the wisdom of age is agreat thing to have.
 
Ah the 50s! Saturday night, glued to the radio at 5 o'clock. Waiting for THAT music and Sports Report to begin, so I could take down the results and check my Dad's Vernons Pools coupon.

Happy days! :smile:
 
Before my time, but do remember sitting down to check my dad's pools coupon in the 70s.
 
I remember my granddad had an early Marconi TV with strange cream pictures in a Bakelite surround. You could see all the Home internationals on a Wednesday afternoon, but difficult to tell who was who with no colour. I developed an array of strange illnesses for Wednesday afternoon. Grandad didn't seem to mind. The Headmaster cottoned on though and parents had to attend school to explain the mystery illnesses, to my everlasting gratitude they also went with the bitten by a dog, fell out of tree, type events as well. Could stare at the box for ages waiting for Blues score to come up, if I hadn't absconded to the game!!
 
God! when was the last time I've waited for and listened to the football results on the radio? Was it Webster or Gordon, or both, that by their intonation of the away team, let you know it was going to be a draw, way before the away team goals were announced!
Interestingly, (at least for me!) I've just checked up and found certainly one of the first moments in my life that I took an interest in Southend United! (We could surely do a thread on that!) It was around bath time in January 1955, when I heard on the radio that we had beaten Lincoln City away 2-3 (Think they were in the Second Division at that time). This consequently led to my first attendance at Roots Hall, for that famous match against Man City in the Fourth Round of the Cup. Don't remember the First (QPR) and Second Round (Weymouth) games before that.........the Weymouth I DO remember, was the 1970 version.
 
I can recall getting the late paper on Saturdays about 6pm in Westcliffe to check the results in full and the tables:smile:
 
I can recall getting the late paper on Saturdays about 6pm in Westcliffe to check the results in full and the tables:smile:
Annoyed the paper-sellers, remember sometimes buying the paper only if there were the half-times (printed on the back in a stop-press column).......or one waited for an edition with the 'Full-Classified' results. (Standard/Evening News)
 
And of course the results came after the wrestling on the telly (post 1955 we didn't have a TV before that) Jackie Pallo, Mick McManus etc. My Dad would send me to the shop next door for "Wagon Wheels" at half time watch the rest of the wrestling and then wit pennsive for the results. I used to add all the Southend results to a list pinned to the wall in my bedroom.

Later do you remember those ladders they used to give away with comics where you would slot all the teams in their league positions, each team in their club colours!
 
Still got my league ladders , tried to make my own new additions over the years, but got harder as so many teams went up and down. Even tried repairing some of my early Subbuteo men, top scorers with no heads and others that lost half a body in what must have been a terrible accident, or goalkeepers with naff bent wires and no arms!! Somehow as if by magic Southend still always beat Man U or Benfica when I played on my own or invited younger neighbours round for a thrashing
 
Could write reams on this but agree John Webster was a star. The steam radio plus the late paper were essential. Living in Rayleigh I remember cycling to newsagent at end of The Chase to get evening paper weekdays to see if we had made any signings. About three times a year my trip was rewarded. Saw Kevin Baron on the 251 bus in Rayleigh.
Unimaginable to see a player on a bus now.
 
A couple of the early highlights for me when I first went to Roots Hall (1962) was the half-time scores when one of the ground staff would hang the big metal plates on the inside wall at both ends of the ground with the numbers on. This practice was phased out in case supporters threw them at each other. Also remember people walking round the pitch with a blanket for the fans to throw money into, although a lot of people use to throw the money at the people carrying the blanket. Finally at the end of the home matches in my younger days we would always invade the pitch to back slap our favourite players, These days it is a criminal offence(trespass). Sadly these days I would be unable to get my leg up over the perimeter without putting my back out. "Happy Days"
 
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