• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Our most impactful signing ever?

Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
15,285
Location
Rayleigh
Being often impressed by the deep knowledge of our Zoners on these kind of things, which signing (or signings) would you argue had the most significant impact on our club, either positively or negatively?

It could be a player who delivered over a number of seasons and went on to become a club legend, someone like Collymore who kept us up at an important time before putting some vital cash in the bank, or even one of our Championship signings who didn’t deliver but whose wages killed us in the following years.

Keen to hear views. Not the best or worst player, but an insight into who might have had the biggest accelerating/most devastating impact on our club.
 
As you mentioned, can’t think of anyone who had a bigger impact than Sir Stan.
 
As you mentioned, can’t think of anyone who had a bigger impact than Sir Stan.
Seems an obvious answer in terms of the cash injection and his impact on the field, but he was only here a short time. Eastwood delivered over a number of seasons, helped put Man Utd out of a cup competition, and was instrumental in a double promotion and a League One champions finish.

Then there are investments we made in expensive flops whose wages killed us for years.

Stan’s a contender but I don’t think Collymore is the one. Not saying it’s how you’ve answered, but I’m trying to look beyond best/worst players as an answer here.
 
Freddy for me also. I went to the odd game here and there before he joined and was lucky enough to be there for his debut against Swansea. He literally made an instant impact. From that game on I caught the bug and started to probably follow the blues home and away. Despite his relative short time at the club, he played a big part in our back to back promotions and of course that goal against Man Utd. His second spell with the club wasn’t as successful but even still to be able to watch what I’d consider a club legend finish his career at the club it was a pleasure to watch.
 
Instead of championship signing that ruined our wage bill for several years how about a League One signing that ruined us instead? Matt Patterson.
 
Freddy for me also. I went to the odd game here and there before he joined and was lucky enough to be there for his debut against Swansea. He literally made an instant impact. From that game on I caught the bug and started to probably follow the blues home and away. Despite his relative short time at the club, he played a big part in our back to back promotions and of course that goal against Man Utd. His second spell with the club wasn’t as successful but even still to be able to watch what I’d consider a club legend finish his career at the club it was a pleasure to watch.
And with young Freddy in our youth programme, maybe the impact from Eastwood joining Southend isn’t over yet?
 
Probably some recency bias involved but the over-investment of wages for Michael Kightly surely impacted our other midfield choices but didn’t ultimately cost as much us as we it might have due to our final day heroics.

Then there’s the famous overall cost of Peter Clarke - supposedly one of our biggest ever investments.
 
Collymore by a country mile. We were going out of the first div, a terrible team, awful Football. He came in - a left winger and played up front. I think it was notts county we played in his first game - scored 2 - the second running the length of the pitch and hitting the TOP corner - even Steve smith? Scored. Biggest return in cash, progress, putting sufc on a map and all round excitement
 
He's not number one, but Adam Barrett in his second spell made a massive impact when he eventually made his way into the starting 11. 7 or 8 clean sheets in a row was it? Plus he coached Bolger through the majority of them games. As I say probably not the most impactful signing we've had but definitely made a difference and worth a mention.
 
Being often impressed by the deep knowledge of our Zoners on these kind of things, which signing (or signings) would you argue had the most significant impact on our club, either positively or negatively?

It could be a player who delivered over a number of seasons and went on to become a club legend, someone like Collymore who kept us up at an important time before putting some vital cash in the bank, or even one of our Championship signings who didn’t deliver but whose wages killed us in the following years.

Keen to hear views. Not the best or worst player, but an insight into who might have had the biggest accelerating/most devastating impact on our club.

It depends on how you assess 'impact'. Freddy Eastwood had an immediate impact that was largely sustained throughout his time at Southend. Stan Collymore was another player that made a very big impact quickly, but he was not at the club for very long.

For older fans, another player that had a significant and enduring impact was Billy Best.

By the way, Stephen Humphreys has made a pretty impressive start to his career at Roots Hall. Two goals on his debut and he came back from an appalling injury to score the goal that kept Southend in League 1. He is a young player who has the potential to become a real Southend legend.
 
More great shouts there but I’m talking about the legacy left by these signings. Therefore, Freddy’s 7.7 second impact was only important because of the chain of events it kicked off. It’s not about the sheer beauty of Stan’s first goals - more the impact of us staying up and getting to invest the returns from his sale.

Given what he achieved straight off the bat, could Paul Sturrock even have been our greatest ever investment?
 
Billy Paynter was a hugely negative one. Matt Harrold another.

Sturrock probably saved us from going out of business.
 
I would have to go with Collymore; we were pretty dire at the time and he changed everything. Even when he left, we used the money to build one of the best Southend sides I ever saw, so his legacy continued.

Difference with Fredy, is that he had decent players around him, so though he made a pretty decent impact as well, I think the team around him helped - Collymore near enough did it single handedly.
 
In 52 years of watching the Blues, I would have to go with three players, because in their own ways they had a massive impact upon the club, and a massive impact on me in that they showed you could have a "hero" at any age.
Billy Best
Stanley Collymore
Fredy Eastwood
 
In 52 years of watching the Blues, I would have to go with three players, because in their own ways they had a massive impact upon the club, and a massive impact on me in that they showed you could have a "hero" at any age.
Billy Best
Stanley Collymore
Fredy Eastwood
Yes yes Billy is the Best
He’s here he’s there he’s every f...Ing where
Billy Billy Billy Best??

It’s the Billmeister for me
 
Not a player, but without a doubt the most impactful signing for me is easily Ricky Duncan. What that man has done for this club is unbelievable. The huge amounts of cash he’s generated for the club through academy sales and not to mention the likes of Bentley, Payne, Yearwood, Bwomono, Kelman etc. who have all had and look set to have great impact at senior level.

That man is worth his weight in gold to us. The amount of work and stability he’s given the academy and the club over the years. He’s an absolute legend.
 
Back
Top