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Memory Lane Pathe News Southend v Bristol Rovers FA Cup 1952

Up the Shrimpers

Life President
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Oct 30, 2003
Messages
8,333
Excellent footage from the old Southend Stadium in 1952 attendance 22,429. Just look at the pitch and some of the tackles how was that not a penalty? Southend players look pretty hard, the players of today would not last 2 minutes with that lot. Ah its Joe Sibley who squares up with the Bristol Rovers player what a legend, people go on about how commited players like Alan McCormack was for us should remember players like Joe Sibley he was with Southend from 1937 to 1956 (with a 3 year spell at Newcastle inbetween) if it had not been for the 2nd World war would have played loads of games for us (he still played 246 games).

Some of the play and especially the goalkeepers look a bit dodgy but when you think they were playing on a mud bath with a real football and real football boots.

One thing I cant quite work out is when Southend score the winner no one in the background is celebrating looks like Bristol Rovers had a fair few fans there that day.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=29727

Look at the Southend United training tops in this clip, I want one of those!

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44361


A view of Roots Hall before its built in 1955 at about 2mins in this clip

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=30217

Not many other Southend matches on there, the Forest clip from 1926 over 18,000 at the Kursaal ground pity no sound, love the main stand at the Kursaal and the referee in blazer shirt & tie.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=24666

Some good colour shots of Southend Airport in this clip, pity they miss the car being loaded onto the Carvair.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=73816
 
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Very enjoyable viewing..................some good finds .........thanks for taking the trouble to put them on. Granger Road was just a bit before my time but I well remember the ambiance, with rattles and rosettes. Amazing scene with the injury as the player is carried off the pitch by the (trainer?)........presumably to get on with play as quickly as possible. The film of Southend Airport brought back a few memories, loved the 'laid back' official controlling the passports. Remember the BAF planes ....................how things have changed with air travel..............lucky there is Ryanair to remind us what it used to be like. ;)
 
Great clips especially the one before roots hall was built and also the one with the boys training while the market is going on . The market is a bit different these days.

For those older than myself. What was the aircraft hanger looking building which is now occupied by prospects, and i see the roof above the reception was considerably taller even though it now has some kind of porta cabin at the top. What happened to the original.

Think we should make this a proper nostalgia thread and invite other to post old pictures/videos of the club or away days prior to say 1992.
 
I was actually born two days before this game in Maldon Road in a flat overlooking the entrance behind the South goal the followig may explain a little about the Bristol Rovers fans:

I was born at 6.00 a.m. on Thursday 31st January 1952 in an upstairs flat in Maldon Road, Southend, opposite the Stadium, which was then the home of Southend United. Two days later, on Saturday 2nd February 1952 Southend United were playing Bristol Rovers in a 4th Round FA Cup tie. The Bristol Rovers fans started to arrive in the early morning, as they got off their coaches they started to sing their theme song "Goodnight Irene", at which my enraged father stormed downstairs and yelled "Will you shut up, my wife has just had a baby"

Incidentally Bristol Rovers fans still sing Goodnight Irene

DoDtS
 
Id be interested to know what our average over all attendance is given the fact that we used to get in excess of 20,000 alot of the time, although we have had bad times in the 80's -90's. Maybe over 10k overall?
 
Id be interested to know what our average over all attendance is given the fact that we used to get in excess of 20,000 alot of the time, although we have had bad times in the 80's -90's. Maybe over 10k overall?

I think our overall League average is about 6,900. If you look at this link to another forum it has the complete list from about Dec 2008. It's fairly upto date because Dagenham are listed, but it would be good if somone has a more upto date list.

http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/...l-time-english-league-attendance-records.html
 
The pitch looks a bit like the one at Colchester
 
I was actually born two days before this game in Maldon Road in a flat overlooking the entrance behind the South goal the followig may explain a little about the Bristol Rovers fans:

I was born at 6.00 a.m. on Thursday 31st January 1952 in an upstairs flat in Maldon Road, Southend, opposite the Stadium, which was then the home of Southend United. Two days later, on Saturday 2nd February 1952 Southend United were playing Bristol Rovers in a 4th Round FA Cup tie. The Bristol Rovers fans started to arrive in the early morning, as they got off their coaches they started to sing their theme song "Goodnight Irene", at which my enraged father stormed downstairs and yelled "Will you shut up, my wife has just had a baby"

Incidentally Bristol Rovers fans still sing Goodnight Irene

DODTS,
Yes, but with rather cleaned up lyrics.Instead of the "I'll get you in my dreams" in the original Leadbelly Blues version, they sing "I'll see you in my dreams"
I regularly argue about this with a Brizzle Rovers mate here who sings the song as part of his band's The Pirates(geddit) folk set.
 
Fond childhood memories of Grainger Road. First saw the Blues in 1953. In those days, you could see the game from Sutton Road by looking under the half-time scoreboard. Remember most of the old players, especially Jimmy Lawler, who lived at the other end of our street, Westbury Road.
 
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