DoDTS
The PL League Boss⭐⭐
Most seasons meander on with little meaning, a few vague hopes plenty of disappointment but now and again there is a season which is a bit special some times it is successful other times it is a matter of what would have been. The year we were relegated from the Championship is one such year, where we would have been now if we had avoided relegation, and the following season is one of those seasons.
SEASON 1931-32
SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROMOTED
Season 1931-32 was the most successful in Southend United’s League history so far, that is clearly apparent but it also highlighted some serious long term faults in the club. The team not greatly changed from the previous season was not especially expected to do well, but the stability of the playing staff turned out to be an advantage not a disadvantage. The first fifteen games took the Third Division and indeed all four Divisions by storm, not one of the other 87 clubs could match the Blues record, but perhaps by the end of this period some of the players were feeling the strain and should have been rested but without competent reserves this was not possible, and when the bad spell kicked in the same players were still persisted with even though they had become tired and stale. Nevertheless the finishing sequence can only be admired and a third place finish a tremendous achievement but it also shows how far we were from promotion, the odd blip must be expected but collapses cannot if the aim is promotion. When the team was at the top of its form was perhaps the time to spend money on new players to improve a good team, but this didn’t and couldn’t happen when the home gates were so disappointing. The Blues played in front of the some of the largest ever gates on their travels such was their respect and drawing power from their rivals but this didn’t equate to the Kursaal. A 20% cut of some away games was larger than 80% of home games. To progress further a larger pool of players is required and better support from the Borough.
The First 15 Unbeaten games, nine wins six draws no defeats Southend were top of the League throughout.
The next 13 games won 2, drew 1 lost 10 games saw Southend drop to tenth place
The last 14 Unbeaten games, 10 wins, 4 draws No defeats saw Southend finish third, (three goalless draws after Easter killed off any hopes of promotion).
RESERVES
The purpose of a reserve side is twofold, one is to feed the premier side when needed and the other to bring on newcomers to first team standard. Therefore the league table should been looked at with this in mind, and due to the heavy injured list of the third division side, forty seven players were used, scarcely was the same side used for two games running. In the first half the season some creditable performances had the Junior Blues doing extraordinary well but this fizzled out in the latter part of the season. However only Hatfield and Whitelaw progressed to the first team on a regular basis, while local players Alec Tunbridge from Burnham Ramblers and Joe Johnson from Leigh while doing well for the reserves weren’t ready for regular first team football. Numerous amateurs were used during the season to bolster the team the most notable being Ken Mayes from Wickford and Buck Fryar from Shoeburyness
SEASON 1931-32
SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROMOTED
Season 1931-32 was the most successful in Southend United’s League history so far, that is clearly apparent but it also highlighted some serious long term faults in the club. The team not greatly changed from the previous season was not especially expected to do well, but the stability of the playing staff turned out to be an advantage not a disadvantage. The first fifteen games took the Third Division and indeed all four Divisions by storm, not one of the other 87 clubs could match the Blues record, but perhaps by the end of this period some of the players were feeling the strain and should have been rested but without competent reserves this was not possible, and when the bad spell kicked in the same players were still persisted with even though they had become tired and stale. Nevertheless the finishing sequence can only be admired and a third place finish a tremendous achievement but it also shows how far we were from promotion, the odd blip must be expected but collapses cannot if the aim is promotion. When the team was at the top of its form was perhaps the time to spend money on new players to improve a good team, but this didn’t and couldn’t happen when the home gates were so disappointing. The Blues played in front of the some of the largest ever gates on their travels such was their respect and drawing power from their rivals but this didn’t equate to the Kursaal. A 20% cut of some away games was larger than 80% of home games. To progress further a larger pool of players is required and better support from the Borough.
The First 15 Unbeaten games, nine wins six draws no defeats Southend were top of the League throughout.
The next 13 games won 2, drew 1 lost 10 games saw Southend drop to tenth place
The last 14 Unbeaten games, 10 wins, 4 draws No defeats saw Southend finish third, (three goalless draws after Easter killed off any hopes of promotion).
RESERVES
The purpose of a reserve side is twofold, one is to feed the premier side when needed and the other to bring on newcomers to first team standard. Therefore the league table should been looked at with this in mind, and due to the heavy injured list of the third division side, forty seven players were used, scarcely was the same side used for two games running. In the first half the season some creditable performances had the Junior Blues doing extraordinary well but this fizzled out in the latter part of the season. However only Hatfield and Whitelaw progressed to the first team on a regular basis, while local players Alec Tunbridge from Burnham Ramblers and Joe Johnson from Leigh while doing well for the reserves weren’t ready for regular first team football. Numerous amateurs were used during the season to bolster the team the most notable being Ken Mayes from Wickford and Buck Fryar from Shoeburyness