Single Greatest Moment

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Smudger @ Sep. 28 2006,15:33)]* The last 2 minutes of the game against Col U when we were on our way to Cardiff. I went down the front of the South Upper and I knew for a fact I was standing amongst people that had been through a lot of bad times with Southend United and stayed loyal, home and away, for decades in most cases. It was an amazing moment and I don't think Roots Hall has ever lit up like it did that night when the whistle blew and it was confirmed that we were going to the Millenium Stadium. Arguably there was even more emotion that night than the two subsequent promotions.

Brilliant memories - add to that some of the great people I've met and it makes me feel blessed to be a Southend fan.

Another great shout! That moment, for me, is encapsulated by seeing the Zone's very own Custard Splat burst into tears of joy and relief. Top man.

Bramble's goal at Layer Rd was pretty special too... "Simon Brown, Simon Brown, Simon Brooowwwwnnn...."

 

[sufcintheprem]

Definitely in the LDV and definitely against Col******r but I'm not sure whether to plump for reaching our first ever cup final after nervously hanging on. Don't normally have too many beers before footbal but I was doing ok that night. Really augmented the atmosphere and jubilation of a packed Roots Hall

The other was the sheer contentment at roundly beating Col U in their own back yard when we were a division below and with ten men. In terms of one-upmanship, we've had it about as good as it can possibly get against Col******r!

Has to be the first. Huge achievement for us really and set up a great weekend away in Cardiff and Bristol.

 

[Southendsleeper]

Quote[/b] (Xàbia Shrimper @ Sep. 28 2006,16:02)]For me:
- Southend 4 Newcastle 0; "Geordies, Geordies, give us a wave!"

First one I thought of

Freddy's debut, sign of things to come

The first Millenium stadium game

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

For me, in date order:

1. baptism v Notts County 1971. Can't remember a thing about it. So maybe not that memorable.
2. flared trouser pitch invasion v Villa in the FA Cup 1971
3. playing the swaggering men of Kings Rd Chelsea in the League Cup 1972. For sheer skill and English spirit that Chelsea team was the best ever.
4. seeing us beat Port Vale 5-1 and then a day later Chesterfield 5-0 in 1973. Not quite a single moment but they are only memorable as a pair.
5. losing first away game I ever saw at Brighton in 1974 2-0 with two men sent off. We were memorably sh!te.
6. beating Cardiff 2-1 in the FA Cup 1976 and winning the prize trip away to Derby. Now, there's a sequence of games that currently feels familiar.
7. losing 3-1 at home to Hereford in the snow 1976 the day after the Cardiff game, memorable for bringing us back to reality and have never been so cold at a game.
8. losing 4-0 at home to Chester in the FA Cup 1977. We were very memorably sh!te that day.
9. seeing a young Clarkey score as we won 3-1 away at Wimbledon 1977.
10. the top of the table tv away game at Watford 1978, a flying bottle missed me by a whisker and splatted the poor girl in front.
11. Liverpool at home in 79, two hours queuing to get in, and we could have won it. The only time the great South Bank was really packed.
12. charing Derek Spence off the pitch as we won promotion 3-0 away at Torquay 1981.
13. Losing 3-1 away at Hereford in the FA Cup 1981 in a 21 hour nightmare day thanks to British Rail.
14. Seeing a Stevie Phillips hatrick v Sheff Utd 1983.
15. Suffering a Pompey promotion party 1983
16. Losing 2-0 away at Tranmere in 1985. Hardly anyone turned up. I wish I hadn't.
17. Seeing Donut get sent off in the first minute as we lost to Newport 1-0 in the FA Cup 1985.
18. Crowny's wonder strike as we came back to beat Wigan 3-2 in 1988.
19. Beating Col Ewe 4-3 away in the League Cup 1989.
20. Total domination away at Aldershot 5-0 1989.
21. The oh so nearly game v Gazza and co in the League Cup 1989 (and in the first leg standing amongst thugs in suits as the police watched us from a podium close by)
22. The promo party at Peterborough 1990.
23. The disapointment of not going up as champs in the last game v Brentford 1991 but still the wonderment of going up again.
24. Beating Hoddle & co (Swindon) 3-2 1991.
25. The mass hordes away at Everton in the FA Cup 1992.
26. The mass balloons at Sheff Weds in FA Cup Rd 5 a year later.
27. Being the last to get in the North Bank to see us beat West Spam 1993.
28. Beating Derby and their moronic fans 4-3 last game of season 1994.
29. Watching classy Le Tiss put one past us in the first minute 1995.
30. Seeing us beat the ******* Fry 3-1 in 1996.
31. Watching the Kinkladzie lesson v Man City 1996.
32. My eldest sons first game v Wrexham last day of season 1998. He wanted to go home and never come back - he is now a season ticket holder.
33. Losing 3-0 at home to Halifax 2001 and wondering if I was ever going to see another memorable match. And the Exeter City fan at work taking the **** (but not now you little Grecian).
34. Both legs of the LDV Southern Final v Cole Ewe 2004. Haver never been so wound up and tense as in that second leg.
35. The LDV Final itself, if only for the anticipation and Kevin smiling at me home made flag.
36. The Freddy debut hatrick v Swansea 2004, the first game my second son went to (he now gets bored if we don't score after 10 seconds).
37. Beating Col Ewe again in the LDV 2004, even though I only got in the game at half time (infamous claim to be 'last in first back').
38. The LDV final 2005, better flag but same result.
39. Going mental in a Suffolk pub as we win v Lincoln, the frustration of that Grimsby trip released.
40. The promo party Swansea game this year and the celebrations v Bristol City.
41. The next game, always.

Competition: who has been to the most games from the above list? If a tie-breaker needed the winner will be anyone who attended but wasn't arrested away v Mansfield 1985.

 

[* ORM *]

Quote[/b] (Suffolk Shrimper @ Sep. 28 2006,23:43)]39. Going mental in a Suffolk pub as we win v Lincoln, the frustration of that Grimsby trip released.

Competition: who has been to the most games from the above list? If a tie-breaker needed the winner will be anyone who attended but wasn't arrested away v Mansfield 1985.

Done quite a few of those and will be annoyed if I lose by 1

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Sep. 29 2006,00:28)]

Quote[/b] (Suffolk Shrimper @ Sep. 28 2006,23:43)]39. Going mental in a Suffolk pub as we win v Lincoln, the frustration of that Grimsby trip released.

Competition: who has been to the most games from the above list? If a tie-breaker needed the winner will be anyone who attended but wasn't arrested away v Mansfield 1985.

Done quite a few of those and will be annoyed if I lose by 1

Done quite a few of those & was nearly arrested at Mansfield away 1985

 

[Groyne Strain]

About 4 years ago.   Southend had survived a first-half lesson and were taking the game to York City in the second.  In the dying seconds of injury time, Barrington Belgrave whacks in a late, late winner.  

My lad, behind the goal in the South Lower, jumps on his seat and goes mad.  He then says it was the best game he'd ever been to - having already been taken to other, more loftier stadia and teams -  and insists on getting the home shirt.  Another Southend United supporter is born.

It doesn't get better than that for me

 

[KrustyTheKray]

For me it has to be,

Blackburn (H) 3-0
Newcastle (H) 4-0
West Ham (H) 1-0
Playoff Final v Lincoln 2-0
Millwall (A) The first league game at the new den 0-4
Bolton (H) 5-2
York (H) 4-4
Both LDV Finals even though we lost, just the experience!
Col Ewe, when we won on penalties
Col Ewe, 3-0 and 3-1 (Six one on aggregate)
Col Ewe, The two legs in the LDV Area Final
Nottm For (H) 1-0 Last Season
Any Stan Collymore goal!
Stoke (A) 0-1 Tom, Tom super Tommy Mooney!

 

[KrustyTheKray]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Sep. 29 2006,01:35)]About 4 years ago.   Southend had survived a first-half lesson and were taking the game to York City in the second.  In the dying seconds of injury time, Barrington Belgrave whacks in a late, late winner.  

My lad, behind the goal in the South Lower, jumps on his seat and goes mad.  He then says it was the best game he'd ever been to - having already been taken to other, more loftier stadia and teams -  and insists on getting the home shirt.  Another Southend United supporter is born.

It doesn't get better than that for me

Oh that game brings back superb memories for me!

I had £50 on us to win that game, and i was going on holiday straight after the match!

What a game!

 

[southendstrett]

Andy Sussex's thunderbolt v Luton last day of the season in '93.
We are staying up say we are staying up!

 

[South Bank Hank]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ Sep. 28 2006,21:13)]Number four is the Swansea game, Freddy's debut.  Still the best Southend game I've ever seen.

Matt

...and just about the only home game I've missed in about 10 years!!

 

[Csboy]

Most of my memorable games have been mentioned but one that hasnt is the 3-1 win against Birmingham on New Years day 1994. Judas Fry and his cronies comeback to Roots Hall just 3 weeks after walking out on us. Everyone was really up for it that day and thankfully so were the players. it was a game we dare not lose(or draw) and the players responded by playing Birmingham off the park that day.
Fry was given some fearful stick that day. I am sure he has never forgotten that.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (Csboy @ Sep. 29 2006,12:06)]Most of my memorable games have been mentioned but one that hasnt is the 3-1 win against Birmingham on New Years day 1994. Judas Fry and his cronies comeback to Roots Hall just 3 weeks after walking out on us. Everyone was really up for it that day and thankfully so were the players. it was a game we dare not lose(or draw) and the players responded by playing Birmingham off the park that day.
Fry was given some fearful stick that day. I am sure he has never forgotten that.

Fantastic game. Can't believe i didn't mention it.

If the club have this game on tape I'm sure they could make some cash by re-releasing it. I'd certainly buy a copy.

Along with Steve Bennett sending off Roget, this game remains the biggest injustice of my time supporting Southend. How we won by only two goals I don't know.

 

[J]

col u ldv... or maybe when wayney scored..

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

Taking games and goals out of the equation, which I know sounds very odd, but this bring me to a great moment in my Southend United days.

Story goes like this:

My girlfriend decided she wanted to come to see a Southend game (as I love it so much), and her 1st game was MK Dons in the FA Cup, what a bad pick!! she enjoyed herself which was great, as it meant she would like to come again, and not have a problem with the fact that it takes over Saturdays for 9 months of the year.

Anyway the great part is that she really has become a fan, to the extent that she knows how to have an intelligent conversation about the club, the team and recent events, but the one line that makes this my best moment was the other day, when i was told (something like):

"If you could not go, I would still be at the game, they are my club too"

Get in!!

Life is good!

 

[Beefy]

Quote[/b] (Suffolk Shrimper @ Sep. 28 2006,23:43)]29. Watching classy Le Tiss put one past us in the first minute 1995.

Le Tiss actually got the second that day. I believe it was Neil Heaney who got their first.

 

[keefmoon]

Damn it Beefy, I was going to say that!!
That was my first ever away game (6 years after my first home game!). I would put that as one of my best moments. Was so excited in the car on the way down. Even drew SUFC across my hands in massive letters and coloured them in in red and blue biro. What was I thinking? The buzz of being away from home with all those fans and outsinging them for 45 minutes before the game and then the players ran out and there was ticker tape everywhere and balloons and the roar was amazing and then the ref drew the captains together, tossed a coin, set the teams right, and then the roar was greater right before my first away kick off ever and then the ref blew and the game started and then I farted and then as soon that had happened we were 1-0 down.
Still, I'll never forget it. I remember thinking that top tier was bloody steep and it'd be easy to get very excited and fall off.
Other solid memories that haven't been mentioned (cos quite frankly, I'm not sure anything will top Freddy's goal at Cardiff). A non-descript game against York in our second glorious relegation season (thanks Alvin). There was a wonderful moment where one of their defenders fell over injured in their box during a game of pinball, and just as he felt it in himself to rise from the ground one of our players tw&tted the ball presumably towards goal (it was hard to tell in those days) and it smacked him dead on straight in the face, knocking him back down. Summed up the game which was pure comedy and ended with York equalising for 4-4 in injury time. To this day the only goal my Dad has ever laughed at from the other team.
Does anyone remember that game?

Other great moments were from last season. The Goat and Spinner doing that dance after the Yeovil guy fell over his own guy who was down in the area (was that guy Matt Harrold) after walking backwards towards him. He was the only person in the ground that didn't know he was there. Still just one of the funniest things I have ever seen on a football pitch.
All of the 2nd half at Chesterfield last year too. For excitement (not significance) probably the most entertaining half I've ever seen.


And yesterday, obviously.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Reading the past 3 pages has nearly had me in tears with reliving some special shrimper moments.

All that have been mentioned are strong contenders. Especially Stockport, Peterborough and Bury, I remember the feeling of elation and pure joy.

Then you have chuck in our first ever national final which was a great day our.

The Play off final was as MtS said a crazy day, with again great scenes of joy.

Swansea would take some beating when the realisation hit that we were promoted and 2000 Shrimpers were doing the conga all the way home.

But for me it has to be the moment Wayne Grays shot hit the back of the net and i had witnessed Southend United become champions. My little old Southend United f%&king Champions