Tommy2holes
Life President⭐
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2007
- Messages
- 11,517
Well what a difference a year makes.
This time last year we would have been not overly bothered about this tournemant and would have been eyeing up another shot at the play-offs and a route back into the championsip.
Gillingham respectively would have been looking to finish comfortably mid-table and maybe harboured an outside hope of a top ten finish.
What followed , certainly for us has been highly documented and Gillinghams collapse would be solely blamed on a dismal away record which must rank as one of the worst in the football league history books.
So two teams that really shouldnt have been playing basement football find themselves plying there trade just one division above the non league pyramid.
Southend have changed pretty much everything for the forthcoming season.
Steve Tilson was placed on garden leave and followed Paul brush who had left a few months earlier.
The squad which had been assembled gradually over the last few season was disbanded with the high earners given there wish to have contracts destroyed and the few that remained would have been bewildered as to the state of the club and such was the worry by the fans that the club would not continue that talk of reforming was muted.
As we now know , it never quite got that stage but it was obvious a strong character was needed and so it came to pass that Paul sturrock was to be the man to restore the clubs fortunes (on the pitch)
No less than 20 players came in a record time period of just a few weeks and some 17 odd signing in just one day.
Gillingham must also have been dreading the forthcoming campaign and there manager ex Southend player Mark stimson was relieved of duties and replaced with former player and manager and fans favourite Andy hessenthaler. The chairman Paul scally who i can only be described as nerd chic (maybe without the chic)has demanded an immediate return so the pressure will be on for them to escape at the first attempt.
In the league both clubs have endured a a similar start with neither team really showing a promotion bite although southend united are showing signs of recovery, so it comes as a welcome relief to welcome the Gills to roots hall for the first round of the JPT this evening.
I would not pretend to know an awful lot about Gillinghams first team , but i do know that pre-seaon target Adebayo Akinfenwa is to be rested for tonights match having picked up a seriies of niggles.
Southend manager Paul Sturrock has already insisted that he wants to win everygame and in order to do that he will field his strongest side .
Unfortunately that may be out of his hands with Sean Clohessy serving a one match ban for two yellow cards and Chris Barker still in negotiation with both Southend and Plymouth about a further loan following the initial one month loan having expired after the Bradford match.
Tonights game has been reasonably priced to attract fans that have been hard to come by after all of the upheaval of the summer months .
And after the displeasure was voiced of only having the east stand opened for our league cup win over bristol city the correct descision was made to open then west stand also.
The last time Southend played this level of football this competition was kind to us and i hope that we will mirror our achievments in this competition this term.
I will go for a 2-0 southend united win with Bilel and Corr on the score sheet with some 3,300 in attendance.
Please post your pre-match thoughts and musings along with score and crowd prediction in the usual way.
UTB
This time last year we would have been not overly bothered about this tournemant and would have been eyeing up another shot at the play-offs and a route back into the championsip.
Gillingham respectively would have been looking to finish comfortably mid-table and maybe harboured an outside hope of a top ten finish.
What followed , certainly for us has been highly documented and Gillinghams collapse would be solely blamed on a dismal away record which must rank as one of the worst in the football league history books.
So two teams that really shouldnt have been playing basement football find themselves plying there trade just one division above the non league pyramid.
Southend have changed pretty much everything for the forthcoming season.
Steve Tilson was placed on garden leave and followed Paul brush who had left a few months earlier.
The squad which had been assembled gradually over the last few season was disbanded with the high earners given there wish to have contracts destroyed and the few that remained would have been bewildered as to the state of the club and such was the worry by the fans that the club would not continue that talk of reforming was muted.
As we now know , it never quite got that stage but it was obvious a strong character was needed and so it came to pass that Paul sturrock was to be the man to restore the clubs fortunes (on the pitch)
No less than 20 players came in a record time period of just a few weeks and some 17 odd signing in just one day.
Gillingham must also have been dreading the forthcoming campaign and there manager ex Southend player Mark stimson was relieved of duties and replaced with former player and manager and fans favourite Andy hessenthaler. The chairman Paul scally who i can only be described as nerd chic (maybe without the chic)has demanded an immediate return so the pressure will be on for them to escape at the first attempt.
In the league both clubs have endured a a similar start with neither team really showing a promotion bite although southend united are showing signs of recovery, so it comes as a welcome relief to welcome the Gills to roots hall for the first round of the JPT this evening.
I would not pretend to know an awful lot about Gillinghams first team , but i do know that pre-seaon target Adebayo Akinfenwa is to be rested for tonights match having picked up a seriies of niggles.
Southend manager Paul Sturrock has already insisted that he wants to win everygame and in order to do that he will field his strongest side .
Unfortunately that may be out of his hands with Sean Clohessy serving a one match ban for two yellow cards and Chris Barker still in negotiation with both Southend and Plymouth about a further loan following the initial one month loan having expired after the Bradford match.
Tonights game has been reasonably priced to attract fans that have been hard to come by after all of the upheaval of the summer months .
And after the displeasure was voiced of only having the east stand opened for our league cup win over bristol city the correct descision was made to open then west stand also.
The last time Southend played this level of football this competition was kind to us and i hope that we will mirror our achievments in this competition this term.
I will go for a 2-0 southend united win with Bilel and Corr on the score sheet with some 3,300 in attendance.
Please post your pre-match thoughts and musings along with score and crowd prediction in the usual way.
UTB
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