SUFCFARAWAY
Guest
There really is more to Southend than the pier, jellied eels and white stilettos," insisted Southend United's centre-half, Adam Barrett, as he shared Football Focus reporting duties with Garth Crooks on Saturday. It was an overdue re-branding attempt on the back of the team's excellent start back in League One, but sadly nobody else seems to be bucking the Essex stereotypes.
First, the Shrimpers chose Trundle takes the eye as Swansea lead again to promotion rivals Swansea to unveil their gratuitous new match-day announcer, former page three model Kelly Burgess. Kelly (32-25-35) sported a Southend shirt, tight jeans and a pair of black knee-length boots for her debut, but was cruelly under-used, only reading a list of fans' birthdays. Secondly, even the supporters' trust seems intent on perpetuating those tired clichés. Having launched their branded coach last month, it was almost written off on the outskirts of Southend by a souped-up car.
"Saturday is boy-racer day," explained the trust's chairman Trevor Bashford. The police were eventually called, but not by the trust. "The boy-racer called them," said Bashford. "Our driver and a supporter got out and had words with him at the lights."
It's been that kind of season in Southend. There have been the lows (the pier was damaged by fire and star striker Freddy Eastwood has been linked with a move away from Roots Hall) which have been offset by the high of the club's startling resurgence. Having won last season's League Two play-off final, the team made a dazzling start, establishing a club record with eight consecutive league wins between August and October. That helped propel them to the top of the table before Saturday's defeat, which saw Swansea supplant them.
Manager Steve Tilson has been keen to underplay it all, talking instead of accruing enough points to secure League One football next term. "The side at the top is there to be shot at," he continued, "so at least we aren't going to duck for cover at the moment." It's a wonderfully modest approach from a man who took the job two years ago when the club were battling to stay in the Football League. "I think [Tilson] just wants a base," explained captain Kevin Maher. "There's an awful long way to go and there's no point talking about promotion."
Like it or not, the team's form is dominating supporters' thoughts. They credit the club's improving fortunes to Tilson's purist footballing beliefs, a mood which has even cooled the perennial talk of a move to a new stadium.
The team is even exciting the tabloid press, which built Saturday's table-topping clash into a shoot-off between Eastwood and Swansea's star turn, Lee Trundle. That was another easy label that actually proved accurate, with the Swansea striker scoring one and creating another for Adebayo Akinfenwa, while Eastwood's 81st minute goal sparked a late show from Southend that was out of context with the game.
"We never got to grips with them," admitted Tilson. "In the last 10 minutes maybe we could have nicked a point, but they deserved the win." He was right. Despite his revolution, Tilson's side resembled the archetypal Essex girl showing up at the office in those white stilettos. Outclassed.
First, the Shrimpers chose Trundle takes the eye as Swansea lead again to promotion rivals Swansea to unveil their gratuitous new match-day announcer, former page three model Kelly Burgess. Kelly (32-25-35) sported a Southend shirt, tight jeans and a pair of black knee-length boots for her debut, but was cruelly under-used, only reading a list of fans' birthdays. Secondly, even the supporters' trust seems intent on perpetuating those tired clichés. Having launched their branded coach last month, it was almost written off on the outskirts of Southend by a souped-up car.
"Saturday is boy-racer day," explained the trust's chairman Trevor Bashford. The police were eventually called, but not by the trust. "The boy-racer called them," said Bashford. "Our driver and a supporter got out and had words with him at the lights."
It's been that kind of season in Southend. There have been the lows (the pier was damaged by fire and star striker Freddy Eastwood has been linked with a move away from Roots Hall) which have been offset by the high of the club's startling resurgence. Having won last season's League Two play-off final, the team made a dazzling start, establishing a club record with eight consecutive league wins between August and October. That helped propel them to the top of the table before Saturday's defeat, which saw Swansea supplant them.
Manager Steve Tilson has been keen to underplay it all, talking instead of accruing enough points to secure League One football next term. "The side at the top is there to be shot at," he continued, "so at least we aren't going to duck for cover at the moment." It's a wonderfully modest approach from a man who took the job two years ago when the club were battling to stay in the Football League. "I think [Tilson] just wants a base," explained captain Kevin Maher. "There's an awful long way to go and there's no point talking about promotion."
Like it or not, the team's form is dominating supporters' thoughts. They credit the club's improving fortunes to Tilson's purist footballing beliefs, a mood which has even cooled the perennial talk of a move to a new stadium.
The team is even exciting the tabloid press, which built Saturday's table-topping clash into a shoot-off between Eastwood and Swansea's star turn, Lee Trundle. That was another easy label that actually proved accurate, with the Swansea striker scoring one and creating another for Adebayo Akinfenwa, while Eastwood's 81st minute goal sparked a late show from Southend that was out of context with the game.
"We never got to grips with them," admitted Tilson. "In the last 10 minutes maybe we could have nicked a point, but they deserved the win." He was right. Despite his revolution, Tilson's side resembled the archetypal Essex girl showing up at the office in those white stilettos. Outclassed.
