Unfashionable childhood heroes

[Blueronron]

Mine was no other than Barry Conlon, how low my expectations were.

Strangely enough a decade later my wife took me to watch Grimsby as it's the closest side to us and guess who made their debut on loan for them? It was a bit surreal as he's looked pretty much the same. Crap.

Though BC had the talent from Man City youth but the crowd took a dislike, always thought he held the ball up well but like many Southend teams never had the support
Funny how things work out him and Maher crucified week in and out yet King Kevin stayed and won 99 percent over

 

[MisterStubbs]

Nicky Nicalou was the name I’d scream when scoring a goal with mates. They had no idea who he was!

 

[GBJ]

Nicky Nicalou was the name I’d scream when scoring a goal with mates. They had no idea who he was!

He’s just another one of those who were well liked here, and could have carved out a decent career, but decided that they’d be better off elsewhere - only for it to backfire spectacularly.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

My childhood favourite was Mike Beesley, can you imagine my joy as a thirteen year old boy having written to Mike at the club to receive a reply with his home address so I could write to him directly. We became good friends and it is difficult to describe how sad I was when he left Blues in 1965 and moved onto Peterborough United.
Imagine how I felt just a couple of years later when he returned to Roots Hall and at the time I had just started to travel to away matches with the Youth Section under Peter Butler. I was very lucky back then as Mike would always supply me with complimentary tickets and would always look out for me and in some cases get me a lift home on the players coach from places so far up north they were almost off the map (Workington).
Fast forward over 50 years and it is without doubt my absolute pleasure to be able to say that Mike and I are still in contact to this day as I recently caught up with him at his home just prior to Christmas.

P.S. For all the anoraks on here:- Mike Beesley joined Southend United from West Ham United along with Derek Woodley in August 1962. In his first five appearances for the club he scored eight goals. Watford(A)(1); Reading(H)(1); Bradford Park Avenue(H)(1); Reading(A)(2); Coventry City(A)(3). Is this a record? and does it still stand to this day?.

 

[Sleaford Shrimper]

My childhood favourite was Mike Beesley, can you imagine my joy as a thirteen year old boy having written to Mike at the club to receive a reply with his home address so I could write to him directly. We became good friends and it is difficult to describe how sad I was when he left Blues in 1965 and moved onto Peterborough United.
Imagine how I felt just a couple of years later when he returned to Roots Hall and at the time I had just started to travel to away matches with the Youth Section under Peter Butler. I was very lucky back then as Mike would always supply me with complimentary tickets and would always look out for me and in some cases get me a lift home on the players coach from places so far up north they were almost off the map (Workington).
Fast forward over 50 years and it is without doubt my absolute pleasure to be able to say that Mike and I are still in contact to this day as I recently caught up with him at his home just prior to Christmas.

P.S. For all the anoraks on here:- Mike Beesley joined Southend United from West Ham United along with Derek Woodley in August 1962. In his first five appearances for the club he scored eight goals. Watford(A)(1); Reading(H)(1); Bradford Park Avenue(H)(1); Reading(A)(2); Coventry City(A)(3). Is this a record? and does it still stand to this day?.

I've always liked unfashionable utility players who could do at least a half-decent job in more than one position. Mike Beesley was bought as a striker but played a number of games at right back or centre back, too. For the same reason I'd include Julian Hails, Lewis Hunt and Carl Pettefer. I'm sure there are others that I've forgotten, too.

I also remember buying sportswear from Mike Beesley when he had retired and was manager of Howard Stone's sports shop on London Road, Leigh.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

I used to think Andy Rogers was the best player I’d ever seen.
Compared to what we have now, he was.

 

[The Dirty One]

Oh to have anyone as a hero now......

Just all seems so clinically pointless.....

 

[LCBB72]

My childhood favourite was Mike Beesley, can you imagine my joy as a thirteen year old boy having written to Mike at the club to receive a reply with his home address so I could write to him directly. We became good friends and it is difficult to describe how sad I was when he left Blues in 1965 and moved onto Peterborough United.
Imagine how I felt just a couple of years later when he returned to Roots Hall and at the time I had just started to travel to away matches with the Youth Section under Peter Butler. I was very lucky back then as Mike would always supply me with complimentary tickets and would always look out for me and in some cases get me a lift home on the players coach from places so far up north they were almost off the map (Workington).
Fast forward over 50 years and it is without doubt my absolute pleasure to be able to say that Mike and I are still in contact to this day as I recently caught up with him at his home just prior to Christmas.

P.S. For all the anoraks on here:- Mike Beesley joined Southend United from West Ham United along with Derek Woodley in August 1962. In his first five appearances for the club he scored eight goals. Watford(A)(1); Reading(H)(1); Bradford Park Avenue(H)(1); Reading(A)(2); Coventry City(A)(3). Is this a record? and does it still stand to this day?.

Come on BB THE LEGEND your slipping , Richard Caddette scored 8 goals in his first 8 games as well , although one of those games was a Milk Cup games , so if it was league games Richard scored 8 goals in 7 league games .

 

[rlb999]

Andy Sussex.
Class.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Come on BB THE LEGEND your slipping , Richard Caddette scored 8 goals in his first 8 games as well , although one of those games was a Milk Cup games , so if it was league games Richard scored 8 goals in 7 league games .

Richard Cadette made his debut for Southend United in the Milk Cup 1st. round 1st. leg at Roots Hall as a substitute for Roy McDonough in a 1-1 draw with Blues goal being scored
by Paul Clark. Cadette then made his league debut again at Roots Hall against his former club Orient in which he scored 4 of the goals in a 5-1 win. He followed this up by scoring 1 of the goals in a 2-1 win at Cambridge United. This was then followed by Swindon Town at Roots Hall 0-0, Gillingham away in the 2nd leg of the Milk Cup lost 2-0(3-1 on agg.) Exeter City away won 2-0 with goals from Glenn Pennyfather & Paul Clark, Scunthorpe United at Roots Hall with goals by Cadette & Steve Phillips, Halifax Town away won 3-2 with goals again from Cadette, Phillips & Danny O'Shea. Richard Cadette 8th goal came in the next match at Roots Hall against Wrexham along with goals from Barry Silkman & Shane Westley in a 3-0 win.
So it actually took Richard Cadette 7 league games as well as the 2 Milk Cup matches(although 1 was as substitute) to score his 8 goals.

 

[Chrisb]

Any of the players mentioned in this thread would be a massive upgrade on what we have now.

 

[Flinty]

I always liked Billy Kellock not sure why...before that Stevie Phillips

 

[LCBB72]

Richard Cadette made his debut for Southend United in the Milk Cup 1st. round 1st. leg at Roots Hall as a substitute for Roy McDonough in a 1-1 draw with Blues goal being scored
by Paul Clark. Cadette then made his league debut again at Roots Hall against his former club Orient in which he scored 4 of the goals in a 5-1 win. He followed this up by scoring 1 of the goals in a 2-1 win at Cambridge United. This was then followed by Swindon Town at Roots Hall 0-0, Gillingham away in the 2nd leg of the Milk Cup lost 2-0(3-1 on agg.) Exeter City away won 2-0 with goals from Glenn Pennyfather & Paul Clark, Scunthorpe United at Roots Hall with goals by Cadette & Steve Phillips, Halifax Town away won 3-2 with goals again from Cadette, Phillips & Danny O'Shea. Richard Cadette 8th goal came in the next match at Roots Hall against Wrexham along with goals from Barry Silkman & Shane Westley in a 3-0 win.
So it actually took Richard Cadette 7 league games as well as the 2 Milk Cup matches(although 1 was as substitute) to score his 8 goals.

I stand corrected , I feel so small now .

 

[Big_Nath]

David Whyte Whyte Whyte

Away at Wigan 17th March 1998 going mental with my cousin when he scored the 3rd

I also loved Simon Coleman think he scored quite a few the one season from cb

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

For me it's always been Dave Worthington. Fist pumping, tough tackling, hard nosed whole hearted full back who would probably be sent off more games than most now but he appreciated the crowd and urged us on if things got quiet.

Absolutely thrilled now that am now in touch with Dave via SUEPA and true to form he has been supportive of what we do already helping me get three ex team mate signings for SUEPA.

Early next season a definite aim is to get Dave back to Roots Hall with a few of his early 70's team mates.

There is a four page article on Dave in the latest issue of the retro football magazine 'Backpass', well worth a read.

 

[ozzie]

Like anybody who saw him play for us ....KING BILLY BEST.
followed a way behind was also Tony Bentley and the first player i ever saw score a goal for us Phil Chisnall .
Also a couple of years later the late great Joe Jaques.
As i wrote before, i once went into a barbers shop in Southend.I was 13 ?? and asked for a haircut like Joe Jaques.
Either he did not like me...or had never seen J.J, but i left his shop looking more like Tony Bentley than J.J
Never went there again

 

[rayleigh dan]

For a while I liked Sada N'Diaye, mainly for the novelty of a foreign signing with an exotic sounding name, plus an early winning goal in a 3-2 away win, Plymouth rings a bell?

After watching him for a few games I realised he was ****e so it was a fairly short lived thing to be fair. I remember one game where he was so bad the crowd cheered when he got subbed, he turned around to clap, obviously proud of his performance, and everyone booed.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

When I first started watching Southend I played in goal so I always loved Roycie and then Mel Capelton too. Particularly with Mel, something that has always stuck in my mind was in the 2000/01 season we played Plymouth away and it was the first time I’d ever seen him not wear a green goalie shirt. Something weird like that has always stuck with me

This was the regular shirt and for that Plymouth game we turned up with a white/grey version and that was it. Constantly badgering my dad until I could get my hands on one so I could look like Mel

 

[Medway Blue]

John, John, super John;
John, John, super John;
John, John, super John;
Super Johnny Nielsen.

Oh, and I thought Dave McSweeney was mustard.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

When I first started watching Southend I played in goal so I always loved Roycie and then Mel Capelton too. Particularly with Mel, something that has always stuck in my mind was in the 2000/01 season we played Plymouth away and it was the first time I’d ever seen him not wear a green goalie shirt. Something weird like that has always stuck with me
View attachment 10816
This was the regular shirt and for that Plymouth game we turned up with a white/grey version and that was it. Constantly badgering my dad until I could get my hands on one so I could look like Mel

Mel of course was our SUEPA guest just before Xmas at the Rotherham game