Who remembers League Division 4?

[Zeuss]

Old git!!

No !!! Maybe not that old ! It was as late as 1958 that the Third Division South was almalgated with the Third Division North meaning we had approx 12 new teams to see in 1958-59 .
“Approx” because I think one or two teams had played in both North and South . Cov,Walsall,Port Vale,Shrews,Northampton possibly.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Yep, remember it well, was blooded on it, and proudly am one of the 'I was at the Villa match' club

Hopefully all you fellow old cronies are following SUEPA where the past (Div 4 and the rest) comes to life and we create new memories along the way. Lots of stuff on our SUEPA Facebook and Twitter pages

...... and on to Saturday and we have another little SUEPA event. We are proud to have 10 of the 20 players in the Div 4 70/71 squad in the pic below in SUEPA and on Saturday two of them will be our guests at the match, news of who to follow later in the week

.......... and if you really want to get all nostalgic, we remain on schedule to be holding the 'Celebration Evening' on Fri 22 Nov that I've hinted at before although given our current first team 'efforts' of late we've had to re-name it as the 'Southend United Hall of Fame' evening to avoid the odd snigger or two the previous title might presently attract Anyway, do keep that date in your diary - news of it all and ticket details will I anticipate be publicised by the club in the next week or so.

 

[Ex-Member1]

Yes, remember very vividly 3rd Div (South} and when it split to 3 and 4 and us making it to 3. They were the days!! Time for bed now.

 

[Spenser]

Yep, what a season. Only one I can remember since I started going to games in 67, when we had an unbeaten home record. W 19 D 4.
And i'm sure we didn't drop a home point until the 2nd half of the season. Fast forward to today, hopefully we're get our first home win, before the 2nd half of the season???.

Also we only conceded 6 goals at home all season including a run of 10 or so clean sheets.
How times have changed !
Average crowd that season was around 6000.

 

[Strykr]

Lol massive rose tinteds on this thread.. it was bloody awful

(I remember it with extreme fondness )

 

[Angell Delight]

I remember Division 4. Proper football. Sadly missed....

 

[Kristof]

I think the only home game we lost that season was against Hereford in the fa cup.
remember about 30 Hereford fans celebrating in a mixed (non segregated) south bank.
i was about 14 at the time!

my first ever visit to Roots Hall and first ever football match. I was instantly hooked!!

 

[RHB]

I'm delighted to say I do, and even more delighted that I can remember I do!!

 

[ozzie]

yes,best times ever...we still are a top 4th div team/set up...or poor/mid table 3rd team/set up
But we hope for better days
With a bit of luck,next season when we are back there..we will become a top 4th div team again.....and MAYBE,give us back OUR North bank,let the lads back in and then the only way is UP

 

[RobM]

I started supporting regularly in the 1966/7 season, started with a 2-1 win over Bradford City.

2/3 return on the bus, 1/6 admission, 6d for transfer to west stand, 4d programme.

23.5p equivalent! Oh and Chipmunk crisps!

 

[Blueronron]

Will never see the likes of a Test match cricketer playing at Roots Hall, on a wet February evening,as Sir Ian Botham trod the grass with Scunthorpe and wasn't a bad player, knew a tackle and where to put the ball

 

[Blueronron]

I started supporting regularly in the 1966/7 season, started with a 2-1 win over Bradford City.

2/3 return on the bus, 1/6 admission, 6d for transfer to west stand, 4d programme.

23.5p equivalent! Oh and Chipmunk crisps!

Hopefully Bovril flavour

 

[RobM]

Bovril crisps - I think you're right!

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Argh...the good old days ....the smell of clean smoke filled air ....open air trough urinals with broken glass wall capping to stop you from climbing in or out as the case may be ....luxury catering ,a trolly hot dog stall with onions on the top of the North West ,seat cushions to throw at the team when they didn't perform in the main stand...oh for those Friday nights again!

 

[Blueronron]

Argh...the good old days ....the smell of clean smoke filled air ....open air trough urinals with broken glass wall capping to stop you from climbing in or out as the case may be ....luxury catering ,a trolly hot dog stall with onions on the top of the North West ,seat cushions to throw at the team when they didn't perform in the main stand...oh for those Friday nights again!

You were posh to buy a cushion in the East stand lol

 

[LBBlue]

A summary 25 season since 1966/67

1966/67 a bit dour and dire
1967/68 Chisnall, Best, Clayton -devastating how we threw promotion away
68/69 Wonderful but inconsistent - needed a decent centre half
69/70 Not good
70/71 Rowley sorted after January defeat at Newport -seeds were sown Elliott and Johnson signed
71/72 Brilliant run in the spring Garner and Best rip them up

76/77 Not sure how we got relegated _ Dave Smith rebuilding
77/78 Up again solid if not spectactular -Colin Morris and Derrick Parker

80/81 Unstoppable wonder what that team would have done in Div3 if they hadn't been relegated

84/85 Dire nearly had to apply for re election Inchy saves us in last game of season
85/86 A bit better
86/87 Webbie takes us up

89/90 Ditto Webbie takes us up again

98/99 Alvin - help nearly takes us out of the league
99/00 Little - abit better
00/01 Webbie saves us
01/02 Newman very average
02/03 Newman again
03/04 Tilly starts to turn it round after Wignall
04/05 Tilly, Freddie and the boys do it at Cardiff

10/11 Sturrock saves us
11/12 Sturrock robbed of top three finish
12/13 Two many injuries after xmas
13/14 Brown couldnt do it in first season
14/15 Brown scrapes through in penalty shoot out

 

[Chairman Trigg]

You were posh to buy a cushion in the East stand lol

Could only watch in envy those wealthy supporters from the north bank !.....Anyway who would have missed the chorus of... He ain't dun nuffin as fans were dragged out and ejected , the toilet roll throwing competitions and knees up Mother Brown

 

[rigsby]

The pre social media days when you just turned up on terrace....If your mates were there, they were there. You could move about and chat to others. Plus you didn't have to put up with some idiot sitting near you for whole season and shouting nonsense.

The one thing that should return in football is the terraces. Its what made British football and its what made us lot from that generation fall in love with our club.

 

[londonblue]

Argh...the good old days ....the smell of clean smoke filled air ....open air trough urinals with broken glass wall capping to stop you from climbing in or out as the case may be ....luxury catering ,a trolly hot dog stall with onions on the top of the North West ,seat cushions to throw at the team when they didn't perform in the main stand...oh for those Friday nights again!

Don't forget the massive South terrace with the scoreboard that never worked and the St. John's ambulance at the top.

And the black and white alphabet in front of the West stand that was used for the half time scores.

 

[Barling Magna]

8 of those teams non-league now

And only two have tasted life in the top division, whether it be League Division One or the Premiership.