Southend United F.C.
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| Southend United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Southend United Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Shrimpers, The Seasiders or The Blues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1906 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Roots Hall Victoria Avenue Southend-on-Sea |
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| Capacity | 12,306 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Ron Martin |
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| Manager | Steve Tilson |
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| League | Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | League One, 1st (Champions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Southend United Football Club is an English football team based at Roots Hall Stadium in Prittlewell, in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, which plays in the Football League Championship.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early history
The club was formed in 1906 and played in the Southern League until 1920 when they co-founded the Football League's new Third Division; they finished 17th in their first ever season. In 1921 the Third Division was regionalised with Southend United joining the southern section and here they remained until league re-structure in 1958. They came close to promotion twice when they finished 3rd in 1932 and 1950, their highest league positions until 1991.
[edit] First promotions and relegation
In 1958 Southend joined the new national Third Division until 1966 when they suffered their first ever relegation, dropping into the Fourth Division. Fans had to wait until 1972 to witness the club's first ever promotion when they finished runners-up behind Grimsby Town. In 1976 they suffered relegation again before grabbing another runners-up spot behind Watford in 1978. Another relegation in 1980 was immediately followed by one of the most successful seasons in the club's history when they won the Fourth Division Championship in 1981, breaking a series of club records in the process, and in the club history. Then in 2005-2006 season southend got promtion to the second tier of English football for the second time ever.
[edit] Financial nightmare
But the prospect of a "golden era" for Southend United had to be put on hold for a while after the club sold many of its talented players and the club dropped back into the basement in 1984 to embark of a fight for survival both on and off the pitch. One of the club's darkest hours saw a season average barely above 1,000 watch the Shrimpers narrowly avoid the lottery of re-election to the Football League.
[edit] Back to back promotion winners
Promotion in 1987 started a period in which Southend United finally fulfilled its potential. Relegation in 1989 was a mere blip because two successive promotions in 1990 and 1991 saw the Shrimpers become "full members" of the Football League for the first time in their history and in 1992 the club finished 12th in the old Second Division, their highest ever position in the Football League to date. On New Year's Day 1992 they briefly topped the Second Division but their dismal late season form put paid to any hopes of a unique third successive promotion.
[edit] Back to back relegations and rising debts
Two torrid seasons in the late 1990s saw the Shrimpers free-fall back to the basement league in successive seasons and by 1999 they were once again fighting for survival. Off the pitch the club was close to going bust and Roots Hall, built by the supporters back in the 1950s, was sold off to clear debts by the new owners with the promise of a new stadium, which would revitalise the club, by 2003. A succession of managers couldn't bring success until ex-player Steve Tilson took over as caretaker-manager in 2003, with another ex-player Paul Brush as his assistant.
[edit] The Steve Tilson Revolution
The duo turned things around dramatically and Southend reached their first ever national cup final in 2004 when they met Blackpool in the final of the LDV Vans Trophy at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Over 20,000 Southend fans travelled from all over the world to be part of history, but the team couldn't quite rise to the occasion and Blackpool won 2-0. In 2004 Tilson and Brush were installed as a permanent management / coaching duo and responded by not only guiding Southend to promotion via the play-offs in 2005 but also to a second successive appearance in the LDV Vans Trophy final. Once again the trophy eluded the Shrimpers, losing 2-0 to Wrexham but the third appearance at the Millennium Stadium in the League Two play-off final against Lincoln City brought success as Freddy Eastwood and Duncan Jupp scored the goals that would give the club their first ever taste of promotion via the play-off system and their first major piece of silverware since 1981.
On 29 April 2006 the Shrimpers were promoted to the Football League Championship, the second highest tier of English football after a tense 2-2 draw with Swansea City at the Welsh club's new Liberty Stadium. Southend were crowned champions on 6 May 2006, the final day of the season, after beating Bristol City 1-0 at Roots Hall in front of almost 11,400 fans. The 87th minute winner came from Wayne Gray who had come on as a substitute for Shaun Goater who was playing his last professional game. Fans from his former club Manchester City had made a special trip to the game to give their hero a special send-off at the end of a long and distinguished career. For Southend United, the championship title, the club's first in 25 years, is just one stop of an amazing three year journey from the depths of despair at the bottom of the Football League to just one level below the Premiership, a journey that has not only seen two successive promotions but also two national final appearances in Cardiff. On 6 May 2006 manager Steve Tilson was named as the League Manager Association's Manager-of-the-Season for League One.
The club has a local rivalry with fellow Essex side Colchester United. The two clubs were promoted from League One at the end of the 2005/06 season after a long, unlikely battle for top spot which was eventually won by the Shrimpers. The rivalry extends back many years. At the end of the 1989/90 season Southend promotion from the Fourth Division coincided with Colchester's fall from the Football League and the clubs had to wait almost 15 years before meeting once again in competition when they met in the Southern Final of the LDV Vans Trophy; the Shrimpers triumphed 4-3 on aggregate to secure their first ever appearance in a national cup final. The two clubs met again in the same competition the following season, with Southend emerging as the victors once more after a penalty shootout.
One of the Shrimpers' most memorable victories was won in the fourth round of the League Cup against trophy holders Manchester United on the 7th of November 2006. Southend beat Manchester United 1-0 in a game with a thrilling climax. Freddy Eastwood scored off a 30-yard free-kick in the 27th minute. Keeper Darryl Flahavan was voted man of the match[citation needed] after a treble of world class saves. All odds were against Southend, who were then bottom of the Championship, whilst Manchester United - whose starting line-up included ten full internationals, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney among them - stood at the top of the Premiership, 43 teams higher. Southend then drew another Premiership team in the next round, Tottenham Hotspur. The Championship side forced Tottenham to extra-time, only to be undone 5 minutes from time by a Jermain Defoe goal, which replays later showed was offside.
Southend United started off the season reasonably well, beating Stoke City 1-0 on the opening day of the season 2006/07. Just a few games later, Southend beat Sunderland AFC 3-1 at Roots Hall Stadium. After that, Southend did not win a league game for 18 games, until this was broken on 9 December 2006 when they beat Southampton FC 2-1. The Blues then followed this up with a convincing 3-1 win over promotion-chasers West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day 2007 and an away victory recorded over Cardiff City to take the Shrimpers to five games undefeated. A 3-1 victory away to Birmingham City on the 31st of January 2007 saw the Shrimpers lift themselves from the bottom of the Championship, moving above Leeds United on goal difference. On the 10th of February 2007 the Shrimpers defeated QPR by a scoreline of 5-0. It was to be a nightmare return for Southend's former goalkeeper Simon Royce, conceding in only the 9th minute when his attempted clearance rebounded off of the onrushing Lee Bradbury and into the net.
[edit] Stadium
Southend United currently play in the 12,392 all-seater Roots Hall stadium, which has been their home since 1955. The future of this location has been in doubt since it was sold to property developers in 1998. Planning permission is currently being sought for a new 22,000 seater stadium to be located on the team's training ground at Fossets Farm.
On 24 January 2007, Southend Borough Council unanimously agreed to give planning permission for the new stadium at the proposed Fossets Farm site with Rochford District Counil following suit 24 hours later. The application is currently in the hands of the Secretary of State for state approval.
For a detailed view of the new ground and facilities, go to the Southend United home page, and review there.
[edit] Contact details
- Postal Address Roots Hall Stadium, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-sea, Essex, SS2 6NQ
- Telephone 01702 30 40 50
- Text Phone 01702 30 41 17
- Fax 01702 30 41 24
- Commercial 01702 30 41 49
- Media 01702 30 41 19
- Community 01702 34 13 51
- Youth 01702 30 41 23
- E-mail info@southend-united.co.uk
- Ticket Hotline 08444 77 00 77
- Blues Superstore 01702 35 11 17
[edit] Club honours
- League One Champions 2006
- League Two Play-off winners 2005
- Division Three Runners-up 1991
- Division Four Champions 1981
- Division Four Runners-up 1972,1978
- LDV Vans Trophy Runners-up 2004,2005
[edit] Club records
- Biggest victory 10-1 v Golders Green, FA Cup, 1934/35; 10-1 v Brentwood, FA Cup, 1968/69; 10-1 v Aldershot, Leyland Daf Cup, 1990/91
- Biggest defeat 1-9 v Brighton & Hove Albion, 1965/66
- Highest attendance 31,003 v Liverpool, FA Cup, 1978/79
Notes: Southend won a famous victory in the League Cup against Manchester United FC (who were incidentally the holders), beating them 1-0 in the 2006-07 season.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Out on loan
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[edit] Famous players
- 1997-98 Neville Southall - Veteran goalkeeper who was loaned to Southend from his long-time employers Everton
- 1995 Lee Chapman - Experienced striker who was loaned to the club from Ipswich Town and played just one game
- 1995-97 Mike Marsh - Former Liverpool midfielder who had two seasons at Southend before retiring through injury
- 1994-97 Ronnie Whelan - Experienced former Liverpool and Éire defender who had three seasons at Southend and for the latter two of those seasons was player-manager
- 1992-93 Stan Collymore - One of the most controversial strikers in English football, Collymore established himself as a regular goalscorer before being sold to Nottingham Forest, and later represented England
- 1990-96 Chris Powell - Talented defender who later played for Charlton and in 2001 was selected for the England team
- 1988-90 Justin Edinburgh - Young full-back who was sold to Tottenham in 1990 and collected an F.A Cup winner's medal the following year
- 1985-86 Frank Lampard Sr - Veteran full-back who had success earlier in his career with West Ham
- 1984-1985 and 1985-1990 Roy McDonough - Controversial striker who held the English record for the highest number of red cards in a career
- 1979-83 Garry Nelson - Much travelled striker who later wrote the successful book "Left Foot in the Grave".
- 1971-73 Peter Taylor - Had short, uneventful spells as player and later manager, but enjoyed success at other clubs
- 1965-67 Eddie Firmani - first player to score 100 goals in England and Italy
- 1906-08 Harold Halse - Scored over 200 goals for Southend before moving to Manchester United, playing in three FA Cup Finals and turning out for England.
[edit] Famous managers
- 1997-99 Alvin Martin: West Ham United & England - Sacked after two disastrous seasons which saw Southend fall into the bottom half of Division Three
- 1995-97 Ronnie Whelan: Liverpool and Éire : also former player - Sacked after the first of Southend's two successive relegations in the late 1990s
- 1993-95 Peter Taylor: Tottenham Hotspur & England : also former player - Sacked after failing to get Southend anywhere near the top of Division One
- 1986-87 1988-92 2000-01 2003 David Webb: Chelsea - Had four spells as manager, winning two successive promotions in his second spell
- 1984-86 Bobby Moore : West Ham United & England : captain of England 1966 World Cup Winners - Failed to make his mark in management
- 1970-76 Arthur Rowley : holds the record for the most career goals in the Football League (434 from 619 games) - Had six years as manager during the 1970s
- 1934-40 David Jack : Former Arsenal player: first player in the world to be worth over £10,000 - Failed to grab many headlines as a manager
[edit] Other international representatives
Beyond the aforementioned, on 3 June 2006 Jamal Campbell-Ryce played for Jamaica against England at Old Trafford in Manchester in a pre-World Cup international friendly. Despite his side losing 6-0, many Shrimpers fans felt that the winger did the club proud and produced a solid performance. Campbell-Ryce became the first current Southend United player to represent his nation since Tesfaye Bramble turned out for Montserrat in November 2004.
[edit] External links
- Southend United FC Official Site
- The Shrimpers-online - For latest news, views and lighthearted banter. Give us a try.
- ShrimperZone - the busiest Southend United fans site and messageboard on the internet
- longpier - the best blog on SUFC by journalist and fan
- Shrimper @ Yahoo!: Long-established Southend United discussion group
- The Shrimpers Trust
- Southend United Database
- The Little Gazette
- Southend United News
- All At Sea (SUFC Fanzine)
- Southend Vital
[edit] References
| Football League Championship, 2006-2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Barnsley | Birmingham City | Burnley | Cardiff City | Colchester United | Coventry City | Crystal Palace | Derby County | Hull City | Ipswich Town | Leeds United | Leicester City | Luton Town | Norwich City | Plymouth Argyle | Preston North End | Queens Park Rangers | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton | Southend United | Stoke City | Sunderland | West Bromwich Albion | Wolverhampton Wanderers edit |
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