Eddie Firmani

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Eddie Firmani was 90 years old yesterday and is our oldest SUEPA member, so it's a big belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to 'The Golden Turkey' as the great man was once known during his Italian adventures.

Eddie may well also be the oldest ex Shrimper currently alive. There are one or two potentially older who we cannot trace and who could still be alive but depite extensive searching so far we've drawn a blank. If anyone fancies themselves as a bit of a detective and wants to help out searching death etc records please do get in touch and I'll let you know who we need to find out about.

Anyway, back to Edde, how on earth back in 1965 we managed to sign someone of his calibre is anyone's guess - if anyone with long memories can shed any light on that it would be interesting to hear. He was certainly revered by our fans at the time as can be seen from the great pic shown here.

As well as being a top footballer Eddie had a wonderful coaching career and could be found passing on his knowledge and experience as a coach well in to his 80's in the US where he now lives.

Oh, and in case you might be wondering (and we love a stat so I'll tell you anyway), SUEPA currently has seven other members born in the 1930's, with Bill Punton (who still works as a match day host at Norwich City) and Alan Dicks (who we signed back in 1958 from Chelsea and who went on to have a great managerial career) due to reach their own 90th landmark next year.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Eddie Firmani was 90 years old yesterday and is our oldest SUEPA member, so it's a big belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to 'The Golden Turkey' as the great man was once known during his Italian adventures.

Eddie may well also be the oldest ex Shrimper currently alive. There are one or two potentially older who we cannot trace and who could still be alive but depite extensive searching so far we've drawn a blank. If anyone fancies themselves as a bit of a detective and wants to help out searching death etc records please do get in touch and I'll let you know who we need to find out about.

Anyway, back to Edde, how on earth back in 1965 we managed to sign someone of his calibre is anyone's guess - if anyone with long memories can shed any light on that it would be interesting to hear. He was certainly revered by our fans at the time as can be seen from the great pic shown here.

As well as being a top footballer Eddie had a wonderful coaching career and could be found passing on his knowledge and experience as a coach well in to his 80's in the US where he now lives.

Oh, and in case you might be wondering (and we love a stat so I'll tell you anyway), SUEPA currently has seven other members born in the 1930's, with Bill Punton (who still works as a match day host at Norwich City) and Alan Dicks (who we signed back in 1958 from Chelsea and who went on to have a great managerial career) due to reach their own 90th landmark next year.
View attachment 28078

B.B The Legend Lives On, are you in that pic?.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Eddie Firmani was 90 years old yesterday and is our oldest SUEPA member, so it's a big belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to 'The Golden Turkey' as the great man was once known during his Italian adventures.

Eddie may well also be the oldest ex Shrimper currently alive. There are one or two potentially older who we cannot trace and who could still be alive but depite extensive searching so far we've drawn a blank. If anyone fancies themselves as a bit of a detective and wants to help out searching death etc records please do get in touch and I'll let you know who we need to find out about.

Anyway, back to Edde, how on earth back in 1965 we managed to sign someone of his calibre is anyone's guess - if anyone with long memories can shed any light on that it would be interesting to hear. He was certainly revered by our fans at the time as can be seen from the great pic shown here.

As well as being a top footballer Eddie had a wonderful coaching career and could be found passing on his knowledge and experience as a coach well in to his 80's in the US where he now lives.

Oh, and in case you might be wondering (and we love a stat so I'll tell you anyway), SUEPA currently has seven other members born in the 1930's, with Bill Punton (who still works as a match day host at Norwich City) and Alan Dicks (who we signed back in 1958 from Chelsea and who went on to have a great managerial career) due to reach their own 90th landmark next year.
View attachment 28078

Loved Eddie Firmani when he came to Roots Hall a real SUEPA star signing for sure, there has always been some doubt about who actually signed him as at that time Ted Fenton was leaving the club and being replaced by Alvan Williams who was quoted when he joined us from Hartlepool United as saying he would get Southend United out of the Third Division which he did at the very first time of asking as we were relegated at the end of the 1965-66 season for the first time in our history.
What we did know back then was that Alvan Williams was not a big fan of Eddie Firmani and it was common knowledge that the feeling was mutual.
Eddie Firmani as a player oozed class when he was on the pitch and although he was in his early 30's when he joined us he was a player who always seemed to have time to play the game at his own pace and was wearing what always looked like old rugby boots.
As a lad of just 15 at that time along with one of school pals Terry (Slice) we use to go down to watch the team training at either Priory Park or Victory Sports and often use to clean Eddie's car for him which was a Blue Mercedes Benz and I seem to remember that some time ago some fans actually mentioned on SZ that if Eddie saw them waiting at a bus stop on his way to a match at Roots Hall in Rayleigh?? he would stop and give supporters a lift to the game.
He was certainly one of my very first hero's at Roots Hall and was without a shadow of doubt a class act both on and off the pitch so much so that I actually made that banner shown above "FIRMANI FOR PRIME MINISTER" as a tribute to the great man. That photo above was taken outside Gresty Road Crewe before we beaten 1-0 there back in Oct.ober 1966. I can be seen in that picture second from the right with a silly bobble hat and a very long scarf. "Happy 90th. Birthday Eddie"

 

[SUFC2008]

Happy Birthday, Eddie!