Memory Lane Southend 9-0 Kings Lynn

[tsbl2000]

Thanks to the wonderful human being that is Dave Brabbing, I got to speak to my all time hero Billy Best, on the telephone before the Wealdstone game on Saturday. This prompted me to look up a few old programmes and this picture from the Brentwood game (perhaps my favourite ever game at Roots Hall) shows that deadly forward duo of Billy and Gary Moore in the back of the net, with the ball, after Billy had scored goal no. 6, against Kings Lynn, after a cross from Chico Hamilton. I wonder how many SZ forum members remember those games?

 

[tsbl2000]

The front cover

 

[Tony Allen]

I was at both the games and would have been 17 at the time. I do remember the Brentwood manager saying they wouldn't be losing 9-0 - well he was sort of right I suppose! It was so exciting and I don't particulary remember it as King's Lynn and Brentwood being rubbish as we were just brilliant. In the memory banks for sure

 

[tsbl2000]

From my teenage scrapbook at the time :-)

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I was at both of those games, a mere 'whippersnapper' aged 11 standing in the North Paddock with my Granddad.
If my ageing memory serves me correct, initially some Brentwood fans had the audacity to enter Roots Hall in the North Bank?.

 

[Voice of Reason]

I was ten years old and those were my first two games. Billy Best is still my all time favourite player and have the signed shirt framed on my wall to prove it

 

[blues exile]

Saw both tbose games and the next round win at Swindon. We played some great football back then and the Best-Moore combination was lethal. If only these games could have been recorded for posterity.

 

[Sammy Shrimper]

I was at both games aged 7 in the North Paddock with dad. I use to sit on the perimeter wall in those days proudly with my navy blue rosette !

 

[ozzie]

Was also at both games (aged 12)...my biggest regret was my mother would not give me more pocket money so i could go to the Swindon away game
How much would we pay nowadays to watch such a entertaining team...how much would we pay just to see King Billy in his prime??

 

[Elmsleigh shrimper]

Saw both tbose games and the next round win at Swindon. We played some great football back then and the Best-Moore combination was lethal. If only these games could have been recorded for posterity.

Yes indeed, it's a great shame that the technology wasn't around at the time to allow us to see some action from those times, but sadly it exists only in our memories. At a pinch I can still visualise the 2 goals at Swindon, Billy best turning in a Graham birks cross from the left from about 8 yards and "Chico" redirecting a Gary Moore header into the corner. Probably total bollocks but that's how I remember it.
Kings Lynn were rubbish and were flattered by the score . I remember Brentwood putting up a decent fight of it and equalising. They tired towards the end and king Billy savaged them

 

[blues exile]

Yes indeed, it's a great shame that the technology wasn't around at the time to allow us to see some action from those times, but sadly it exists only in our memories. At a pinch I can still visualise the 2 goals at Swindon, Billy best turning in a Graham birks cross from the left from about 8 yards and "Chico" redirecting a Gary Moore header into the corner. Probably total bollocks but that's how I remember it.
Kings Lynn were rubbish and were flattered by the score . I remember Brentwood putting up a decent fight of it and equalising. They tired towards the end and king Billy savaged them

Back then you could change ends at half time so with the Brentwood game started out on the South Bank and saw the goals at close hand and then moved round for the second half with a close up view of the incredible finale with Best going on that scoring spree. With the Swindon game had a very poor view and was in with my Swindon supporting in laws and friends but was still bursting with pride at the performance and result.

 

[GrumpyBlue]

I went to both matches (aged 16) - great times

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Yes indeed, it's a great shame that the technology wasn't around at the time to allow us to see some action from those times, but sadly it exists only in our memories. At a pinch I can still visualise the 2 goals at Swindon, Billy best turning in a Graham birks cross from the left from about 8 yards and "Chico" redirecting a Gary Moore header into the corner. Probably total bollocks but that's how I remember it.
Kings Lynn were rubbish and were flattered by the score . I remember Brentwood putting up a decent fight of it and equalising. They tired towards the end and king Billy savaged them

Your memory of the Swindon goals is spot on - one in the still open end at the County Ground, and Chico's at the home end.
I seem to remember Kings Lynn brought a healthy following, most of whom were in the East Stand, block A.
They were silent after two minutes: our first goal; and I felt a pang of sympathy for KL keeper Norman Coe.
He had been in the First Division (Prem) with Northampton just three years previously.

 

[getintoem]

I too was at both matches, aged 18, and also made the trip down to Swindon, as well as up to Mansfield for the fourth round tie. Really happy memories and before the days of crowd segregation. At Swindon we stood in what is now the Don Rogers stand rubbing shoulders with some elderly home supporters who, at the end of the match, patted us on the back, shook our hands and said "Good luck in the next round lads." Quite a bit different from today's world.

 

[tsbl2000]

Back then you could change ends at half time so with the Brentwood game started out on the South Bank and saw the goals at close hand and then moved round for the second half with a close up view of the incredible finale with Best going on that scoring spree. With the Swindon game had a very poor view and was in with my Swindon supporting in laws and friends but was still bursting with pride at the performance and result.

My aged mind tells me I was in the paddock for that game and weirdly my memory archive will only recall their equaliser clearly....but the occasion is bright in my mind as my favourite game ever at Roots Hall........probably........

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Thanks to the wonderful human being that is Dave Brabbing, I got to speak to my all time hero Billy Best, on the telephone before the Wealdstone game on Saturday. This prompted me to look up a few old programmes and this picture from the Brentwood game (perhaps my favourite ever game at Roots Hall) shows that deadly forward duo of Billy and Gary Moore in the back of the net, with the ball, after Billy had scored goal no. 6, against Kings Lynn, after a cross from Chico Hamilton. I wonder how many SZ forum members remember those games?

View attachment 36518

Tom, many thanks for your kind words in the above post. Anyway with regard to the picture above when I spoke to Billy many years later possibly around 2008 he told me that in that Kings Lynn game he actually felt very sorry for the Kings Lynn goalkeeper Norman Coe and full back Tony Haskins(3) who scored an own goal that day for us as they were both former team mates from their time together at the Cobblers. Moving onto the Brentwood Town match we were 3-1 up at half-time, Gary Moore's 4 goals were all headers as were Billy's first 3 goals. In total 8 of the 11 goals were scored in the North Bank, Reg Stratton scored the equaliser for Brentwood Town in the 17th. minute after a mistake by the late John Kurila. As mentioned we then managed to win 2-0 at Swindon Town who then managed to win the League Cup final at Wembley beating Arsenal 3-1 after extra time. We then drew Mansfield Town away in round 4, possibly the worst draw we could have been given losing 2-1 after leading 1-0 at half-time. P.S. I believe the 2-0 win at Swindon Town some 56 years ago was the last time we won an away F.A.Cup tie against a team from a higher division??

 

[Billy is the best]

As a 14. Year old I was at both games. Billy Best remains the greatest striker I have seen. Let’s not forget Chico Hamilton, what a player he was.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I went to both matches (aged 16) - great times

Snap. But IIRC you didn't go to the Swindon or Mansfield Cup Games that season which thanks to my aunt's driving I did,(with Alf Smirk as a fellow passenger as he was when we made the trip up to Wolves in the old LC earlier in the season).

 

[westie]

1967-68 so many great memories apart from Kings Lynn and Brentwood. I will never forget those overnighters to the likes of Hartlepool, Darlington, Carlisle and Workington with Supreme coaches. They were great times, even without the heating!

 

[Finney on the wing]

Best times ever (excuse the pun), was 10 years old and saw all three of the matches. Used to stand at the front behind the white wall of the West Bank. I'd make very loud farting noises (using the palm of my hand against my mouth) whenever opposition players were closeby, taking a throw-on or a free kick . Am still very immature at the age of 66