Flying in - Mike Jolly and his wife May are coming from Kuala Lumpur to watch the Shrimpers’ take on Rochdale in the play-offs
(Image: CHRIS PHILLIPS)
By Chris Phillips. Chief sports reporter.
LIFELONG Southend United supporter Mike Jolly is flying in from Kuala Lumpur to watch the Shrimpers in the play-offs this week.
Blues head to Rochdale on Thursday night bidding to keep their promotion hopes alive.
And Mike will be among the Southend fans at Spotland having booked his flights long before Kevin Maher’s side secured their place in the top seven.
“I think there were about six games to play and we were about seven points behind Gateshead when I sorted coming over,” said Mike.
“I was chatting to a friend on WhatsApp who is a fellow Shrimper and an eternal optimist.
“He pointed out that we only needed to make five points up on Gateshead who were on a terrible run and then go there and win on the last day to get in the play-offs.
“I thought that would be such a Southend United way for things to turn out so I booked the flights there and then.”
Mike has been a Blues fan since a young age after being brought up in Hadleigh.
But since then he has followed his hometown club from further afield having lived in both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur which he will be leaving this week to get to the game.
“The journey will start at 7pm local time on Tuesday with a taxi from home to the station,” explained Mike.
“From then it’s a a train to KL International Airport where we’ll catch the 22.50 BA flight that gets into Heathrow at 05.25am on Wednesday morning as the flight is nearly 14 hours.
“We then get another taxi to where we are staying in Rayleigh to hopefully grab some rest then Thursday morning it’s a relatively civilised start to pick up the Blues on Tour coach at 11am up to Rochdale.”
But Mike stressed there was no way he was going to miss such an important match.
“Having been at Cardiff and Wembley for Southend’s last two successful play-off campaigns you realise that it’s moments like those that make following a club like Southend United worthwhile,” said Mike.
“There was never really any question in my mind about coming over.”
And Mike - who will be joined on the trip by his wife May - is hoping he can be a good luck charm for Kevin Maher’s side.
“The last time I watched Southend in the flesh so to speak was away at Solihull back in September,” said Mike.
“We won 4-2 that afternoon so I am hoping for the same result this time.”
Blues go into the game as underdogs having finished the season in seventh, six points below fourth placed Rochdale.
But Mike has not yet had time to think about the winner takes all encounter.
“I’ve actually been moving house this past week so really haven’t had much time to think about the game,” said Mike.
“I’ll probably start to focus on it more once I get to the airport in KL on Tuesday evening.
“Come Thursday morning I think it will be a mixture of excitement and nerves but more than anything just feeling tremendously proud to be a Shrimper and very, very lucky that I’m able to be there.”
