Memory Lane 13th March 1986 : Southend United 1-3 Northampton Town

[AndyT]

Apologies as this may have been covered before.

So, were you one of the 683 who made it that night?

I have to admit that I wasn't.

Those who know, will recall it was a Freight Rover Trophy Group Stage match, with our unlikely scorer being none other than Frank Lampard.

So, where were the 683 hearty souls in the ground. I'm guessing the South Bank was closed off?

Also, I guess there'll be a fair few of us who can claim to be at both our highest and lowest attendances!

 

[Stuart W]

Yep, I was one of the 683 Andy. What was memorable was that the game was played on a Thursday and 2 days later we played at home to Aldershot, winning 2-0. I would like to show the line-ups of those 2 games (almost identical since no large squad in those days) to muppets like Pellegrini, Wenger et al who think that their precious charges wouldn't be able to cope with 2 games in 3 days.
Different times, different values.

 

[LCBB72]

I was at this game and the Liverpool game .

 

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

I was there. It was on my birthday! I think in those days the competition had a group stage, as we were already eliminated it meant hardly anyone was interested in it.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Yep I was there in the East Stand. There were also 2 coach loads of Northampton fans as well so they had at least 100 there.

Plenty of other teams at that time getting crowds below 1,000 in this competition. We had one other home Football League Trophy/FRT etc crowd below 1,000 v Cambridge don't think we had any more?

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

I was at both and I think in those days the FRT was done on a league basis meaning there were a lot of "dead" games and this may have been one of them. This may have also been the game when a friend of mine after Lampard Snr had hit the post said "oh look, Frankie goes to volley wood" ....true and very sad.

 

[AndyT]

Right, I make that 5 so far and 100 Northampton fans, so around 578 to go. :thumbsup:

Update : Make that 577, to include Hawkwell Blue's mate.

 

[AndyT]

We had one other home Football League Trophy/FRT etc crowd below 1,000 v Cambridge don't think we had any more?

Yep, 945 on 16th December 1986. That's the only other one I can see.

Can you remember the score, though? :cool:

 

[Stuart W]

Yep, 945 on 16th December 1986. That's the only other one I can see.

Can you remember the score, though? :cool:

It was the famous 5-4 win after being 3-1 down at half-time. I seem to remember saying to the now sadly departed Russ Ralph that it was virtually one goal for every 100 spectators!

 

[AndyT]

Yep, sounds like an amazing game.

 

[Vinny the Shrimper]

Wasn't their a floodlight failure during the Northampton game?

 

[Napster]

I would have been there for this one as well. I only remember Lampard for being slow and ponderous. At the time I was 10

 

[C C Csiders]

Definitely there and recall Lampard's goal scored from the edge of the box towards the South.

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

Yep, sounds like an amazing game.

This was during a run of three home games that produced 17 goals and one of them ended 0-0!. The other being 4-4 v Northampton in the FA Cup.

 

[SUFCEssex]

I was there. IIRC we'd both lost to Colchester so neither could get through the group. I was in the West.

 

[Bobby dazzler]

This was during my eight year period of not missing a game home or away (yes before wife and kids and a life)

Many many games consigned to my memory that I do not wish to recall and others I cannot forget.

Back in the days when I had hair , a slimmer waistline and the ability to drink copious amounts of beer.