Memory Lane 50 Years ago Today- 1971-72 Promotion Season - Wednesday 3 May 1972 - We finish as runners up! - Southend United 2 Gillingham 2

[LBBlue]

Saturday 15th January 1972- 2-1 away win at Crewe Alexandra

For the second game running we had a fixture against a side in the bottom 4 and one we would expect to win. Crewe were 3rd from bottom but even they had only lost 4 of their 12 home games and we had won only 2 away games. So it was good to get the win

We were without the injured Bill Garner, with Dave Barnett coming in and a bit of shuffling around. Peter Taylor kept his place and scored his first goal of the season.

As Alf said, Crewe were woeful and we should have buried them. The crowd of 1,577 was the lowest to watch a Southend game that season. Earlier in the season Crewe had sold their best two players Pat Morrisey - a decent goal scorer who only played 9 games and 3 months at his next club Chester before he moved again to Watford who were bottom of Division 2.

The other player they sold, in October, was the magical Stan Bowles who moved to Div 2 Carlisle for £50,000 and became the 4th player appearing in Div 4 in 1971/72 who went on play for England. Spud, Terry McDermott and Phil Neal were the other 3.

Crewe finished bottom 8 points behind Barrow who were the club to make way for Hereford. They eventually finished outside of the bottom 4 and having to apply for re-election in 1974/75.

Next game up was another away fixture - at Newport County where we rarely did well.

 

[blueblueblue]

Saturday 15th January 1972- 2-1 away win at Crewe Alexandra

For the second game running we had a fixture against a side in the bottom 4 and one we would expect to win. Crewe were 3rd from bottom but even they had only lost 4 of their 12 home games and we had won only 2 away games. So it was good to get the win

We were without the injured Bill Garner, with Dave Barnett coming in and a bit of shuffling around. Peter Taylor kept his place and scored his first goal of the season.

As Alf said, Crewe were woeful and we should have buried them. The crowd of 1,577 was the lowest to watch a Southend game that season. Earlier in the season Crewe had sold their best two players Pat Morrisey - a decent goal scorer who only played 9 games and 3 months at his next club Chester before he moved again to Watford who were bottom of Division 2.

The other player they sold, in October, was the magical Stan Bowles who moved to Div 2 Carlisle for £50,000 and became the 4th player appearing in Div 4 in 1971/72 who went on play for England. Spud, Terry McDermott and Phil Neal were the other 3.

Crewe finished bottom 8 points behind Barrow who were the club to make way for Hereford. They eventually finished outside of the bottom 4 and having to apply for re-election in 1974/75.

Next game up was another away fixture - at Newport County where we rarely did well.

It does make you wonder what happened to our crowds, in the 50's and 60's we use to have regular crowds of up to 15k.

 

[Stuart W]

It does make you wonder what happened to our crowds, in the 50's and 60's we use to have regular crowds of up to 15k.

You do realise that this Crewe game was away at Gresty Road?

 

[Stuart W]

Ozzie, do you remember an incident in the Crewe game involving a certain paint-spray and the Crewe dressing rooms?

 

[Zeuss]

Saturday January 15, 1972 - Division 4
Crewe Alexandra (0) 1 (East 90+1')
Southend Utd (1) 2 (Taylor 26', Johnson 87')
Venue: Gresty Road, Crewe. KO: 3.00
Attendance: 1,577

Crewe Alexandra: E Adams, T Lowry, P Leigh, R Gater, D Rosser, H Riley, A Tewley, N Turner, K East, A Bradshaw, R Bird.
Southend Utd: J Roberts, R Ternent, A Smith, D Barnett, B Albeson, J Jacques, T Johnson, B Best, G Moore, D Elliott, P Taylor. Sub: G Duck.

Match Report
If United had lost this one at Gresty Road on Saturday they should have been hung, drawn and quartered! And I would suggest the same punishment for any team that lose there, writes Alf Smirk.

Crewe, without any doubt, were one of, if not the worst professional team I have ever seen. They had so little to offer that they are the only team I have heard booed on to the pitch before the game started and had to suffer this indignity most of the 90 minutes before being booed off at the finish.

United played it so cool and calm they always looked as though they could win and were content enough to be highly satisfied to do it by even the narrowest of margins.

The hypothetical petard upon which one is supposed to hoist himself was saved from manifestation only by a Terry Johnson goal three minutes from the end. It gave Blues a two-goals lead instead of one and Crewe hit back with a goal with practically the last kick of the game.

One feels depressed as soon as one leaves Crewe Station. The Gresty Road Ground does nothing to relieve the depression and the display of their team only confirmed it.

Without the services of the flu-bugged Bill Garner, manager Arthur Rowley introduced Dave Barnett in the middle line of a 4-3-3 formation to team up with Dave Elliott and Billy Best and switched Gary Moore into a striking role.

The fact that the means justified the end result Cannot be argued against. The final score line should never have been as close as it was.

Crewe were actually allowed to have more of the early play, but never looked like getting anywhere unless the United defenders had a rush of blood to the head. United, on the other hand, built up carefully if, at limes, somewhat laboriously, but always looked the more likely to score. This they did the first time they really had a go.

Alex Smith sent Elliott away on the wing in the 25th minute, and Elliott’s centre was headed against the bar by Moore. After a bit of a skirmish on the goal-line, Spud Taylor applied the finishing touch.

Crewe lived up to their reputation by squandering to fairly reasonable scoring chances before half-time, but United were never really put under any heavy pressure.

Elliott managed to get himself booked by Liverpool referee E.R. Garner shortly into the second half and must still be wondering why. He ran across a Crewe player to intercept and was then rightly penalised for obstruction. But if ever a free-kick was sufficient punishment, then this was one of those offences.

Only a few minutes earlier a Crewe player had hurled the ball at a linesman in disgust at a decision and got away with a lecture.

Best and Moore on two occasions livened up the United efforts and were quite near the target. Crewe’s only effort came from Alan Bradshaw and was capably dealt with by John Roberts.

The United clincher three minutes from the end came when Barnett back-headed a Taylor corner to the near post and Johnson had only to push the ball home.

The game had just gone its 90 minutes when Crewe spoiled United’s goal average. A short corner on the right was crossed by Peter Leigh and from a packed Blues’ goalmouth it as the foot of Keith
East which gave Crewe some slight consolation.

Two points were Invaluable to United and they came home happy, but Manager Rowley must have been anything but contented. When the build-ups came off Blues were working well, but far too many broke down in midfield when possession was lost at the crucial stage.

United’s successes were Ray Ternent; Best, in his new role in the middle who seemed to enjoy it; Elliott, who master-minded most of the system, and Moore, back up front who did a great stand-in job for Garner.

The game as a spectacle provided little entertainment for the 1,577 spectators. In sympathy with them I must admit I would much rather watch United every week than Crewe!

League Table
View attachment 18401

For the record Statto, my recording(reliable) states our unused sub for this match was Bernie Lewis,not George Duck.

 

[ozzie]

Ozzie, do you remember an incident in the Crewe game involving a certain paint-spray and the Crewe dressing rooms?

Sadly no,but i do forget most things now.What season was it?Been there quite a few times.
First time season 70/71,then this season 71/72.

 

[sufc_statto]

For the record Statto, my recording(reliable) states our unused sub for this match was Bernie Lewis,not George Duck.

Hi there Zeuss,

I took the line-up details from the Southend Standard and Evening Echo reports of the game. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that they were correct!

Southend Standard

Evening Echo

 

[Stuart W]

Sadly no,but i do forget most things now.What season was it?Been there quite a few times.
First time season 70/71,then this season 71/72.

Definitely 1971/72. It was my first “longish distance” away game, having been to places like Colchester and Brentford, so it sticks in the memory better than most.
I was somewhat young and naive (I think around your age,16), and I recall a somewhat out of breath fan (who I always thought was you), asking if one of his fellow Blues fans would kindly “look after” a paint-spray can for him. Without bothering to ask the most obvious of questions, I naively took the can off his/your hands.
It transpired that he/you had managed to get into the home team’s dressing rooms and had sprayed “Ozzie Rules ok” before a steward had got wind of it.
And unfortunately that is the end of the story as far as I can remember.
He/you weren’t caught, no-one blagged me in, but as to the whereabouts of the spray can, goodness only knows.
Happy days……..
oh, and apologies if it wasn’t you (I think there was more than one Ozzie at that time).

 

[Mick]

Hi there Zeuss,

I took the line-up details from the Southend Standard and Evening Echo reports of the game. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that they were correct!

Southend Standard
View attachment 18427
Evening Echo
View attachment 18428

Bernie Lewis came on as sub in both the game before the Crewe match and the game after the Crewe match (for Garner and Taylor respectively).

George Duck's last match for the club was nearly 3 months earlier.

I know where the balance of probability lies.

(Just possible that as Garner was unfit for the Crewe game having been replaced in the previous match and they wanted a more central player on the bench.)

 

[sufc_statto]

Bernie Lewis came on as sub in both the game before the Crewe match and the game after the Crewe match (for Garner and Taylor respectively).

George Duck's last match for the club was nearly 3 months earlier.

I know where the balance of probability lies.

(Just possible that as Garner was unfit for the Crewe game having been replaced in the previous match and they wanted a more central player on the bench.)

It may be that Lewis went down with the flu before the Crewe game. The match preview for the Crewe game in the Evening Echo suggested that Lewis was likely to start against Crewe, with Duck or Barnett as sub.

 

[mfurok]

Bernie Lewis came on as sub in both the game before the Crewe match and the game after the Crewe match (for Garner and Taylor respectively).

George Duck's last match for the club was nearly 3 months earlier.

I know where the balance of probability lies.

(Just possible that as Garner was unfit for the Crewe game having been replaced in the previous match and they wanted a more central player on the bench.)

Sadly the Rothmans for 1971/72 only records used substitutes.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Definitely 1971/72. It was my first “longish distance” away game, having been to places like Colchester and Brentford, so it sticks in the memory better than most.
I was somewhat young and naive (I think around your age,16), and I recall a somewhat out of breath fan (who I always thought was you), asking if one of his fellow Blues fans would kindly “look after” a paint-spray can for him. Without bothering to ask the most obvious of questions, I naively took the can off his/your hands.
It transpired that he/you had managed to get into the home team’s dressing rooms and had sprayed “Ozzie Rules ok” before a steward had got wind of it.
And unfortunately that is the end of the story as far as I can remember.
He/you weren’t caught, no-one blagged me in, but as to the whereabouts of the spray can, goodness only knows.
Happy days……..

Hi Stuart, Even back in previous seasons there was certain members of "The Pak" who as far as I can remember often had a spray can with them and for all those misty eyed fans who are old enough to remember that long ago the words "The Pak" were sprayed in and around Southend (including the Courthouse) and you would also see it when you travelled to London by train certainly just outside Fenchurch Street Station. Obviously that person shall remain nameless on here, just in case he sees my post and decides to sue me.

 

[sufc_statto]

It may be that Lewis went down with the flu before the Crewe game. The match preview for the Crewe game in the Evening Echo suggested that Lewis was likely to start against Crewe, with Duck or Barnett as sub.

The Crewe Chronicle also reckons it was Duck as sub...

 

[LCBB72]

Hi Stuart, Even back in previous seasons there was certain members of "The Pak" who as far as I can remember often had a spray can with them and for all those misty eyed fans who are old enough to remember that long ago the words "The Pak" were sprayed in and around Southend (including the Courthouse) and you would also see it when you travelled to London by train certainly just outside Fenchurch Street Station. Obviously that person shall remain nameless on here, just in case he sees my post and decides to sue me.

I remember watching a police fiction programe on tv 'something like Softly Softly , Gentle Touch' about 73/74 , it was filmed at a football ground . Watching it you could see it was Watfords ground , a scene was filmed at the car park at the Vicerige Road End . Sprayed up on the walls and turnstyles was in big letters SUFC , LCBB and COM . This was sprayed up in Oct 72 when Southend played up there .

 

[Stuart W]

I remember watching a police fiction programe on tv 'something like Softly Softly , Gentle Touch' about 73/74 , it was filmed at a football ground . Watching it you could see it was Watfords ground , a scene was filmed at the car park at the Vicerige Road End . Sprayed up on the walls and turnstyles was in big letters SUFC , LCBB and COM . This was sprayed up in Oct 72 when Southend played up there .

I think it was a big thing everywhere back in the 70’s.
Today we have to make do with Banksy.

 

[LCBB72]

I think it was a big thing everywhere back in the 70’s.
Today we have to make do with Banksy.

One of the guys who did a lot of the spraying went on to be a very successful signwriter .

 

[blues exile]

One of the guys who did a lot of the spaying went on to be a very successful signwriter .

And a Veterinary surgeon

 

[Cricko]

One of the guys who did a lot of the spaying went on to be a very successful signwriter .

SS?

 

[LCBB72]

SS?

Thats the chappie .

 

[ozzie]

strangely enough,today 21.01.78(or9)..was the last time i went to Crewe. Five of us in a MINI...
We parked up near the ground and went to a pub on the corner.
One of us said to the barman" not many fans here today"...he replied.." no there wont be,the games been called off"...
So straight back to the mini,newspaper out and decided to go and see a game in Birmingham.
Half way between Crewe and Brum the bloody car broke down on the motorway.
So we got back to Southend very late,no game and stone cold sober!!! Not a good day