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]

Agree, at least with that forward line and supported on the flanks by Bernie, Spud and TJ. And certainly at the back we had real steel, and some hard-working craft in the middle with Dennis and Dave

But arguably they could have been even better. Arfur and his sidekick had had great playing careers, but every player I've now spoken to from that time says how poor they were as coaches and almost non-existent as man-managers. With a little more effort from them then maybe we could have really achieved ...... who knows.

Former Scottish International goalkeeper Lawrie Leslie was first team Trainer/Coach and John Lattimer was Physiopherapist/Coach.

I don’t think coaching badges existed those days.

 

[ozzie]

I had some writting books borrowed from school.
So what i did those days being an up and coming North banker/Pak member(i was 15),was write in it about our "oppos" ends.
I was always interested in the lower(our league) "ENDS"....everybody knew "the Kop",Shed,North bank etc,but not many knew the "Cowshed" Exeter,Pontoon end,Grimsby etc.
So every away game i went to,i tried to find out the name of every teams "END",how many lads they had,atmosphere etc.Which i wrote down in my grey/light blue book.
Anyway,coming to half time i left my seat and went down next to the Hpool home end of the paddock.
There was a gaggle of Pool fans,about 6-8 fans three were about 16,then going down to about 12-13.They sussed out i was from Southend and started giving me stick.
Cockney this and that, the usual kids verbal diarrhoea..Im from "Sarfend" pal,i would have you..you and whos army etc.
I was feeling rather "tuff" and confident because there was a wall with a fence on top(like between the North bank/West stand Roots Hall) between us and two policemen down on the touchline.
This went on for about two minutes,the first half had just ended and i saw the first policeman walk away.
Just as i was going to walk away looking hard and cool,the policeman walked back and shouted something like "tea up Fred",so the second officer left.
I looked at the Pool fans,they looked at me with big smiles as they ran down the terracing,seeing me run off under the tunnel and into the toilets to hide.For some unknown reason,i even pulled my feet up so nobody could see my shoes.There i stayed until the second half started and crept slowly back to my seat.
Come the end of the game,Brother Grimm coach parked up outside the main stand and as i waited in the queue to get onto the coach a 18-19 year old man!! punched me on the chin.Did not hurt,but he must have had a long finger nail coz it dug/cut into my chin.
So even today when i shave i see a minute scar on my chin and i still smile about my adventure at the MONKEY HANGERS.
I never found out the name Hpools "END"

 

[LCBB72]

Agree, at least with that forward line and supported on the flanks by Bernie, Spud and TJ. And certainly at the back we had real steel, and some hard-working craft in the middle with Dennis and Dave

But arguably they could have been even better. Arfur and his sidekick had had great playing careers, but every player I've now spoken to from that time says how poor they were as coaches and almost non-existent as man-managers. With a little more effort from them then maybe we could have really achieved ...... who knows.

Yes I have always thought that if we could of stepped up to the 2nd Div who knows what would of happend .

I had some writting books borrowed from school.
So what i did those days being an up and coming North banker/Pak member(i was 15),was write in it about our "oppos" ends.
I was always interested in the lower(our league) "ENDS"....everybody knew "the Kop",Shed,North bank etc,but not many knew the "Cowshed" Exeter,Pontoon end,Grimsby etc.
So every away game i went to,i tried to find out the name of every teams "END",how many lads they had,atmosphere etc.Which i wrote down in my grey/light blue book.
Anyway,coming to half time i left my seat and went down next to the Hpool home end of the paddock.
There was a gaggle of Pool fans,about 6-8 fans three were about 16,then going down to about 12-13.They sussed out i was from Southend and started giving me stick.
****ney this and that, the usual kids verbal diarrhoea..Im from "Sarfend" pal,i would have you..you and whos army etc.
I was feeling rather "tuff" and confident because there was a wall with a fence on top(like between the North bank/West stand Roots Hall) between us and two policemen down on the touchline.
This went on for about two minutes,the first half had just ended and i saw the first policeman walk away.
Just as i was going to walk away looking hard and cool,the policeman walked back and shouted something like "tea up Fred",so the second officer left.
I looked at the Pool fans,they looked at me with big smiles as they ran down the terracing,seeing me run off under the tunnel and into the toilets to hide.For some unknown reason,i even pulled my feet up so nobody could see my shoes.There i stayed until the second half started and crept slowly back to my seat.
Come the end of the game,Brother Grimm coach parked up outside the main stand and as i waited in the queue to get onto the coach a 18-19 year old man!! punched me on the chin.Did not hurt,but he must have had a long finger nail coz it dug/cut into my chin.
So even today when i shave i see a minute scar on my chin and i still smile about my adventure at the MONKEY HANGERS.
I never found out the name Hpools "END"

Great little story .

 

[sufc_statto]

Monday August 30, 1971 - Division 4
Southend Utd (1) 2 (Garner 36', 63')
Scunthorpe Utd (2) 3 (Davidson 29', 55', Fletcher 43')
Venue: Roots Hall KO: 7.30
Attendance: 6,704

Southend Utd: J Roberts, K Lindsey, A Smith, D Elliott, B Albeson, J Jacques, T Johnson, B Best, B Garner, G Moore (P Taylor), R Ternent.
Scunthorpe Utd: G Barnard, G Foxton, J Barker, N Jackson, S Deere, D Welbourne, C McDonald, A Davidson, R Fletcher, T Heath, H Kirk.

Match Report
Once they stop gifting goals to the opposition, United could do well in this Fourth Division. In fact, in any division! But with occasional exceptions it has now become their habit to present scoring chances on a plate then have to fight like mad to overcome their own mistakes. And, as in this game at Roots Hall on Monday, it very often proves to be too much of a handicap to overcome, writes ALF SMIRK.

All three Scunthorpe goals could be faulted for defensive errors - one being no less than sheer lunacy or a rush of blood to the head. And you can’t give teams like Scunthorpe - winning their third successive game even one goal start, never mind three!

But they always looked more dangerous than United when coming out of defence. Their build-ups were crisper and more positive and they found their men much better with the final pass. They also had much more authority in midfield.

Yet despite all this, it was United’s own failings which got them into trouble.

At least twice already this season Blues have been caught out with the move which led to Scunthorpe going ahead in the 29th minute. Colin McDonald evaded two tackles in a run down the right wing as Leicester referee Mr. P G Reeves for once applied the advantage rule and let him go on as he managed to retain possession.

But with all the time in the world to regroup and cover in the middle, Angus Davidson had no opposition as he turned McDonald’s centre past Roberts.

United were level seven minutes later. A Dave Elliott shot was going well wide of the posts but the ball was slowed down by the turf saturated with torrential rain and Bill Garner ran in from the left to slot his shot wide of Geoff Barnard.

It took only another seven minutes for United to do their best to give the game away. A. long ball down the middle should have presented no danger at all. Alex Smith had a good two yards start of the chasing Rod Fletcher and John Roberts had the penalty area to himself.

But the Wall Street crash had nothing on the final outcome! Roberts advanced to the edge of the area as ball, Smith and Fletcher bore down on him. Then calamity, calamity as Smith finally got a foot to the ball only to touch it past Roberts and leave the still galloping Fletcher to race past both of them and slide his angled shot into the net off the foot of the post.

Terry Johnson, always willing to have a go, pulled a shot wide just before the interval.

United got themselves further into the mire 10 minutes after half-time with a carbon copy of the error which led to Scunthorpe’s first goal, except that it came from the other wing. Fletcher rounded a defender way out on the line and again Davidson had all the time and space in the world to nudge the centre into the net.

Blues got back into the game with a super goal in the 63rd minute. Johnson grafted well on the right past a couple of defenders and Garner dived to power his header from the cross past Barnard.

And with Spud Taylor coming on for Gary Moore, United finally got to grips with themselves. They pressed and they pressed and forced five corners in as many minutes.

The still-fresh TayIor led most assaults and was unfortunate to see one of his piledrivers flash narrowly wide of the far post. Johnson, too, was only inches side with an overhead effort and Billy Best was brought down on the edge of the box as he was dashing through the middle.

But there was to be no equaliser this time and United have nobody but themselves to blame for the defeat. I’m sure the 6,704 fans thought exactly the same.

League Table

 

[LBBlue]

Just like today we had a fixture on Bank Holiday Monday, however 50 years ago we played all our midweek fixtures on a Monday evening. I dont think that anyone had heard of players needing recovery time and squad rotation -our squad of 12 senior players and 4 teenagers didn't really allow that. We fielded the same starting 11.

Anyway I'm guessing the team would have got back from Hartlepool at about midnight on Saturday and here they were lining up gain at 7.30 on Monday evening against Scunthorpe. Even all those years ago our record against Scunthorpe was pretty crap. Played 10, won 1, drawn 2, lost 7, GF 7 GA18. And Id always thought that Watford was our bogey side. 50 years on and Scunthorpe still have the upper hand.


The previous season Peterborough, Scunthorpe, Southend and Grimbsy had finished 16,17,18 and 19 in the table all with 43 points. you wouldn't have known then that 3 of those sides would finish in the top 4 and get promoted and we had already lost to Peterborough.

So a game we would have expected to win. But it's Scunthorpe -so we lost 3-2 in front of a crowd of 6,704. By the end of February Scunthorpe were top of the table having lost only 4 of 29 games - so losing to them, even though I didnt know it at the time, was not perhaps so bad.

Bill Garner scored our 2 goals to get him up and running. We didn't know that they would be the first 2 of 25!

Scunthorpe's goalkeeper was Geoff Barnard - I'm sure my dad used to tell me that Geoff used to play for Aviation Traders (where my dad worked) in the S and D or Borough Combination before he became a pro player. Does this ring true?



Arthur Rowley must have now been starting to feel the pressure and wrote in the next programme-

" Monday's defeat here by Scunthorpe was , to say the least, disappointing - and that is putting it mildly! They had a reasonably good side and won their last two games, but they were not that good that we should have let them get away with 2 points. We made too many elementary mistakes and had to pay the penalty. It was too late to rescue the situation when we really got cracking in the last 20 minutes"

Next up were newly relegated Bury in one of only 2 scheduled Saturday home fixtures.

 

[LCBB72]

Remember that game , it was a Bank Holiday Monday and a 7.30 kick off . It was our first of three defeats all season at Roots Hall , the team was starting to play like a team who might do something this season . Coming up on Saturday was Bury and the chance to see exEngland World Cup sqaud player John Connelly .

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Thought this pic was best for this thread rather than yesterdays match report thread. George Duck is in the centre, flanked by two other former Stones players including 83 year old Hugh who helped Wealdstone win the 1966 Amateur cup final. George went on to win at Wembley too, in the 1980 FA Trophy final for Daggers, scoring one of the goals.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Scunthorpe's goalkeeper was Geoff Barnard - I'm sure my dad used to tell me that Geoff used to play for Aviation Traders (where my dad worked) in the S and D or Borough Combination before he became a pro player. Does this ring true?

Almost certainly true as Wiki has Geoff Barnard birthplace as Southend on 23rd march 1946.
Still alive as he done a short interview for Scunny last year. No mention of being from Southend though! https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2020/may/team-mates-geoff-barnard/

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Almost certainly true as Wiki has Geoff Barnard birthplace as Southend on 23rd march 1946.
Still alive as he done a short interview for Scunny last year. No mention of being from Southend though! https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2020/may/team-mates-geoff-barnard/

Geoff Barnard played a few times for Southend United Reserves in the 1962-63 season.(??) His nephew lives locally and a few years ago I sent him copies of the reserve match programmes that his uncle had played in.. Geoff was a brilliant goalkeeper for Scunthorpe United back in the day and always played very well against us back in the late 1960's and early 1970's on more than one occasion.

 

[LCBB72]

Geoff Barnard played a few times for Southend United Reserves in the 1962-63 season.(??) His nephew lives locally and a few years ago I sent him copies of the reserve match programmes that his uncle had played in.. Geoff was a brilliant goalkeeper for Scunthorpe United back in the day and always played very well against us back in the late 1960's and early 1970's on more than one occasion.

Isnt he in one of the team photos , I am sure I have seen a Barnard somewhere along the line .

 

[blues exile]

A Chris Barnard made a few appearances in the mid 60s if I remember correctly., think he was what used to be called an inside forward

 

[mfurok]

A Chris Barnard made a few appearances in the mid 60s if I remember correctly., think he was what used to be called an inside forward

You’re right but he played as a number nine in those days.

 

[westie]

Thought this pic was best for this thread rather than yesterdays match report thread. George Duck is in the centre, flanked by two other former Stones players including 83 year old Hugh who helped Wealdstone win the 1966 Amateur cup final. George went on to win at Wembley too, in the 1980 FA Trophy final for Daggers, scoring one of the goals.


View attachment 16571

I remember watching Hugh Lindsay (then of KIngstonian) at Roots Hall on a Saturday evening in 1960, playing for England v Scotland in an Amateur International.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

A Chris Barnard made a few appearances in the mid 60s if I remember correctly., think he was what used to be called an inside forward

Chris Barnard was an apprentice at Roots Hall before signing as a professional in Aug. 65.
Chris made his first appearance for us as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic in Sept. when he replaced Andy Smillie and was our second ever used substitute after Bobby Gilfillan. He was also used as a substitute replacing Ray Smith in our only away win that season at Bootham Crescent against York City when we won 3-0. Chris then made his full league debut away at Peterborough United in Oct. 65 when we were thrashed by 4-0. In total Chris Barnard played in just 4 league games + another 4 as a substitute without scoring. He had better luck in the league cup scoring 3 times in just 3 matches all his goals were against Newport County scoring 2 at Somerton Park (2-2) and once at Roots Hall in the replay (3-1). Chris Barnard left us in the summer of 1966 when he joined Ipswich Town playing 20+ league matches, 4 years later he signed for Torquay United playing 30+ games scoring just 2 league goals. He then joined Charlton Athletic in January 1972 making just 1 substitute appearance.
P.S. Chris Barnard also played in the famous match at the Goldstone Ground when we were beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion 9-1 our record league defeat.

 

[Mick]

Chris Barnard was an apprentice at Roots Hall before signing as a professional in Aug. 65.
Chris made his first appearance for us as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic in Sept. when he replaced Andy Smillie and was our second ever used substitute after Bobby Gilfillan. He was also used as a substitute replacing Ray Smith in our only away win that season at Bootham Crescent against York City when we won 3-0. Chris then made his full league debut away at Peterborough United in Oct. 65 when we were thrashed by 4-0. In total Chris Barnard played in just 4 league games + another 4 as a substitute without scoring. He had better luck in the league cup scoring 3 times in just 3 matches all his goals were against Newport County scoring 2 at Somerton Park (2-2) and once at Roots Hall in the replay (3-1). Chris Barnard left us in the summer of 1966 when he joined Ipswich Town playing 20+ league matches, 4 years later he signed for Torquay United playing 30+ games scoring just 2 league goals. He then joined Charlton Athletic in January 1972 making just 1 substitute appearance.
P.S. Chris Barnard also played in the famous match at the Goldstone Ground when we were beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion 9-1 our record league defeat.

He was Welsh and was selected for a Wales U23 squad for a match that was postponed. Ipswich got a fee of £8,000 for him. He brought the curtain down on his career at Chelmsford City and played alongside Billy Kellock in their big FA Cup match with Charlton.

Thanks for reminding me about that Brighton match, one of my early away days !

 

[Billericay Dickie]

I remember watching Hugh Lindsay (then of KIngstonian) at Roots Hall on a Saturday evening in 1960, playing for England v Scotland in an Amateur International.

I don't believe I went to this match as I was only four years old. However, I do remember my dad taking me to the England v Scotland game at The Hall on 23 March 1966. Interestingly, Hugh Lindsay was again in the England line-up, scoring one of two very late England goals to snatch a 3-3 draw. The attendance was 4,926.

 

[LBBlue]

So after Monday evening’s disappointing defeat against Scunthorpe we had another home game on 4th September against Bury who had been relegated from Division 3. This was a vary rare Saturday afternoon home fixture which drew the lowest home crowd of the season - just 5,222 after just one win in 6 games.

We had to make one change with Peter Taylor coming in for Gary Moore who had gone off on Monday.

Bury had a number of well known players - not least John Connelly who had been a member of the 1966 World Cup squad and had played hundreds of games in the First Divsion, Jimmy Robson who had won the League Championship with Burnley and scored in the 1962 Cup Final, a high scoring centre forward in George Jones, a young Terry McDermott who went on to bigger things with Newcastle, Liverpool and England and Tommy White the brother of Spurs and Scotland star John White who was sadly killed by a lightening strike.

According to Wiki - Connelly scored 200 goals in 622 club games - good going for a winger

The game was as disappointing as the crowd - an anticlimatic 0-0 draw which was as boring and forgettable as the score line suggests. We were stuttering along.

This game was Keith Lindsey’s last game for the club moving to Division 3 Port Vale in December.

Arthur Rowley made a subtle change to the formation in the next game.

 

[LCBB72]

So after Monday evening’s disappointing defeat against Scunthorpe we had another home game on 4th September against Bury who had been relegated from Division 3. This was a vary rare Saturday afternoon home fixture which drew the lowest home crowd of the season - just 5,222 after just one win in 6 games.

We had to make one change with Peter Taylor coming in for Gary Moore who had gone off on Monday.

Bury had a number of well known players - not least John Connelly who had been a member of the 1966 World Cup squad and had played hundreds of games in the First Divsion, Jimmy Robson who had won the League Championship with Burnley and scored in the 1962 Cup Final, a high scoring centre forward in George Jones, a young Terry McDermott who went on to bigger things with Newcastle, Liverpool and England and Tommy White the brother of Spurs and Scotland star John White who was sadly killed by a lightening strike.

According to Wiki - Connelly scored 200 goals in 622 club games - good going for a winger

The game was as disappointing as the crowd - an anticlimatic 0-0 draw which was as boring and forgettable as the score line suggests. We were stuttering along.

This game was Keith Lindsey’s last game for the club moving to Division 3 Port Vale in December.

Arthur Rowley made a subtle change to the formation in the next game.

I remember a lot of my friends and I were optimistic that we would do well that season .

 

[sufc_statto]

Saturday September 04, 1971 - Division 4
Southend Utd (0) 0
Bury (0) 0
Venue: Roots Hall KO: 3.00
Attendance: 5,125

Southend Utd: J Roberts, K Lindsey, A Smith, D Elliott, B Albeson, J Jacques, T Johnson, B Best, B Garner, R Ternent, P Taylor. Sub: G Duck
Bury: K Hancock, K Eccleshare, H Tinney, J Robson, D Lyon, D Holt, T McDermott, B Rudd, G Jones, T White, J Connelly.

Match Report
To say United are becoming too bad to be true might be stretching a point. Certainly their results give that impression as the loss of yet another home point at Roots Hall on Saturday proves only too well. Perhaps it would be kinder to say that if results in the immediate future do not get any worse, then there is still hope, however faint it might appear, writes ALF SMIRK.

Yet Saturday’s performance was difficult to comprehend and even more difficult to evaluate in terms of future prospects. They never did a lot that was really wrong but, on the other hand, neither did they do sufficient that was really right.

There was little about which to complain at the back; a fact justified by the clean score-sheet. Twice in the first half the Bury forwards broke clear but goalkeeper John Roberts played his part with two superb saves.

United, playing more from the platform of a fluId 4-2-4 rather than a compact 4.3-3, created many more chances than the visitors but once again lacked fIre-power and crunch In the box.

Bill Garner, Dave Elliott and Billy Best all had semblances of efforts in the first 45 minutes without having nuch power behind them. The one really powerful shot was from Spud Taylor on the edge of the penalty area which Ken Hancock tipped over the bar.

Blues actually had much more of the build-up alter the interval, looking much the stronger as they were reinforced from the back. Brian Albeson was close with a header from a Keith Lindsey free-kick, the ball grazing the top of the cross-bar after beating Hancock.

United’s possession in midfield was due to the graft of Elliott and Ray Ternent but, despite the running of Terry Johnson and Taylor on the flanks, United were again at sixes and sevens once they saw the white of the opposition’s goalposts.

Their own troubles were caused chiefly by final passes going astray and Bury had just the players to take advantage of this in Tom White and ex-England winger John Connelly. White as by far the more dangerous of the two with his ability to find space for himself with his distribution.

Never a classic or ever looking likely to be from the very beginning, the game deteriorated once Norwich referee Reg Robinson decided to lay down the law according to recent directives. Three bookings and far too much whistling for petty offences led to more stop-go than an Arterial Road traffic jam at Bank Holiday.

Neither Lindsey nor Garner appeared too surprised when they went on to the crime-sheet but Bury’s David Holt was probably justifiably amazed when called to attention to give his name, rank and number.

None of which gave hope, for anything better before the final whistle. In fact, the further the game progressed, the more it died as entertainment. There were those brief flashes in the closing stages which served to quieten the slow-handclap from quite a large section of the 5,125 spectators.

League Table

 

[LBBlue]

I remember a lot of my friends and I were optimistic that we would do well that season .

I think we all were - we’d finished the previous season really well, had beaten 2 division Millwall in a pre season friendly 4-1 and had a settled side. Seems bizarre now we had a squad of only 16 players including 4 teenagers and only one goalkeeper.