Battle Of The SUFC Legends - Quarter Finals - Billy Best vs Steve Tilson

[manor15]

Vote for who you want to win in the next 24 hours.

Billy Best (Canveyshrimper helped the lethal goalscorer to win Group I with 54 votes and followed it up by beating Roy McDonough 29-5. Glaswegian Billy Best joined the Shrimpers from Northampton Town in 1968; one of Ernie Shepherd's inspired buys. Voted player of the season twice in his 5 seasons at Roots Hall, Billy was a prolific goalscorer. He hit seven hat-tricks, including 3 goals in a five minute spell against Peterborough when he scored 4 in the game. He scored 5 goals against Brentwood in the cup in 1969. All in all, he scored 123 goals in 247 appearances before returning to Northampton in 1973. E for B and Billy Best.)

Steve Tilson (Shrimpled's man won group B with 98 votes before beating Peter Taylor 46-1. We all know what he's done as manager and that could win him this competition alone but he also spent 10 years as a Southend player from '88 to '98 making 239 appearances before returning in 2002 for 2 years as player coach to make 4 more appearances and scored a total 26 goals for the Shrimpers)

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

This is a tough call also.

Tilly is a true legend, but this a competition about players, his acheivements as a manager should be disregarded (if managers were allowed then Webby would be in the competition). This is meant to be about playing career only.

Tilly was a good winger and part of the team that got to the old second division, spent a long time her. I never saw Billy Best play, way before my time, but his goal scoring exploits are legendary.

I'm undecided as yet, any persuasion Best's way will be noted.

 

[Magnum PI]

Tilson puts the leg in leg-end

 

[leeblue]

never seeing billy play its hard to tell of course but after lengthy discussions with my dad(and a bit of persuading) it has to be one of the few men you could actually call MR southend united, tilly

 

[Sean 2]

never seeing billy play its hard to tell of course but after lengthy discussions with my dad(and a bit of persuading) it has to be one of the few men you could actually call MR southend united, tilly

Which for me, sums it up.

Manager or not, Tilly is instantly recognisable as SUFC. Purely as a player, someone in the street that you'd see and say to yourself "legend".

 

[canveyshrimper]

This is a tough call also.

Tilly is a true legend, but this a competition about players, his acheivements as a manager should be disregarded (if managers were allowed then Webby would be in the competition). This is meant to be about playing career only.

Tilly was a good winger and part of the team that got to the old second division, spent a long time her. I never saw Billy Best play, way before my time, but his goal scoring exploits are legendary.

I'm undecided as yet, any persuasion Best's way will be noted.

I'll buy you a pint.;)

 

[Tinks]

Sorry Harry :'( Only one I could possibly vote for here!

 

[OldBlueLady]

I'll buy you a pint.;)

Harry, while I think, and I know it's :offtopic: but I'm driving for the Trust Quiz, although you can still buy me a pint if you like!

 

[canveyshrimper]

I've not been online today, and therefore I am fairly pleased to get around 21% so far.

I've said it ad infinitum here Billy Best is my all time Blues favourite. His goal scoring exploits being second only to Roy Hollis. His record of a goal every other game stands him in good stead with our best ever strikers. His record of scoring 5 against Brentwood in 20 minutes is still clear in my mind. As is the record he holds with Gary Moore as the only strikers to each score hat tricks in consecutive FA Cup ties.

I think he is still held in great reverence by us misty eyed old sons of the 60's, and as Yorkshire Blue said in his excellent preamble for the Hall of Fame vote, when Billy Best was presented to the crowd as part of the centenary celebrations he got an absolutely fantastic reception. One of which bought a tear to my eye.

Judging this on playing ability Best IMO was a better player than Tilly, the trouble for my case is that they are stats in a record book, whereas many will have seen Tilly play, and despite this being about players will also be inclined to look to his managerial success. This post isn't knocking Tilly I loved him as an honest 100% player, but Billy Best was just the best.

Vote Billy Best, it isn't too late to overturn this result.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Agreed Harry, Tilly has the benefit of his recent achievements as well. For those of us who saw BB, I guess it's a bit like the comments about Stan.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Sorry Harry :'( Only one I could possibly vote for here!

Pah!! Tilly's peachy arse wins out again. :stunned: Surely being a lady of a certain age you can remember the monochrome days of the late 60's & 70's? ;)

 

[canveyshrimper]

Harry, while I think, and I know it's :offtopic: but I'm driving for the Trust Quiz, although you can still buy me a pint if you like!

Sounds like a plan, I think Rob will be in the Spread post match.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Sounds like a plan, I think Rob will be in the Spread post match.

Got to head down to the Shrimpers bar to help them set up but expect I can manage to meet my childhood (?!) mate in the Spread for a quick drink. Will have to move the car in any case.

 

[Rob Noxious]

Vote Billy Best, it isn't too late to overturn this result.

BB gets my vote though I love Tilly and saw his debut at bl**dy p*ss*n' down Mansfield (0-4) over 20 years ago! Think it was his first goal against Brentford at the Hall I also saw a few days after Hillsborough - a header - which got us a 1-1 draw, a month before the drop.

Sounds like a plan, I think Rob will be in the Spread post match.

Oh yes, indeedy! I'll be getting in extra anti-gout tablets in readiness! :)

 

[Rob Noxious]

Got to head down to the Shrimpers bar to help them set up but expect I can manage to meet my childhood (?!) mate in the Spread for a quick drink.

Also :offtopic:but as you recently reminded me (and as unlikely as it may seem) you are younger than me, so maybe it was just about your childhood...but at least you'll be able to get served in The Spread for that pint now! :)

 

[OldBlueLady]

Also :offtopic:but as you recently reminded me (and as unlikely as it may seem) you are younger than me, so maybe it was just about your childhood...but at least you'll be able to get served in The Spread for that pint now! :)

Unlikely?! You were a school year above me!

 

[Ron Manager]

Sadly I'm too young to have seen Billy Best in action, although I know people who did rave about him. Tilly however seems to have been almost ever present in my time as a Southend fan and been involved in our greatest successes in that time as player and manager. A true Southend legend and as I've said before could be our Dario Gradi and be with us for years and years to come.

 

[Skyblue]

Billy Best....best player I've seen in the blue shirt.