Battle Of The SUFC Legends - Quarter Finals - Kevin Maher vs Spencer Prior

[manor15]

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

Kevin Maher (Supported by the great manor15 King Kev won group A with 75 votes before beating Ron Pountney 35-32. After beginning his career with Tottenham Hotspur, Maher moved to Southend United on a free transfer on 23 January 1998. He quickly broke into the first team, making 18 appearances for the first-team that season. During the 1998–99 season, Maher scored his first career goal in a 1–1 draw with Rochdale. Over the next 10 years Maher was a virtual ever-present for Southend, rising to be team captain and subsequently club captain. During this time he made more than 400 appearances for the club, and captained Southend to promotion twice, from League Two to the Championship, in successive seasons including a fine display in the League 2 play-off final. Maher also captained his side to a famous victory over Manchester United in arguably the clubs most successful spell from when he lead the Blues out at the first ever cup final until the famous victory over Manchester United. In the 07-08 season he had to look elsewhere for first tem football and joined Oldham. The fans favourite scored 22 goals for the Shrimpers in over 400 appearances.)

Spencer Prior (Drastic Sturgeon helped Spinner to secure 40 votes as runner up of Goup G, then beating Paul Clark 18-12. The 6"3' centre back joined the Blues professionally at the age of 18 in 1989 and went on to make 135 appearances for The Blues in his first spell at the club winning promotion to the second division in his debut season as he scored 3 goals in his first 4 years at the club. He was sold to Norwich for £300,000 but returned home in 2004 and was part of the double promotion winning team as he made 75 appearances, scoring 2 goals before retiring in 2007 and now works as a coach and pundit in Australia.)

 

[Uncle Leo]

Spinner = four promotions
Maher = two promotions

So Spinner wins.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Spinner = four promotions
Maher = two promotions

So Spinner wins.

And, out of interest, which way did you vote yesterday on Stan/Freddy, James?

 

[Uncle Leo]

And, out of interest, which way did you vote yesterday on Stan/Freddy, James?

I didn't - only saw the thread just now, by which time it was closed. So I get away with not answering that tricky little question :)

 

[OldBlueLady]

I didn't - only saw the thread just now, by which time it was closed. So I get away with not answering that tricky little question :)

Hmmmmm.......lucky for you then I guess. I don't know which way to vote on this one I have to be honest. Kev fought a real battle with negativity from the fans to become a huge favourite and was an exemplary captain. Both of them in fact, beat people I would rather have seen progress in this competition. I remain to be swayed!

 

[Uncle Leo]

Hmmmmm.......lucky for you then I guess. I don't know which way to vote on this one I have to be honest. Kev fought a real battle with negativity from the fans to become a huge favourite and was an exemplary captain. Both of them in fact, beat people I would rather have seen progress in this competition. I remain to be swayed!

No-one ever said this was going to be easy! On reflection, I probably would have picked Eastwood as I actually got to see him play (lived overseas during the Collymore era) but I can't argue much with anyone who picked Collymore.

I feel a bit more strongly about this one though, given that Prior, although he spent less time at the club, helped us achieve more and doesn't have the baggage of five rather indifferent years behind him.

 

[Magnum PI]

I never really liked Maher as a person.. good player but not a legend for me

 

[number11]

Have to go for Prior on this one. Such an assured defender, he perhaps was underappreciated until both times he left and it was a struggle to replace him.

For a local lad, what a career....break into local team as a teenager, (Break leg / recover) achieve back to back promotions and the teams highest ever league finish, go on to the premiership, play in Europe, fetch a few million in transfer fees, then before retiring return to ailing local club and gain two further promotions to restore them to where they were when you first left, with one last hurrah against the best team in the world! (OK he couldn't do much once we were in the Championship but he wouldnt have envisaged playing at that level two years after stepping down from it!).

Both Maher and Prior had equal role in our promotions in the noughties, but Piors first spell easily eclipses Maher first half of his career with us...

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

It is a tough call, Kev is a true legend in my eyes but I would still be voting for Spinner even if he wasn't my nomination.

Southend born and bred, Spinner was part of the side that won two consecutive promotion to the old second division, his class shone through and he made his move away from the Hall to the newly formed Premier League, after many notable acheivements he returned to his hometown club and again helped them to two consecutive promotions and a famous win over Manchester United, where Wayne Rooney went missing, presumed trapped in Spinner's pocket.

Vote Spinner.

 

[Napster]

Spinner all the way. Decent musical taste as well.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Spinner for me, always liked Maher for the way he overcame his many detractors.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Maher didn't say he loved the club then make a big deal about some money on the front page of the echo so Maher for me!

 

[manor15]

King Kev.
There's 1 vote in it.
Captain for a double promotion he stuck with the Blues through thick and thin, producing some fantastic performances. Never pulled out of a tackle, always gave his all and put his body on the line for the club. Always stops for a chat with a Southend fan and 1 of the nicest blokes to have played for the Shrimpers. 10 years of service, 5 as captain of one of the true great Southend United sides. While Spinner twiddled his thumbs on the bench for some of the latter part of 2006/07 King Kev was securing the Player of the Year award, as he consistently finished in the top 3 for the award. A Southend legend if ever there was 1.

1 vote can make the difference, make it yours. Vote King Kev.

 

[Ron Manager]

Two times in our history we've gone from the 4th tier of English League Football to the 2nd in successive seasons. Both times Spencer Prior was in the team.

 

[BluePartridge]

Both are on 42 now. But what is the question?

 

[manor15]

Was always going to be tight, I didn't think it would be this tight though! Well done Drastic Sturgeon for his support of Spinner, I think Spinner might fare better against Stan in the semi's than Kev will but may the best man win.

 

[sufccolchester]

Drat! Missed this poll by 2 minutes. Was going to vote for Spinner; that would have made it a dead heat. :madman:

 

[sammyboy]

That was a bit tight...



Thats what she said! :stupidme:

 

[* ORM *]

Drat! Missed this poll by 2 minutes. Was going to vote for Spinner; that would have made it a dead heat. :madman:

Ah but so did I and I think we know where my vote will go.

This keeps popping up in various forms but how anyone can consider Colly as a LEGEND mystifies me

 

[Rob Noxious]

The 6"3' centre back joined the Blues professionally at the age of 18 in 1989 and went on to make 135 appearances for The Blues in his first spell at the club winning promotion to the second division in his debut season as he scored 3 goals in his first 4 years at the club.)

Sorry, but just need to check this out...I'm sure Spinner scored the goal against Chester at the end of the '88-'89 season which many of us had thought kept us up. If this was the case, then this was his debut season. Sorry to be a pedant, but it's a bit disconcerting when memory about crucial matters may not be working properly anymore! :unsure: