Weston's left foot
Youth Team⭐
Please can anyone upload it?
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Echo Mike Marsh Southport Article
- Thread starter Weston's left foot
- Start date
Supershrimper
First XI⭐
SOUTHEND United’s record signing Mike Marsh will have his sights switched back on Roots Hall this weekend.
Marsh impressed for the Shrimpers after signing from Galatasaray for £500,000 back in 1995.
But the 55-year-old also starred for his local club Southport towards the end of his playing career.
And tomorrow’s FA Trophy clash between his two former teams will be eagerly followed by his family.
“Southport is my local club, it’s about eight miles from where I live and my son goes to watch them all the time,” said Marsh.
“When the draw was made he started laughing and was calling it the Mike Marsh derby!
“I had a little chuckle but then he asked me if I fancied going and I told him I’d already done that drive far too many times.
“I’m not driving 258 miles for a game of football if I’m not playing in it but we’ll certainly be following it.”
Marsh’s own involvement in football started with Liverpool where he came through the ranks before making more than 100 first team appearances and winning the FA Cup back in 1992.
Spells at West Ham United and Galatasaray followed before the composed midfielder opted to sign for the Shrimpers.
And Marsh looks back on his time at Blues with great fondness.
“I loved every minute of it,” said Marsh.
“The back end of it turned a bit sour because I had to retire due to injury but when I was fit and healthy I loved it.
“I loved living down there and made some great friends too.
“It was a small football club compared to other clubs playing in the Championship at the time but it was a really nice place to be and play and I really enjoyed myself.”
Marsh went on to make 97 appearances for the Shrimpers.
And it was the chance to reunite with then Blues boss Ronnie Whelan which first persuaded Marsh to sign.
“Ronnie being the manager was the big draw for me,” said Marsh.
“I’d chopped and changed a couple of clubs in the space of 12 months and I was playing in Turkey at the time.
“I was offered the chance to come back and play in England with two or three clubs coming in I didn’t really fancy.
“But then I got a call from Ronnie and knowing him from Liverpool was the main reason behind it.”
Southend finished 14th in Marsh’s first season, above the likes of Norwich, Wolves, Watford and Luton.
However, the Shrimpers had been higher in the table before fading in the final few months of the campaign.
“The first season I was there we were competing towards the top end,” recalled Marsh.
“We were eighth or ninth and not too far off the play-offs but we tailed off because we didn’t really have a big enough squad or enough strength in depth to compete against the bigger clubs.
“I remember just loving the home games though and there was always a good atmosphere even if there weren’t that many fans at times.
“The ones that were there really got behind you and Roots Hall was a great place to play football.”
Despite that, the Shrimpers were relegated in Marsh’s second season and the midfielder then suffered another huge blow as a knee injury led to him having to retire.
“It was tough and I look back on it now and I think I was only 27 or 28 at the time,” said Marsh.
I picked an injury up and I actually felt it when I was walking on holiday.
“It gradually got worse and I left it as long as I could.
“I had an operation to see if it would cure it but it just gradually got worse.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow because I was a still a young man and it was shame.
“We suffered relegation too which was a killer but we’d lost a few players.
“Obviously I was injured, Chrissy Powell had left, Mark McNally went to Stoke and we couldn’t really compete with what we had left.”
After being forced to leave Blues, Marsh was still able to play non-league football and he had spells with both Barrow and Kidderminster, who he helped to win promotion, before joining Southport in 2000.
“I had a great time there too,” said Marsh.
“They were only part time which helped me with my knee and I was basically turning up for the games.
“But I had a really good time there and we had a really good side who competed towards the top end of the Conference.
“Like Southend, we didn’t really have the finances or the squad to compete unfortunately.
“We finished fourth I think but with a bit of investment we might have gone a bit further.”
Marsh also enjoyed a spell on the coaching spell at Southport before again working his way back to a high level of the game.
Marsh worked at Huddersfield Town, England under 17s, Swansea City and Preston North End.
But, after opting to leave North End last August, Marsh is now waiting for his next opportunity.
"I took over for a couple of games to help the chairman out at Preston but then left myself,” said Marsh.
“At the minute I’m not working but I’d like to get back in at some stage.
“If the right opportunity comes up I’d definitely look at it.
Marsh impressed for the Shrimpers after signing from Galatasaray for £500,000 back in 1995.
But the 55-year-old also starred for his local club Southport towards the end of his playing career.
And tomorrow’s FA Trophy clash between his two former teams will be eagerly followed by his family.
“Southport is my local club, it’s about eight miles from where I live and my son goes to watch them all the time,” said Marsh.
“When the draw was made he started laughing and was calling it the Mike Marsh derby!
“I had a little chuckle but then he asked me if I fancied going and I told him I’d already done that drive far too many times.
“I’m not driving 258 miles for a game of football if I’m not playing in it but we’ll certainly be following it.”
Marsh’s own involvement in football started with Liverpool where he came through the ranks before making more than 100 first team appearances and winning the FA Cup back in 1992.
Spells at West Ham United and Galatasaray followed before the composed midfielder opted to sign for the Shrimpers.
And Marsh looks back on his time at Blues with great fondness.
“I loved every minute of it,” said Marsh.
“The back end of it turned a bit sour because I had to retire due to injury but when I was fit and healthy I loved it.
“I loved living down there and made some great friends too.
“It was a small football club compared to other clubs playing in the Championship at the time but it was a really nice place to be and play and I really enjoyed myself.”
Marsh went on to make 97 appearances for the Shrimpers.
And it was the chance to reunite with then Blues boss Ronnie Whelan which first persuaded Marsh to sign.
“Ronnie being the manager was the big draw for me,” said Marsh.
“I’d chopped and changed a couple of clubs in the space of 12 months and I was playing in Turkey at the time.
“I was offered the chance to come back and play in England with two or three clubs coming in I didn’t really fancy.
“But then I got a call from Ronnie and knowing him from Liverpool was the main reason behind it.”
Southend finished 14th in Marsh’s first season, above the likes of Norwich, Wolves, Watford and Luton.
However, the Shrimpers had been higher in the table before fading in the final few months of the campaign.
“The first season I was there we were competing towards the top end,” recalled Marsh.
“We were eighth or ninth and not too far off the play-offs but we tailed off because we didn’t really have a big enough squad or enough strength in depth to compete against the bigger clubs.
“I remember just loving the home games though and there was always a good atmosphere even if there weren’t that many fans at times.
“The ones that were there really got behind you and Roots Hall was a great place to play football.”
Despite that, the Shrimpers were relegated in Marsh’s second season and the midfielder then suffered another huge blow as a knee injury led to him having to retire.
“It was tough and I look back on it now and I think I was only 27 or 28 at the time,” said Marsh.
I picked an injury up and I actually felt it when I was walking on holiday.
“It gradually got worse and I left it as long as I could.
“I had an operation to see if it would cure it but it just gradually got worse.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow because I was a still a young man and it was shame.
“We suffered relegation too which was a killer but we’d lost a few players.
“Obviously I was injured, Chrissy Powell had left, Mark McNally went to Stoke and we couldn’t really compete with what we had left.”
After being forced to leave Blues, Marsh was still able to play non-league football and he had spells with both Barrow and Kidderminster, who he helped to win promotion, before joining Southport in 2000.
“I had a great time there too,” said Marsh.
“They were only part time which helped me with my knee and I was basically turning up for the games.
“But I had a really good time there and we had a really good side who competed towards the top end of the Conference.
“Like Southend, we didn’t really have the finances or the squad to compete unfortunately.
“We finished fourth I think but with a bit of investment we might have gone a bit further.”
Marsh also enjoyed a spell on the coaching spell at Southport before again working his way back to a high level of the game.
Marsh worked at Huddersfield Town, England under 17s, Swansea City and Preston North End.
But, after opting to leave North End last August, Marsh is now waiting for his next opportunity.
"I took over for a couple of games to help the chairman out at Preston but then left myself,” said Marsh.
“At the minute I’m not working but I’d like to get back in at some stage.
“If the right opportunity comes up I’d definitely look at it.
Lincoln Shrimp
First XI⭐🦐
“I loved every minute of it,” said Marsh.
That wasn't what he once told me!
That wasn't what he once told me!
slapheadsteve
First XI
In My Opinion the Best Player ever to pull on a Southend United Shirt
IloveShrimp
Director⭐🦐
He was a fantastic player, but Ricky Otto was my favorite!
Perhaps MM could manage us when Kev moves on.
Zeuss
Manager
He certainly runs Collymore and Firmani close.
Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset
Director⭐⭐🦐
The article is missing a credit: "The lead to speak to Mike Marsh yesterday was provided by SUEPA" 
Mike is actually quite a nice helpful chap - he replies to messages, has agreed to be our match day guest when the opportunity arises, and called Ronnie Whelan for me to ask him to get in touch with us (which RW then didn't
)
Mike is actually quite a nice helpful chap - he replies to messages, has agreed to be our match day guest when the opportunity arises, and called Ronnie Whelan for me to ask him to get in touch with us (which RW then didn't
)
tsbl2000
Left Back in the changing room🦐
Fair comment, but that means you never saw Billy Best play ;-)
Mad Cyril
The Fresh Prince of Belfairs⭐⭐🦐
Care to enlighten us?
You can use hand puppets and fake names to avoid legal issues.
thenobster
Chief Punk
£500k... those were the days
Sammy Shrimper
Youth Team⭐⭐🦐
Vic had money to burn !! They were crazy times but I enjoyed the ride fellow Shrimpers but not Alvin afterwards
slapheadsteve
First XI
Unfortunately I did not
Weston's left foot
Youth Team⭐
Does Ronnie really still hate us?The article is missing a credit: "The lead to speak to Mike Marsh yesterday was provided by SUEPA"
Mike is actually quite a nice helpful chap - he replies to messages, has agreed to be our match day guest when the opportunity arises, and called Ronnie Whelan for me to ask him to get in touch with us (which RW then didn't
cerbera45
Coach⭐
can SUEPA really afford the bar bill?!? ;-)
Zeuss
Manager
Mark Moseley did quite a good job in impossible circumstances but,even though he would now have a. lot of good players to bring the best out of, I don’t think he would want to come back now.
IloveShrimp
Director⭐🦐
I meant Mike Marsh :)
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