families through the ages

[Kris]

My dad is a Shrimper and it's down to him that I'm a fan too as I've never actually lived in Southend. We used to go to games together sporadically in the 80s and 90s - mostly away ones as we were living up north most of the time.

He now lives in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, so we rarely get the chance to go to games together, which is a great shame. I kind of feel proud being a STH now, though, as it means I'm carrying on the family tradition. He was a die-hard fan back in the 60s and 70s and rarely missed a home game.

For the record, my first game was a 3-1 win over Gillingham in about 1983.

 

[JoshC]

My dads an Arsenal fan so I followed him for the start of my life until I became interested in Southend and now go regularely with mates.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Its probably been mentioned already but me and my bro's, SUFC_Al and Were_Not_Cockneys still go to watch the mighty Shrimpers with the old man!

 

[A Century United]

I am really enjoying reading this thread, serendipity by TMWLT. It is great to see a lot of "infrequent" posters sharing their stories, wish I could give you all +rep.

 

[Wakering ShrimperMan]

Ah, so this is what happens is it? Fathers come and dump their sprogs in South lower to annoy the hell out of other supporters while they go off and sit as far away as practically possible. What's wrong with sitting together? We have a group of about 6 or 7 lads aged about 13 who sit behind us and probably only watch about 15 mins of the game as they're s*dding about the rest of the time. I frequently have had to turn round and have a stern word.

Hopefully not my lot this year as they all sneak up to the empty seats at the back of the South Upper an watch the game from there.....

 

[canveyshrimper]

I first experienced the loos in the old North Bank aged six. I'd never seen anything quite like it :eek:

The bogs in the North Bank in those days were just terrible.

 

[stickyboy]

My Mum & Dad actually met up watching the Blues home and away. I was born and was taken even as a baby all the time (surprised to know havent got a clue on my first game but would be around 1969/70). I now take my lad who is 11 and has been a Season ticket holder for a few years and notched up 43 grounds already watching us and my little girl who is 6 has gone for 5 cup ties this season. Only fair to make them suffer as well!

 

[Medway Blue]

My dad has been watching Blues since the late 1960s (ACU will know that!), and he was a North bank regular. He transferred to the South Upper with all his north Bank mates when the North Bank went to away fans. He started taking me and my bro in 1996 and my first ever game was a pre-season friendly game at home to Motherwell. Blues won 1-0 and Tilly scored.

To his credit, my dad never forced SUFC on me and my brother, and allowed us to make our own decisions on whether to support them or, indeed, whether to like football at all. I'm sure he was delighted when we became hooked though. My firt season ticket was 1999/2000, the season that my dad left his friends in the Southe Upper in order to take me and my brother to every home match. I was a season ticket holder up until last season, when I moved to Ipswich to go to university.

Pretty bad time to start supporting the Blues and unfortunately, I vividly remember many matches and players from the 1996-2003 period!

One of my fondest memories was Gillingham away 97/98, when we scored an equaliser and a winner in the 93rd minute having been 1-0 down. Think it was Boere and Coulbault. My dad had to push my brother and I to the back of the stand when the Gills fans came into the away terracing and a fight ensued!

 

[OldBlueLady]

Hopefully not my lot this year as they all sneak up to the empty seats at the back of the South Upper an watch the game from there.....

They have disappeared the last few games around half time so it could be...! If it is could you have a gentle word with them please and ask them to stop their shenanigans and watch the game?

 

[A Century United]

My dad has been watching Blues since the late 1960s (ACU will know that!),

Indeed, JTSB's dad used to live up the road from me and his dad used to take us to away games in his Saab - happy memories. My oldest brother Jon used to take me, starting in the '60s and I have been to many many matches since then. I moved to the Highlands in '89, so missed the end of the promotion season but was back in the East stand for our first ever second tier match against Bristol City.

Once the kids came along, I too tried to make sure that they weren't force fed Southend, and encouraged my boy Ross to attend the nearest (63 miles away in Dingwall) team, Ross County (couldn't be more appropriate, eh?). However, despite County being a decent team with a good ground, Ross not only never saw them win, but in four or five visits he never even saw them score. So I thought, time to take him to a few SUFC matches. He started with the Blackpool LDV, then Carlisle away, won 2-1 Constantine with a brace, Nicky Nicolau's debut. s of interest, next chance to take him was Boston at home, Tes the Cat's goalkeeping debut and he and his sister were pretty much hooked (I had to stop him trying to give the Boston fan's coach the Big 'Un after the game, little hooligan). That was on the Tuesday night, the following Saturday was Swansea at home, Freddy's debut, and 90 minutes later the poor kid's soul was sold to Southend.

Since then he has been spreading the Shrimper Gospel through our village, and several of his friends have been to matches, though none to compare with Lucky Derek, who went to Grimsby away for his starter, then the PO final for dessert, and has since been once to Roots Hall (lost 0-1 to Gills) and 6 times away, only having seen us lose once (0-3 to Swans) and regards himself as a die-hard Shrimper.

 

[Greenelk]

My dad's been dead for years, so the selfish git never took me to see Southend. My 9 year old, has been coming with me for a few years now and is a Shrimper through and through. He'll defend supporting Southend to his Man Ure supporting friends at his football club, and is annoyed whenever I go without him. Makes me very proud to see him pull on a Southend shirt, and I know he'll be one of us for life.

 

[SUFCEssex]

first went with my dad at the start of 78/9 season.

first starting my first son in 1993 and he's a regular home and away since,now14 he loves it.

Can't get my daughter into it at all and my second son is too young, apparently.

 

[Napster]

My Nan started going in 55, my old man started in 1960, my uncle Dave in 1957, I think. I started in 83. My Nan passed away in 2003, my Dad and uncle Dave (who played with Duncan Edwards in the army side) still go. I took Heidi to a Barnsley away game, never again, she got too bored. Abigail, my 10 month old, is watching MoTD with me, so maybe in a few eyars time...

 

[Reg Martin]

I love these threads even though we're probably all posting stuff we've posted before.
My first trip to Roots Hall was for a fireworks display. I don't know how young I was but I remember thinking the place was huge.
My Dad took me to my first match v Charlton in 72/3 season. We mainly used to go in East Stand as it was the only seated area then and he had dodgy knees and couldn't stand for long periods. Over the years I also stood in the old paddock area in front of the East stand, the South bank and West stand. Never made it to the North Bank much to my regret now.

 

[shrimperian]

Reading about Teeside Shrimper's fireworks experience, reminded me that during the 1970's, we used to use RH for a whole host of different things. This was mainly due to my Dad's theory that the more people who experienced coming to the ground for whatever reason, the more liklley they were to come and see matches. (my Dad was Club Secretary). Therefore, had you attended all functions at RH in the 1970's and early 1980s you would have done/seen all of the following, perhaps more if my memory fails me:-

Fireworks display
End of Torchlight carnival parade and fireworks
market/boot fair
its a knockout!
london to southend police walk (end)
Fannys nightclub
Shrimpers Club
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert
Southend Invicta rugby league
Football
Model Aircraft flying championships
Programme fairs
classic car rallies (car park)

There are probably others as i said, but those are the ones that I can remember because I used to have to attend them all!

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Fannys nightclub

:eek:

You couldn't make that up!!!

 

[OldBlueLady]

Reading about Teeside Shrimper's fireworks experience, reminded me that during the 1970's, we used to use RH for a whole host of different things. This was mainly due to my Dad's theory that the more people who experienced coming to the ground for whatever reason, the more liklley they were to come and see matches. (my Dad was Club Secretary). Therefore, had you attended all functions at RH in the 1970's and early 1980s you would have done/seen all of the following, perhaps more if my memory fails me:-

Fireworks display
End of Torchlight carnival parade and fireworks
market/boot fair
its a knockout!
london to southend police walk (end)
Fannys nightclub
Shrimpers Club
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert
Southend Invicta rugby league
Football
Model Aircraft flying championships
Programme fairs
classic car rallies (car park)

There are probably others as i said, but those are the ones that I can remember because I used to have to attend them all!

Blimey, I'd forgotten about some of those things. We came to the fireworks for a couple of years and I definitely remember It's a Knockout and the Carnival processions.

 

[TMWLT]

what about essex v west indias at the cricket and also who was there for the essex radio christmas carols concert with that jeremy from airport, I got my programme signed, and ray davy was conducting

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

Blimey, I'd forgotten about some of those things. We came to the fireworks for a couple of years and I definitely remember It's a Knockout and the Carnival processions.

Yep, I remember going to the fireworks display at RH aswell...:D

 

[South Bucks Shrimper]

I first went to RH with my Dad in the early sixties. I fondly remember the days of Billy Best and Gary Moore up front, with Trevor Roberts in goal. We sometimes had to leave the Friday nights games early as my Dad did nights at the Ford factory in Basildon.

I moved to South Bucks in the 80's. My son was born in Wycombe, so when he was old enough I started taking him to Wycombe Wanderers. Then on Boxing Day 2004 we went with family (mostly SUFC supporters) to watch WW v SUFC. It was freezing! We sat in the family stand, which at WW is not segregated. I think that was when my son started to realise that he should be a SUFC fan.

We have now been SUFC season ticket holders for the last two seasons, and almost look forward to the 160 mile round trip on the M25!