Memory Lane Fifty years ago today ....

[Mick]

Fifty years ago today, Southend were sitting in 8th place in the Fourth Division but thanks to our glorious Cup run and some bad luck with postponements we had a combined 16 games in hand on the top four teams whilst being just 5 points behind the promotion spots.

It was a Friday night and we were at Saltergate, Chesterfield’s old ground, the hosts having little to play for. We were at full strength but couldn’t score and the match ended goalless with the crowd recorded as exactly 3,000. We were to play 5 more games in the next two and a half weeks, the last 4 all away from home in the space of 10 days and we finished that memorable season well short in 7th place.

Back then we were able to travel, at cheap party rate, to Chesterfield by train for an evening game and return after the match. After 50 years of transport development, questionable commitment to public transport from a succession of governments means that you would now have to leave at half-time to get back on the same day.

 

[Ex-Member1]

I was there! God awful game, horrible journey. Not a classic night out.

 

[Green Wizard]

You could also just turn up at the station and get a ticket at a reasonable price, last night it was nearly £100 return too much for my pocket. The price of the train ticket never came into it when deciding to go to an away game, as long as you got to the station before the train left the platform.

 

[Reynardine]

And the penultimate game of that season, when we had to win to stay in the promotion hunt, was at ... Rochdale! We lost 3-0 and they went up instead. I remember going up on the train, armed with a street map of Rochdale, and with maybe 15 or 20 other Southend supporters. Train tickets may have been comparatively cheap then, but far more supporters travel to away games these days.

 

[Mick]

And the penultimate game of that season, when we had to win to stay in the promotion hunt, was at ... Rochdale! We lost 3-0 and they went up instead. I remember going up on the train, armed with a street map of Rochdale, and with maybe 15 or 20 other Southend supporters. Train tickets may have been comparatively cheap then, but far more supporters travel to away games these days.

Indeed. Doncaster, Halifax an Bradford City were already up and we needed to win at Rochdale and then at Scunthorpe just two days later, to pip Rochdale to the fourth spot.

 

[Mick]

One day on, I'm back from Chesterfield and off to my first Cup Final at Wembley - Leicester City v Manchester City. Good occasion but a poor game. Neil Young (without Crosby, Stills or Nash) scored the only goal for Man City. Keeping this topical, Neil Young went on to play for Rochdale. Leicester's David Nish was, at 21, the youngest Cup Final captain. Unusually, possibly uniquely, the two losing semi-finalists were the previous season's finalists.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

One day on, I'm back from Chesterfield and off to my first Cup Final at Wembley - Leicester City v Manchester City. Good occasion but a poor game. Neil Young (without Crosby, Stills or Nash) scored the only goal for Man City. Keeping this topical, Neil Young went on to play for Rochdale. Leicester's David Nish was, at 21, the youngest Cup Final captain. Unusually, possibly uniquely, the two losing semi-finalists were the previous season's finalists.

That Cup final was the first I missed on TV since old enough to understand football.
I was actually working at Tesco's, Basildon on Market Pavement (now defunct) for the princely sum of a £1 a day and depositing it a few hours later at the Mecca two doors away!
Have had to think really hard to remember the season. I do recall a 4-2 home win over Aldershot on Easter Monday, where Gary Moore got sent off.
This was also the season of the WBA kit if not mistaken?

 

[RobM]

And the penultimate game of that season, when we had to win to stay in the promotion hunt, was at ... Rochdale! We lost 3-0 and they went up instead. I remember going up on the train, armed with a street map of Rochdale, and with maybe 15 or 20 other Southend supporters. Train tickets may have been comparatively cheap then, but far more supporters travel to away games these days.

I was at that one! Went by coach, left London about midnight, got to Manchester about 06:30 and yes, it was raining! I recall Trevor Roberts split his shorts!

 

[LBBlue]

This was also the season of the WBA kit if not mistaken?

The WBA kit was the next season - it was the Scotland navy blue kit in 68/69 -which got banned because it was either too dark under floodlights or clashed with the ref's black kit.

The last four games we borrowed kits and then there was a vote to choose a kit for the next season, WBA as you remember against Aldershot, Ipswich against Bradford PA, Chelsea against Swansea Town , Coventry against Newport County.

The WBA kit lasted just one season after which we switched to all blue with white socks ( Chelsea) which we kept until 76/77 with a change of socks I think in 75/76.

 

[LBBlue]

Any one recognise the Chesterfield number 7? yes it's him young Neil.





Can we have a ref watch on Ray Tinkler please?

Trevor Roberts played in goal and Frank Haydock played instead of Sammy McMillan.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

The WBA kit was the next season - it was the Scotland navy blue kit in 68/69 -which got banned because it was either too dark under floodlights or clashed with the ref's black kit.

The last four games we borrowed kits and then there was a vote to choose a kit for the next season, WBA as you remember against Aldershot, Ipswich against Bradford PA, Chelsea against Swansea Town , Coventry against Newport County.

The WBA kit lasted just one season after which we switched to all blue with white socks ( Chelsea) which we kept until 76/77 with a change of socks I think in 75/76.

Thanks!
Never liked any of them much, if truth be told.
The stripes were too much of a copy, and the rest were just plain moribund.
Now, if the butcher's stripe of 63-65 were to make a reappearance...

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

View attachment 7992

Any one recognise the Chesterfield number 7? yes it's him young Neil.


View attachment 7993

Can we have a ref watch on Ray Tinkler please?

He was actually a pal of my father's who was also the organiser of the Eve of the Final Rally for Cup Final officials.

 

[Mick]

Any one recognise the Chesterfield number 7? yes it's him young Neil.




Can we have a ref watch on Ray Tinkler please?

Very famous or maybe that should be infamous.

He reffed the match between Leeds and West Brom at Elland Road in 1970/71, Tinkler allowed play to continue after a linesman had flagged for offside. The Leeds players stopped when they saw the flag and West Brom scored. It's fair to say that the Leeds players and fans were not best pleased. The Baggies won 2-1.

 

[LBBlue]

Thanks!
Never liked any of them much, if truth be told.
The stripes were too much of a copy, and the rest were just plain moribund.
Now, if the butcher's stripe of 63-65 were to make a reappearance...

We had our own identity with that strip. I've never really liked dark blue. Give me a nice Everton royal or Ipswich blue with the thin white stripe.

 

[LBBlue]

Very famous or maybe that should be infamous.

He reffed the match between Leeds and West Brom at Elland Road in 1970/71, Tinkler allowed play to continue after a linesman had flagged for offside. The Leeds players stopped when they saw the flag and West Brom scored. It's fair to say that the Leeds players and fans were not best pleased. The Baggies won 2-1.

I remember it well. Most fans of every other club but Leeds didn't really mind though did they.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/apr/18/ray-tinkler-played-advantage-leeds

 

[Mick]

Now, if the butcher's stripe of 63-65 were to make a reappearance...

Oh ....... ok.

 

[LBBlue]

McKechnie in goal, Anderson on the far post and near post???
Supporters Club Band in the Paddock....

 

[Zeuss]

McKechnie in goal, Anderson on the far post and near post???
Supporters Club Band in the Paddock....

Mortimer /Lou Costello,.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Oh ....... ok.

View attachment 7996

The player on the left is not Sandy Anderson it is John Neal.

 

[DistantBlue]

Trouble is when some bugger posts these trips down memory lane I realise how blooming old I am ?