Post-Match Thread and Ratings Forest Green 2-2 Southend United..We win on Penalites 4-2

[DonnyLes]

Well done for getting to the final I will be getting behind you to win. My Rovers won in the very first playoff final in 2003, five years earlier we came close to oblivion, fortunately we had an excellent chairman in John Ryan who saved the club and took us all way to the Championship.
The elation I had after the final whistle was phenomenal, I hope experience that after the match on June 1st.

 

[ElliotAWS]

Lots been talked about the emotion of last night. The pure joy and relief when Gus scored was something I’ve not felt in a long time. Kendall last week came close but that Gus penalty meant that bit more. My mum was with us last week but away on holiday yesterday. She has been to over half the away games this season. Something she had never done before and partly due to my dad psssing away in 2022 from a long battle with dementia. It was him a shrimper for 72 years that got me into Southend and then Ben through me. We are a true Southend family from top to bottom. Due to a **** signal and it being so late I only messaged her by text from the ground although the texts never went through until we were clear of the village. She phoned me at 8 this morning. She didn’t get to sleep until around 2.45 as she was buzzing and watching all the social media stuff. She is 78 years old but simply loves all things Southend. We spoke for around 10 mins but the emotion poured out from both of us. Of course we want to win at Wembley but if not we’ve been on one hell of a ride these past few weeks. Look at the miles travelled and the support.

From Billericay
Gateshead 600 miles 1755 fans
Rochdale 500 miles 1181 fans
FGR 340 miles 757 fans

Boy we deserve Wembley. It will take a brave person to predict what will happen but it just seems to be written in the stars after all we’ve been through that maybe just maybe it’s our time

There were at least 6 of us among the home fans on Wednesday as well so you can bump that figure up to 763…!

 

[* ORM *]

This made me laugh at the end

Why didn’t we agree with the FGR fans when they sang Southend’s a ****hole, I’m glad we’re at home.

(It may be a ****hole but it’s OUR ****hole).

I think I’ve now exhausted re runs of the various videos!

 

[amsemp]

I know many won’t share the sentiment, but… I actually felt really sorry for Cards come full time. It’s a short career, and given his age and level, he couldn’t realistically turn down the money from FGR. I’d have done the same and so would most of us.

Seeing his mates and all the fans that once loved him celebrating a Wembley final on the pitch must have been a seriously **** feeling. Especially having gone from being the main man in that side, to scoring four goals in mostly sub appearances in front of 1,500 fans all season. Another season in NL for him and difficult to see how his stock hasn’t fallen since the FGR move.

I almost wish FGR had never come in for him and he’d stayed, so there was no choice for him to ever make.

 

[Barling Magna]

I know many won’t share the sentiment, but… I actually felt really sorry for Cards come full time. It’s a short career, and given his age and level, he couldn’t realistically turn down the money from FGR. I’d have done the same and so would most of us.

Seeing his mates and all the fans that once loved him celebrating a Wembley final on the pitch must have been a seriously **** feeling. Especially having gone from being the main man in that side, to scoring four goals in mostly sub appearances in front of 1,500 fans all season. Another season in NL for him and difficult to see how his stock hasn’t fallen since the FGR move.

I almost wish FGR had never come in for him and he’d stayed, so there was no choice for him to ever make.

Yes, Forest Green didn't need him - they just took him away from us to hamper a club they saw as a rival for promotion. For that reason alone they deserve another year in the NL.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

I know many won’t share the sentiment, but… I actually felt really sorry for Cards come full time. It’s a short career, and given his age and level, he couldn’t realistically turn down the money from FGR. I’d have done the same and so would most of us.

Seeing his mates and all the fans that once loved him celebrating a Wembley final on the pitch must have been a seriously **** feeling. Especially having gone from being the main man in that side, to scoring four goals in mostly sub appearances in front of 1,500 fans all season. Another season in NL for him and difficult to see how his stock hasn’t fallen since the FGR move.

I almost wish FGR had never come in for him and he’d stayed, so there was no choice for him to ever make.

He sold out adulation and an adoring fan base for a pile of cash, no sympathy from me. Some of us are better than that and can see there's a lot more to life than money.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Yes, Forest Green didn't need him - they just took him away from us to hamper a club they saw as a rival for promotion. For that reason alone they deserve another year in the NL.

I think they did need him. Seems to me that Steve cotterill thinks otherwise.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Yes, Forest Green didn't need him - they just took him away from us to hamper a club they saw as a rival for promotion. For that reason alone they deserve another year in the NL.

As the old saying goes ‘you made your bed lie in it’, that goes out to Cardwell and his pub team.

 

[amsemp]

He sold out adulation and an adoring fan base for a pile of cash, no sympathy from me. Some of us are better than that and can see there's a lot more to life than a the money.

You’re absolutely right and I don’t disagree at all. But you still can’t blame someone for wanting to double their salary for the same job in a career that could realistically be over professionally in a few years time.

 

[LennySUFC]

I know many won’t share the sentiment, but… I actually felt really sorry for Cards come full time. It’s a short career, and given his age and level, he couldn’t realistically turn down the money from FGR. I’d have done the same and so would most of us.

Seeing his mates and all the fans that once loved him celebrating a Wembley final on the pitch must have been a seriously **** feeling. Especially having gone from being the main man in that side, to scoring four goals in mostly sub appearances in front of 1,500 fans all season. Another season in NL for him and difficult to see how his stock hasn’t fallen since the FGR move.

I almost wish FGR had never come in for him and he’d stayed, so there was no choice for him to ever make.

Not sure which clip of it I saw but you see Bentley and Maher walking onto the pitch at FT and they both hug Cardwell as he is walking back towards the dugout away from the celebrations.

I'm sure it hurts, but the supposed triple wages he's now on will soften the blow. Just a really strange transfer given he doesn't suit the way they want to play and having him on the bench for the best part of 90mins and Doidge not even getting on the pitch is bizarre management.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Cards chose to set himself and his family up for life, rather than a steady living for 5 years, adulation of some people who had never heard of him 2 years before and a 30 years slog until he gets a state pension.

I think it was Klopp who said that football is the most important of the unimportant things in life. Cards chose the important things.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

You’re absolutely right and I don’t disagree at all. But you still can’t blame someone for wanting to double their salary for the same job in a career that could realistically be over professionally in a few years time.

No not at all. I do find it sad though, that so many are motivated by greed.

 

[Westy]

Lots been talked about the emotion of last night. The pure joy and relief when Gus scored was something I’ve not felt in a long time. Kendall last week came close but that Gus penalty meant that bit more. My mum was with us last week but away on holiday yesterday. She has been to over half the away games this season. Something she had never done before and partly due to my dad psssing away in 2022 from a long battle with dementia. It was him a shrimper for 72 years that got me into Southend and then Ben through me. We are a true Southend family from top to bottom. Due to a **** signal and it being so late I only messaged her by text from the ground although the texts never went through until we were clear of the village. She phoned me at 8 this morning. She didn’t get to sleep until around 2.45 as she was buzzing and watching all the social media stuff. She is 78 years old but simply loves all things Southend. We spoke for around 10 mins but the emotion poured out from both of us. Of course we want to win at Wembley but if not we’ve been on one hell of a ride these past few weeks. Look at the miles travelled and the support.

From Billericay
Gateshead 600 miles 1755 fans
Rochdale 500 miles 1181 fans
FGR 340 miles 757 fans

Boy we deserve Wembley. It will take a brave person to predict what will happen but it just seems to be written in the stars after all we’ve been through that maybe just maybe it’s our time

@shrimperj - fantastic effort - it is what this club is all about ! I’m a fan of 65y , my son in law is a disillusioned Man U fan , been converted to a Shrimper!

 

[MikeLapper]

I think greed is a bit of a strong word. As has been said it’s a short career and he’s got a long way to go until his state pension…..it’s not completely crazy that he’d want to earn as much money as possible out of his footballing career. Besides, it’s not like he had any real affiliation with the club.

I don’t blame him in the slightest.

 

[Holy Joe]

Cards chose to set himself and his family up for life, rather than a steady living for 5 years, adulation of some people who had never heard of him 2 years before and a 30 years slog until he gets a state pension.

I think it was Klopp who said that football is the most important of the unimportant things in life. Cards chose the important things.

To be fair for the vast majority of the season they've been well ahead of us in football terms as well. It wouldn't have been a particularly unreasonable decision to move to FGR for football reasons. The only thing we had on them last August is being a 'bigger' club historically and the larger supporter base.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

He sold out adulation and an adoring fan base for a pile of cash, no sympathy from me. Some of us are better than that and can see there's a lot more to life than money.

There are very few on here who would in effect turn down a six figure amount to move to the Cotswolds. And of the few who would, I expect they are already in a comfortable financial position to be able to do so. Remember Cardwell is someone who came from part-time football and has maybe five years left of his pro career. He left us for a club that actually finished above us so it wasn’t a lack of ambition.

Cardwell never agitated for a move and his effort never dipped. He played admirably through some of the toughest times for us. He earnt that security and the respect of us fans.

So rather than denigrate Cardwell for a decision 99% of fans would make in his position let’s instead celebrate Bridge’s loyalty (we can gloss over the fact that before his heroics Wednesday night a number of his once adoring fans were ready to move on from him in the summer).

 

[Finney on the wing]

No not at all. I do find it sad though, that so many are motivated by greed.

That's very unfair. He's got a family to support for Christ's sake. He's not a premier league top earner is he.

 

[* ORM *]

He sold out adulation and an adoring fan base for a pile of cash, no sympathy from me. Some of us are better than that and can see there's a lot more to life than money.

My heart agrees with you but my head doesn’t. Find me a career where, faced with uncertainty despite new backers, an unrequested offer comes in from a club offering higher wages and a more certain short term future.

 

[meerkat54]

Although I felt for Cards the other night. He and he only made the decision to play for FGR.
I know the money was a big draw, also wouldn’t you want to bring your family up in the Cotswolds . Southend doesn’t really offer the same doesn’t it.

 

[lreed567]

He celebrated his penalty, and I'm sure cards would of been celebrating had FGR won and got to Wembley, yes we all loved him and would of loved him to stay, but he moved on, it's football