Group 5

[SUFCStu]

Top two go through.

Gt Yarmouth - Playing host to the Champions of Europe
LondonBlue - John Gymer's goal against Hartlepool on Saturday 9th November 1985
davewebbsbrain - Ian Benjamin goal that put Southend into the second tier for the first time.
UL - Roy McDonough's penalty vs Derby County

 

[leeblue]

benji, sheer bliss in our end at the end will never forget it as long as i live

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Ian Benjamin Scoring THAT goal and sending into the second tier for the first time ever.....it really can't be beaten. The first time you achieve something is always the best. If we are honest with ourselves, nothing really beats this.

[video=youtube;s94LR_50iGU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s94LR_50iGU[/video]

 

[OldBlueLady]

No contest for us older fans I suspect. Seeing little old Southend Utd taking on and holding the European Champions to a draw at Roots Hall back in January 1979 is one of my best ever memories.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Ian Benjamin Scoring THAT goal and sending into the second tier for the first time ever.....it really can't be beaten. The first time you achieve something is always the best. If we are honest with ourselves, nothing really beats this.

[video=youtube;s94LR_50iGU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s94LR_50iGU[/video]

** wipes away tears **

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Another clean sweep of matches for me here :angel:

I still remember the Liverpool match like i saw it yesterday (maybe i did :whistling:)


The Hartlepool game was crazy, nil nil on the brink of half time Pools scored, we equalised immediately and then conceeded again all in 2 minutes .. nothing happened in the second half at all until Cadette nicked us a point* at the death ... *Gymer had other ideas, heading in a corner if memory serves :unsure:


The Derby game was fantastic, Dick Bates DISASTROUS spell as manager ended that day and a burst water pipe almost led to no match, i believe the fire servixce provided water for the players and officials but there were no tea bars open, The North Bank berating the England goalkeeper for his alleged domestic violence, Derby had someone sent off for aiming a punch and a needless handball by possibly the worst ever England manager Steve McClaren* led to the penalty which Roy Roy Super Roy dispatched with aplomb and a famous victory

* To my mind McClaren IS the worst ever England manager, the possibly in the sentence is in reference as to it was possibly he who gave away the spot kick

I'm saying nothing about the other match, mere words are not enough

 

[Uncle Leo]

Was Ted McMinn the fella sent off in that Derby game?

Of course, there is no way my entry can compete with the Benji game, or indeed a home draw against that great Liverpool side. Still, it was a great night - Derby had not only Peter Shilton playing for them, but also Mark Wright, who if not an England player at this time, certainly went on to win many caps and of course score against Egypt in Italia '90.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Not McMinn James, it was a forward but his name escapes me right now ...

 

[Uncle Leo]

Not McMinn James, it was a forward but his name escapes me right now ...

Just been checking out the details of this game in Peter Mason's club history...

• It was our first ever (!) home win against a top flight side
• McMinn didn't even play, let alone get sent off! Bobby Davidson was the man who was red carded
• Mark Wright was an England international at the time; John Gregory, who'd also been capped by England, played as well
• The McLaren who gave away the penalty was Ross, not Steve
• Crowd was only 4,605

 

[Halstead Blue]

There can only ever be one greatest memory, and mine is jumping around that terrace at Bury when Benji wrote his name in the Southend history book forever. I was 21 and had lost my Dad a few months earlier. He and I were season ticket holders all through my teens, so that promotion held special poignancy for me.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I still remember the Liverpool match like i saw it yesterday (maybe i did :whistling:)

Yes, about that...................I remember a conversation a little while back..................

 

[londonblue]

The Hartlepool game was crazy, nil nil on the brink of half time Pools scored, we equalised immediately and then conceeded again all in 2 minutes .. nothing happened in the second half at all until Cadette nicked us a point* at the death ... *Gymer had other ideas, heading in a corner if memory serves

When did this take place? I didn't even see it. Never mind...I doubt John wonderous effort would have beaten Benjy anyway.

Thanks for helping me out here Blueblood. However, I believe you were wrong about the goal (although it was some time ago and I might also be wrong) but I thought the goal was a shot from just outside the area. He took the ball about a foot off the ground and smacked it into the far corner in front of the North Stand, which was all home fans in those days.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

this was 26 years london so i could of course be wrong about the nature of the goal