Memorable opening day fixtures

[jim]

Purely for personal reasons August 19th 1989 v York City at home ended 1-1 the day i got married to hq at St Marys church Prittlewell at 3.45. I would love to say I managed towatch the first half before legging it over the road but I wasnt that brave.

 

[ozzie]

Anything to remember about the game of football though?

People on another thread are saying that today they are still worried about taking their children to certain games because of the fear of violence.

I know i would rather have taken my boy to a game those days,then let him walk some of the streets of Southend nowadays....or so im told/read

 

[ozzie]

Just to add another game..first game 1973..away to Blackburn Rovers..had to hitch home alone,we lost one or two nil,i think.

But what i remember was ..the Blackburn end,was quite big,with a lot of lads...and the song they kept singing was..Gary Glitters...do you want to be in my gang...got home some time sunday morning 9.00...things we use to do watching us play...but loved every minute

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

I remember that game, sat in the East Stand with my father & Grandad. The old Southend Pictorial ( which was on sale on a Friday ) had a photo on the back page, of our new 'rearguard', which was Dave Stone, John Kurila & someone else, who I've forgot!

The other player was possibly g oalkeeper Lawrie Leslie. Lawrie who joined us from Millwall played in the first 12 out of 13 league & cup matches that season before breaking his arm/elbow at Peterborough on the 5th.October 1968. This included the incredible 6-1 league cup win at Bournemouth which was played 3 days before the first league game of that season against Halifax Town. Lawrie was out of the first team for exactly 6 month's before playing a further 3 league games in just 4 days(how the hell did they manage that) against Grimsby Town(0-1) and Aldershot(4-2 Billy Best(3)Keith Lindsey)at Roots Hall with his final appearance being away at Bradford Park Avenue(0-3Chico Hamilton(2)Gary Moore). Lawrie Leslie retired at the end of the 1968-69 season and joined the coaching staff at Roots Hall, later the following season he became Arthur Rowley's first team coach helping us to our first ever promotion in 1971-72.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Anything to remember about the game of football though?

Only that I remember we won 2-1, & it was a hot day.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Quite a recent first game of the season was against Leyton Orient. The pitch looked great, we had a good team and hopes were high. It was another hot 1st day of the season to.

A lovely passing move involving players such as Bailey and J.C.R. (I think) resulted in us taking a 1-0 lead and it looked very much like we would push on to a good win.

But Thornton in the Orient midfield was winding up McCormack and McCormack took the bait and was sent off.

We lost 2-1.

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Quite a recent first game of the season was against Leyton Orient. The pitch looked great, we had a good team and hopes were high. It was another hot 1st day of the season to.

A lovely passing move involving players such as Bailey and J.C.R. (I think) resulted in us taking a 1-0 lead and it looked very much like we would push on to a good win.

But Thornton in the Orient midfield was winding up McCormack and McCormack took the bait and was sent off.

We lost 2-1.

Don’t forget Thornton’s absolutely delicious free kick winner. What a frustratingly talented drunkard he was. Pleasure to watch when he turned it on - which he always did in big games - but a feckless waster most of the time. Great game though, from a purely objective point of view.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Don’t forget Thornton’s absolutely delicious free kick winner. What a frustratingly talented drunkard he was. Pleasure to watch when he turned it on - which he always did in big games - but a feckless waster most of the time. Great game though, from a purely objective point of view.

Actually, I had forgotten .............

 

[Fish]

My most memorable first game of the season by some distance was 15th August 1993. In an echo of last season, we had a home game against the favourites to go straight back up - these to the Premier League - Nottingham Forest (our very first fixture against an ex-Premier League club).

Live on TV (still a big novelty for us in those days as a small club in what is now the Championship), with the minnows poised to slay the big fish, who over the summer had poached our star SVC for our first seven figure transfer income.

Within 2 minutes of the start it had all kicked off; Andy Sussex played through the middle, colliding with Forest Keeper Mark Crossley with both players going for the ball 100%, simultaneously landing a nasty gash across Crossley's head that needed stitches and elbowing the loose ball into the back of the Forest net for 1-0!

I remember Ricky Otto being cynically taken out at knee height in front of the West Stand, and Psycho topping a bobbling penalty kick just inside the post to even things up on the day.

 

[Kris]

Don’t forget Thornton’s absolutely delicious free kick winner. What a frustratingly talented drunkard he was. Pleasure to watch when he turned it on - which he always did in big games - but a feckless waster most of the time. Great game though, from a purely objective point of view.

What a pain in the arse Thornton was. ALWAYS had a great game against us, whether for Orient or Donny. JJ Melligan was the same, whether for Orient or Cheltenham.

 

[Blueronron]

Old article on Thornton

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/sad-story-of-thorntons-slide-into-obscurity-29952056.html

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Don’t forget Thornton’s absolutely delicious free kick winner. What a frustratingly talented drunkard he was. Pleasure to watch when he turned it on - which he always did in big games - but a feckless waster most of the time. Great game though, from a purely objective point of view.

On this rare occasion I have to agree. Super talented footballer when he showed up

 

[Colorado Shrimper]

Away at Pompey in Ronnie Whelan's first game as manager. Great atmosphere and we went 1-0 up early (Andy Thompson scored as I recall but I might be wrong), prompting 'top of the league' chants. I think we ended up losing 4-2, but it was still a good day out.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Away at Pompey in Ronnie Whelan's first game as manager. Great atmosphere and we went 1-0 up early (Andy Thompson scored as I recall but I might be wrong), prompting 'top of the league' chants. I think we ended up losing 4-2, but it was still a good day out.

I was at that one, although we lost I said to a mate that we would still finish higher in the League than them.
And we did!.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

What memoriies do you have of the opening day of the league season?
I have two from my youth.

August 75 and Sheffield Wednesday at home. They brought the expected huge support but we won 2-1. Wednesday had the North Bank..only third time i had seen that (Millwall & Boreham Wood).

August 1976 brought Watford to town on the opening day. 2-1 win and a lively day!!!

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Forest , just after we had sold Stan in the close season.
Then he got a "sore throat"

I never realised that a "sore throat" was given as a reason - an injury of some sort we were told. It was a shame that Stan never got to play against us - he would have received such a warm welcome.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Away at Pompey in Ronnie Whelan's first game as manager. Great atmosphere and we went 1-0 up early (Andy Thompson scored as I recall but I might be wrong), prompting 'top of the league' chants. I think we ended up losing 4-2, but it was still a good day out.

Tilly scoring an OG opening match of the season for the second year in a row.

 

[Nick Prawnby]

Taking my lad Joe to his first ever game, August 1996 Tranmere at home, Rammell scoring after about 5 minutes, we were on a roll, Roots Hall was rocking, we were gonna take the division by storm!

We got relegated

 

[Barling Magna]

Yes, I'd go for the Blackburn match last season as one of the most memorable opening fixtures. What a performance, and what a strong team Phil Brown had assembled. After that excellent victory what could possibly go wrong...?

 

[wildheart]

There are a number that stick in my mind over the years.

But how about that game in against Bristol City. 17th August 1991.

It seems odd to think that was 27 years ago. And as I remember it (being in the West Stand) Roots Hall was looking very different with the changes that had taken place to remove the standing areas and put in seating.

It was of course our first game in Division 2 and finished 1-1. Attendance of only 6,720 - that surely must be down to the summer holidays. Our goal came from Benjie (who else!) David Webb was the manager then and as I remember it, the game wasn't a cracker but still interesting as it was the first time we had a chance to see whether we could compete at that level - and we did.

I'm sure I have a programme somewhere and I might try to dig it out.

I remember that well, as I think it was our first ever season playing the majority of our home games on a Saturday. Please correct me if I'm wrong?