Memory Lane Old Photos of Southend United.

[Kevin Hogg]

Been posted many times before...but one of the last great North Bank moments. Just look at it!!!!

 

[rigsby]

27th October 1990. This is the home game against Bury. The away game with the famous Benjy goal has been covered many times on here, and of course in this thread. The season before we had just been promoted to the 3rd Division. Could Webby lead us on to an unlikely and difficult double promotion? Off course he could. We seem to be Bury's bogey team over the years. When this game was played we were top of the 3rd Division. It features one of the best penalty saves I've ever seen. I was right behind the goal. He pushes it onto the bar and post and then knocks it behind the goal whilst still on the floor.

[video=youtube;yYJJxqx_KEU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYJJxqx_KEU[/video]

The interesting thing for me about this clip, is how quickly the players get on with the game. Apart from less free-kicks and rolling around, they celebrate goals jogging back to the half-way line and even the penalty decision is accepted and taken much quicker than any penalty now days.

We're always sold the lie of how much fitter you have to be in he modern game. But is the ball in play any longer?.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

20th January 1993 versus Newcastle United. The 2 things I like about this is the amazing support from Newcastle for a Wednesday night, and also one of the best videos on youtube showing an almost packed North Bank. I used to love the surge from the back middle. I was in it many times.

[video=youtube;zSLB3LU4EI0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSLB3LU4EI0[/video]

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

20th January 1993 versus Newcastle United. The 2 things I like about this is the amazing support from Newcastle for a Wednesday night, and also one of the best videos on youtube showing an almost packed North Bank. I used to love the surge from the back middle. I was in it many times.

[video=youtube;zSLB3LU4EI0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSLB3LU4EI0[/video]

It was a good crowd the official attendance 8,246 looking at that it 'seems' more.
The previous home match on the Saturday the crowd was only 4,243 (v Derby) the match after the Newcastle game the crowd v Birmingham was only 4,065. But amazingly even though we won that game 4-0 the next home crowd was even lower 3,836 v Bristol City.
We had 6 league crowds below 4,000 that season and another 7 below 5,000

 

[AndyT]

Good point about the crowds.

Looking at that season and considering it was 'The Championship' level, the crowds were remarkably low.

IIRC, this was the season when there were issues between the club and supporters about moving to Basildon and, also, Colin Murphy's dire football.

That said, it was, of course, the "Stan the Man" season.

Little did the 3,500 at some games know, that it was the stuff of legends that season!

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Absolutely brilliant to see how fans used to react to a goal in games. The Geordie support celebrate in style and the North Bank looks exactly how it felt to experience the surge from top to bottom. Days never to be repeated.
As for the crowds? Our first stint in the second tier was disappointing for support. I remember being aghast that after all the years of waiting and all the excitement, stress and pride of achieving the dream just three or four months earlier - our first ever "Championship/Division 2" crowd was around 6,500 with plenty fro Bristol City.
In fairness it was only a few years after the lowest of low era - Anton Johnson, Christmas Club scandal and crowds uner 1,000.

 

[Jai]

Absolutely brilliant to see how fans used to react to a goal in games. The Geordie support celebrate in style and the North Bank looks exactly how it felt to experience the surge from top to bottom. Days never to be repeated.
As for the crowds? Our first stint in the second tier was disappointing for support. I remember being aghast that after all the years of waiting and all the excitement, stress and pride of achieving the dream just three or four months earlier - our first ever "Championship/Division 2" crowd was around 6,500 with plenty fro Bristol City.
In fairness it was only a few years after the lowest of low era - Anton Johnson, Christmas Club scandal and crowds uner 1,000.

Football crowds in general were much lower back then too.

 

[wivs]

Good point about the crowds.

Looking at that season and considering it was 'The Championship' level, the crowds were remarkably low.

IIRC, this was the season when there were issues between the club and supporters about moving to Basildon and, also, Colin Murphy's dire football.

That said, it was, of course, the "Stan the Man" season.

Little did the 3,500 at some games know, that it was the stuff of legends that season!

I can remember that we joked in the Roots Hall Roar at the time, 'Attendances according to Vic', the gist of which was questioning the honesty of the official figures, possibly for tax purposes? I think the crowds were almost definitely bigger than officially stated, you only had to look round the ground and think where would the other 6 or 7,000 fit in. :nope:

The strange thing was, everyone felt that the crowd declared for the Notts County game (about 3000 I think) was actually over declared, as this was the game that 'United for Southend' had called for a boycott as a protest against Vic, who was threatening to move the club to Basildon and the lack of signings. Coincidentally perhaps, Vic signed Stan Collymore that week and he made his debut in that match.

 

[AndyT]

I used to always get the 'Roots Hall Roar'. Mate of mine helped put it together. There was also an annual publication gathering all the fanzines around the country into one book. I have a couple of those, as well. Think it was called something like 'Guide to the Fattest' or similar.

Yep, I was at the Notts County game and can remember queuing to get in the North Bank and seeing and speaking to the protestors outside. Was also at the sit-in protest after the Charlton game at Upton Park that season.

I'm sure Vic came out with his usual "If you don't like it, go and support someone else" line on a regular basis!

 

[WickfordShrimper]

I can remember that we joked in the Roots Hall Roar at the time, 'Attendances according to Vic', the gist of which was questioning the honesty of the official figures, possibly for tax purposes? I think the crowds were almost definitely bigger than officially stated, you only had to look round the ground and think where would the other 6 or 7,000 fit in. :nope:

The strange thing was, everyone felt that the crowd declared for the Notts County game (about 3000 I think) was actually over declared, as this was the game that 'United for Southend' had called for a boycott as a protest against Vic, who was threatening to move the club to Basildon and the lack of signings. Coincidentally perhaps, Vic signed Stan Collymore that week and he made his debut in that match.

Correct the Notts County game is a boycott game

I remember leaving the Spread going to the game... the Hard-core protesters was not happy with me at all

What a game it was a cracker

 

[AndyT]

Yep, after passing through the boycott protestors in the car park and on into the ground, remember everyone saying we'd signed this fella from Palace and no-one knew who he was.

The rest is history, of course!

 

[Firestorm]

duplicate post with KH

 

[mfurok]

I used to always get the 'Roots Hall Roar'. Mate of mine helped put it together. There was also an annual publication gathering all the fanzines around the country into one book. I have a couple of those, as well. Think it was called something like 'Guide to the Fattest' or similar.

Yep, I was at the Notts County game and can remember queuing to get in the North Bank and seeing and speaking to the protestors outside. Was also at the sit-in protest after the Charlton game at Upton Park that season.

I'm sure Vic came out with his usual "If you don't like it, go and support someone else" line on a regular basis!

Survival of the Fattest.

They were excellent and published annually.

Think I have the set.........

 

[AndyT]

That was it! .. Thank you.

I had the one from 1994-95 I think it was.

Great publication.

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Was one of those who boycotted that game and stood on the grassy knoll at the top of the South East corner in cold damp weather.Murphy had just signed some bloke who couldn't even make the Palace first team ..as if that was going to change things!!

I used to always get the 'Roots Hall Roar'. Mate of mine helped put it together. There was also an annual publication gathering all the fanzines around the country into one book. I have a couple of those, as well. Think it was called something like 'Guide to the Fattest' or similar.

Yep, I was at the Notts County game and can remember queuing to get in the North Bank and seeing and speaking to the protestors outside. Was also at the sit-in protest after the Charlton game at Upton Park that season.

I'm sure Vic came out with his usual "If you don't like it, go and support someone else" line on a regular basis!

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

A mixture of football programmes v Chelsea.

 

[AndyT]

14-1! :omg:

It's that attacking 2-3-5 system that's to blame!

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

For anyone that's interested(Definitely worth a look), I have updated images from page 1 on here that I personally posted. So you can see a lot more without having to press a link. A couple of videos are no longer available, not my doing, and also bear in mind that when there is two youtube videos in the same post, you can only show one on here. But worth looking through the pages just for the photo images alone.

 

[AndyT]

I heard you went to this one, and got upset because we lost 4-2

Great to see the photos again on page 1 .. Love the cross dressing supporters club band (I assume they were cross dressed!)

Btw, on the above, Is this the game for our record attendance at any venue. Think it was over 50,000?

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Great to see the photos again on page 1 .. Love the cross dressing supporters club band (I assume they were cross dressed!)

Btw, on the above, Is this the game or our record attendance at any venue. Think it was over 50,000?

That's correct. 53,043 attendance.