Shrimper in Dagenham..ITS A BEAUTIFUL DAY

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Beefy @ May 15 2006,00:59)]The encouraging thing about any such poll would be that the support for Southend United would be significantly higher.

I think so too. But it has to be accepted that not every football fan in Southend will be totally behind the local team. They might come along to sample the atmosphere, etc. but their primary allegiance will always lie elsewhere ...

 

[prittlewellshrimper]

Quote[/b] (Xàbia Shrimper @ May 14 2006,23:49)]

Quote[/b] (prittlewellshrimper @ May 15 2006,00:42)]but  it isnt spot on FFS    it couldnt be more wrong , were you in Southend yesterday Mike ?   a yes or no is all i want to that question ,please.

No.

But my mother-in-law mentioned just how many "red shirts" were being worn in the High Street yesterday afternoon. Is that okay?

oh right sorry on that evidence i take it all back , put the white flag up and admit that i was in fact in Scouseville -on - sea yesterday . That is laughable , do you write headlines for a tabloid newspaper ? C'mon , read your post back to youself and tell me you have a straight face

That is quality my mother in law said there were lots of red shirts in southend yesterday , oh stop it . are u fishing with that one , i expect better, did you have a dodgy Rioja tonight ?

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Well, you've obviously seen sense ...

 

[prittlewellshrimper]

Quote[/b] (Beefy @ May 14 2006,23:59)]

Quote[/b] (Xàbia Shrimper @ May 14 2006,23:54)]

Quote[/b] (Beefy @ May 15 2006,00:51)]For what its worth and based on 26 years living in this town, I think West Ham are the most supported club in Southend, followed by Southend United, then Liverpool then Spurs.

I seem to remember that was proved a few years ago by a special poll in the Evening Echo. If I remember correctly, about a third of all football fans who lived in Southend supported West Ham United. It would be interesting to do another poll I think ...

The encouraging thing about any such poll would be that the support for Southend United would be significantly higher. Certainly I've never known anything like it. Its not just the match-day attendances either, you can go into Southend any time now and you'll see people walking around in their Southend colours or driving around with their mini-kits in the car window or club flag flying. And the best part of all is the number of kids walking around with their Eastwood or Barrett shirts on.

I never thought I'd see the people of Southend get behind their local club the way they are at the moment.

I agree with you there and that there are true whu fans who live in the area just like any other team in all towns all over the world , however i dont think our attendances / fan base/ general interest is high enough considering the population of the area , but it does appear to be growing which is important of course, i still think we have the poosibilty to grow a lot lot more but that is a long term thing and at the end of the day the seeds are sown by results on the pitch and the success of the team which makes little Johnny aged 14 want to go to watch SUFC instead of whu/spurs and then take his mates and then his children then hs grandchildren then we get big and end up in th Prem which on reflection is not such a great thing as im not sure if i want SUFC to get that big after all as it might not feel like "our " club anymore .! atfer all that , maybe the whu shop wasnt so bad after all , C'mon you Irons !

 

[prittlewellshrimper]

Quote[/b] (Xàbia Shrimper @ May 15 2006,00:05)]Well, you've obviously seen sense ...

hmmmmmm

 

[Prodigal Son]

Quote[/b] (prittlewellshrimper @ May 15 2006,00:03)]

Quote[/b] (Xàbia Shrimper @ May 14 2006,23:49)]

Quote[/b] (prittlewellshrimper @ May 15 2006,00:42)]but  it isnt spot on FFS    it couldnt be more wrong , were you in Southend yesterday Mike ?   a yes or no is all i want to that question ,please.

No.

But my mother-in-law mentioned just how many "red shirts" were being worn in the High Street yesterday afternoon. Is that okay?

oh right  sorry on that evidence i take it all back , put the white flag up and admit that i was in fact in Scouseville -on - sea yesterday .   That is laughable   ,  do you write headlines for a tabloid newspaper ?  C'mon , read your post back to youself and tell me you have a straight face  

    That is quality  my mother in law said there were lots of red shirts in southend yesterday  ,  oh stop it .     are u fishing with that one  , i expect better, did you have a dodgy Rioja tonight ?

I cannot speak for Southend on Sea, but Basildon at the weekend was awash with claret and blue and hardly a red shirt in sight, and just a few navy blue despite Tilly and Freddy signing autographs on Saturday morning in the Eastgate Centre.

That is fact.

Where it is going to get interesting is if we hold our own in the Championship for say three seasons, and WHU should get relegated at the time we get a new stadium there could be a massive switch in allegiance and I could see them with avwerage crowds of 21,000 versus us with say 15,000.

 

[C'mon you Blues]

just read all the arguments. But I just have to say how sweet it is to see so many long faces today. Gerrard should get a knighthood.

By the way my grandfather was from Boston. Should I support them. Of course not.
Apples and pears my arse.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Quote[/b] (C'mon you Blues @ May 15 2006,08:39)]just read all the arguments. But I just have to say how sweet it is to see so many long faces today. Gerrard should get a knighthood.

By the way my grandfather was from Boston. Should I support them. Of course not.
Apples and pears my arse.

Maybe, but strong parental influencing can be difficult to overcome. My Dad was from Yorkshire and wanted me to support Leeds and was doing a pretty good job until he made the mistake of taking me to a place called Roots Hall in 1972.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Quote[/b] (C'mon you Blues @ May 15 2006,08:39)]By the way my grandfather was from Boston. Should I support them. Of course not.

Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox or United?

 

[Einstein]

Quote[/b] (Prodigal Son @ May 15 2006,08:07)]Where it is going to get interesting is if we hold our own in the Championship for say three seasons, and WHU should get relegated at the time we get a new stadium there could be a massive switch in allegiance and I could see them with avwerage crowds of 21,000 versus us with say 15,000.

Have to disagree with that point. Although our average will go up, unfortunately WHU have a very solid fan base now in the East End. They were getting sell outs in the championship and ticket touts at a lot of their games still. Although we might be able to steal the odd couple of thousands, we certainly won't ever affect their attendances.

What we need are ten years of continued success. It is a generation thing that we need to bring through. The majority of Liverpool shirts that I saw out were worn by people who would have been around the age of influencing during Liverpools successful spell of winning the league every year!

 

[Guest]

Our fanbase is growing all around the area - here in Brentwood, I used to own pretty much the only car around with Southend stuff adorning it, now there's a fair few more about. I've also been seeing quite a few SUFC shirts in the high street - and this despite the fact that our local rag seems to deny SUFC's existence....

 

[C'mon you Blues]

Quote[/b] (Uxbridge Shrimper @ May 15 2006,10:22)]

Quote[/b] (C'mon you Blues @ May 15 2006,08:39)]By the way my grandfather was from Boston. Should I support them. Of course not.

Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox or United?

United. He left Boston as a young man, moved to Nottingham then down to London. he started with an electrical engineering firm in the docks as a clerk (next to the seaman's mission at Custom House) Worked his way up to be manging director. Lived in Plaistow. Moved to Chalkwell when he made it, built a house in First Avenue, became a Tory conuncillor and SUFC season ticket holder. He never looked back. So there you are.

PS he was a bit of an old ******* or so I'm told. he died before I got to know him.

Never a thought of him supporting the 'ammers though

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

If W@nk-Ham get relegated next season, we finish mid-table & I would LOVE IT if we go to Upton Park & turn them over like we did to Col Ewes away on 4th March!

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Our target in the next ten years has to be to become the undisputed number one club in our own back yard. I understand the demographics argument, but most of the Shammers I knew growing up were first generation locals who clung to a family history as their reason for not supporting their local club. Most of my family are Gooners, but I was taken to watch Southend at the age of 10 and caught the bug instantly. We need to keep targetting local kids and make a real effort to compete with Premier$hite glory hunting - especially at a time when so many people are being turned off of it by the Abramovich millions.

We're not rivals to Wet Sham in a sporting sense, and we may never be, but that doesn't mean that we have to be subservient to them in any way. I don't see why we should be expected to take crap from glory hunters in our own town be they Shammers, Manure or whatever.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Quote[/b] (Einstein @ May 15 2006,10:23)]They were getting sell outs in the championship and ticket touts at a lot of their games still.  

Not quite true West Ham's average crowd in the Championship season 2004/5 was 27,400 sure their last few games were near sell outs. But even their highest crowd of the season was still not quite a sell out.

Our crowds are growing and loads more kids are supporting Southend United now compared to 1990/1. How high they can go I'm not too sure, but even I thought we would never get an average crowd over 8,000 ever again. Now next season if things don't go too bad we could be looking at a 9,000+ average.

 

[The Artful Shrimper]

I overheard two loud yoofs singing "You'll never walk alone" on Saturday Night c.11.30 in benfleet. This was followed shortly after by the sound of an altercation. Some smashing of glass. And the police soon after.

I am happy to say my wheel rims are still in place though.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (C'mon you Blues @ May 15 2006,08:39)]just read all the arguments. But I just have to say how sweet it is to see so many long faces today. Gerrard should get a knighthood.

By the way my grandfather was from Boston. Should I support them. Of course not.
Apples and pears my arse.

Grandad must be disappointed about losing 6-0 to Texas the other day.

 

[Winkle]

Quote[/b] (Einstein @ May 15 2006,10:23)]

Quote[/b] (Prodigal Son @ May 15 2006,08:07)]Where it is going to get interesting is if we hold our own in the Championship for say three seasons, and WHU should get relegated at the time we get a new stadium there could be a massive switch in allegiance and I could see them with avwerage crowds of 21,000 versus us with say 15,000.

Have to disagree with that point.  Although our average will go up, unfortunately WHU have a very solid fan base now in the East End.  They were getting sell outs in the championship and ticket touts at a lot of their games still.   Although we might be able to steal the odd couple of thousands, we certainly won't ever affect their attendances.

What we need are ten years of continued success.  It is a generation thing that we need to bring through.  The majority of Liverpool shirts that I saw out were worn by people who would have been around the age of influencing during Liverpools successful spell of winning the league every year!

Just to add my two pennath, totally agree with you, what S.U.F.C need is several years of sustand success to give our selves a chance of attracting new supporters but it is a sad realisation that we will never generate the support of our claret & blue rivals! But from little accorns........