Time to grow up?

[Bolton Shrimper]

I am 40 years old and have supported the Shrimpers for 34 years. I am as passionate now as I was as a 7 year old. Although sitting in the East Yellows with my son, now in his third year as a ST holder we love getting behind the team and trying to get the atmosphere at the hall going. We are currently on our hols and therefore missed the first three games but are looking forward to seeing the team on Saturday. Our enthusiasm has increased from reading all the positive feedback on here re the first two league games. It has been further increased by the news that BC red card has rightly overturned, thus leading to me and my son dancing round the lounge of our apartment singing Barry Corr songs. My wife on hearing this asked me whether I felt that I was too old to be singing songs about a player who is young enough to be my son? My wife is a very understanding women who rearranges our lives around football, this holiday aside, but she just doesn't understand my passion for all things SUFC, I mean she understands my passion for the club I love and support, but not my love for the players. Do you think we ever get too old to still be dancing around your house singing songs about football players? For me, I don't think so!

Been singing and dancing since the age of 7.Firstly about Johnny Baber, Billy Best & Joe Jaques etc. Still do about Freddy, BBBC etc....................It will never stop !!!

 

[Strykr]

My wife cant understand why I don't watch Brighton as its our local team and they have a better stadium and players etc. She does not understand how I can love men such as Freddy and BBBC who are younger than me and she does not understand why I get so irate when I see Orient on the TV etc. She cant understand the idea of driving for 90 mins each way for 90 mins football.

Same here mate, im down sussex way and have been for ten years or so, my mrs hates football but says things like "great that brighton won" and cannot understand why i couldnt give two figs about the gulls and their new stadium and success,

There is an undeniable kinship between us loyal lower league supporters, at heart we know we are a bit tin pot but it makes it so much more real and satisfying when we have our brief glimpses of success. We can take as much pleasure about reminiscing of our promotion winning teams as our abysmal barrington belgrave/sweatband broughton seasons. supporting southend echoes our real lives, some mediocrity, some utter highs and deep lows. It's real, I often wonder about some foreign sugar daddy taking over the club, and bank rolling us to the prem, i guarantee as much as we'd love it, a lot of us would still be hankering after that last minute goal win vs northampton on a freezing january eve with 4000 hardcore in the stands.

Its real and thats why I love it, I supported liverpool and southend as a kid. liverpool for the glamour, southend for the reality.

Southend till I die is bandied around a lot, but i know for us its completely true!

 

[* ORM *]

For chants there was nothing better in the old days especially if the North has gone quiet for a copper to walk around the edge of the pitch with someone starting Old Macdonald had a farm. That generally got things going again

 

[turkishm]

At 68, my southend Saturdays mean more to me than they ever did. Although now I sit in Calis Beach bars in front of my comp with a sea of ManCity, Unt, Chelsea, and so on around me. I am often asked, is hard work supporting a club like Southend, and well yes there have been more bad days than good, is my reply, but this club is where my heart is, how can that ever change.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

Best club in the world to support, made most of my best pals through the club in some way shape or form spent fortunes, had a crown court trial (not guilty) and every time i go past Roots Hall i smile like a cheshire cat. I also take losing personally, anyone who scored more than once against us and despise any team that beats us with a dodgy decision or againmore than once. We have had so many ups and downs but nothing will change the bond between a true fan it his football club its really like a family.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

PS: The first thing i say to any new women in my life is "dont ever expect me to give up the football darling" set the stall out and all that...

 

[Bobby dazzler]

I'm 48 today and like a kid in a sweet shop. The passion never goes it just matures. Marriage and Kids try to interfere with our love of the Blues but we find a way round it. Work took me abroad for years and I still managed to get to half the home games during this time. Leaving Holland at four in the morning to watch the blues was normal and returning on the Sunday was my weekend. My son got into watching Ajax but Southend was still his team. I sat there watching Ajax, wishing I was at the Hall (it just doesn't go away).
The only concession I make to the wife is giving up away games. (Orient last season doesn't count obviously).
i remember with fondness completing the old 92 grounds (82 with Southend) but don't miss Halifax on a wet Tuesday night,Carlisle at any time,Or any of the Grimsby games the year they kept getting cancelled and on the third attempt the hardy few of us there wished we hadnt (those few who were there know what I mean)

Anyway its match day and the excitement is building