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Memory Lane Worst ever away match
- Thread starter Shrimp and two veg
- Start date
Lincoln away, April 2000.
Two mid-table teams with nothing to play for and sometimes that loosens up teams and allows them to play with freedom. That didn't happen here.
Instead we were subjected to two teams already mentally on holiday, playing out the dreariest, dullest, most insipid encounter conceivable.
Apparently Lincoln scored the only goal of the game after 10 minutes. I'd probably already fallen asleep by then. The half-time whistle came as a relief. Following Southend away has induced much despair over the years and as bad as losing 5-0 at Carlisle was (VERY!) none was as bad as the despair at the sheer futility of this game.
Two mid-table teams with nothing to play for and sometimes that loosens up teams and allows them to play with freedom. That didn't happen here.
Instead we were subjected to two teams already mentally on holiday, playing out the dreariest, dullest, most insipid encounter conceivable.
Apparently Lincoln scored the only goal of the game after 10 minutes. I'd probably already fallen asleep by then. The half-time whistle came as a relief. Following Southend away has induced much despair over the years and as bad as losing 5-0 at Carlisle was (VERY!) none was as bad as the despair at the sheer futility of this game.
Another Surrey Shrimper
Life President
How the other half live!
Actually I'll put that Oxford game as third worst. Grimsby when we thought we were promoted but weren't comes in at number 2 and worst for me was 4 years ago when I arrived at Newport and got a text saying 'come to Southend Hospital as your Dad is about to die'. I paid to go into the ground as I really needed a wee and a photo to prove I'd been there then started the 5 hour journey East. He outlived Lou Reed by a week so that is some consolation....
Shrimp and two veg
Youth Team
In need of a stiff drink after reading these replies :sad::omg: i listened to BBC Essex for the Grimsby game and that was depressing enough just on the radio. I recall the thread on here after the game, little northern chavs spitting on our fans out of the ground and a pitch invasion near the end
kaymac
Coach
That was the worst week of football I can remember, Gillingham followed by Notts County. As for Aylesbury, did you have to remind us....aarrgghh, embarrassingly terrible....it was called one of the giant-killings of the round on the tv highlights.
Also a horrendous drubbing 6-2 at Aldershot in late '84.....
Another Surrey Shrimper
Life President
the ref ended the game a couple of minutes early rather than have to deal with fans on the pitch. Lucky we had nothing riding on it.....
Tangled up in Blue
Certified Senior Citizen⭐🦐
Ha! That was when it rained most of the second half on what was an open terrace in those days.Cue for "always look on the bright side of life."
overseas shrimper
Life President⭐🦐
Oh yeah... the Grimsby game. Was over from Malta for that. An agonising experience. This gets my no. 2 spot.
Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset
Director⭐⭐🦐
Aylesbury - but that's too painful to dwell on.
Cutting and pasting from the good book, this one ran it close:
"PRENTON PARK, Tranmere Rovers 2 Southend United 0, Division Four, Friday 26 April 1985
Have you ever been to an away game to forget? For me it was Tranmere away on a Friday night in April 1985. Southend were really poor that year (again), attendances were often less than 2,000, the match programme was made of what looked to be low grade toilet paper (unused), and Trevor Whymark was in the team earning some pennies before his knees gave up completely. League form was appalling, and a win at Prenton Park became vital to stave off an embarrassing re-election application.
Being in Bristol, Tranmere away seemed almost local. And my old Uni mate and Tranny fan Brian was up there, so a few beers and a match together seemed like a good idea. Wrong.
The car wouldn't start. No problem, I caught the bus to the bottom of the M32 and started hitching. Not a bad trip up, I recall about three lifts got me there and that the drivers weren't too odd. Getting to the Wirral in good time I knock on Brian's door (his Mum's) only to be told that he had got an interview in Oxford that day and had naffed-off down south for a few days. Life before mobile phones was a mess.
Never mind, his Mum welcomed me in, made me some dinner and then set me off to walk to the ground via a recommended pub. "You'll find Brian's brother Frank in there; he'll buy you a pint." Pub found I enter a depressing scene, plenty of folk around but mostly all sitting apart cuddling a lonesome pint in what was a soul-less dump. Through the smoky haze I try to spot Brian's brother, realising that I actually didn't know what he looked like. I buy my own pint and stare into it - blue, red and white Southend knitted scarf aside I thought it seemed safest to try and blend in and copy everyone else. No one called Frank declared themselves, but I didn't want to risk rejection and ask anyone either. I spotted a juke box and thought about trying to liven the place up with a tune. I remember being really tempted to play “Winner Takes It All" by Abba but thought better of it, and instead just supped up and left. I wonder if that pub is still there and if so whether anyone inside has moved.
The ground wasn't far and easy to spot with the floodlights glaring - just as well as if I'd tried to follow the crowd I suspect I'd have been more likely to end up at the local chippy. Just 1,072 entered Prenton Park that night. Away fans (around a couple of dozen I think) were housed on a side terrace. But that's about all I can remember of the game or the ground, I know we were dire, we often were then, and lived up to expectations by losing 2-0.
Coming out of Prenton Park, not knowing anyone and deciding it would be healthier for the spirit to stay out of the pubs, I go back to Brian's. His Mum had forgotten I was staying that night and had gone to bed. I manage to wake her up, and several others in the street too, by shouting through the letter box, and am given a sofa for the night.
Tea and toast in the morning, Frank was levered out of his pit by his Mum and instructed to drive me to a suitable hitching-point off the M53. Probably still full of Newcastle Brown Ale, a chain-smoking Frank beckons me to follow as he staggers to his car and duly obliges with the lift, made in total silence aside from the clanking of a loose exhaust and his fag-induced coughing fits. Some four hours later, about 28 hours after setting off, I get back to Bristol.
What a waste of time. Brian told me afterwards that I should have stood in the Cow Sheds for the ultimate fan experience – being a visiting fan aside it didn’t sound too enticing; perhaps like the local pubs it was an acquired taste."
Yep, Aylesbury was much much worse than that
Cutting and pasting from the good book, this one ran it close:
"PRENTON PARK, Tranmere Rovers 2 Southend United 0, Division Four, Friday 26 April 1985
Have you ever been to an away game to forget? For me it was Tranmere away on a Friday night in April 1985. Southend were really poor that year (again), attendances were often less than 2,000, the match programme was made of what looked to be low grade toilet paper (unused), and Trevor Whymark was in the team earning some pennies before his knees gave up completely. League form was appalling, and a win at Prenton Park became vital to stave off an embarrassing re-election application.
Being in Bristol, Tranmere away seemed almost local. And my old Uni mate and Tranny fan Brian was up there, so a few beers and a match together seemed like a good idea. Wrong.
The car wouldn't start. No problem, I caught the bus to the bottom of the M32 and started hitching. Not a bad trip up, I recall about three lifts got me there and that the drivers weren't too odd. Getting to the Wirral in good time I knock on Brian's door (his Mum's) only to be told that he had got an interview in Oxford that day and had naffed-off down south for a few days. Life before mobile phones was a mess.
Never mind, his Mum welcomed me in, made me some dinner and then set me off to walk to the ground via a recommended pub. "You'll find Brian's brother Frank in there; he'll buy you a pint." Pub found I enter a depressing scene, plenty of folk around but mostly all sitting apart cuddling a lonesome pint in what was a soul-less dump. Through the smoky haze I try to spot Brian's brother, realising that I actually didn't know what he looked like. I buy my own pint and stare into it - blue, red and white Southend knitted scarf aside I thought it seemed safest to try and blend in and copy everyone else. No one called Frank declared themselves, but I didn't want to risk rejection and ask anyone either. I spotted a juke box and thought about trying to liven the place up with a tune. I remember being really tempted to play “Winner Takes It All" by Abba but thought better of it, and instead just supped up and left. I wonder if that pub is still there and if so whether anyone inside has moved.
The ground wasn't far and easy to spot with the floodlights glaring - just as well as if I'd tried to follow the crowd I suspect I'd have been more likely to end up at the local chippy. Just 1,072 entered Prenton Park that night. Away fans (around a couple of dozen I think) were housed on a side terrace. But that's about all I can remember of the game or the ground, I know we were dire, we often were then, and lived up to expectations by losing 2-0.
Coming out of Prenton Park, not knowing anyone and deciding it would be healthier for the spirit to stay out of the pubs, I go back to Brian's. His Mum had forgotten I was staying that night and had gone to bed. I manage to wake her up, and several others in the street too, by shouting through the letter box, and am given a sofa for the night.
Tea and toast in the morning, Frank was levered out of his pit by his Mum and instructed to drive me to a suitable hitching-point off the M53. Probably still full of Newcastle Brown Ale, a chain-smoking Frank beckons me to follow as he staggers to his car and duly obliges with the lift, made in total silence aside from the clanking of a loose exhaust and his fag-induced coughing fits. Some four hours later, about 28 hours after setting off, I get back to Bristol.
What a waste of time. Brian told me afterwards that I should have stood in the Cow Sheds for the ultimate fan experience – being a visiting fan aside it didn’t sound too enticing; perhaps like the local pubs it was an acquired taste."
Yep, Aylesbury was much much worse than that
Voice of Reason
First XI
Remember it well as arrived back from Dominican Republic the day before and it was so cold I almost passed out
Massimo Giovanni
Old Timer⭐⭐🦐
Rochdale last season was a shocker that I have been trying to forget.
Vinny the Shrimper
Youth Team
Doncaster away in the 2nd leg of the play offs, lost 5-1 and the coach broke down on the way home!
The Big Dady
¡Viva la Kevolución! ⭐️ ⭐️
But we had great away support up there, I really enjoyed it apart from the result.
mattitouk
Life President
Another Vote for MK away at the National Hockey Stadium.
Me and my older brother went to that one!...Oooh my days... I think even an Eskimo would have bottled that trip in hindsight to stay warm. If you weren't there, you couldn't imagine it, what with the wind chill factor on that open steep terrace, it hurt just to breathe, let alone cheer our team on.
To make matters worse after losing, we somehow got lost leaving MK and then broke down on the motorway through the engine ironically overheating, and had to stop in a lay by every few miles to let the car cool down & had a top speed of about 40 miles an hour all the way back to Westcliff!!.......Took bloody ages, I can tell you!!...I guess that's what you get for buying a clapped out 1976 Ford Fiesta for £50 from the ad's page in the Yellow Advertiser!!... I would like to add it was my brothers car, not mine!.. I was suspicious when it arrived towed to our house, and when opening the boot hatch, you could see the road tarmac below!...Lucky for us on the day in question, the only thing it had going for it was its car heaters, they produced the same energy output as Chinese coal mines!!..It was practically a nuclear thermo reactor strapped to 4 wheels (probably why the engine kept over heating.)
Oddly, that match came up in conversation a while back, when I mentioned i was off to Canada in a few weeks time. It was generally agreed that after that experience, i'm well prepared for those Canadian arctic conditions after that game.
Me and my older brother went to that one!...Oooh my days... I think even an Eskimo would have bottled that trip in hindsight to stay warm. If you weren't there, you couldn't imagine it, what with the wind chill factor on that open steep terrace, it hurt just to breathe, let alone cheer our team on.
To make matters worse after losing, we somehow got lost leaving MK and then broke down on the motorway through the engine ironically overheating, and had to stop in a lay by every few miles to let the car cool down & had a top speed of about 40 miles an hour all the way back to Westcliff!!.......Took bloody ages, I can tell you!!...I guess that's what you get for buying a clapped out 1976 Ford Fiesta for £50 from the ad's page in the Yellow Advertiser!!... I would like to add it was my brothers car, not mine!.. I was suspicious when it arrived towed to our house, and when opening the boot hatch, you could see the road tarmac below!...Lucky for us on the day in question, the only thing it had going for it was its car heaters, they produced the same energy output as Chinese coal mines!!..It was practically a nuclear thermo reactor strapped to 4 wheels (probably why the engine kept over heating.)
Oddly, that match came up in conversation a while back, when I mentioned i was off to Canada in a few weeks time. It was generally agreed that after that experience, i'm well prepared for those Canadian arctic conditions after that game.
Spaceman Spiff
Spiff sets his ray gun to ‘liquefy’ ⭐🦐
Can’t remember what year, but it was Port Vale in the 90’s. We got stuffed 5-0 and the supporters coach was a morgue on the way home. No wireless hand held interweb thingy to occupy us on the way home, just our own misery!
Ex-Member1
Full Back
3 stick in my mind, Brentford away in the 1960s 1-6, and the first match I took my son to in the 1970s, Brizzle Rovers away 0-4. Norwich away in FA Cup in 1950s 0-4 with all goals coming early in first half was embarrassing, and I had my bobble hat snatched from my head by a canary fan too! Such memories!
,
,
Ex-Member1
Full Back
It was in the league v Norwich actually, in the middle of their great cup run so their tails were up.
AndyT
Lord of the Reedy River
I was at that game. It was mid-90's and I think we'd been on an unbeaten run of about 8 games, going in to the match, IIRC.
Took us an hour to get out of the ground/car park, afterwards, as well. :thumbdown:
Edit : 5th November 1994
Last edited:
jassyfa1
Manager
Definitely my worst away game, started work at 5am finished at 2pm then drove my new XR2 up to Derby with my 2 mates in tow. I knew it was going to be dodgy when people would walk out of a pub and offer us all out for a fight. As for the game,well we were a joke the worst I have ever seen Southend play. On the way home my battery light come on and I had no idea back then that that was a bad thing. Managed to get home ok although watching the player coach drive by with the players laughing and joking didn’t help. Next day the car packed up.
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