Memory Lane Worst ever match you saw at Roots Hall

[Spaceman Spiff]

I was just looking at the other ‘best ever memory at RH’ thread, and it got me thinking about those goppingly bad, mind bogglingly spirit crushing home defeats that we’ve made such a glorious habit of at times down the years. I hope you’ve had your dinner and are wearing strong underwear before you consider your responses to this one guys n gals.

For me, the one that comes galloping to mind was an utterly turgid 3-0 home defeat to Halifax Town, 17th February 2001 (ironically, 17 years to the day before our home match against Pompey this weekend - I hope that’s not an omen!). That was in David Webb’s second spell too! Halifax were utter, utter gash but for some reason we played like we’d never heard of the game of football before. Shocking.

 

[Benfleet A1]

FA Cup game against Chester in the very late 70's or very early 80's. A 4 nil tonking I'd rather forget.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I was just looking at the other ‘best ever memory at RH’ thread, and it got me thinking about those goppingly bad, mind bogglingly spirit crushing home defeats that we’ve made such a glorious habit of at times down the years. I hope you’ve had your dinner and are wearing strong underwear before you consider your responses to this one guys n gals.

For me, the one that comes galloping to mind was an utterly turgid 3-0 home defeat to Halifax Town, 17th February 2001 (ironically, 17 years to the day before our home match against Pompey this weekend - I hope that’s not an omen!). That was in David Webb’s second spell too! Halifax were utter, utter gash but for some reason we played like we’d never heard of the game of football before. Shocking.

Webby's second spell finished in 1992, so maybe we'll be ok next Saturday.

A 4-0 defeat to Watford under Spud c1995, when they had an injury crisis and had to play a full-back up front. He promptly got a hat-trick. One of their goals came from a free-kick when two players ran into each other. Watford broke away and scored.

A 2-0 defeat to Boston on a Tuesday night in 2003. We had Drewe Broughton up front. I think that was the match Maher tried to commit a professional foul on the half-way line and missed. Wignall didn't last much longer.

A 2-1 defeat to Chester in the FA Cup in about 2014. They were bottom of the conference at the time. I think it might have been our only home defeat to a lower division side in the FA Cup. Painful.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Webby's second spell finished in 1992, so maybe we'll be ok next Saturday.

Maybe it was a third spell then. Either way, the date and manager are correct so the omen remains.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

FA Cup game against Chester in the very late 70's or very early 80's. A 4 nil tonking I'd rather forget.

Agreed. It was the first match that came to mind. We were never in it, and, if memory serves, against an average side.

 

[AndyT]

The most dire match I witnessed has to be a 0-0 draw at home to Stockport County. I looked it up and it was on 13th December 1986.

Ironically, only one week earlier was the 4-4 FA Cup match against Northampton Town, which is up there in my top 5 greatest matches.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

A 2-1 defeat to Chester in the FA Cup in about 2014. They were bottom of the conference at the time. I think it might have been our only home defeat to a lower division side in the FA Cup. Painful.

We were beaten 0-1 at home by Kingstonion in 2001 which was the first game of football GYS Jnr was forced to witness.

FA Cup game against Chester in the very late 70's or very early 80's. A 4 nil tonking I'd rather forget.

This game instantly sprang to mind. The youngsters today do not have a clue as to how good supporting this club has been for the last 15 years.

 

[kaymac]

2-5 at home to Notts County in 1970 after leading somehow 2-1 at ht....shambolic.

 

[IainMacintosh]

Southend - Halifax. I think it was 1998. I'd been away at Uni (Art College) and it was my first game in a year. I'd really looked forward to a trip to Roots Hall. I'd missed it. I was excited. And then Halifax turned up. And from the first minute to the last...nothing happened. Nothing at all. Barely a shot off target. It was like root canal surgery. They didn't want to play. We weren't good enough to play. It was awful. And then I went back to Uni (Art College) and I didn't see Southend again for ages.

And strike me down for I deserve it, when Halifax went under I didn't shed a tear.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Countless F.A Cup defeats to non league opposition....pretty much as above :blush:

 

[kaymac]

Countless F.A Cup defeats to non league opposition....pretty much as above :blush:

Including 1-0 to Doncaster Rovers in 1998.

 

[fbm]

Webby's second spell finished in 1992, so maybe we'll be ok next Saturday.

A 4-0 defeat to Watford under Spud c1995, when they had an injury crisis and had to play a full-back up front. He promptly got a hat-trick. One of their goals came from a free-kick when two players ran into each other. Watford broke away and scored.

A 2-0 defeat to Boston on a Tuesday night in 2003. We had Drewe Broughton up front. I think that was the match Maher tried to commit a professional foul on the half-way line and missed. Wignall didn't last much longer.

A 2-1 defeat to Chester in the FA Cup in about 2014. They were bottom of the conference at the time. I think it might have been our only home defeat to a lower division side in the FA Cup. Painful.

Don't think so. Kingstonian and Doncaster spring to mind.

 

[fbm]

2-5 at home to Notts County in 1970 after leading somehow 2-1 at ht....shambolic.

To be fair, they were runaway league leaders of division 4 at the time.

 

[fbm]

I remember a dreadful, dreadful game v Port Vale in the 1970's where we lost 3-1 at home. We were AWFUL and every time we got the ball, we passed to one of their players.

I also recall a pretty boring defeat by Crewe in the first season under Sturrock. I brought my 10 year old step daughter along as she was into football and playing for Leigh Ramblers girls. It wasn't the first time and she had only seen us lose up to that point.

At 2-0 down midway through an utterly dreadful second half where we just couldn't do anything at all, she asked me if I went every week. I said I was a season ticket holder so yes, I tried to go to as many games as I could.

She simply replied, "Do you think this is fun?"

Cue laughter and merriment from the people sat around me in the family stand. I had no response really.

 

[Lord Football]

The most dire match I witnessed has to be a 0-0 draw at home to Stockport County. I looked it up and it was on 13th December 1986.

Yes, that would be up there. I had a driving lesson which I cut short to get to the game. They were bottom(ish) and I was hoping we'd get a hatful of goals. I don't think either side had a shot. A similar game, v Stoke, in 1994 sticks out as just as bad.

Also, a 0-3 defeat to Wrexham on a Thursday night. Paddy's Night, 87. I had a choice of a Pogues gig or the football, and chose the footy. And we were dire. A month later we played Wolves in that game.

 

[Firestorm]

To be honest I dont remember poor games.
Some periods. 1986, Dick Bate, Peter Morris , Alvin Martin are just a blur....

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Southend v Bournemouth in '83. George Best was playing for the Cherries but sadly was unfit and uninterested - the other 21 players on the pitch were just dire. Stretched out on the South Bank and fell asleep.

 

[ExiledShrimpa]

I was just looking at the other ‘best ever memory at RH’ thread, and it got me thinking about those goppingly bad, mind bogglingly spirit crushing home defeats that we’ve made such a glorious habit of at times down the years. I hope you’ve had your dinner and are wearing strong underwear before you consider your responses to this one guys n gals.

For me, the one that comes galloping to mind was an utterly turgid 3-0 home defeat to Halifax Town, 17th February 2001 (ironically, 17 years to the day before our home match against Pompey this weekend - I hope that’s not an omen!). That was in David Webb’s second spell too! Halifax were utter, utter gash but for some reason we played like we’d never heard of the game of football before. Shocking.

ha ha yes one I could mention - having moved to Sheffield in 1997 I decided to drag my Northern chums down to Southend to meet with Southend chums for my Stag weekend in April 2000. It was our dark period when we were consistently in the lower reaches of what is now League 2.

The game against York was a dull 0-0 draw with sweet FA goalmouth action, one of my mates swears that Scotty Houghton had his boots on the wrong feet as everytime he kicked the ball it went the opposite way to where it should have!

The following week I had another Stag do for all the lads who couldn't make the Southend trip and we were treated to the prospect of seeing the Blues again this time at Rotherham, who were pushing for promotion. Again it was a rather dull 0-0 with the mightly Blues defending stoutly for most of the game. The only two memories I can really recall was a great save by Mel Capleton and David Morley lashing the ball into the Rotherham standing section of their main stand at Millmoor as a clearance and annoying one local who made gestures at him for the remainder of the game.

That was two games in two weeks introducing people to the Blues for the first time and 0 effing goals in 180 minutes of rather dull football!

 

[usa_shrimper]

To be honest I dont remember poor games.
Some periods. 1986, Dick Bate, Peter Morris , Alvin Martin are just a blur....

My first thought was any game under Alvin Martin, i believe a loss to Mansfield was right up there along with 45 mins v Mansfield when the ref passed away being a pretty sad day at roots hall...

 

[AndyT]

Yes, that would be up there. I had a driving lesson which I cut short to get to the game. They were bottom(ish) and I was hoping we'd get a hatful of goals. I don't think either side had a shot. A similar game, v Stoke, in 1994 sticks out as just as bad.

That was it. Not a single shot on goal, apart from a John Gymer effort about 5 minutes before the end, that sailed up into the South Bank. Both teams just hoofing it aimlessly up and down the pitch.