Your Favourite Player

[Leeboy]

As everyone else is starting topics through sheer boredom, I thought I would.

As the title suggests, name your all time favourite player. BUT I want you guys to be honest - it would be easy to say Sir Stanley but I want the player that made an immediate impact on you, the player who made you excited to go back to Roots Hall, the player who you couldn't stop talking about in the school playground etc.

Mine was David Crown - he scored 2 goals in my first ever game and I was hooked.

 

[C C Csiders]

Well, the all-time favourite is, of course, Stan.

But, my first real favourite player that I idolised as a kid was Stuart Parker.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Richard Cadette, for similar reasons. Scored in the first game I went to (vs Scunthorpe) and was a regular scorer during that 85/86 season.

He made a big impression on a six-year-old me

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Andy Ansah for me. The way he could terrorise full-backs despite being so slight & he had a cracking shot on him (from time-to-time).

As mentioned earlier this week, the way the North Bank or our away support used to sing his song was enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

Bretty Angell. Wasn't particuarly quick, not particuarly good in the air - Benji worked a lot harder - but could he score goals...

 

[Benfleetshrimp]

David Crown for me as well.
My first Southend game was also his first game for Southend at Roots Hall. It seemed the bloke just couldnt stop scoring.

Other than David Crown I used to love watching Martin Ling. A very tricky exciting winger.

 

[Stats]

first southend game I saw was Southend vs Birmingham in 1996
we won 3-1

I was sitting in the south lower at the time and in goal for sufc that afternoon was Simon Royce, he made several great saves that afternoon and that was enough for me, I always tried to emulate him whenever i'd play in goal

I even managed to scribble on the school changing room walls ''theres only one simon royce'' for which Angell Delight got the blame for as he was the only person at school who was a known southend fan

True boyhood hero

 

[canveyshrimper]

Billy Best - say no more.

 

[Firestorm]

Billy Best was my first favourite. I had to think about my all time favourite , Stan takes some beating (scuse the pun) But I think Ronnie Pountney shades it.....

 

[DTS]

For me it was Dave Martin....

Never say die attitude - Scored a few goals for a centre back / centre midfielder and never shirked a tackle. Loyal to the club to the end.

I was a centre half and the time and he was the epitome of everything good about an English Centre half.

I talked to him last season at Hornchurch vs Redbridge and despite the fact he was smashed still talked fondly about the club.

 

[Leeboy]

Quote[/b] (Dave the Shrimper @ Dec. 23 2005,12:20)]For me it was Dave Martin....

my very close second choice

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Chris Powell for consistency and loyalty. I can hardly remember him having a bad game, and if he'd moved on sooner then I'm sure that he would have won more England caps. Tilly comes a close second for similar reasons as another player who was Southend to the core.

 

[loz]

Sammy for simillar reasons- consistent, loved the club, didn't moan when Roycey took his place (as far as i can remember), had a great song... legend.

 

[blue sky]

Peter Butler. maybe?
Ricky Otto on his day was great to watch.

 

[Upminster Blue]

Has to be David Crown. I still dream (sad or what

) about his goal against Wigan in 87/88.

Honouable mentions (in no particular order) to Paul Clark, Chris Powell and Stan.

 

[RobM.]

John Kurila for me as a 12 year old. I was always him in the playground matches at lunch-time. Not a fair comparison though. He was a bit bigger than me!

 

[Angell Delight]

Quote[/b] (statski77 @ Dec. 23 2005,12:01)]I even managed to scribble on the school changing room walls ''theres only one simon royce'' for which Angell Delight got the blame for as he was the only person at school who was a known southend fan

At the time I thought I was definitely the only Shrimper in school and at first that scribble was a complete mystery to me but as time went on I started to doubt myself and thought "Well maybe I DID do it!"  - I was threatened with detention by Jonesy for that graffiti as in his view (and everyone elses) I was the ONLY candidate!  

In terms of my fave ever player there's simply too many options to pick from:

David Crown
Peter Butler
Dave Martin
Andy Ansah
Steve Tilson
Brett Angell
Ian Benjamin
Paul Clark
Paul Sansome
Gary Bennett
Stan Collymore
Ricky Otto
Simon Royce

All of these deserved a mention most definitely in my post but I'd have to go for Chrissy Powell. He is the most consistent performer I've ever seen in a Southend shirt and his loyalty was unquestionable. I remember in the mid-90's just before a game at Luton Manchester City were in talks with him and he wasn't going to be risked in our side. Very late in the day the deal fell through over the fee City were prepared to pay and Chrissy was gutted, he loved Southend United but thought this was his one big chance to play in the (then) Premier League. Plenty of other players would have dug their heels in and held the club to ransom but within a matter of hours he was playing the game of his life for us at Luton and we supporters recognised just what a model professional Chrissy was. I was pleased for him when he got his move to Derby and got into the Premier$hite via promotion later that same season.

Does anyone remember a few months after his move when he came back to the Hall with Derby who were then top of Division One and got a magnificent reception when he came out to warm up - infact I seem to recall he came out with a rose and gave it to one of the young female Blues fan in the front row of the West! I was also in the West that day and can remeber Chrissy having a laugh and a joke and "wiggling it" on request from our faithful (I'm sure we all remember the "Chrissy'll wiggle it" chant) at the start of the 2nd half with us 1-0 up. They scored 2 2nd half goals to win the game but I'll always remember the great man's return to the Hall. The fact that he has regularly come back to see us and was also at the LDV Vans Final last season shows he still has a lot of affection for the club and will always be considered by this generation of Blues fans as a legend.

 

[Sao Paulo Shrimper]

Very close this one and too be honest i cant pick one from Dave Martin, Chrissy Powell and Steve Tilson.

All three very loyal, competative and great too watch.

 

[Slipperduke]

Chris Powell without a doubt. He just epitomises everything that a professional footballer should be and he's a bloody nice bloke as well.

A lot of what he does goes unnoticed, which is probably the way he prefers it. I'm told that he spent four hours one Xmas morning in hospital with a terminally ill boy that he'd met and stayed in contact with. Can't top that really

 

[MilkeySUFC]

Chris Powell is my all-time fave, closely followed by Stan, Crown & Angell.