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Pride & Style: The season finale

Last updated : 01 May 2009 By Dad of Dave the Shrimper

SOUTHAMPTON AWAY


Southampton had been selling tickets for this match for some time, and most if not all of the 3,500 Southend ticket holders would had bought tickets prior to being relegated, and there were doubts how many people would turn up on the day, these doubts were unfounded, our following was tremendous.

It was an early kick off, trains were difficult, so I decided to go by coach, a friend driving from near Roots Hall to pick me up in Hullbridge and then driving back to Roots Hall to pick up the coaches. We set off eight coaches in all and it had been agreed we would all meet up at a service station close to Southampton. There was also a stretch limousine full of shrimpers who were arranging a flag stretched over the back window. Well done lads, nothing like doing it in style. We were escorted by the police to the ground.


It was a 32,000 sell out at the St Mary's stadium on what was a special day for them, firstly because a win would put them in the play offs, but also because local and national hero Alan Ball had died. We were housed on the corner, flanked on both sides by noisy chanting Southampton fans, we were in a carnival mood many fans in fancy dress.


The game started and unbelievably we took the lead after only 13 minutes, we should have made it two but Southampton pulled it level before half time. Almost before the second half got under way we found ourselves 1-2 down. Now you can go out of the division without a whimper or you can seize the moment to make your point and that is the route we chose. Rather than quietening us, the goal encouraged us and more and more people were on their feet keeping the atmosphere going. As the game came to its final stages you could only here us, Southampton fans were silent.

We went 1-3 down but the noise and the chanting got louder and louder from our fans. Southampton got a fourth which sent us into an absolute frenzy, every one of our 3,500 fans seemed to be on their feet, Southampton fans just looked on in amazement. The final whistle came, our players came over to applaud us, the Southampton fans also applauded us, we applauded them and we left them to celebrate reaching the play offs.


As we waited at the coaches virtually every Southampton fan that passed us clapped us and we returned the compliment. As we drove through the City the same happened as Southampton fans stopped and clapped as the eight coaches went by. It was a wonderful feeling, it had been a wonderful day, relegation isn't meant to be like this is it?


PRIDE & STYLE


I was born in Southend and love the place and the football club. I don't know why, I can't explain I just do. I started watching Blues in the early 60s, boring stuff really not the passion of today, nobody believed we would go above Div 3 and inconceivable that we would ever be relegated, you just went out of routine if you had nothing better to do.

Then in 1966 the unbelievable happened we were relegated, we couldn't believe it. Six long years before we eventually regained our status, then 20 years of ups and downs, before Mr. Webb arrived. A brief glance at the big time before finishing bottom twice and the doom and gloom of the bottom Division.


The highs of all this period, 10-1, 9-0, 7-0 cup victories, 80-1 Championship season and a few half decent seasons. The lows too many to even think about. So were we proud of Southend? Of course we were, as first stated, don't know why we just were.

Like every other supporter in the country, we were just proud of our club. What ever your views on Tilly and Brush, life under them certainly hasn't been boring. I believe that Sunday's game has given me more pride than any other


Posted on Shrimperzone 9 May 2007


DONCASTER AWAY

I was making my start from Rayleigh Weir, travelling into Southend before making our way westwards, and to be honest the traffic in South East Essex was bad enough and our 10 minutes head start made little difference, we were soon overtaking and being overtaken by the numerous Trust coaches as we headed up the M11. We pulled into services just outside Peterborough just after 4.30 with already about 15 other Southend coaches there already. It was amazing to see so many Southend fans there but the stop was brief, by 5.00 all the coaches were on the way again some barely having stopped for 5 minutes.

 

By this time it was raining hard, and we were a little concerned when we headed along the motorway and saw at least five of our coaches heading in the opposite directions, we turned off and headed back in pursuit of the pack of coaches, after a while we passed some familiar sights, sights we had seen some 20 minutes earlier, but at least we were now heading in the right direction, all part of the pre match rituals. About 7.00 we arrived in the outskirts of Donny, but were directed into a side street where we held by the police for about 15 minutes till they had collected about half a dozen coaches which they escorted to the ground.

 

It was gone 7.15 as we approached the ground but were quickly through the turnstiles, huge queues for food, but for most of us it was getting in and soaking up the atmosphere, not something to eat!  As we went in the noise already coming from our fans was tremendous, drowning out the loud speaker instead of vice versa as is usually the case. Our seats were right behind the goal, three rows back, balloons were plonked in our hands and we joined in the flag waving and singing. Ron Martin paraded in front of us, waving to the crowd, shaking hands, lapping it up, and why not?

 

Then came the game, oh dear. In the 8th minute we hit the bar when we should have scored, and frankly that was our challenge over. Three minutes later we were harshly treated when Doncaster were awarded a penalty from which they of course scored. By half time we were 0-3 down, but our fans were still in good voice. As we came out for the second half the optimistic chant was "we're going to win 4-3" but this had to change when after 52 minutes Doncaster scored again.

 

Something remarkable happened then, we were all shell shocked and didn't know how to react, but one lad a little in front of us seized the opportunity, and started to do the conga, followed by three or four of his mates, suddenly lads were coming down from the back to join in, soon the whole area at the front of the seats was one heaving mass of celebrating away fans. The noise levels went to unbelievable levels, from us anyway, the Doncaster fans were silent, time after time on TV apparently they made reference to our fans. Donny made it 0-5 so we just partied harder, with two minutes to go we scored and we went absolutely crazy, but despite all this fun, our season was over, Doncaster were going to Wembley.

 

The Doncaster fans invaded the pitch and then massed in front our fans separated only by a line of stewards and police, but they weren't there to cause trouble but to congratulate us the fans, mind you we deserved it. Eventually we left the stadium, as did the Donny fans, but no confrontations, it was backslapping and flag waving, some even appeared to swop shirts. The coaches were parked two abreast down a dark alleyway and as we made our way down this alleyway it made you appreciate just how many fans had come by coach. We had to walk past all the other coaches before finding ours at the front of the queue. Eventually we lad the convoy out of Doncaster and arrived indoors by 2.30 a.m. Due to the tight schedule, we hadn't had time for anything to eat or even time for a pint, in fact with free coaches and tickets in advance, I had virtually paid nothing for the whole day out.