Saturday 6th October 1923
SOUTHEND UNITED 0-0 MILLWALL
Millwall came to the Kursaal with very negative hard aggressive tactics, trying to spoil the game and they succeeded in so far as they gained a point, but in the 1920s this sort of behaviour was not acceptable, and a protest was sent to the F.A. It wasn't helped by the fact that the referee had only been a linesman the previous week at a reserve match at the Kursaal. Victor Whitham who had scored seven goals in nine games was badly injured during this game and was virtually a passenger in the second half. He missed the next four games, played only another thirteen games all season and scored just three more goals for the club.
DIFFERENCE IN PHYSIQUE
When the team entered the arena spectators were immediately struck with the difference in the physique of the two elevens. The Millwall defence was composed of men who must have been in the neighbourhood of six feet, while the forward line also possessed plenty of height and weight. Southend who had to discard their familiar blue jerseys owing to the similarity of colours looked striplings in their striped jerseys by comparison. Ever since I can recall Millwall, even to the days at East Ferry Road, they have invariably gone in for big players
There were many casualties during the match and the United were the chief sufferers Goodwin, Whitham, Dorey, Hodge, Slater and Edwards were all laid out in turn and the two former were so badly shaken and injured that their subsequent play largely suffered. The referee allowed Goodwin in particularly badly treated. Several ties he had his legs swept away from under him and it was evident that he never really recovered from the fouls perpetrated to him in the first quarter of an hour. Shortly afterwards he half fainted and had to leave the field for a time. Still he played pluckily.
From the Southend Standard 11th October 1923
The second team lost their second game of the season 0-1 at Millwall
PROTEST TO THE F.A.
Apparently feeling is very strong in some quarters as to the conduct of the Millwall game, on Saturday and Mr. Cliff Lester the well known entertainer has forwarded the following letter to the Secretary of the Football Association and has also sent a copy to Millwall FC.
Dear Sir, in the match Southend v Millwall on Saturday last at Southend, the home team suffered from a referee weak in the matter of fouls for he allowed the visitors to injure home players frequently (and quite early on necessitating the best forwards to retire temporary) without any admonition whatever in fact at times I don't think he would have even awarded free kicks but for the clamour of the crowd.
Now at Millwall next Saturday Southend supporters present will be but a fraction of the audience and fouls for the home team will not be "noticed" by the local supporters (judging from my experience amongst them last season) therefore Southend (or any other team that endeavours to play a clean game if possible) will stand a little chance of winning against such methods as Millwall apparently adopt.
If the latter is considered football by Millwall and played accordingly it is small wonder that they stand high up in their league table, as few opposing players would want to risk serious injury from them. What is particularly needed next Saturday is a referee strong on the question of deliberate fouls and he should give the combined players a few words of warning before the start.
From the Southend Standard 11th October 1923
CONDUCT OF GAMES
Sir - Is it not time that members of the Football Association visited all grounds in turn with a view to seeing the quality and ability of men they place in control of matches? I recently witnessed a Third Division match where one team took the field obviously with the intention of preventing the other by fair means or foul from playing football and needless to say there were more foul means than fair employed, with the result that owing to the referee the game developed into an exhibition of kicking, hacking and foul charging.
From the Southend Standard 11th October 1923
Saturday 13th October 1923
MILLWALL 0-0 SOUTHEND UNITED
Millwall had been sitting third in the league with a 100% home record prior to this games and a crowd of 20,000 turned up.
OUT OF THE LION'S DEN
For the first time this season the United gained a point away from home on Saturday, at the expense of Millwall. It was also the initial occasion upon which the Lions, as the Millwall team are called had failed to take the full points from their matches at the Den. There was a good contingent of Southend supporters at New Cross. There was also the fact that perhaps in consequence of certain criticism anent the Kursaal encounter. Mr. F. J. Wall, the secretary of the F.A. was present. The game therefore had a little added interest and was not likely to be spoilt by rough or unfair tackles.
From the Southend Standard 18th October 1923
At the Kursaal the reserves met Millwall reserves and won 2-1 in front of a crowd of about 4,000, the win kept Southend at the top of the London Combination
This may seem now like a lot of fuss over nothing but at the time it was quite horrendous. The attitude before the First World War had been one of playing the game in the right spirit, better to see an exciting 2-2 draw than a stale one nil win for your side, it was "one knows one place and one is happy with it". The horrors and sacrifices that the young men of the time had had to endure during the war had changed attitudes greatly. The "Old school" were desperately trying to keep the status quo but the cracks were clearly starting to show and they would continue to do so, and not just in Football. Perhaps the best example was in Cricket in 1932 where the "Bodyline Tour" had the bowlers aiming at the line of the body rather than the wicket which was seen as deliberately trying to injure the batsmen. The tour caused a huge rift between England and Australia and a diplomatic row across continents followed