End Of The Road For Quartet

David McSweeney is one of the four unlucky Shrimpers.

The Blues boss, who still suffers anguish from the day that he was allowed to leave Roots Hall, must have felt the same way, especially when he had to let Dave McSweeney depart. Local lad McSweeney, who would have had an inkling about the chance of being released when he was farmed off to Welling United on loan for seven matches at the end of the 2003/4 campaign, is arguably the most surpriing name to be released, given his reputation as a utility man.

The youngster, born in Basildon, started his Southend career at right-back, although his preferred role was in the middle of the back four, whilst he also filled a central midfield role when called upon before switching back again. At the start of the recently completed season, Steve Wignall employed the short defender in yet another position, at left-back, and that appeared to suit McSweeney before Tilson took charge, and a red card at Swansea City in that infamous game where United won with just eight men, signalled the beginning of tbhe end of his Shrimpers career.

In his testimonial brochure, Tilson explained how he agonised over his own departure from southeast Essex: “Getting released was my biggest nightmare come true. I was gutted and I didn’t know what to say or do. I was nearly in tears because I was getting married that summer – I felt sick”. His words on Friday evening echoed those as he declared to the official club website, www.southendunited.co.uk, “That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. They’re a great set of lads but they don’t fit in with my plans of what we’re trying to achieve here next season. I’m sure they will get new clubs and I wish them al the best for the future”.

The other two men allowed to leave who have a future are Jamie Stuart, the former England Under-21 left-back, and Neil Jenkins, another left-sided full-back, who was played out-of-position on the left-hand side of midfield for mush of his Southend career. Jenkins also represented his country, this time at Under-20 level, but after failing to retain his first-team spot this year, he found it tough to recapture the form that saw him net seven times in 2002/3.

The final man to leave Roots Hall is Leke Odunsi, who, as predicted here on TLG after the severity of his injury was disclosed, has retired from the game of football for a second time. Wignall had man aged to coax him back from the non-League game once, but a seemingly innocuous injury sustained after scoring in the 2-1 defeat by Huddersfield Town at home in October kept him out of action until the end of the season, and the Londoner has dropped down again.

We at TLG wish Dave, Jamie, Neil and Leke all the best in their respective futures, and for the first three, good luck in finding a new club.

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com