Our most grateful thanks go to (in no particular order!):
Steve Connolly – our man in Spain has kept us entertained from afar; one day we might actually get out to visit!
Terry Jeffreys – our Essex Scene correspondent, who has also made sure that our statistics are well in order, and promises us plenty of new material for the New Year
Ian Kemp – along with Steve for getting this website started, and latterly for some technical advise for Blues’ Twos matchday programmes
Phil Cox – the man behind the scenes, helping us with all the useful information that you see today, and providing conversation on those dreaded long trips north
Chris Phillips – for being Steve Tilson (and helping us out)!
Kevin Drury – Colchester United’s youth team correspondent, always ready with the latest information on the Under-19s and Under-17s
John Childs, Helen Giles et al at Southend United Football Club – for giving us the low-down on when matches are when we ask and for sending us the matchday line-ups for the programmes
Chris Berry, Trevor Bashford, Paul Yeomanson, Mike Roles and anybody else who has managed to get us to a match on time in 2003 (do I have to include myself in that for Boxing Day! – Rob)
Supreme Holidays, First Great Eastern, West Anglia Great Northern Trains, Connex South Central, South West Trains, First Great Western, Anglia Railways, London Underground, First Eastern National – companies who have helped us get to matches in 2003
FootyMAD – for giving us the freedom to write what we want
The playing staff at Southend United Football Club – for giving us hours and hours of enjoyment!
Steve Tilson – for being Steve Tilson and doing all he can to give us the wrong information! (sorry Steve!)
Ken Byrne – for his Under-17 information
The parents of Jamie Gray, Dave Bryan, Anthony Clark, Daryl Plummer and Luke Moore - for being so supportive and helpful at youth team and reserve games
Michael Kightly – for putting up with all the praise we have given him!
All of our readership for coming back and visiting us again - we love you all!
Anyone else who we have not purposefully forgotten – send us an email and we’ll add you on!
Robert Craven and Mark Wallis
Co-editors of www.thelittlegazette.com
And just to show you how much we appreciate you all, here’s a bit of number crunching:
SUFC Matches covered by TLG in 2003
97
(53 first team matches, 20 reserve team matches, 6 youth team friendlies, 5 Under-19 matches, 5 first-team friendlies, 4 Essex Senior Cup matches, 2 Under-17 matches, 1 F.A. Youth Cup match, 1 Southend ladies match)
…and the Essex Senior Cup final held between Chelmsford City and Aveley at Roots Hall
Total Wins
37
(20 first team, 6 reserve team, 4 youth team friendlies, 3 Essex Senior Cup, 1 first-team friendly, 1 Under-19s, 1 Under-17s, 1 Southend ladies)
Total Draws
15
(6 reserve team, 5 first team, 2 Under-19s, 1 first team friendly, 1 youth team friendly)
Total Defeats
45
(28 first team, 8 reserve team, 3 first-team friendlies, 2 Under-19s, 1 Essex Senior Cup, 1 F.A. Youth Cup, 1 Under-17s, 1 youth team friendly)
Total Goals For
134 (plus 6 penalties)
(59 first team, 27 reserve team, 26 youth team friendlies, 8 Essex Senior Cup, 6 Under-19s, 4 first team friendlies, 2 Under-17s, 2 Southend ladies)
Total Goals Against
146 (plus 5 penalties)
(72 first team, 36 reserve team, 14 Under-19s, 8 youth team friendlies, 7 first team friendlies, 4 Essex Senior Cup, 3 Under-17s, 1 F.A. Youth Cup, 1 Southend ladies)
Biggest Wins
Overall: 8-2 (vs. Maldon Town Under-19s; away; pre-season friendly)
Competitive match: 4-0 (vs. Rochdale; home; League Division Three)
Competitive Home: 4-0 (vs. Rochdale; League Division Three)
Competitive Away: 3-2 (vs. Canvey Island; F.A. Cup) (vs. Swansea; League Division Three)
Highest-Scoring Games
Overall: 10 goals (Maldon Town Under-19s 2 Southend United Under-19s 8; pre-season friendly)
Competitive match: 5 goals (Scunthorpe United 4 Southend United 1; League Division Three) (Southend United 2 Swindon Town 3; Carling Cup) (Hull City 3 Southend United 2; League Division Three) (Canvey Island 2 Southend United 3; F.A. Cup) (Swansea City 2 Southend United 3; League Division Three)
Biggest Defeats
Overall: 0-5 (vs. Reading; away; Pontin’s Combination)
Competitive match: 0-4 (vs. Yeovil Town; away; League Division Three)
Home match: 0-3 (vs. Mansfield Town; League Division Three)
Away Match: 0-4 (vs. Yeovil Town; League Division Three)
Longest Matches
126 minutes 26 seconds (vs. Bristol Rovers; home; LDV Vans Trophy – after extra time)
123 minutes 48 seconds (vs. Ford United; home; Essex Senior Cup – followed by penalties)
102 minutes 34 seconds (vs. Leyton Orient Under-19s; Youth Alliance – normal time)
Landmarks in SUFC History
13 away defeats in succession – from Saturday 25th January 2003 until Saturday 11th October 2003)
3-2 win at Swansea City – last goal scored with only eight men on the pitch
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com