98 years of history since a group of men met in the Blue Boar Public House in Victoria Avenue to form Southend United Football Club have passed before Sunday 21st March 2004, a defining date in the record of the Nationwide League Third Division outfit. One Fourth Division Championship trophy from 1980/1 is the total amount of silverware in Blues’ trophy cabinet, save for a potted collection of three Essex Senior Cups, a couple of Southern League Second Division titles and an Eastern Floodlight Cup gleaned against Coventry City at White Hart Lane.
Save for that Fourth Division title and the promotions of the 1980s and 90s, there has been little success of any note for supporters to cheer on a national stage, but close to 16,000 fans, some of which will be visiting for the very first time, others a considerable amount more but all welcome in equal measure, will make the trip to south Wales for a match that will be played out in front of the SKY television cameras.
With a similar amount of followers likely to make the trip from the northwest of England, close to 35,000 will be in attendance for the showpiece occasion of the lower division calendar; one of the largest crowds that will ever have seen Southend United play. It will certainly dwarf the record Roots Hall number of 31,090 who piled in to watch the F.A. Cup clash with Liverpool in 1979.
The Shrimpers have already been on television this season, and were the winners as they overcame Essex non-League rivals Canvey Island 3-2 at Park Lane in an F.A. Cup first round replay. Unfortunately the highlights package for BBC Television for the third round tie against Scarborough was not such a good omen as the Nationwide Conference team won 1-0 at the McCain Stadium.
The road to this final has been more simple for United than could have been expected when they were paired with three Second Division sides on the route to Cardiff. Bristol Rovers were seen off by Mark Gower’s silver-goal strike in extra time, although the game did have to continue to the final whistle. Indeed, silver is the theme for the campaign after the club took the decision that it would be the colour of the team’s shirts for the Millennium Stadium.
In the second round, United travelled to south Wales and just 37 saw Blues end Swansea City’s interest in the competition. Then came Luton Town (3-0) and Queens Park Rangers (4-0) at home, two incredible results in isolation, let alone paired up in the same campaign and then added to the area final two-legged success over Colchester United. Nobody will ever forget where they were as the U’s were beaten 4-3 on aggregate on the greatest day in Roots Hall history in front of 9,603.
This match against the other Seasiders also offers a welcome break from a torrid Third Division campaign that seems destined to go right to the very wire. However, United have picked up forming recent weeks and months, with the two positive results against Colchester contributing to a run in which the Shrimpers have lost just one game in twelve, and that when Drewe Broughton and Tesfaye Bramble both scored own goals at Leyton Orient.
And it is likely to be that exact partnership that lines up for Blues against Blackpool up front. Broughton has managed five goals thus far in the competition, and will be gunning for the top scorer award in the LDV Vans Trophy. Bramble, though, has been in and out of the side this season, and will only get his chance due to the fact that Lawrie Dudfield is cup-tied. Jimmy Corbett is another option up front but he was involved with the reserves in midweek, suggesting that he was nothing more than a passenger on the team coach.
Another forward, eighteen-goal top-scorer Leon Constantine, could be called upon to continue in his role on the right wing as both Steven Clark and Michael Kightly have fallen out of first-team contention since starring roles in the matches against QPR and Luton respectively. Carl Pettefer could be involved on the right flank if management duo Steve Tilson and Paul Brush decide to keep Lewis Hunt in the centre of midfield.
In that area of the field Mark Bentley is out for similar reasons to Dudfield, so Tilson and Brush will be seeking a partner for club captain Kevin Maher. Jay Smith, Michael Husbands and Leke Odunsi all miss out through injury, but this will be the biggest game of the former Tottenham Hotspur trainee’s 275-match career to date. One man who has played on the bigger stage is Mark Gower, and he will be hoping to overcome the knee injury that has kept him out of fixtures with Swansea and Lincoln City in Division Three.
Gower has won a League Cup medal with Spurs, and played at Wembley for England Schoolboys and Ibrox with Glasgow Rangers. His position as the club’s playmaker and midfield maestro means that he is integral to the side, and if he starts, as he is expected to do, it will be on the left flank. If he cannot begin the match, then either Carl Pettefer will come in on the left and Hunt into the middle or former England Under-20 international Neil Jenkins will start for the first time in 2004.
Leon Cort and Lewis Hunt have played in the centre of defence since Mark Warren was suspended for the match at Bristol Rovers, and unless the Derby County utility man has to push forwards, then they will continue at the expense of ex-Colchester United and Orient centre-half Warren. At right-back Duncan Jupp seems safe after becoming Blues’ most consistent performer and on the other side Che Wilson holds the left full-back short from Jamie Stuart.
In goal, Darryl Flahavan looks set to be named despite being searched out by Lincoln City’s long balls forward in midweek, ahead of the vastly experienced Carl Emberson, who has played in play-off finals at the competition’s old home at Wembley. Flahavan will be hoping to prove the doubters wrong, especially Sky’s own Chris Kamara, who criticised him heavily in the game against the Gulls. Ryan Robinson travelled with the side as cover.
The Tangerines will line up with 27-goal top-scorer Scott Taylor expected to be named in the side despite a foot injury keeping him out since he was suspended for the second leg of their area final against Sheffield Wednesday. ‘Pool have won just two matches in fifteen games in contrast to the Shrimpers outside of the LDV, and one of those was picked up courtesy of Richie Wellens’ Beckham-esqe effort against Port Vale.
Wellens is another man who should recover from a recent knock, as does John Murphy, the big centre-forward having failed to really get going this season. Mike Sheron, the experienced forward, has netted three of his five goals in the LDV and should start alongside Taylor. Daniel Coid played for the reserves in midweek and could come back, but full-back Gareth Evans is out with an ankle injury sustained against Luton Town.
The Second Division side only won a single match by more than a solitary goal in their route to the final, that being the second leg against Sheffield Wednesday. But the bookies still make them favourites at 10/11, with Southend 13/5. Blues will have to watch out for the experience factor – ‘Pool have been to the Millennium Stadium twice and won 4-2 against Leyton Orient in the 2001 Third Division Play-Off Final and then 4-1 against Cambridge United in the 2002 LDV Vans Trophy final.
Southend will be looking to overturn those results and record the first ever win for a Third Division side playing against Division Two opposition in this competition’s 21-year history. They may require silver-goal extra time, the first and last time that that method will be employed in a national cup final. And, of course, it could go all the way to penalty kicks. Whatever happens, soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the day and click on www.thelittlegazette.com for the very best post-match coverage on the internet.
Blackpool | Southend United | |
4-4-2 Jamie Stuart Mark Warren Steve Tilson |
For a brief resume on the Blackpool squad, why not buy the Shrimpers Trust LDV Vans Trophy final magazine at £3 at the car park before boarding for the coaches tomorrow morning. Blackpool team form is in the review of 'Pool's fixtures, whilst Southend's can be found, with links to TLG reports, on the results page. See you all at Cardiff!!!
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com