Bart Griemink tackles Darryl Flahavan for the 'keeper's gloves

Like last year, temperatures are set to soar as Southend United get the 2004/5 campaign underway. On that occasion, 35ºC was recorded in the shade of the South Lower, and with recent trends set to continue through the weekend, the same could well be on the cards for the first Blues Family Bonanza Day of the season.

Sponsored by the Shrimpers Trust – full details on the Trust website at www.shrimperstrust.co.uk - performers such as the winner of ITV1’s Stars In Their Eyes, a Robbie Williams tribute artist, and Lucinda Rhodes, who displayed her wares on the pitch in the final Bonanza Day of last term, will be on the hallowed turf, as well as Southend United’s very own BlueBelles, back for the 2004/5 season.

The group, part of the Lights Entertainment Group who provide all the pre-match razzmatazz for SKY Sports, as well as the Shrimpers fellow Coca-Cola League sides West Ham United and Coventry City, will be performing for the baying crowds, expected to be in excess of 8,000 supporters, and the usual PA work and face-painters will also be in attendance.

Of course, the 2-0 win secured by the Seasiders over Town 364 days ago counted for little once the final Nationwide League season got under way. Mark Gower may have continued to have been one of the stars of the show, but pre-season optimism, once again well and truly in attendance, ebbed away gradually, until both teams found themselves battling against relegation. John Ward and Steve Tilson, eventually handed the reigns at their respective sides, led the two teams to respective safety, and in Southend’s case, LDV Vans Trophy success in terms of reaching the final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

That first major final in Blues’ 98-year history gave the fans, and the club as a whole, such a fillip that League results improved as a consequence, and although supporters would undoubtedly sacrifice the cup runs (the third round of the F.A. Cup was again reached, although the single-goal defeat to Nationwide Conference side Scarborough in a replay at the McCain Stadium stopped any chance of United facing Chelsea in a money-spinning fourth round game), the revenue generated did contribute to Tilson’s summer captures.

With the assistance of his head coach, Paul Brush, with whom the failed ‘Wignall Revolution’ was put to rest, the Wickford-born one-time table tennis star and all-round sportsman has selected a number of new players to join seasoned Roots Hall regulars like goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, club captain Kevin Maher and enigmatic front man Tesfaye Bramble.

Starting from the back forwards, Swindon own custodian Bart Griemink was a summer capture after he left the other Robins, whilst in defence Nicky Nicolau signed a one-year deal, with an option for the second twelve months to be added in based on performances, to make his move from Arsenal a permanent one.

Andy Edwards joins the centre of defence, a position he left nine years ago, when Rushden & Diamonds allowed him to go, despite playing 45 games for the club in a little over a year. His partner from 1989 to 1993 in the Shrimpers back four, Spencer Prior, was the final capture of the close season when he finally committed to a two-year deal having left Cardiff City. And completing the central defensive newcomers, local lad Adam Barrett signed after captaining Bristol Rovers last term.

In midfield, Carl Pettefer signalled his intentions to stay at the club when he signed a two-year deal on crutches on the pitch at United’s last game of 2003/4 against promoted Torquay United. He left Premiership Portsmouth, whilst Jay Smith’s return, now scheduled to be as late as November, will see a rejuvenated talent become as good as a new signing.

Pushing forwards, Mark Bentley and Lawrie Dudfield both joined Southend at the end of last season, and they have been accompanied by Wayne Gray, who was brought in from the newly-named Milton Keynes Dons, formerly Wimbledon. With the aforementioned Broughton and Dudfield, as well as Bramble and Michael Husbands on the books, the Shrimpers should have few problems finding the back of the net.

Focusing on tomorrow’s clash, one of the biggest battles will be for the goalkeeper’s jersey, with Tilson now unable to spend 45 minutes watching both Darryl Flahavan and Bart Griemink – it must be one or the other. Griemink seems to have a slight edge, since he was announced as the new number one when he arrived, but having signed a short-term deal to take him towards the end of 2004 with the Roots Hall club, Flahavan is not intent on giving up without a fight.

He told the Southend Evening Echo: “In all walks of life, bigger isn’t necessarily better”, surely with a touch of irony about his statement, “Bart may have a few inches on me, but that doesn’t matter. I’m confident in my ability, which I believe is second to none, and I want to be number one here again”. The former Woking shotstopper also revealed that he had turned down summer moves for him by League Two side Boston United and Scottish Premier League outfit Livingston.

At the back, the only real certainty is that Duncan Jupp will start at right-back, although Stuart Williams’ absence from youth team duty at Maldon Town on Thursday night means that he is still in Steve Tilson’s thinking for that full-back role. On the other side, Nicky Nicolau’s slightly below-par performances have coincided with Che Wilson revitalising himself over the close season, and he has a real chance of knocking Nicolau onto the bench.

In the middle, any two of four players could start the season at the heart of the defence. Given Prior’s anticipated higher wages, he may be the one who sees his name on Tilson’s Boots & Laces teamsheet first, but his partner at the back is anyone’s guess. Andy Edwards’ vocal skills could see him nominated alongside him, seeing Adam Barrett miss his first match in over two years as a non-selected starter (he served two one-match suspensions) and Lewis Hunt miss out.

The former Derby County man does have an opportunity to play in another position though, that being alongside Kevin Maher in the centre of the park. With Mark Bentley’s fitness not totally proven, Hunt could play in the middle alongside Maher, with Mark Gower the man to terrorise the Robins once again.

Carl Pettefer is favourite to start on the other flank, but one man who will miss out is youngster Michael Kightly. He aggravated a calf problem warming up before the pre-season encounter with Dagenham & Redbridge, and will not be available until next Saturday at the very earliest. Kightly told the Evening Echo, “I worked hard in training and I thought I had a chance of this weekend. But I’m definitely out. I should be running again later in the week and I’ll just have to start working hard again to try and get back into the first team as quickly as I possibly can”.

Two men who had varying pre-season’s appear to be fighting for a solitary spot on the bench. Jimmy Corbett was decidedly below-par, whether playing up front or in the centre of midfield, but was still better than he often shows when in a wide position. Former front man Michael Husbands has been carrying a knock, but his pace on the flanks means that he could be a late replacement to relight the Southend spark.

Lawrie Dudfield should start up front

Up front, choices are again difficult for mainly the right reasons, although the last couple of games saw United draw blanks. Lawrie Dudfield’s six late goals at the end of 2003/4 mean that he should be in contention for one spot, with Wayne Gray’s five strikes against East Thurrock United, Dagenham & Redbridge and Canvey Island making him Dudfield’s likely accomplice. Drewe Broughton is struggling with a foot injury, but Tesfaye Bramble is fit and raring to go.

Cheltenham will definitely be without striker Damian Spencer, who will be serving a two-match suspension carried over from last season, having netted five times in his three run-outs for the Gloucestershire side in pre-season, notably two in a 3-1 win over AFC Bournemouth at Whaddon Road.

Another man on the sidelines is midfielder John Finnigan. The club captain damaged his ankle in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff City in pre-season, and although he has been able to train intermittently throughout the week, he has failed in his bid for fitness. Last year Finnigan was stretchered off at Roots Hall having hurt his shin.

However, better news for the Robins is that striker Steve Guinan, who has missed large chunks of Town’s pre-season campaign with a knee injury, and JJ Melligan, the former Kidderminster Harriers trialist who made a switch from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer and has struggled with a tweak in his calf, have both been named in the squad for their League Two debuts.

LIKELY SQUADS

REFEREE: Clive Penton (Sussex) – for a full run-down of Mr. Penton’s record, purchase tomorrow’s matchday programme ‘The Blues’

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com