The Canaries were seen off by three goals to one on a sunny afternoon in August 1955, with players of the magnitude of Harry Threadgold, Keith Baron, Roy Hollis and Sammy McCrory all involved. Five decades on, the likes of Adam Barrett, Kevin Maher and Freddy Eastwood have almost joined that quartet in Southend United legend by helping the club to promotion in 2004/5.
Of course, they still have a long way to go before they can truly be considered greats of the Shrimpers’ time, but following Steve Tilson’s side’s Play-Off triumph against Lincoln City in May, United will be seeking to consolidate their position in the Coca-Cola Football League by maintaining League One status in 2005/6.
The result of this weekend’s match may go some way to explaining how well Blues will do. The test is to attempt to recreate the panache and verve of the Shrimpers’ 2-0 friendly win against Millwall on Tuesday night, when United appeared sublime at times in outclassing their Championship opposition. Norwich provide a sterner test from the same division, one above their hosts.
Pre-season clashes are, of course, no guide to how a campaign will eventually turn out, but they do offer decisive pointers in the suitability for players in certain positions, and with Southend having an extremely small squad, offer an excellent opportunity for Tilson, himself a Seasiders’ legend, to cast his eye over trialists.
The most prominent of those thus far has been Serbian centre-back Nikola Jozic. He has declared that he is ready to sit down and discuss terms for a permanent contract with Blues, and his manager has indicated that he will be forthcoming in this respect over the next fortnight. Jozic has twice played alongside Adam Barrett, and this time around he could start with Spencer Prior.
Tilson has admitted that he will be taking another look at former Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mark Wright in the left-back position. After the departure of Nicky Nicolau to Swindon Town, Che Wilson is the only suitable talent to fill that role, and if he picks up an early-season injury then United will be struggling to find a replacement. 18-year-old Wright has been solid if not spectacular in his ninety minutes of friendly action so far.
Another defender, Paul Goodacre of Maldon Town, is still awaiting a proper opportunity after completing all of thirty seconds in the victory over Millwall three days ago. In that time he failed to touch the ball, and committed a shocking foul, but he will attempt to rectify that if given the chance. One suggestion would be that Jozic would be withdrawn to stop other clubs from having a chance to spy on his, allowing the Ryman Leaguer a full half of football.
Blues are likely to perform the same kind of tactics as they have in the opening two matches, although less changes may be made at half-time. United could start with their first choice eleven for the regular season’s opener, on August 6 against Port Vale. Some switches would then be forthcoming during the second period.
Carl Pettefer, the midfielder, is set to return to the squad after recovering from a slightly bruised heel. Speaking to the Southend Evening Echo, Shrimpers chief Tilson revealed, “It’s not a major problem with Petts, it’s just because of the hard ground. We decided it was best to rest it the other night but he will be back to normal again soon.”
Youth-teamers James Lawson and Kurt Husnu are once again likely to feature in the matchday squad as cover for the threadbare left-hand side and forward positions. Lawson in particular has slotted into semi-competitive first-team football well after making his League debut against Rushden & Diamonds on New Year’s Day. However, many of the squad will be allowed to travel to a friendly at Derby County instead.
The match gives a chance for centre-back Prior and left-back Wilson to come up against old team-mates from Carrow Road, whilst Freddy Eastwood has been linked with a high-profile move to the Canaries in the last six months. Most of that has been pure speculation, but Norwich fans will have a chance to see first-hand what the highly-rated striker would offer.
Norwich have been on a pre-season tour of the Netherlands, losing 1-0 to VVV Venlo in midweek, having endured a goalless draw against Maastricht, famous for the European Treaty, on Saturday. Whilst in Holland, boss Nigel Worthington swooped for Dutch defender Jurgen Colin and has since picked up midfielder Andy Hughes from Reading. Both could make their debuts at Roots Hall.
Southend United have produced a special 40-page advert-less programme for the fixture, and there will be a celebration of past players on the pitch before the game. Let the party begin!
Southend United squad: Darryl Flahavan, Bart Griemink; Duncan Jupp, Lewis Hunt, Andy Edwards, Spencer Prior, Nikola Jozic, Adam Barrett, Paul Goodacre, Che Wilson, Mark Goodacre; Carl Pettefer, Mark Gower, Jay Smith, Mark Bentley, Kevin Maher, Luke Guttridge, Mitchell Cole, Kurt Husnu; Wayne Gray, James Lawson, Freddy Eastwood.
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com