v 
SHRIMPERS
Whisper it gently, but there might be a game on Saturday afternoon somewhere in the midlands that included the Shrimpers.
All the suspensions stand from before time began; centre-back Bilel Mohsni and midfielder Anthony Grant both remain banned after they picked up five yellow cards, while left-back Peter Gilbert is also unavailable for the next three games after being sent off at Stevenage.
However, the call-offs have given Chris Barker more time to get fit and allow Blues boss Paul Sturrock off the hook by not picking Johnny Herd, again!
I've placed Ryan Hall on the bench, presuming the time off has allowed him to get fit, along with Blair Sturrock, I want to see Antonio German and Barry Corr, who has shaken off his back problem, starting together, and young hopeful Kane Ferdinand, give him some more time.
Possible Southend United: Morris, Clohessy, Coughlan, Prosser, Barker, Soares, Simpson, Easton, Zabboub, German, Corr.
Subs: Evans, Ferdinand, Herd, Hall, Crawford, Midson, Sturrock.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
OPPOSITION
Brewers boss Paul Peschisolido will probably have to do without defender Ryan Austin due to a sprained ankle joining fellow back four man Richard Jackson who has been out for a while now.
He would like to sign veteran midfielder Bryan Hughes. The 34-year-old can count Wrexham, Birmingham, Charlton and Hull as former clubs, and has been training with the midlands side.
| 12 | Oxford United | 19 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 23 | 23 | -2 | ||||
| 13 | Aldershot Town | 18 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 22 | -6 | ||||
| 14 | Burton Albion | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 22 | 21 | +1 | ||||
| 15 | Accrington Stanley | 18 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 26 | 27 | 21 | -1 | ||||
| 16 | Bradford City | 18 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 20 | 21 | -4 | ||||
| 17 | Gillingham | 18 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 26 | 21 | -5 | ||||
| 18 | Northampton Town | 19 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 29 | 21 | -7 | ||||
| 19 | Southend United | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 20 | 20 | -2 |
This will be the fourth time in a row the Brewers have played at home inbetweem the snow, but they can be beaten.
Last time Out: (League) Burton Albion 1 Aldershot Town 2 (played on Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010.)
Report: www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10950~52119,00.html
(FA Cup) Burton Albion 3 Chesterfield 1 (played on Saturday, November 23rd, 2010.)
Report: www.teamtalk.com/match/report/16223/6531487/Burton-see-off-Spireites
PREVIOUSLY
1-0 to us!
| Southend 5-0 Burton Town | |
| Saturday, December 14th, 1935 | |
| FA Cup Round 2 at Southend Stadium |
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(Thanks to www.sufcdb.co.uk for that info, we didn't have it!)
GROUND
In 2005 the Club left their Eton Park ground, which had been their home since 1958 and moved to a new £6.5m purpose built stadium nearby (well almost across the road to be exact!).
On one side is the attractive looking Main Stand, which is covered and all seated. The Clubs administration offices and corporate facilities are located in this stand and so at the back of the seated area is a row of windows running across it. Above this glassed area is white panelling, which gives the stand an interesting look.
The other three sides are small, steep covered terraces. They are a little ugly looking as they each have a large visible back wall. Each of these terraced stands has solid windshields to either side, apart from one side of the South Stand where there is a Police Control Box present.
The stadium is completed with a set of four tall looking floodlights. Away fans are predominatly housed in the Coors East Stand Terrace at one end of the ground, where up to 1,200 fans can be accomodated.
In addition 300 seats are also made available to visiting supporters in the Main Stand. As you would expect from a modern stadium, the view of the playing action, (there are no supporting pillars), and facilities are good.
The atmosphere is not bad too, (altough there is a bit of a monotonus drummer in the home end, though I'm sure we can match him!), as well as the food. There is also a bar for away fans in which you can sit inside, there are TV screens showing Sky Sports News and then live coverage of the match itself. The bar is open until 15 minutes after the second half has started.
Also look out for the cumbersome looking 'Billy Brewer' mascot, who is a bit of a character.
(Ground information supplied by www.footballgroundguide.com)
WEATHER
Keep up to date with the Burton forecast here:
http://uk.weather.com/weather/today-Burton-on-Trent-UKXX0528?fromSearch=true
REF
The man in the middle is: Iain Williamson from Berkshire, his 11th match in charge of the Shrimpers.
A full interview with him here: http://refworld.com/referee/163/1/iain-williamson
His assistants are Derek Eaton from Gloucester and Chris Knowles from Northampton; the fourth official is Sasa Ihringova from Shropshire, a lady no less, and interviewed here: http://refworld.com/referee/2414/3/sasa-ihringova
FIXTURES
League Two
Tuesday, December 14th; Cheltenham v Southend, 19:45.
BET
Burton (to win) - 6/5, Draw - 5/2, Southend (to win) - 13/5.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/feat/edw5/burton_albion_560320/index.shtml
By Car go here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDW7
By Coach go here:
http://www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/feat/edw3/burton_albion_606034/index.shtml
PUB AND PIES
For the best drinking around the ground and in the town go here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/feat/edw8/
brake_a_barrell_with_the_cooper_pub_crawl_in_burton_607076/index.shtml
SOMEWHERE TO LAY YOUR HAT
For an overnight stay:
HISTORY
The town of Burton has had a chequered history of football clubs, partly due to the area's main sport traditionally in the past being rugby union. Many former Burton teams have struggled financially. Albion can claim lineage from Burton Swifts, Burton Town, Burton United, and Burton Wanderers, who were all defunct football clubs in the town. Burton Albion (nicknamed "the Brewers", given that brewing is one of Burton's principal industries) were formed in 1950, and joined the Birmingham & District League.
Albion began life at the Lloyds Foundry ground on Wellington Street, but high attendances meant that the club quickly searched for a more suitable home. Eton Park was built off Derby Road and officially opened on 20 September 1958, coinciding with their promotion to the Southern League. From then until its demolition in 2005, the Brewers played all of their home games at Eton Park.
They have also had spells in the Northern Premier League (NPL), due to their location in the central Midlands. They entered the Conference in 2002 upon winning the NPL title.
Eton Park was dismantled to make way for housing, as the club had just completed a new stadium, at a cost of £7.2 million. It is situated directly opposite Eton Park and was named the Pirelli Stadium, situated as it was a short distance from Pirelli's factory in Burton. The stadium has an increased capacity, firstly set at 6,200, but then later raised to 6,912. The first match played there was a friendly between Burton Albion and Chester City on Saturday 16 July 2005.
One notable result at the ground was a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup third round against Manchester United on 8 January 2006. The result of the Third Round replay, lucratively played at Old Trafford, was a 5-0 win for Manchester United in front of over 11,000 Brewers fans. This constituted a record number of away fans seen at Old Trafford.
Since their FA Cup success, Burton have competed in the upper reaches of the Conference. The Brewers attained their highest ever league position to date in 2007-08, finishing in the end of season play-off places for the first time in their history, before losing in their play-off to Cambridge United. As of April 2009, they were top of the Conference National, setting a league record for the most consecutive wins in a row. This is despite losing the services of manager, Nigel Clough, to Derby County with Roy McFarland installed as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
When the team was 19 points clear at the top of the table, Conference sponsors Blue Square declared Burton the winners of the 2008/09 title in a PR stunt in which they paid out all bets. After that announcement in February, however, the club saw their lead reduced week by week, though they still secured promotion to the Football League, despite losing 2-1 away at Torquay United in the final game of the season when Cambridge United could only manage a goalless draw to Altrincham.
At the end of the season, it was decided that Roy McFarland would not stay on as the Burton manager in a permanent position. After a lengthy search, the club announced that Paul Peschisolido would become the club's new manager with Gary Rowett his assistant. Burton's first win in the Football League was a 5-2 win over Morecambe at the Pirelli Stadium.
The Brewers finished a respectable 13th in their first campaign in the Football League.
(For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_Albion_F.C.)