SHRIMPERS
Not sure if I should be wearing black as I write this with T&B going to Lincoln of all places but the King is dead and all that and we need three points against the free-scoring Railwaymen of Crewe, you can get 12-1 on a goalless draw I hear!
Anyway, the present Blues boss Paul Sturrock has no new injury or suspension problems.
Defenders Mark Phillips and Luke Prosser both having had a run in the reserves in midweek as centre-back Bilel Mohsni will be unavailable as he serves the second game of a three-match suspension. However, Graham Coughlan should grab another chance after looking good at Chesterfield.
Strikers Barry Corr and Blair Sturrock continue to be unavailable with injury allowing Doncaster loanee Waide Fairhurst to make his home debut.
Midfielder Michael Timlin was set to play the final game of his loan spell from Swindon, but with Craig Easton still struggling with injury expect a deal for a further month at least.
In-form Granty, subject to some interest from Championship clubs, is very close to a match ban and it could happen here!
Possible Southend United: Morris, Gilbert, Barker, Cloughlan, Clohessy, Simpson, Grant, Timlin, Soares, Fairhurst, Paterson.
Subs: Evans, Prosser, Phillips, Hall, Zaaboub, Crawford, Jarvis.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
OPPOSITION
Railwaymen boss Dario Gradi, he's been there in various positions since 1983 folks, will include Shrimpers target Calvin Zola and goalkeeper Steve Phillips.
Striker Zola seems to be wanted by every club in League Two, Shrewsbury seemed favourites earlier in the week, but can't get them to cough up the dosh he wants so expect an appearance from the bench if things are not going right for the Alex.
Shot stopper Phillips has not appeared this season following summer surgery on his shoulder, and will be a sub to present No.1 Rhys Taylor.
Teenage striker Nick Powell, who came on in last weekend's 3-3 home draw with Torquay as a second-half substitute, is not available as he is on England Under-17 duty.
Defender Carl Martin remains a long-term absentee with a shin problem.
Couldn't get much closer re the league table; +8 and 15th, blimey!
11 | Oxford United | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 14 | +4 | ||||
12 | Burton Albion | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 14 | +2 | ||||
13 | Stevenage | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 14 | +2 | ||||
14 | Southend United | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | ||||
15 | Crewe Alexandra | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 25 | 17 | 13 | +8 | ||||
16 | Gillingham | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 13 | -2 | ||||
17 | Morecambe | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 13 | -7 |
Player to Watch: Ashley Westwood
Their Granty, grabs goals from midfield, playing very well at the moment.
Read about him here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Westwood_(footballer_born_1990)
The Last Two league games: For 8 Against 8!
Crewe Alexandra 3 Torquay United 3:
www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Football-Crewe-3-Torquay-3/article-2741029-detail/article.html
Chesterfield 5 Crewe Alexandra 5:
www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/MATCH-REPORT-CHESTERFIELD-5-CREWE-5/article-2714530-detail/article.html
PREVIOUSLY
REFAt Southend Utd. (15) At Crewe Alex. (15) Results Total % Results Total % Southend Utd. 9 60.00 Crewe Alex. 4 26.67 Crewe Alex. 3 20.00 Southend Utd. 8 53.33 Draws 3 20.00 Draws 3 20.00 Goals Total Av.pg Goals Total Av.pg Southend Utd. 25 1.67 Crewe Alex. 19 1.27 Crewe Alex. 11 0.73 Southend Utd. 25 1.67 On Neutral Ground (0) Overall (30 matches) Results Total % Results Total % Southend Utd. 0 0.00 Southend Utd. 17 56.67 Crewe Alex. 0 0.00 Crewe Alex. 7 23.33 Draws 0 0.00 Draws 6 20.00 Goals Total Av.pg Goals Total Av.pg Southend Utd. 0 0.00 Southend Utd. 50 1.67 Crewe Alex. 0 0.00 Crewe Alex. 30 1.00 Records Highest Aggregate 8 Crewe Alex. 5 - 3 Southend Utd. 1969/1970 Highest Southend Utd. score: 4 Southend Utd. 4 - 1 Crewe Alex. 1971/1972 Highest Crewe Alex. score: 5 Crewe Alex. 5 - 3 Southend Utd. 1969/1970 Season Date Home Score Away Competition 2008/2009 Tue 17 Feb Southend Utd. 0 - 1 Crewe Alex. League One Sat 20 Sep Crewe Alex. 3 - 4 Southend Utd. League One 2007/2008 Sat 05 Apr Crewe Alex. 1 - 3 Southend Utd. League One Sat 13 Oct Southend Utd. 3 - 0 Crewe Alex. League One 1990/1991 Sat 12 Jan Crewe Alex. 0 - 2 Southend Utd. Third Division Sat 01 Sep Southend Utd. 3 - 2 Crewe Alex. Third Division 1986/1987 Fri 13 Mar Crewe Alex. 2 - 1 Southend Utd. Fourth Division Sat 18 Oct Southend Utd. 3 - 1 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division 1985/1986 Sat 18 Jan Southend Utd. 0 - 1 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Sat 17 Aug Crewe Alex. 1 - 1 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1984/1985 Sat 08 Dec Southend Utd. 3 - 1 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Tue 02 Oct Crewe Alex. 0 - 2 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1980/1981 Fri 27 Mar Southend Utd. 3 - 0 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Wed 29 Oct Crewe Alex. 1 - 1 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1977/1978 Wed 01 Feb Crewe Alex. 0 - 1 Southend Utd. Fourth Division Fri 26 Aug Southend Utd. 1 - 0 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division 1976/1977 Sat 15 Jan Southend Utd. 1 - 0 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Wed 25 Aug Crewe Alex. 1 - 1 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1971/1972 Mon 13 Mar Southend Utd. 4 - 1 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Sat 15 Jan Crewe Alex. 1 - 2 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1970/1971 Sat 17 Apr Crewe Alex. 1 - 2 Southend Utd. Fourth Division Fri 09 Oct Southend Utd. 0 - 2 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division 1969/1970 Tue 27 Jan Crewe Alex. 5 - 3 Southend Utd. Fourth Division Sat 30 Aug Southend Utd. 2 - 0 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division 1967/1968 Fri 26 Apr Southend Utd. 0 - 0 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Sat 02 Dec Crewe Alex. 1 - 0 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1966/1967 Fri 17 Mar Southend Utd. 1 - 1 Crewe Alex. Fourth Division Sat 22 Oct Crewe Alex. 1 - 0 Southend Utd. Fourth Division 1963/1964 Fri 14 Feb Crewe Alex. 1 - 2 Southend Utd. Third Division Sat 05 Oct Southend Utd. 1 - 1 Crewe Alex. Third Division
The man in the middle is Andy Woolmer from Northampton.
He was the ref who ridiculously sent off ex-captain Adam Barrett in last season's 2-2 draw with Carlisle, while on his first time in charge at Roots Hall he sent little Darryl off just before half-time against Boston way back when and on came Tes the Cat, and we still won!
He gives an interview here: www.refworld.com/referee/162/1/andy-woolmer
His assistants are Darren Bluden and Neil Hair. Fourth Official; John Hopkins.
FIXTURES
League Two
Saturday, October 16th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Rotherham, Aldershot v Morecambe, Bradford v Cheltenham, Macclesfield v Oxford Utd, Northampton v Hereford, Port Vale v Gillingham, Shrewsbury v Lincoln City, Southend v Crewe, Stevenage v Burton Albion, Stockport v Barnet, Torquay v Bury, Wycombe v Chesterfield.
BET
Southend (to win) - 13/10, Draw - 12/5, Crewe (to win) - 9/4.
Fancy the Shrimpers for 4-3.........200-1 with bwin!
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
HISTORY
Crewe are nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's historical links with the rail industry.
The club was formed in 1877 and reputedly named after Princess Alexandra (some suggest that the decision to form the club was actually taken in a pub named after the Princess and the club was named after the pub).
They were founding members of the Second Division in 1892 but only lasted four years in the Football League. Since re-entering the competition in 1921, they have mostly remained in the lower divisions and have no major honours to their name.
In June 1983, Crewe appointed Milan-born Dario Gradi as manager. At that time, Crewe had again just avoided being voted out of the Football League. Gradi quickly gained a reputation for developing young talent, allowing Steve Walters to become the youngest ever player to pull on a Crewe shirt: aged just 16 years and 119 days he played against Peterborough United on 6 May.
Gradi's efforts paid off in 1989 when Crewe won promotion to the Third Division. They went back down two years later, but were promoted again in 1994. In the same year, Neil Lennon became the first Crewe Alexandra player to gain an International cap for 60 years when he was selected to play for Northern Ireland against Mexico.
Gradi then led his charges to the unprecedented height of Division One in 1997, after victory over Brentford in the Division Two playoff final, and kept his team there until 2002, despite a club income on which many more lowly clubs could not survive.
As of the summer of 2007, Gradi was the longest serving manager in English league football; he celebrated his 1,000th game in charge of Crewe on 20 November 2001 - an away fixture at Carrow Road, the home of Norwich City F.C., and completed 24 years in sole charge of the club.
During Gradi's control, the club gained a strong reputation for its youth policy, and gained official status as an FA Youth Academy. By concentrating on developing its own players the club remained profitable (a rare thing in lower division football at the time) by selling them on after they have gained experience with Crewe. The Academy is known to stress technical excellence, which accords with Gradi's aim to have his sides play attractive, passing football.
On 24 December 2008 the Icelandic former manager of local rivals Stoke City, Gudjon Thordarson, became the boss with Gradi taking a backseat role, but after a good start the team then went on a poor end-of-season run, in which they did not win for 10 games, and were relegated back down to League Two.
On 2 October 2009, after only nine months in charge, Thordarson was sacked as Crewe manager after a run of poor results. Dario Gradi was reinstated as caretaker manager in time for the following day's match against Rotherham.
With the club on course to finish in a relatively safe mid-table position, despite lingering close to the playoff places for the majority of the season, a later run of poor form saw the team booed due to the dissatisfaction of their own fans.
The season ended with the club in 18th place, only five places above the relegation zone. Gradi responded to this disappointment by refusing to take the team on a pre-season tour, as with last year, stating that he "doesn't want to reward the players for what happened this season".
(For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crewe_Alexandra_F.C.)