v SHRIMPERS
So with Captain Craig out for up to a month, with Swindon midfielder Michael Timlin arriving as a replacement, looking forward to seeing him, and Mark Phillips still missing, Luggy should select a similar side to Northampton but I'm sure tall striker Barry Corr will get the nod to return.
As every week passes fitness levels should reach the levels that the Blues management team are expecting, and if the start is similar to the one we saw against Torquay then, hopefully, we can be two goals to the good again before Morecambe start to push us.
You feel we need a decent lead entering the last half-hour even against the bottom-of-the-table side, a position that shouldn't be taken too seriously before the clocks have turned back, a win would put them only a point behind us!
Then again, that nine goals conceded away from Globe Arena is an interesting statistic.
Still, another win at the home of football for the Shrimpers would keep that mid-table position clicking along nicely for the time being.
Possible Southend United: Morris, Clohessy, Barker, Mohsni, Gilbert, Grant, Simpson, Timlin, Hall, Corr, Sturrock.
Subs: Evans, Prosser, Bouzid, Soares, Zaaboub, Paterson, Spencer.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
OPPOSITION
Morecambe have completed the signing of Northern Ireland international left back Tony Calapldi, Shrimps boss Sammy McIlroy being his manager when he earned the majority of his 22 caps.
The 29-year-old was released from Cardiff in the summer and played in their FA Cup Final against Portsmouth two years ago.
However, as we will know from our two French Tunisians, Calpadi may not make his debut at Roots Hall as he needs international clearance from the League of Wales first, a touch nearer though than France and Morocco!
No new injury news from last week's 1-1 draw at home to Chesterfield, we'll update when we get news from official sources, with McIlroy feeling they are in a false position, then again he would say that, we will see.
Defender Laurence Wilson will be available again after banned for one game following his sending off at Oxford a fortnight ago.
News is awaited on striker Phil Jevons who was ruled out of the Spireites match after sustaining a nasty head injury at the Kassam Stadium that left him needing hospital treatment. (More on Phil below).
| 20 | Macclesfield Town | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 5 | -5 | ||||
| 21 | Barnet | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 5 | -7 | ||||
| 22 | Bradford City | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 4 | -7 | ||||
| 23 | Hereford United | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 4 | -9 | ||||
| 24 | Morecambe | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 3 | -7 | ||||
Player to watch
Winger Mark Duffy
Born in Liverpool, Duffy played for the youth team of home-town club. After being released by the Reds, he played non-League football for Vauxhall Motors, Prescot Cables and Southport.
Duffy signed for Morecambe on loan in February 2009, before turning the move permanent in the summer.
Another player we will certainly know if fit is former Huddersfield striker, 31-year-old Phil Jevons, we await to see if he's recovered from the injuries sustained in the hammering in the university town two weeks ago.
More on him here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Jevons
Last League Away Game: Oxford United 4 Morecambe 0 (played on Saturday, September 4th, 2010)
Full match report and team selected here:
www.morecambefc.com/page/MatchReport/0,,10866~52816,00.html
PREVIOUSLY
This will be the first time we've played Morecambe in any competition, think that leaves Arsenal.........and Accrington Stanley.
REF
His assistants are C. Fitch and D. K. Rock and the fourth official is M. S. Scholes.
FIXTURES
League Two
Friday, September 17th: Accrington Stanley v Lincoln City, 19:45.
BET
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
HISTORY
Football in the town dates back to the turn of the 20th century; however it was not until 7 May 1920 that Morecambe FC was formed after a meeting at the local West View Hotel. The club then took its place in the Lancashire Combination League for the 1920-21 season.
Sharing grounds with the Cricket Club during the first season, football proved popular, with crowds in excess of 3,000 for derby fixtures with Lancaster City and Fleetwood Town. Although success on the field was hard to come by, with the club lanquishing near the bottom of the table, at the end of the first season the club moved grounds to Roseberry Park.
A few years later after the purchase of the ground by the then-President, Mr. J.B. Christie, the grounds' name was changed to its current title, Christie Park, in his honour. Those early seasons proved difficult and it was not until 1924-25 that the club began to enjoy some success, claiming the league title for the first time; this was later followed by success in the Lancashire Junior Cup (now the ATS Trophy) beating old rivals Chorley after two replays, and amazingly in front of over 30,000 spectators.
Mr. Christie bequeathed the ground to the club in 1927 and also helped incorporate the club into a Limited Company with a then share capital of £1,000. The rest of the 1920s and the whole of the 1930s saw a constant struggle to keep football alive on the North West coast, with poor results on the field and little or no revenue off the field, a near certain recipe for disaster.
Morecambe were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history after winning the Conference National Playoff Final 2007, beating Exeter City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium on 20 May 2007, in front of over 40,000 fans which followed their semi-final victory over York City.
On 17 July 2007, Morecambe announced plans to move to a new stadium in time for the start of the 2009-2010 season. Work did not commence on the proposed site until Spring 2009 with an anticipated completion date of Summer 2010.
Morecambe played their first game in The Football League against Barnet at Christie Park in August 2007, in which they played out a 0-0 draw to secure their first ever league point. They finished their opening season in 11th place with 60 points. They also finished the 08/09 season in 11th this time with 63 points.
The Shrimps mascot is surprisingly a cat. Christie the cat was adopted in the middle of the 07/08 season, it was revealed at a Home game Vs Grimsby Town.
2009-10 was Morecambe's last season at Christie Park. They finished the season in fourth place, qualifying for the playoffs, where they lost 7-2 on aggregate to Dagenham & Redbridge.
On August 10, 2010, Morecambe played their first match at the Globe Arena against Npower Championship side Coventry City in the Carling Cup 1st Round. Morecambe secured a superb 2-0 win, with Andy Fleming scoring the first 2 goals at the stadium. This earned Morecambe a Lancishire Derby in the 2nd Round against another Npower Championship side, Burnley, which they lost 3-1.
For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morecambe_F.C.