Cheltenham Town	Lincoln City	Rochdale	Cambridge United	West Ham United	Bristol Rovers
Macclesfield Town	Rushden & Diamonds	Wycombe Wanderers	Notts County	Kidderminster Harriers	Colchester United
Darlington	Boston United	Swansea City	Scunthorpe United	Shrewsbury Town	Northampton Town
Shrewsbury Town	Oxford United	Luton Town	Yeovil Town	Grimsby Town	Northampton Town
Leyton Orient	Bury	Chester City	Wycombe Wanderers	Mansfield Town	Rushden & Diamonds
Kidderminster Harriers	Boston United	Notts County	Mansfield Town	Swindon Town	Darlington
Swansea City	Scunthorpe United	Bristol Rovers	Northampton Town	Shrewsbury Town	Bury
Chester City	Bristol Rovers	Lincoln City	Cheltenham Town	Rochdale	Cambridge United
Bristol Rovers	Wrexham	Leyton Orient	Macclesfield Town	Oxford United	Yeovil Town
Grimsby Town	Northampton Town	Northampton Town	Lincoln City

Prior is congratulated by team-mates after a rare goal at Cambridge

The protracted process started when spies at the Shrimpers’ Gloucester Park training camp spotted former Shrimper Prior training with his ex-team-mates Tilson and Andy Edwards. Immediately talk on the club’s messageboards hinted of a return for the former promotion hero, and when he completed half of the team’s pre-season fixture with East Thurrock United at Rookery Hill, a move looked on.

Still both Prior and Tilson kept their comments guarded, claiming that if a Coca-Cola League One side would come in for the veteran centre-half, then he was more likely to perform for them. He was pulled out of the Roots Hall clash with Canvey Island, the reason given alluding to insurance purposes. The wait continued, and Prior was not interesting anyone except his hometown club after being released by Cardiff City.

Tilson struck a deal, which probably means that ‘Spinner’ is one of the highest wage-earners at the club, initially on a two-year contract, and one that is likely to see him move onto Tilson’s coaching staff when his playing career does come to an end. He has also spoken of emigration to Australia and starting his own company on the antipodean island.

That end of a career looked likely to come sooner rather than later when he first faced up to League One attacks. Whilst he was not to blame, the defence as a whole was cumbersome against Cheltenham Town in the sweltering heat of a 2-0 opening day defeat. More errors against Lincoln City and Rochdale, and indecision away at Bristol Rovers, and two points from five League matches gave Blues bottom spot in the Football League for the first time in their history.

Thankfully, the Seasiders bounced back, with victories over Macclesfield Town and Rushden & Diamonds. And if Bart Griemink was to blame for the conceding of a strike against the Silkmen, it was Prior’s slow turn and dallying in possession that led to Rushden’s – their only goal in a 4-1 defeat. At Notts County, Prior was slow to move again, and Glyn Hurst grabbed a late consolation. This was becoming a common theme, and a worrying trend for a side that was now hoping for a Play-Off place, despite an awful start.

Prior was being rested for Cup matches, so he returned to the buoyant Colchester-slaying side for a 4-0 defeat against Darlington at the Williamson Motors Stadium. Billed as ex-Premiership stars Clyde Wijnhard and Alun Armstrong against Prior, it was the ex-Middlesbrough, Ipswich and Leeds talents that triumphed, and in some style.

Still it was Prior that kept his spot, as Andy Edwards lost his. In fact, the only time that ‘Spinner’ was out of the squad thereafter was after a nasty back niggle that allowed him an extended Christmas period off. Either side of that, he managed his only two goals, against Swansea City (yes, the answer to the quiz question in a few years’ time when asked ‘Who was the other Shrimpers goalscorer when Freddy Eastwood scored a hat-trick on his Southend debut?’ is Spencer Prior) and Cambridge United – a vital 2-0 win at the Abbey Stadium that kept United in the promotion hunt and ironically ended Eastwood’s post-War record of seven consecutive games scored in.

Prior can count himself a fortunate man with regards to his Southend career. He won promotion in 1989/90, 1990/1 and 2004/5, joining Edwards as the only other member of the playing staff to do so. He completed the campaign as solid as a rock, having forged a central defensive partnership with Adam Barrett that was the fulcrum of the best home defence in League Two last year – and that counts the extra game in the Play-Offs against Northampton Town. When it really mattered, Prior did not slip up. And that is why his experience and nous, more than anything else, will be required in League One this time around.

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com