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Perhaps the most surprising exclusion is centre-half Gray, who had a fine end to the 2002/3 campaign. After starting that year slowly he came to the fore as he scored in an impressive reserve team display at Portsmouth, who were on the verge of promotion to Division One, and then made a further ten appearances as they rounded the campaign off. However, this year he has dropped out of the reckoning, and has played just five matches.
The release of Luke Moore is also a little peculiar as he has also been involved with the second-string on a number of occasions this term. The 18-year-old has started one game and come off of the substitutes’ bench on another five occasions, but a lack of consistency and failure to show off his full potential has led to his departure.
Forward Bourne has gone the way of his brother, Christopher, who was allowed to leave the youth-team set-up at Roots Hall at the start of 2002/3. The front runner can be infuriating, and he has scored some spectacular goals, not least the strike at
The retainees are maybe a little fortunate. Rumour abounded about a possible departure for Londoner Ilett, who now lives in
Bryan, who is a favourite of new Shrimpers boss Steve Tilson, has continued to be industrious and workmanlike in the middle of the park, with the occasional flash of brilliance thrown in. He is capable of so much more than he has shown at times in the current campaign, and it is most likely Tilson’s personal faith in his ability that has handed him this opportunity.
The retention of Price could be predicted from the manner in which he has sometimes pipped Gray to reserve team appearances in the last couple of months. The left-back, who can also fill in in the centre of defence or on the left-hand side of midfield, has been confined mainly to the bench in that form of the game, but his versatility has stood him in good stead.
Williams, on the other hand, was a no-brainer. The 18-year-old has been firmly entrenched in the club’s reserve side, barely missing a match in 2003/4 for the second-string and having been involved in the first team squad on two occasions at the start of the season, without making the field of play. Handed squad number 20, he is the man most likely to be following starlet Michael Kightly into the side.
Meanwhile, for gangly custodian Morgan, this is another reprove after he has been partly responsible for some wretched performances at the tail end of the Youth Alliance season, not least the 6-1 defeat at Boots & Laces to local rivals Leyton Orient. Morgan has shown reluctance to come off of his line, but there is no doubt that with some work, he will be able to command the box well, and add to his fine shotstopping talents.
We at TLG wish the three released players all the best for the future, and thank them for all their endeavours for the youth sides at Southend United over the past couple of seasons. The players kept on, who will hope to be joined by first years Tommy Byrne, Nick Skelton, James Lawson, Kurt Husnu and Phil Anderson, who have yet to be informed of their fate, will continued to be covered in detail by this website into 2004/5, as we carry on our unrivalled and unrelenting coverage of the Shrimpers’ Under-17 and Under-19 teams.
Tomorrow, the Under-19s travel to
TLG had planned to be there, but instead duties for the Shrimpers Trust, including (subject to delivery) the sale of the LDV Vans Trophy final souvenir magazine, ‘There’s Only One Team In Essex’, has scuppered those initial plans, although travel arrangements may have been difficult as it was. We will be at both Leyton Orient (Under-17s) and Boots & Laces (Under-19s versus
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com