FA Cup: The road to Wembley continues, possibily via Anfield!
Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola and ex-Everton and Sheffield United midfielder Li Tie were the men who put their fingers in the glass bowl and drew out a corker for the winners of the Latics/Shrimpers replay.
It couldn't be tougher for the Blues, and I'm talking about Boundary Park on a cold Tuesday night, let alone Liverpool in the new year!
Collymore: 'Hope Southend can beat Oldham and get to Anfield'
In the meantime the Shrimpers twitterverse was soon going strong starting with the jedimaster Blair Sturrock himself: 'Did we just draw a big dog???'
Bless.
Defender Mark Phillips was not holding back: 'Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhooooooooo Liverpool away in the next round if we get through......wow fugging wow .....life ambition right there cooomon. Wow what an incentive that is to play at Anfield.....must win game at Oldham (as if it wasnt anyway)'
Nice to remember there's still a replay Mark, and not sure you would have said that if it had been Barnsley.
Then again, he did calm down later to write: 'Lets get it straight we have a very very hard few weeks coming up...swindon-cheltenham-oldham......some very hard games #onegameatatime'
However, Stan the Man certainly appreciates the situation, though firmly nailing his colours to the mask: 'Hope Southend can beat Oldham and get to Anfield. Remember great trips to Huddersfield & Sheffield Wed with Southend. I remember 5,000 fans going to Hillsborough and the support was awesome. Great times.'
| Sat 23-Jan-1993 | Away | FAC4 | 2 | 1 | Collymore(2) | 7961 |
| Sat 13-Feb-1993 | Away | FAC5 | 0 | 2 | 26446 |
Ahh, that brace against the Terriers, including a fantastic individual effort from close to the half way line; I'm told.
Sadly, I was sunning myself in Cape Town at the time and was told about the goal when I got back; never seen it, 18 years later!
Now down to second in the Shrimpers scoring charts striker Liam Dickinson tweeted: 'Great draw in the FA cup, fingers crossed we beat Oldham for the next round away at Liverpool'
Chris Phillips got an early quote from CEO Tara Brady: 'It would be a fantastic day for the football club and it's a very exciting draw but it will be a very hard game at Oldham.'
A consistant theme starting to build up here, and iainmacintosh sums it up well: 'We still have to beat Oldham first. We still have to beaf Oldham first. We still have to beat Oldham first. We still have to beat Oldham fi-'
Couldn't have put it better myself.
And in case we don't think the Latics will be trying: www.oldhamathletic.co.uk
What they're saying up north: www.owtb.co.uk
Meanwhile, for now, here's a couple of articles that may stir a few memories, especially for us oldies, and I was three days old when we played the Reds for the first time ever, can't remember the game.
It was 33 years ago in January: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
Head to Head with Liverpool: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
Full FA Cup Third Round Draw: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
(FA Cup 2nd round highlights on ITV1 from 22.30 Sunday, December 4th)
A new striker needed in the new year?: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
S24 is looking to build up it's editorial team, something to say? Why not join us: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk