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SHRIMPERS
What a game last week. Well, second half; well, last twenty minutes!
No, it was great, and apologies to the landlord at the Railway who I grabbed around the neck after the fifth, hope I'm not banned!
The main pint of discussion with only the usual suspects out injured is will Blues boss Paul Sturrock bring in Bolton loanee Jack Sampson for the fox in the box Elliot Benyon who though showing some neat touches and plenty of effort has not looked like converting a chance, and he had a couple at Sixfields last Saturday.
Tough, but it would back up what Luggy's words of wisdom this week, and we only have the strapping teenager for only a month, though if he keeps up the form of his 9 minute cameo, great work to make Liam Dickinson's second and Southend's fourth.
However, Luggy is nothing but loyal, and we have signed the diminutive former Swindon striker full-time, so let's give another start to young Elliot, and hope the defence show a touch more concentration in the first 45 this time around.
Moreover, if things are going pear shaped, that's one hell of a bench!
Would be happy with a point, especially after a six-hour round trip by train, but what the hell, 2-1 Blues! (Then again I said this last week and it was 5-2!)
Possible Southend United: Morris, Clohessy, Phillips, Barker, Gilbert, Kalala, Timlin, Hall, Dickinson, Benyon, Martin.
Subs: Mohsni, Grant, Ferdinand, Sampson, Harris.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!
(Due to both Westfield and I at this game, and the fact we plan to have a few before and after, you will all have to wait for an S24 match report, the official site always get something up early, though we should be able to post something before midnight, if we can just see the one PC.)
OPPOSITION
Marvin Morgan
Yes, he of the 'I hope you all die' comment to his fans while at Aldershot was one of Turner's six summer signings for the Shropshire club and has rewarded him with nine goals.
Wasn't at his best at Roots Hall but showed enough that at their place will have to be watched closely.
Earlier on this campaign former England youth international right-winger Lionel Ainsworth was putting in a number of dangerous crosses al la Ryan Hall but as he was on the subs bench last week maybe has experienced a loss of form, could be a useful coming on late if that's the case again.
The full tweeting story: www.guardian.co.uk
(Full player info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Morgan)
Life at the top
| 1 | Southend United | 25 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 17 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 50 | 26 | 52 | +24 | ||||
| 2 | Cheltenham Town | 25 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 21 | 52 | +18 | ||||
| 3 | Crawley Town | 25 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 47 | 29 | 51 | +18 | ||||
| 4 | Swindon Town | 25 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 20 | 46 | +20 | ||||
| 5 | Shrewsbury Town | 25 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 24 | 45 | +13 | ||||
| 6 | Oxford United | 26 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 36 | 25 | 41 | +11 | ||||
| 7 | Gillingham | 25 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 41 | 31 | 41 | +10 | ||||
PREVIOUSLY
| At Shrewsbury Tn. (27) | At Southend Utd. (29) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 10 | 37.04 | Southend Utd. | 18 | 62.07 | |
| Southend Utd. | 8 | 29.63 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 6 | 20.69 | |
| Draws | 9 | 33.33 | Draws | 5 | 17.24 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 47 | 1.74 | Southend Utd. | 59 | 2.03 | |
| Southend Utd. | 31 | 1.15 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 29 | 1.00 | |
| On Neutral Ground (0) | Overall (56 matches) | |||||
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 | 0.00 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 16 | 28.57 | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 26 | 46.43 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 14 | 25.00 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 | 0.00 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 76 | 1.36 | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 90 | 1.61 | |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 8 | Southend Utd. | 7 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1963/1964 |
| Highest Shrewsbury Tn. score: | 7 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 7 - 1 | Southend Utd. | 1952/1953 |
| Highest Southend Utd. score: | 7 | Southend Utd. | 7 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1963/1964 |
| Season | Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011/2012 | Fri 30 Sep | Southend Utd. | 3 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Two |
| 2010/2011 | Sat 05 Feb | Southend Utd. | 0 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Two |
| Sat 20 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Two | |
| 2004/2005 | Tue 22 Feb | Southend Utd. | 1 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Two |
| Tue 02 Nov | Southend Utd. | 4 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | (Associate Members) | |
| Sat 23 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Two | |
| 2002/2003 | Tue 14 Jan | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three |
| Sat 17 Aug | Southend Utd. | 2 - 3 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three | |
| 2001/2002 | Sat 13 Apr | Southend Utd. | 0 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three |
| Sat 24 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 0 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three | |
| 2000/2001 | Sat 27 Jan | Southend Utd. | 0 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three |
| Fri 22 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three | |
| 1999/2000 | Sat 22 Apr | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three |
| Sat 16 Oct | Southend Utd. | 3 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three | |
| 1998/1999 | Sat 16 Jan | Shrewsbury Tn. | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three |
| Sat 15 Aug | Southend Utd. | 2 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three | |
| 1990/1991 | Sat 02 Feb | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Tue 18 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1978/1979 | Fri 09 Feb | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Fri 29 Sep | Southend Utd. | 0 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1975/1976 | Tue 06 Apr | Shrewsbury Tn. | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Sat 27 Sep | Southend Utd. | 1 - 3 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1973/1974 | Sun 10 Mar | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Sat 27 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 2 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1972/1973 | Fri 02 Mar | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Fri 06 Oct | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1969/1970 | Mon 08 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Cup |
| Tue 02 Sep | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 2 | Southend Utd. | League Cup | |
| 1965/1966 | Mon 14 Mar | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Fri 01 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 3 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1964/1965 | Sat 12 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 3 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Sat 22 Aug | Southend Utd. | 1 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1963/1964 | Sat 04 Apr | Southend Utd. | 7 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Sat 23 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 2 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1962/1963 | Wed 12 Sep | Shrewsbury Tn. | 6 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Mon 03 Sep | Southend Utd. | 3 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1961/1962 | Wed 25 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Mon 02 Oct | Southend Utd. | 1 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1960/1961 | Mon 26 Sep | Southend Utd. | 1 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Wed 21 Sep | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 2 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1959/1960 | Sat 13 Feb | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 3 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Sat 26 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1957/1958 | Sat 15 Mar | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 02 Nov | Southend Utd. | 5 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1956/1957 | Sat 16 Mar | Southend Utd. | 1 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 03 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1955/1956 | Mon 23 Apr | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 31 Mar | Southend Utd. | 1 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1954/1955 | Sat 18 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 3 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 21 Aug | Southend Utd. | 4 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1953/1954 | Sat 27 Feb | Southend Utd. | 3 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 10 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1952/1953 | Fri 01 May | Southend Utd. | 2 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 13 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 7 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1951/1952 | Sat 16 Feb | Southend Utd. | 2 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 06 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
GROUND
After 97 years at playing at their Gay Meadow ground, the Shrews have moved to a new stadium on the outskirts of the town. The New Meadow as it is currently called, has a capacity of 9,875 seats. It is comprised of four separate stands and at first glance looks similar in design to some other new stadiums that have been recently built. Yes it is smart looking, functional and tidy, but lacks that certain something to make it stand out from the others.
Each of the stands are simple single tiered stands, that are covered. Below the roof at the back of the stands is a sizeable strip of perspex that runs along the length of the stands. This is to allow more light into the stadium to facilitate pitch growth.
They are all 18 rows high, with the Roland Wycherley Stand(named after the Club Chairman) on one side, being the 'Main Stand'. This stand has a slightly different layout to the others with a press area and eight corporate boxes at its rear, the type of which that you can sit outside of.
The North Stand at one end of the stadium where the away fans are located also houses a prominent looking Police Control Box. Four small floodlights pylons are present on the roofs of the side stands. An unusual feature of the stadium is that the areas for disabled fans are high up at the very back of the stands and are accessed by lifts. There is also a small electric scoreboard next to the away end.
Away fans are located in the North Stand at one end of the ground. Leg room is good and the stands are quite steep keeping the fans close to the action and there is good height between rows. The concourses are quite well laid out, although the swing doors at the entrances to the toilets were met with a bit of trepidation. Although they were clearly marked one for entrance and one for exit, the inevitable occurs with fans piling out of each.
The main drawback with the new stadium is its location. Literally built on a field on the very edge of town, there is little in the way of facilities around it. There is a Retail Park nearby, which has some eating outlets such as a McDonalds, Pizza Hut and a supermarket cafe, but there seems to be little else.
(Ground information supplied by www.footballgroundguide.com)
