Southend United

Southend United FC is a professional football club from the Essex seaside town of the same name. They were formed in 1906 at a meeting at the Blue Boar pub near to Roots Hall which is where they started out playing. 

The club started out in the Southern League, winning the second tier at the first time of asking in 1906-07, which was repeated twelve months later. A promotion and demotion in the competition followed before Southend took up their Division One place in 1911-12.

On the outbreak of the first world war, Roots Hall became a storage site and then a tip thereafter, so the club moved to The Kursaal. The club became founder members of the Football League Division Three South in 1920-21. By the early 1950s Southend had moved once more to Southend Greyhound Stadium off Sutton Road.

The old Roots Hall site was bought by the club in 1952 and three years later it staged its first match. The ground remained the youngest in the Football League until the opening of Scunthorpe United's Glanford Park in 1988.

United were placed in Division Three in 1958-59 following league re-organisation. Manager Ted Fenton was a popular figure until his departure, which then saw the side relegated in the following 1965-66 season. Arthur Rowley’s team won promotion back to Division Three in 1971-72.

The Shrimpers dropped back down in 1975-76 after the sale of future England winger Peter Taylor. Dave Smith took the team to promotion in 1977-78, prior to relegation once again in 1979-80. The Division Four title was secured twelve months later. 

Around this time the club was chaired by Anton Johnson, whose misdemeanours were to attract the attention of the authorities and the anger of fans. At one point the former butcher owned Rotherham United, and AFC Bournemouth, as well as Southend. He later helped destroy Doncaster Rovers and Scarborough.

Bobby Moore had a time as manager once the side had been relegated to Division Four in 1983-84. Johnson was arrested but found not guilty of financial misconduct before Vic Jobson took over as owner after being previously ousted from the board. 

A succession of managers came and went before David Webb took up a second spell from 1988. He had earlier helped the side to promotion but oversaw a relegation season in 1988-89. It only took twelve months for Southend to regain their third-tier status.

United went up again in 1990-91 to what would later be the Championship where the goals of Stan Collymore would thrill the Roots Hall faithful. Retitled Division One when the team was relegated from it in 1996-97, the club had employed Colin Murphy, Barry Fry, Peter Taylor, Steve Thompson, and Ronnie Whelan during their second-tier spell. 

Alvin Martin was the next manager with Jeroen Boere supplying the goals. However, the team went down once again in 1997-98. Jobson unveiled big plans for a new stadium at Fossetts Farm with many hurdles cited as stalling the development. Managers continued to come and go offering no stability prior to the appointment of Steve Tilson in 2003.

The side reached the Football League Trophy final in 2003-04, losing 2-0 to Blackpool at the Millennium Stadium, reaching the final again the following season but losing by the same score to Wrexham. The team reached the playoffs and were promoted after defeating Northampton Town and then Lincoln City. 

Tilson’s side won League One in 2005-06 to secure promotion to the Championship as Freddy Eastwood rattled in the goals. United dropped back down after just one season. They reached the League One playoffs in 2007-08 but lost to Doncaster Rovers in the semifinal.

The Shrimpers and their stadium were bought by Ron Martin and were relegated to League Two in 2009-10 as continual financial problems began to hit home, as the club faced several High Court appearances with unpaid bills to HMRC throughout 2009 and 2010. 

The fans were irate with Martin’s handling of the club and considered him to be even worse than Jobson. Payments were eventually made after Tilson was dismissed, and Paul Sturrock came in to manage the team, making some astute signings, having being hampered by an unsettled atmosphere around the club.

Sturrock led his side to the playoffs at the end of the 2011-12 season, where they were defeated by Crewe Alexandra. A transfer embargo at the start of the 2012-13 season saw a depleted squad take to the field, but Sturrock led the team to the final of the Football League Trophy.

However, league form was poor, and he was sacked two weeks before the showpiece but amazingly asked to lead the team out at Wembley. 33,000 Shrimpers fans saw the clubs first ever appearance at the national stadium, but it was Crewe Alexandra who once again spoiled the party, this time with a 2-0 victory. 

Phil Brown came in as Sturrock's successor. Martin continued to battle with the authorities while the team reached the playoffs in 2013-14, losing to Burton Albion in the semifinals, before returning for another crack at promotion in 2014-15. This time wins over Stevenage and then Wycombe Wanders on penalties at Wembley was successful.

Brown resigned in January 2018 to be replaced by Chris Powell. He was replaced by Kevin Bond in the April of the following year as United stayed up on goal difference. Sol Campbell was brough in as manager in October 2019, as his side was relegated to League Two a few months later.

Mark Molesley was next in the hot seat before Brown returned for a second spell in April 2021. He could not work his magic for a second time as Southend were relegated to the National League. More winding up petitions and last-minute payments continued to feature with owner Martin claiming the club was in huge debt with much of the money owed to his companies.

Former United midfielder Kevin Maher was appointed as manager in October 2021 while the National League placed an embargo on the club. More winding up petitions were filed while players were not paid. Martin continued to promise payments would be made and said that the club was up for sale.

One interested party pulled out of a sale owing to Martin’s conduct, while the National league deducted the club ten points at the start of the 2023-24, while friendlies were cancelled as not enough players were available. Fans protested but Martin stood firm.

Bills were paid at the last minute and the league embargo was lifted so that players could be signed. A deal with the Justin Rees Australian consortium looked to build houses on the Fossetts Farm site, in return for Roots Hall remaining as the club home. The local council were set to decide in May 2024.

Southend United FC will play in the National League in the 2024-25 season.

My visits

Southend United 1 Scarborough 1 (FA Cup 3rd Round) Saturday 3rd January 2004 (att:6,902)

My beloved Scarborough FC were on a bit of a roll having beaten Hinckley, Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale to reach round three of the FA Cup. Initially we were a little disappointed at drawing Southend as we wanted a big club at home. 

However, as the game got nearer I simply couldn't wait. This was my real Christmas Day that festive period! I met up with Simon from Gillingham, Dave Cammish and Tony Dore for a few liveners at the packed Hamilton Hall pub in Liverpool Street station before taking the train to Prittlewell.

 

We soon found the pub where all our fellow Seadogs were drinking, which I believe was called The Golden Lion. The atmosphere was tense as we made our way to the ground. Once inside it was extremely noisy. There were around a thousand Boro fans there.

I immediately took to Roots Hall as it was tightly enclosed so as to keep the noise in. We were in an old terracing which had been converted to seating with a barrel shaped roof. To the right was another converted cover, the West Stand, which was now all seated with an extension in the corner meaning all seats were under a roof. 

The far end was once a huge open terracing which the fans had constructed themselves back in the 1950's. The club had cleverly sold the back section for new flats and put a small double decker South Stand on the remaining land, in a not dissimilar fashion to Griffin Park, Brentford. 

The Main, or East Stand once had a terraced paddock at the front but was now all seated. United had paid the penalty for reaching the second tier of the League which enforced them to withdraw any terracing. All in all it was a good size for the club's requirements.

United were struggling near the bottom of the fourth tier, which was Division Three at the time, and Boro were doing OK in the Conference National, one league below so a close contest was anticipated. Southend had recently appointed a new manager, Steve Tilson, who was sorting the side out. 

They certainly flew out of the traps that day and went one up early on. Many of us feared the worse as Boro were under severe pressure and couldn't get a kick of the ball. Gradually things evened out. 

Boro got more and more into the game before Scott Kerr scored our equaliser. The away end went berserk. We more than held out in the remaining minutes and could well have got a winner. The draw was fully deserved.

We retired back to the pub to catch our breath and do some refuelling before a large gang of us caught the train back. Quite a few Seadogs were making a weekend of it and staying in London. I went to Brick Lane for a curry and then the much missed Spotted Dog with Carl Ellis who I was putting up for the night.

I was at work at Lord's the following Monday lunchtime watching the FA Cup draw for the next round. Our ball was the second to last out of the bowl. Chelsea was last! We went on to beat an excellent Southend side in the replay. 

This was followed by taking on the Chelsea millionaires in the next round in front of live Sky TV cameras and a full house. It was meant to sort out the club's finances for years to come. Three and a half years later, Scarborough FC ceased to exist. Southend United weren't the only club with a dubious owner.

Click here read a report of the Southend v Scarborough game at Roots Hall.

Tuesday 14th July 2009

I had never really visited Southend properly. It was just a walk between the railway station and football ground via the pub on my previous visit. I decided to do some groundhopping as well as having a good walk to test out my hamstring injury. My final port of call was Southend. I got off the bus from Canvey Island near to the away end, which was more by luck than judgement. 

I walked through the massive car park and got to an iron gate where I saw a club official at the other side. He finished his phone call and kindly let me in as long as I didn't go on the pitch, which was being prepared for the upcoming pre season friendlies. I was in a gap between the away end and the Main Stand. 

The stadium hadn't changed from my previous visit, but it looked well. I took my photos and set off for my next port of call, passing the pub where the club was formed on the way to the town centre.