Southend United

Southend United FC 

Ground: Roots Hall

Capacity: 12,392

Club Founded: 1906

League: National League (current level)

Southend United's supporters have endured a range of emotions over the years, with unpopular owners and a fall into non-league before recovering after a new consortium took over.

Club History

Early Years

The football club from the Essex seaside town of the same name was formed in 1906 at a meeting at the Blue Boar pub near Roots Hall. The club joined the Southern League, where they won the second tier twice. Southend took up their Division One place in 1911-12. Roots Hall was requisitioned during World War I, so the club relocated to The Kursaal.

The club became a founding member 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. In 1952, the club bought the old Roots Hall site, where major work allowed it to stage its first match three years later. 

Roots Hall, Promotions and Relegations

The ground remained the youngest in the Football League until Scunthorpe's Glanford Park opened in 1988. United were placed in Division Three in 1958-59 following league reorganisation. Manager Ted Fenton was popular until his departure, before the side was relegated in 1965-66. Arthur Rowley’s team won promotion back to Division Three in 1971-72.

The Shrimpers were relegated after selling future England winger Peter Taylor. Dave Smith took the team to promotion in 1977-78, before they were relegated once again. The Division Four title was secured twelve months later. Around this time, the club was chaired by Anton Johnson, whose misdemeanours attracted the attention of the authorities and the anger of fans. 

Ownership Troubles

At one point, the former butcher owned Rotherham United, AFC Bournemouth, and Southend. He later helped destroy Doncaster Rovers and Scarborough. Bobby Moore had a spell as manager in Division Four. Johnson was arrested but found not guilty of financial misconduct before Vic Jobson took over as owner after being previously ousted from the board. 

Managers came and went as the Shrimpers yo-yoed between the bottom two divisions. The trend was bucked in 1990-91 with the team reaching what would later be the Championship, where Stan Collymore's goals thrilled the Roots Hall faithful. The regular turnover of managers continued. Alvin Martin was in charge when Southend were relegated in 1997-98.

Back to the Championship

Jobson unveiled big plans for a new stadium at Fossetts Farm. Steve Tilson took the side to the Football League Trophy final in 2003-04, losing 2-0 to Blackpool at the Millennium Stadium. They reached the final again the following season but lost 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, securing promotion to the Championship as Freddy Eastwood rattled in the goals. United dropped back down after just one season. They lost out in the playoff semi-finals a year later.

The Ron Martin Era

Ron Martin bought the club and its stadium before the team was relegated to League Two in 2009-10 as financial problems recurred. The club faced several High Court appearances with unpaid bills to HMRC throughout 2009 and 2010. Fans were irate with Martin’s handling of the club and considered him to be even worse than Jobson. 

Staff payments eventually arrived after Tilson was dismissed, and Paul Sturrock came in to manage the team, making some astute signings, having been hampered by an unsettled atmosphere around the club. Sturrock led his side to the playoffs at the end of the 2011-12 season.

With a transfer embargo at the start of the 2012-13 season, the club operated with a depleted squad, but Sturrock led the team to the Football League Trophy final. However, league form was poor, and Sturrock was sacked two weeks before the showpiece, yet asked to lead the team out at Wembley. 

33,000 Shrimpers fans saw the club's first-ever appearance at the national stadium, but Crewe Alexandra spoiled the party 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.

My drawing of Roots Hall, club crests, and team kits.
Click on the images to enlarge them.

Financial Woes and Relegation to Non-League

The following season, Wycombe Wanderers were defeated on penalties at Wembley as Southend clinched promotion. Martin continued hiring and firing managers. Sol Campbell was at the helm when the side was relegated in 2019-20. Mark Molesley was appointed before Brown returned for a second spell. 

Southend were relegated to the National League. More winding-up petitions arrived, staved off by last-minute payments, with owner Martin claiming the club carried huge debt, his companies being owed a large proportion. Former United midfielder Kevin Maher was appointed as manager in October 2021, while the National League placed an embargo on the club. 

Recent Years

More winding-up petitions were filed, and players remained unpaid. Martin promised payments would be made and said that the club was up for sale. One interested party pulled out of a sale citing Martin’s conduct. The National League deducted the club ten points at the start of the 2023-24 season. Friendlies were cancelled as not enough players were available. 

Fans protested, but Martin stood firm. Payments saw the league lift its embargo, allowing players to be signed. Martin negotiated a deal with the Justin Rees Australian consortium, allowing him to build houses on the Fossetts Farm site, in return for Roots Hall remaining as the club's home.

The Shrimpers reached the playoffs in 2024-25, losing the Wembley final 3-2 to Oldham Athletic in front of over 50,000 spectators. The following season, Scunthorpe United ended promotion hopes in the quarter-finals of the playoffs. The Shrimpers returned to Wembley to lift the FA Trophy on penalties after a 0-0 draw against Wealdstone.

Kieron Dyer was appointed Southend manager in June 2026.

My visits

Southend United 1 Scarborough 1 

FA Cup 3rd Round - Saturday 3rd January 2004 

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 6,902 🎟️ £12

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 being pulled out of the hat away to 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, and Tony 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 walked to the ground. Once inside, it was extremely noisy. Around a thousand Boro fans had made the journey.

I immediately took to Roots Hall as it was tightly enclosed 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, now seated with a corner extension, meaning all seats were under a roof. 

The far end was once a huge open terrace that fans had concreted 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 forced 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, 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 worst as Boro were under severe pressure and couldn't keep possession. 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 to the pub to catch our breath and refuel 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, 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 penultimate one out of the bowl. Chelsea was last! We went on to beat an excellent Southend side in the replay. 

We then battled against 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 wasn't the only club with a dubious owner.

Tuesday 14th July 2009

I had never really visited Southend properly. I decided to do some groundhopping and have 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 the away end, which was more by luck than judgment. 

I walked through the massive car park and to an iron gate where I saw a club official on 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 good. 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.