Roots Hall is rather a mish mash of buildings in different styles. This is the East Stand from the outside. Photo © 2004 Ciderspace

The early years of football in Southend involved a plethora of amateur teams, and it wasn't until 1906, out of a whole series of political battles between various factions, that a professional club - Southend United - was formed. The new club applied for and was admitted into the Southern League.

In 1920 Southend became a founder member of Division Three, which was expanded and split into North/South the following season, United finishing bottom and requiring the first of only three re-elections in their history. Neither however were they troubling the other end of the table. For year after year Southend were almost unremittingly mid-table. When regionalisation ended in 1958 the Shrimpers were one of only six clubs ever present since the formation of Divison 3 South, and had a good enough record to get a place in Division 3 rather than the newly created Division 4. There they remained, once again mostly mid-table, until 1966 which saw the club's first ever relegation.

Slightly more interesting view of the East Stand from the pitch side. Photo © 2004 Ciderspace

As if to counter their previous rather humdrum existence Southend became something of a yo-yo club in the Seventies and Eighties, regularly switching between the two lower divisons. On one of these occasions, 1980-81, they won their only Championship in the Football League to date.

The mid-Eighties was a dark period for the club when local businessman Anton Johnson took control. His reign ended with financial chaos, 'missing' funds, arrest, and sanctions for breaking League regulations. From this unpromising position Southend rebuilt, and under the second of three spells with Dave Webb in the driving seat moved up to become a Division 2 club for the first time in their history. The renumbering of the Divisions to accommodate the creation of the Premiership meant Southend then became a Division 1 club, a status they held on to for five seasons.

The West Stand, which is opposite the East Stand would you believe. Photo © 2004 Ciderspace

The mid-Nineties saw it all fall apart again as the Shrimpers suffered two successive relegations, and looked for a while as if they were going straight through Division 3 into Non-league the year after that. They eventually bottomed out in 18th. Managers have regularly come and gone since, including Mr David Webb for that third spell, taken from Yeovil Town, and for six seasons Southend United were back in territory familiar from their past - consistently mid-table.

In 2004-05 new manager Steve Tilson began putting things together and Southend had their best season for years. It was nip and tuck at the top throughout the campaign and the penultimate game of the season with Yeovil Town was virtually an automatic promotion decider. Yeovil emerged victorious at Roots Hall, but such was the generosity of spirit to that defeat there can't have been many Glovers who weren't rooting for the Shrimpers as they marched through the play-offs. A year later and more glory for Tilson and Co as they leapt straight into the Championship - something that left the bookies very flat-footed indeed.

Last season was a bit of a nasty jolt to the system - perhaps the rise of the Shrimpers had been too much too soon. Their stay in the Championship was merely one season although they nearly managed survival which would have been an incredible achievement. To their credit, the club did not seek to blame the manager for this apparent 'failure' - in fact they responded by extending Tilson's contract. Football League Chairmen (and supporters!) take note! Sometimes there is another option other than sacking the manager! Southend accepted relegation with grace (and doubtless after 46 games worth of a great experience rubbing shoulders with the big boys). Perhaps their approach to their relegation position last season has seen far less mud-slinging and finger-pointing than is common at most clubs, and probably because of that, there are a lot of very familiar (and now experienced) players in Southend's line-up. And of course they still have Tilson at the helm. The end result is that the Shrimpers are likely to be giving it a second go to grab a Championship spot this season and look a good bet for the play-offs. Good luck to them .... unless it's at Yeovil's expense of course!

The Frank Walton Stand, which is the home end. Photo © 2004 Ciderspace

The North Stand, which is the away end. Photo © 2004 Ciderspace

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RECENT RESULTS

09/08/2008	Peterborough United	Home	CCL1	W	1-0	8665		Clarke 76
16/08/2008	Millwall	Away	CCL1	D	1-1	8114		Revell 7
22/08/2008	Brighton and Hove Albion	Home	CCL1	L	0-2	7976
30/08/2008	Walsall	Away	CCL1	L	2-5	3843		Robson-Kanu 33, Barnard 87
07/09/2008	Carlisle United	Away	CCL1	L	1-2	6561		Freedman 22

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name	LGE	FAC	FAT	LGC	CC	Total
Dougie Freedman	1	0	0	0	0	1
Peter Clarke	1	0	0	0	0	1
Alex Revell	1	0	0	0	0	1
Hal Robson-Kanu	1	0	0	0	0	1
Lee Barnard	1	0	0	0	0	1

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 8665, vs Peterborough United, 09/08/2008
Lowest League Attendance: 7976, vs Brighton and Hove Albion, 22/08/2008
Average League Attendance: 8320

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	4		Games Without A Home Win:	1
Games Without An Away Win:	3		Games Without Defeat:	0
Games Without A Home Defeat:	0		Games Without An Away Defeat:	0
Games Without A Draw:	3		Games Without A Score Draw:	3
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	5		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:	WL
Away Results Sequence:	DLL		Overall Results Sequence:	WDLLL

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The Far Post Bar at Roots Hall. Photo © 2004 Ciderspace

IMPORTANT INFORMATION : Specific To The January 2008 Trip To Southend.

For those of you using public transport to get to Saturday's game against Southend United, it is worth your while being aware of the following line closures that will be in force for the weekend.

London Liverpool Street Mainline Station

There is no mainline service running to Southend from Liverpool Street. If you arrive there you'll end up having to take a replacement bus all the way to Southend and back. Not recommended! We recommend that you take a train from the nearby Fenchurch Street station, situated a short walk from Bank station (and also walkable from Liverpool Street). This will land you in at Southend Central - about a 15 minute walk from the ground (see general information below).

Underground Circle Line

There is no Circle Line running at all over the weekend. This means you can't get to Fenchurch Street via Tower Hill.

Underground District Line

There is no District Line running between Embankment and Whitechapel over the weekend. Again this means you can't get to Fenchurch Street via Tower Hill.

There are other closures around the Underground but these are the most obvious likely to affect your journey. Our advice is to get yourself to Bank Station and then take the Lombard Street exit, then walk up to the end of that road which then becomes Fenchurch Street. The station is two-thirds of the way down that street on the right-hand side.

General Rail Information (not specific to the January 2008 fixture)

Southend is on two different railway lines.

The nearest station to the ground is Prittlewell (the Liverpool Street line out of London, terminus Southend Victoria). London Eastern Railway trains depart from London up to three times an hour depending on the time of day and take 53 to 55 minutes. Returns to London run up to the latest at 11.08.
From Prittlewell leave the station by the set of steps at the very end of the platform. Turn right over the bridge and continue past The Railway Tavern. At the traffic lights, which mark the junction between East Street and Victoria Avenue, turn right and continue down the hill, passing the main entrance to Roots Hall. At the next set of traffic lights, turn left into Fairfax Drive and continue for 400 yards or so to the away entrance on your right. Total walking time no more than five minutes.

If you fancy seeing Southend's er Golden Mile (ahem) or the pier, then take the line from Fenchurch Street which trundles through Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell, Westcliff-on-Sea to Southend Central (terminus is at Shoeburyness) on C2C trains. Journey time is between 52 and 59 minutes depending on the number of stops, with up to four trains an hour through the day. Returns to London run at two an hour in the evening up to the last at 23.15.
To reach the ground, head up the pedestrianised High Street (away from the seafront) to a new Odeon complex. Walk past the Odeon to the right, cross the dual-carriageway and head down Victoria Avenue. Roots Hall is about fifteen minutes along on the left. There is probably a bus, if you can work it out.

(Local road directions adapted from Shrimper Zone.)

By Bus

There are buses in Southend - there are even little buttons on the Net to click to tell you about them and where and when they run. Unfortunately none of the pages worked when we tried. You're on your own.

Taxis

A selection of Southend taxi companies can be found here.

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Club Bar :

The New Shrimpers opened in 1999 and is found under the East Stand. Large and spacious, but got a poor write-up from home fans in previous years. However taken over by the Shrimpers Trust towards the end of the 2003-04 season. Away fans are admitted at £1.00 for adults. Food inside the ground is bacon rolls, burgers and hot dogs.

Local Pubs :

Bell Hotel: On the A127 about half a mile north of the stadium. It's a pub, it's a hotel and it's called the Bell - no further details. Bell Hotel, Prince Avenue, Prittlewell, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 6RL. Tel: 01702 436168. Map: Click Here.

Cork and Cheese Ale House: Best Real Ale pub in Southend. Unfortunately for you and I it's closed. Blame the redevelopment of the Victoria Plaza shopping centre it was situated in. Landlord John Murray has been forced to shut down after trade dropped by 25% amidst the building work: "It is very sad with the reputation we have built up in Southend over recent years and the other major problem has been the noise at times while the work is going on. A pub should be a haven of quiet, but there are times it has been unbearable and I can't blame people for going elsewhere." The landlord also blamed the smoking ban within pubs for the closure - due to the pub's location within the shopping centre there was no 'outside' location for smokers to get their fix. Delamere Estates, who are carrying out the £27 million pound redevelopment say they hope they can persuade someone to take up the building as a pub when the Plaza re-opens - sometime late 2008. We won't hold our breath though. Cork and Cheese Ale House, 10-11, Talza Way, Lower Ground Floor, Victoria Plaza Shopping Centre, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 5BG. Tel: 01702 616914. Email: enquiries@corkandcheese.co.uk. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

The Golden Lion © Martin Baker Golden Lion: Closest pub to the ground (by a few yards from the Spread Eagle - see below). Much more a lager and keg pub than the aforementioned. Obviously very busy on matchdays. Used to have a 'No away fans' policy but this was relaxed and now there's Southend supporters claiming it's been completely taken over. There are public and saloon bars and family area. Has a pool table. Golden Lion, 289, Victoria Avenue, Prittlewell, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 6NE. Tel: 01702 347737. Map: Click Here.

Last Post - a Wetherspoon right outside Southend Central © Hugh Gleave Last Post: Absolutely vast Wetherspoon with two bars in the middle of Southend close by Southend Central railway station (exit on the sea side) and the pier. The usual Directors, Spitfire and Theakston Best plus plenty of guests and two ciders. Allows children up until 5.00 p.m. Opening is 10.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. About a mile walk to the ground. On one of our previous visits someone had driven a landrover straight through the wall the previous evening in an attempt to kill his daughter's cheating boyfriend. It's not dull in Southend. Thankfully they've done the repairs now. Last Post, Weston Road, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS1 1AS. Tel: 01702 431682. Map: Click Here.

Nelson Hotel: Frequented by visiting fans as well as locals as it is well under ten minutes walk away from the stadium, close to a convenient route to the North Stand (away area) which is accessed via Shakespeare Drive. Huge and fairly basic public house with two bars, one with Sky Sports, and a beer garden is all we've gleaned. Nelson Hotel, North Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS0 7AB. Tel: 01702 436329. Map: Click Here.

Spread Eagle © Martin Baker Spread Eagle: On the A127 just a few yards further from Roots Hall than the Golden Lion (above). Number 1 pub for home fans, but away fans are usually admitted. A large bar dominates the centre of the pub with public and saloon sides, which obviously get very busy on match days. Plastic 'glasses', unless you get there early and keep hold of an er, glass glass. There is an extensive paved beer terrace which can act as an overspill in good weather but also doubles as a car park, and a beer garden at the rear. Beers are Fullers London Pride, Greene King IPA, Highgate Mild, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and Wells Bombardier. Bar food served at lunchtimes - but again get there early on a matchday. Has a big screen in the public bar and a pool table. No under 16s. Opening is 11-11. Spread Eagle, 267, Victoria Avenue, Prittlewell, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 6NE. Tel: 01702 213674. Map: Click Here.

Strawberry Field Travel Inn & Brewers Fayre: Opposite Tescos on the roundabout at Prince Avenue, a mile and a half from the stadium. You'll pass it if driving into Southend along the A127. Brewers Fayre (270 outlets) are part of the Whitbread Group's three-pronged attack, along with Beefeater (230 outlets) and Brewsters (147 outlets), in reducing eating and drinking to the experience of suspension in a sensory deprivation tank whilst ingesting cotton wool and distilled water. Whitbread Group have absolutely nothing to do with beer any more, an abstinence amply confirmed in the shite pubs they run. To be fair, on their commercial pages they go out of their way to convince shareholders that they have nothing to do with those awful things 'pubs', puffing up their stable of veneered "McDonalds" as restaurants. 'Celebrity chef' Brian Turner helped create their menus they'll have you know - what a w*nk*r. If desiring to stay in Southend you might want to use their adjacent Travel Inn though - basic and cheap, and thankfully bereft of any food or drink touched by Whitbread. You have to go next door for that.......or, far preferable, keep on walking past. Strawberry Field Travel Inn & Brewers Fayre, Thanet Grange, Prince Avenue, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 6GB. Tel: 01702 338787. Map: Click Here.

The Blue Boar © Hugh Gleave The Blue Boar: The very pub where the meeting that formed Southend United was held. Closed for years it was renovated and reopened at the end of 2002. Single bar with Tetley Imperial and Greene King I.P.A.. Does food. Increasingly popular with home fans. No children allowed on matchdays by police order - yep, so let's encourage a family atmosphere shall we Mr. Plod. The Blue Boar, 177, Victoria Avenue, Prittlewell, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 6EL. Tel: 01702 430923. Map: Click Here.

The Liberty Belle: Many of the pubs and bars along the sea-front are best treated with a bit of caution at night but we've had two cracking evenings in this one. Not sure why it's different. Looks a bit seedy and scruffy from the outside, better inside but not markedly so. Biker friendly (the landlord is one). But for whatever reason the clientele have been a great bunch, and the same Southend United supporters we met up with the first year came back in the next on the off-chance we'd be using it again. We were. Has some real ale, though nothing spectacular, and a wide range of the usual beers and lagers. You can sit out the front or in a courtyard at the back if the weather is good. As one would expect in a seaside resort few prices on the front are cheap, but those here are on the more reasonable side. The fish and chip shop almost next door is also good. The pub was one of the first in Southend to apply for a licence under the forthcoming legislation, with the landlord wishing to be able to open from 7.00 a.m to 3.00 a.m., with an additional 30 minutes "winding down" time. Barry Boardman, who is teetotal, said: "I would like this for special occasions. I would normally close at 1.00 a.m. and I wouldn't take in people who had been drinking all day. I would only open at 7.00 a.m. for something like a rugby match. I'm a responsible landlord - I have only had to call the police once in 20 years. People should be able to drink when they like. What's the point in the Government bringing in these new laws if the police are going to oppose them?" We're not sure where things stand now, but last thing we knew, police in Southend were planning to fight against all applications for extended pub hours. Nice to see landlords being given a fair and impartial hearing then ... The Liberty Belle, 12-14, Marine Parade, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS1 2EJ. Tel: 01702 466936. Map: Click Here.

The Railway Tavern: Opposite Prittlewell Station and five minutes walk from the ground. The pub's clientele has a reputation of not being welcoming to strangers, but no actual trouble - more it can all go very silent as you walk in. A haunt for some of Sarfend's criminal fraternity, er, allegedly. Good bar food, a big screen and a pool table. The Railway Tavern, East Street, Prittlewell, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 6LH. Tel: 01702 616214. Map: Click Here.

Trading Room: Exactly a mile to the ground, and half a mile from Westcliff railway station (Southend Central line). Recently converted from a bank it has a modern interior with a single horseshoe bar. Real ales are Courage Directors and Ridleys Old Bob. Serves food throughout the day. Opening is 11-11. Trading Room, 522, London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS0 9HS. Tel: 01702 350444. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Everyone is called Kev, Trev, Barry or Sharon, and they're all geezas. The local dialect is Estuarine Mockney : Ya frum Yovul Tahn, is ya mate?

Top-Tip :

Keep your kids away from the fun fair Adventure Island - it'll cost you a fortune. I know. It has me. Twice.

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