Southend United

Full name	Southend United Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Shrimpers, The Seasiders, The Blues
Founded	19 May 1906; 112 years ago (1906-05-19)
Ground	Roots Hall
Capacity	12,392
Chairman	Ron Martin
Manager	Chris Powell[1]
League	League One
2017–18	League One, 10th of 24
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. Southend are known as "The Shrimpers", a reference to the area's maritime industry included as one of the quarterings on the club badge.

Founded 19 May 1906 in the Blue Boar pub^[2] Southend has been a member of the Football League since 1920. The club has spent most of its League career in the English lower divisions, with seven seasons in the League's second tier (Division 2/Championship).

The club is based at Roots Hall Stadium^[3] in Prittlewell, with plans to move to a new stadium at Fossetts Farm.

History[edit]

Stadium[edit]

The club has played at five grounds: the original Roots Hall, the Kursaal, the Greyhound Park, the rented Writtle Street (home of Chelmsford City F.C.) and again at Roots Hall.^[4]

Roots Hall was the first stadium that the club owned and was built on the site of their original home, albeit at a lower level. The site previous to Southend purchasing it in 1952 had been used as a sand quarry, by the council as a landfill site and by the local gas board (which was convinced to move to Progress Road).^[4] It took 10 years to fully complete the building of Roots Hall. The first game was played on 20 August 1955, a 3–1 Division Three (South) victory over Norwich City, but the ground was far from complete.^[4] The main East Stand had barely been fitted and ran along only 50 yards of the touchline, and only a few steps of terracing encircled the ground, with the North, West and the huge South Bank still largely unconcreted. The North Stand had a single-barrelled roof which ran only the breadth of the penalty area, and the West Bank was covered at its rear only by a similar structure.^[4]

Although the ground was unfinished, during the inaugural season this was the least of the club's worries, for the pitch at Roots Hall showed the consequences of having been laid on top of thousands of tonnes of compacted rubbish. Drainage was a problem, and the wet winter turned the ground into a quagmire. The pitch was completely re-laid in the summer of 1956 and a proper drainage system, which is still in place, was constructed, and the West Bank roof was extended to reach the touchline, creating a unique double-barrelled structure.^[4]

The terracing was completed soon after, but the task of completely terracing all 72 steps of the South Bank was not completed until 1964. The North Bank roof was extended in the early 1960s, and the East Stand was extended to run the full length of the pitch in 1966. Floodlights were also installed during this period. Roots Hall was designed to hold 35,000 spectators, with over 15,000 on the South Bank alone, but the highest recorded attendance at the ground is 31,090 for an FA Cup third round tie with Liverpool in January 1979.^[4]

Until 1988 Roots Hall was still the newest ground in the Football League, but then the ground saw a significant change. United had hit bad times in the mid-1980s and new chairman Vic Jobson sold virtually all of the South Bank for development, leaving just a tiny block of 15 steps.^[4] In 1994, seats were installed onto the original terracing, and a second tier was added. The West Bank had already become seated in 1992 upon United's elevation to Division Two while the East Stand paddock also received a new seating deck, bolted and elevated from the terracing below. In 1995 the West Stand roof was extended to meet up with the North and South Stands, with seating installed in each corner, thus giving the Roots Hall its current form, with a capacity of just under 12,500.^[5]

On 24 January 2007, Southend Borough Council unanimously agreed to give planning permission for a new 22,000-seater stadium at the proposed Fossetts Farm site, with Rochford District Council following suit 24 hours later. The application was subsequently submitted to Ruth Kelly, then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for government approval. However, the application was "called in" at the beginning of April 2007. The inquiry began in September 2007, followed in October 2007 by a "final" inquiry, when chairman Ron Martin called for supporters to show in numbers at Southend's local government headquarters. On 6 March 2008, permission to develop Fossetts Farm was given by the government.^[6]

Rivalries[edit]

Southend players.

The club has a fierce local rivalry with fellow Essex side Colchester United. The two clubs were promoted from League One at the end of the 2005–06 season after a long battle for top spot was eventually won by Southend. The rivalry extends back many years. At the end of the 1989–90 season Southend's promotion from the Football League Fourth Division coincided with Colchester's fall from the Football League and the clubs had to wait almost 15 years before meeting once again in competition when they met in the Southern Final of the Football League Trophy; the Shrimpers won 4–3 on aggregate to secure their first ever appearance in a national cup final. The two clubs met again in an Essex derby match in the same competition the following season, with Southend emerging as the victors once more after a penalty shootout. The overall competitive head to head record for the rivalry stands at 30 wins to Southend, 25 wins for Colchester with 17 draws.^[7] The last meeting between Southend and Colchester came in January 2016, Southend played Colchester at Roots Hall in a League One match. Southend won the game 3–0.

There is also a fierce rivalry between Southend and Leyton Orient. This is due to a period of time when the Essex club were Orient's geographically closest league rivals between 1998 and 2005.^{[citation needed]} Although the games between the two teams are eagerly anticipated by both sets of fans and Southend are considered as Orient's main rivals, the Shrimpers would see the London club as secondary rivals behind Colchester United due to geographical and historical reasons.^[8]

The Shrimpers beat the O's in the 2012/13 Johnstone's Paint Southern Area Final to book a place at Wembley in the final against Crewe Alexandra. Southend won 1–0 at Brisbane Road in the first leg of the area final and drew 2–2 at Roots Hall in the second leg, winning 3–2 on aggregate, despite being in a lower division than Orient at the time.

Other local rivalries include Gillingham, Ipswich Town and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

As of 7 September 2018^[9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Mark Oxley (captain) 2 DF Elvis Bwomono 3 DF Ben Coker 4 MF Luke Hyam 6 DF Michael Turner 7 MF Michael Kightly 8 MF Timothée Dieng 9 FW Tom Hopper 10 FW Simon Cox 11 MF Stephen McLaughlin 13 GK Nathan Bishop 15 DF Rob Kiernan 16 MF Dru Yearwood 17 GK Harry Seaden 18 MF Sam Mantom 20 MF Michael Klass

No. Position Player 22 GK Ted Smith 23 DF Taylor Moore (on loan from Bristol City) 24 DF Jason Demetriou 25 MF Sam Barratt 26 DF Harry Lennon 27 DF Harry Kyprianou 28 FW Shawn McCoulsky (on loan from Bristol City) 29 FW Norman Wabo 30 FW Harry Bunn (on loan from Bury) 31 FW Theo Robinson 32 DF Stephen Hendrie 33 MF Renei Batlokwa 36 MF Isaac Hutchinson 43 MF Lewis Gard 48 DF John White

Out on loan[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 12 FW Amadou Ba (on loan to Dartford)

Player of the Year[edit]

Top league scorer[edit]

Managers[edit]

• 1906–1910: Bob Jack
  


• 1910–1911: George Molyneux
  


• 1912–1919: Joe Bradshaw
  


• 1919–1920: Ned Liddell
  


• 1920–1921: Tom Mather
  


• 1921–1934: Ted Birnie
  


• 1934–1940: David Jack
  


• 1946–1956: Harry Warren
  


• 1956–1960: Eddie Perry
  


• 1960-1960: Frank Broome
  


• 1961–1965: Ted Fenton
  


• 1965–1967: Alvan Williams
  


• 1967–1969: Ernie Shepherd
  


• 1969–1970: Geoff Hudson
  


• 1970–1976: Arthur Rowley
  


• 1976–1983: Dave Smith
  


• 1983–1984: Peter Morris
  


• 1984–1986: Bobby Moore
  


• 1986–1987: David Webb
  


• 1987-1987: Dick Bate
  


• 1987–1988: Paul Clark
  


• 1988–1992: David Webb
  


• 1992–1993: Colin Murphy
  


• 1993-1993: Barry Fry
  


• 1993–1995: Peter Taylor
  


• 1995-1995: Steve Thompson
  


• 1995–1997: Ronnie Whelan
  


• 1999-1999: Mick Gooding
  


• 1999–2000: Alan Little
  


• 2000-2000: Mick Gooding
  


• 2000–2001: David Webb
  


• 2001–2003: Rob Newman
  


• 2003-2003: Stewart Robson
  


• 2003-2003: Steve Wignall
  


• 2003-2003: David Webb
  


• 2003–2010: Steve Tilson
  


• 2010–2013: Paul Sturrock
  


• 2013–2018: Phil Brown
  


• 2018–present: Chris Powell
  

Source:^[11]

Management[edit]

^[12]

Club honours[edit]

• 
  League One/Third Division (3rd tier)
  
  
  
  • Champions: 2005–06
  
  
  • Runners-up: 1990–91
  
  
  
  


• 
  League Two/Fourth Division (4th tier)
  
  
  
  • Champions: 1980–81
  
  
  • Runners-up: 1971–72, 1977–78
  
  
  • Play-off Winners: 2004–05, 2014–15
  
  
  
  


• 
  Football League Trophy
  
  • Runners-up: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2012–13
  
  


• 
  Southern League Second Division
  
  
  
  • Winners: 1906–07, 1907–08
  
  
  • Runners-up: 1912–13
  
  
  
  


• Essex Professional Cup
  
  • Winners: 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1973
  
  


• 
  Essex Senior Cup
  
  • Winners: 1983, 1991, 1997, 2008
  
  


• Essex Thameside Trophy
  
  • Winners: 1990^[14]
    
  
  

Club records[edit]

• 
  Biggest Victory as a league club: 10–1 v Golders Green, FA Cup, 1934–35; 10–1 v Brentwood, FA Cup, 1968–69; 10–1 v Aldershot, Football League Trophy, 1990–91


• 
  Heaviest Defeat as a league club: 1–9 v Brighton & Hove Albion, 1965–66


• 
  Highest Attendance (All Comps): 31,033 v Liverpool, FA Cup, 10 January 1979


• 
  Highest Attendance (League): 21,020 v Leyton Orient, Football League Third Division South, 9 September 1955


• 
  Lowest Attendance (All Comps): 683 v Northampton Town, Associate Members Cup, 13 March 1986


• 
  Highest Average Attendance: 12,089 1949–50 Football League Third Division South – Southend Stadium


• 
  Lowest Average Attendance: 2,103 1984–85 Football League Fourth Division – Roots Hall
  


• 
  Most Appearances (All Comps): Alan Moody (506 – 1972–1984)


• 
  Most Appearances (League): Sandy Anderson (452 – 1950–1962)


• 
  Most Appearances (FA Cup): Alan Moody (32 – 1972–1984)


• 
  Most Appearances (League Cup): David Martin (25 – 1986–1993)


• 
  Most Appearances (Other Cup): Kevin Maher (26 – 1998 to 2008)


• 
  Most Appearances (In a single season): Sean Clohessy (59 – 2012–2013)


• 
  Most Goals (All Comps): Roy Hollis (135 – 1954–1960)


• 
  Most Goals (League): Roy Hollis (120 – 1954–1960)


• 
  Most Goals (FA Cup): Roy Hollis (15 – 1954–1960) and Billy Best (15 – 1968–1973)


• 
  Most Goals (League Cup): Sammy McMillan (15 – 1967–69) and David Martin (15 – 1986–1993)


• 
  Most Goals (Other Cup): Brett Angell (10 – 1990–1994)


• 
  Consecutive Wins (League): 8 (29/08/2005 – 09/10/2005)


• 
  Consecutive Clean Sheets (League): 8 (21/03/2015 – 25/04/2015)

Kit[edit]

Source:^[15]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southend United FC.

• Official website


• The Shrimpers Trust


• SUFC DataBase – Shrimper's statistics