2014/15 Prediction League - Game 31 v Southend United (away)

[Div3North]

Southend United

V

Accrington Stanley

2014/15 Prediction League; Game 31 v Southend United (away)

This week’s starter for 10 ……..on 7th November 2006 Southend United beat a star-studded Man U side containing 10 internationals (Ronaldo, Rooney, Gabriel Heinze, Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown et al) 1-0 in the 4th Round of the League Cup , their goal coming from a Freddy Eastwood curling free kick; that’s the only time they’ve ever met each other on the pitch, meaning that Southend are one of only four teams to have a 100% success record against the Red Devils . Two of the other three are Zenit St Petersburg and Vasco da Gama ………..for a small prize, which is the final team in that illustrious company? The answer, apparently, is Bootle Reserves , who beat Newton Heath in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 1890/91 FA Cup …….. Not a lot of people know that! Whether it’s true or not I can’t confirm, either – but it’s a nice little story!

Southend United was founded in 1906 following a meeting in the Blue Boar Public House, playing in the Southern League thereafter, until 1920, when the Third Division was set up, as you’ll all know if you read this drivel every week , by the simple expedient of taking over the Southern League and changing its name ….In 1920/21 season they came 17th, with 36 points from 42 games ……So much did the Powers That Be like their new structure that in 1921 they moved Division Three and made it Div3South, creating a new Div3North ; Southend being in the south, they quite surprisingly put them into Div3South , and at the end of 1921/22 they finished last (22nd) with a mere 27 points ….they were, though, re-elected, and they remained in Div3South until 1958, when the split stopped being regional and became numerical (Div 3 and Div 4); the Blues/Shrimps (but not Blue Shrimps) made it into Div 3, and stayed there until 1966, when – for the first time in their tenure in the league - they were relegated , coming back up in 1972 as Runners-Up behind Grimsby ……They’ve had various grounds over the years, best known being their present home (Roots Hall). That, before they first played there in 1955, had been a sand quarry, a Council Landfill site, and occupied by the local Gas Board ………laying a football pitch on top of thousands of tonnes of compacted rubbish, you might think, might not be the best idea in the world – well, the pitch turned into a quagmire, and probably stank to high heaven as well , and had to be re-laid in 1956 ……… It seems, a propos de rien, that the current site has been sold to Sainsbury’s for redevelopment, and seemingly Southend are hoping to move to a new stadium (Fossett’s Farm - I think Old McDonald used to have it ) for the 2015/16 season. If they’ve sold the ground, I hope to hell the builders keep to schedule!

Anybody thinking of going to the game might want to check before setting off, by the way; their Official Website has the game down to be played on 14th March!

Some – but not a lot – of activity in the transfer market, nearly all of it by way of loans; MF Conor Clifford (23) has gone on loan to Barnet, having been made available for transfer (which is the same as a Manager getting a Vote of Confidence from the Chairman, which Paul Lambert didn’t!), and young striker Jason Williams (19) is now at Welling until the season ends. In, on loan, are Spurs striker Shaquile Tyshan Coulthirst (20), Crystal Palace defender Jerome Binnam-Williams (19), Wolves striker Jake Cassidy (22) and Charlton’s Joe Piggott (20), who scored both goals in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Cheltenham; they’ve ProperSigned – well, ProperReSigned – Adam Barrett, now 35, who played almost 300 times for them when he was at Roots Hall between 2004 and 2010, and has left Gillingham on a free, having been on loan at the Wombles all season anyway (bit of a clue there ….. )

They haven’t set the roof alight in the Cup competitions; they played Walsall at home in the League Cup and lost 2-1; they went to Wimbledon for their PaintyThingy game and drew 2-2 before losing the penalty shootout 4-2; and in the Proper Cup they played Chester at home, and lost that 2-1 as well . On 9th August – 1st game of the season – they came to our place, had a Barry Corr penalty saved by Luke Simpson, but won with the next penalty that the ref gave them , for a Dean Winnard alleged foul on Lee Barnard which the said Lee Barnard then feloniously and with malice aforethought stuck in the back of the net! Bastard!

In the League they sit 4th (two points behind Wycombe) with 54, derived from a season which so far reads P30 W15 D9 L6 F33 A24 .........in the second half of that total (since 1st November) they’ve lost 4-1 at Wycombe, drawn at Shrewsbury and at Newport (both 1-1), and drawn three of their home games (Plymouth, Dagenham and Burton) each time with a score of 0-0; that seems to have prompted Phil Brown’s ire, since he was quoted as saying;

• “Players at the Club have to understand that I’m not going to sit around for more 0-0 draws”

I think we’d probably have sat around for 0-0 draws over our last eight games , which have turned in just 6 points .............. Anyway, back to Southend; last 15; lost 1, drawn five, won nine – five away, and four at home (York 1-0, Hartlepool 1-0, Northampton 2-0 and Cheltenham 2-0) ................the really scary thing is that they haven’t conceded a single goal at home in their last seven games ; three goalless draws, and four wins without conceding................. mind you, that surely means that they’re more likely to let one in with every passing goalless match ..............a run like that can’t continue for ever ............and this could be the game.

They’ve scored 37 in 33 in all competitions; of those, MF Jack Payne (I thought he was a Band Leader? ) has 7, striker Barry Corr (once of Exeter) has 6, David Worrall (remember him? ) has 5, and Shaquile Coulthirst and Joe Piggott have four each.

Deadline for entries – now this’ll surprise you! – is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 14th February .............Now, fellas, why don’t you all treat the Lady in your life to a special Valentine’s Day Surprise? Snuggle up close, and whisper in her ear the words which will send her off into raptures .............”Eh-up, Chuck, I’ve got two tickets for the Stanley!” Then run like hell ..........

Good luck to everyone! .............Keep the Faith ............... and thanks for playing!

[Wynonie Harris]

3-1 to the Stanley please.

[DaveinGermany]

2-1 to the Stanley please D3N.

[AccyMad]

Nil apiece for me please

[cashman]

1-0 stanley fer me.

[accybeme]

Southend 0 Stanley 2 please

[DAV007]

Southend 1 - 3 Accrington

[Div3North]

Originally Posted by Div3North

... who scored both goals in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Cheltenham

Cheltenham and Paul Buckle have now "mutuallyconsented" after 79 days, and Rob Edwards leaves his second club in six months ....

At least Mr Buckle lasted slightly longer than James Gray did at Southport!

Thought the Southport manager was a little caustic, if not bitter;

• "James attended training on Thursday with us," said Port boss Paul Carden. After shaking hands on it, James contacted me raising doubts about the move. Therefore it is best James stays at Accrington where he's not playing."
  

Ho hum!

[StanleyAccrington]

Southend 3-0 Stanley

[Redash]

3-1 to The Stanley, please.

[football19]

1-0 to Southend

[deeayess]

2 1 Southend please

[yerself]

Southend United 2 - 0 Accrington Stanley, please.

[Outback Ozzy]

1-1 for me please

[Revived Red]

Southend 1 Stanley 1 please D3N.