12 minute read
The Opposition: Southend United
SOUTHEND UNITED
Founded in 1906 as Prittlewell United, the name was changed to Southend United a month later. The Shrimpers were admitted to the Second Division of the Southern League, winning promotion to the First Division in 1908. In 1920, they became founder members of Football League Division Three where they stayed for the next 44 years before being relegated to the Fourth Division in 1966. They spent the next 24 years yo-yoing between the third and fourth tiers. Back-to-back promotions saw them in the Second Division for the first time in 1991 where they stayed for six seasons before back-to-back relegations saw them back in the lowest tier again in 1997. A revival began with promotion in 2005 followed by the League One title in 2006, taking the Blues back to the second tier but only for one season. In 2009-10 Southend faced winding-up orders from HMRC over unpaid tax bills and with a transfer embargo imposed by the Football League until a settlement was reached, the team suffered on the pitch and relegation to League Two was an inevitable consequence. In 2015 Phil Brown led the team, via the play-offs into League One, but after escaping relegation on goal difference in the 2018-19 season, Brown was replaced by Sol Campbell. But, more financial difficulties and another transfer embargo saw Southend relegated to League Two last season and Campbell left and was replaced by Mark Molesley. With the transfer embargo still in place until the HMRC debt was paid, Southend struggled on the field at the beginning of this season with just one win in the first 15 games. But with the half million pound debt reportedly paid in October, the club was able to focus on the football and won four out of six to close up on the teams above them. Able to strengthen in January, the Blues brought in a number of players, and although they still sit in the relegation places, their defence has tightened up significantly in recent weeks and they have been picking up points including creditable 0-0 draws at Cambridge United and at home to Salford City as well as a thumping 3-1 win at Forest Green Rovers, keeping them in touch with the teams above.
FOUNDED 1906
NICKNAME The Blues, The Shrimpers
ROOTS HALL Capacity 12,392
RECORD SCORER Roy Hollis 135 (1954-1960)
RECORD APPEARANCES Alan Moody 506 (1972-84)
RECORD TRANSFER FEE PAID £750k Stan Collymore Crystal Palace November 1992 RECORD TRANSFER FEE RECEIVED £7.5m Stan Collymore Nottingham Forest June 1993
THE BLUES PLAYING SQUAD
BETWEEN THE STICKS
1. Mark Oxley
Joining Southend in July 2016 from Hibernian, the 30-year-old began his career at Rotherham United in 2007 before joining newly promoted Premier League club Hull City in August 2008 where he subsequently spent time on loan at Walsall, Grimsby Town, Burton Albion, Oldham Athletic and Hibs during seven years at the Kcom. After being released by the Tigers in 2015, he signed on a permanent basis for Hibs for a season before joining Southend where he has now featured over 150 times.
13. Harry Seaden
Coming through the Academy at Southend where he has been since the age of 13, the 19-year-old made his Blues firstteam debut in February 2020 after having brief loan spells at Cambridge City and Dagenham & Redbridge in 2019.
AT THE BACK
2. Elvis Bwomono
Now in his fourth season in the Southend first team, the 22-yearold Ugandan international started his career as a youth player at Queens Park Rangers before switching to the Blues academy at the age of 14 and signing pro with the club in October 2017. After making 30 League One appearances for in 2018-19, he was a near ever present last season, missing just one of United’s 35 league games. and now has over 125 Southend appearances to his name.
Elvis Bwomnono Mark Oxley
3. Nathan Ralph
Signing for the Blues in July 2019 from Dundee, the 28-year-old came through the youth systems at Ipswich Town and Peterborough United and without a first-team appearance and after a loan spell at Kettering Town joined Yeovil Town in August 2014. With 41 appearances for the Glovers in three seasons, he joined Newport in June 2015 and was loaned out to Aldershot Town in February 2016. He then moved to Woking and spent two seasons there before joining Scottish Premiership Dundee in May 2018, winning the club’s Player of the Year award.
5. Shaun Hobson
Joining the Blues in September from AFC Bournemouth, the 22-year-old started his career at Burnley in 2014 before signing for Bournemouth in 2016. Whilst there, he spent time on loan at Eastbourne Borough, Chester and Eastleigh before joining Weymouth on loan at the start of the 2019-20 season and was an integral part of the Terras’ side that clinched promotion to the National League via the playoffs in August 2020.
6. Tyler Cordner
Signing in January on loan from AFC Bournemouth after spending the first half of the campaign on loan at Scunthorpe United, the 21-year-old is a graduate of the Cherries youth team. This is his fourth loan period away from the Vitality Stadium having also spent the 2018-19 season at Havant & Waterlooville and the first half of last season at Ebbsfleet United.
12. Tom Clifford
After starting in the academy at Spurs, the 22-year-old switched to Southend’s youth set-up in 2010, before signing pro in 2018, following a loan spell with Bishop’s Stortford. He spent some time on loan at Concord Rangers last season before returning to the Blues and getting a regular place in the starting line-up.
23. Greg Halford
Signing in December, the experienced 36-year-old started with Colchester United and has gone on to play in the Premier League for Reading, Sunderland and Wolves, as well as playing for Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Rotherham United, Birmingham City and Cardiff City in the Championship and Aberdeen in the Scottish
Premiership last season. He has amassed over 500 appearances in his 18-year career.
24. Jason Demetriou
Signing in July 2016, the 33-yearold Cypriot international came through the youth ranks at Leyton Orient and signed his first pro contract with them in July 2006. He went on to make over 150 appearances for the O’s before moving to Cypriot first division side AEK Larnaca in 2010. After five years in Cyprus, which included a stint with Anorthosis Famagusta, he returned to English football with Walsall in July 2015 before his move to Southend the following year and has now racked up over 150 appearances for the Blues. He also has 51 caps for Cyprus.
26. Harry Lennon
Signing for Southend from Charlton Athletic in June 2018, the 26-year-old came through the Addicks youth system and made 40 appearances in total in five seasons at The Valley. Whilst there, he had a loan spell with Cambridge United and twice with Gillingham.
42. Sam Hart
Returning to Southend permanently in November 2020 after spending the second half of 2018-19 on loan at Roots Hall, the former Liverpool
Jason Demetriou
Mark Molesley
Appointed: August 2020 Age: 39
Mark Molesley became Manager at Southend United in August 2020 after a hugely successful three seasons in charge of Weymouth where he oversaw backto-back promotions to take the Terras into the National League. The 39-year-old combined his managerial role at Weymouth with a coaching position in the U23 side at Bournemouth and left the Vitality Stadium with a glowing reference from the Cherries’ former boss Eddie Howe. A midfielder in his playing days, Molesley came through the youth set-up at Hayes. Spells at Cambridge United, Aldershot Town, Stevenage and Grays Athletic followed before he joined Bournemouth in 2008, making 52 appearances. After his departure in 2013, he went onto play for Exeter City, another stint at Aldershot and then Weymouth for two seasons before retiring to become First Team Manager.
IN THE DUGOUT
trainee, made the switch to Blackburn Rovers in August 2017. Loans to Port Vale (whilst at Liverpool), Rochdale (twice) and Shrewsbury Town as well as Southend gave the 24-yearold good first-team experience before his release from Rovers and re-joining the Blues.
48. John White
c
Signing for Southend in July 2013, the 34-year-old is into his eighth season with the Blues and has made over 250 appearances for the club. He has become fan favourite since making the move from Essex rivals Colchester United, whom he started his youth career with at the age of 11 and subsequently spent nine years at as a pro making 255 appearances for the U’s. Prior to his move to Roots Hall, he had a short loan spell with Southend in 2009 and made six appearances before returning to Colchester.
THE ENGINE ROOM
4. Alan McCormack
Re-signing for Southend in September, the 37-year-old previously made over 150 appearances for the Blues before leaving in 2010, having signed from Preston North End in January 2007. The Irishman went on to play for Charlton Athletic, Swindon Town and
John White
Brentford after leaving Roots Hall, before successful spells at Luton Town and Northampton Town where he won promotions in three consecutive seasons. He has racked up over 500 career appearances in total.
7. James Olayinka
Signing for the Blues in October on loan from Arsenal, the 20-year-old came through the Gunners youth set-up and has featured for their U21s in the EFL Trophy for the past three seasons and was on the bench in the Community Shield win over Liverpool in August 2020. He had a brief loan spell at Northampton Town last January.
8. Timothée Dieng
Signing for Southend in July 2018 from Bradford City, the 28-year-old began his career at Brest in France playing mainly in their B team but with a handful of first team appearances. In July 2014, he joined Oldham Athletic and made 68 appearances in two seasons before joining fellow League One Bradford City in July 2016 playing 78 times for the Bantams over two seasons. Now in his third season at Roots Hall, he has made over 100 appearances for the Blues.
11. Tyrell Egbri
Joined Southend’s youth set-up in 2015 and progressed through the ranks before signing pro with the club in the summer 2019. He joined Harlow Town on loan in July 2019 playing 21 games for the Hawks, before returning to Roots Hall to make his first-team debut in October 2019.
Timothée Dieng
15. Lewis Gard
Progressing through the ranks of Southend’s Academy from the age of eight, the 21-yearold made his first-team debut in April 2018 but a twin medial ligament injury restricted his game time last season.
20. Ashley
Nathaniel-George
Signing in October 2020 from Crawley Town, where he made 57 appearances in two years, the 25-year-old was in Arsenal’s academy until the age of 14 and has since come through the nonleague game in the. After being on a scholarship at Wealdstone, he joined Potters Bar Town in late 2015, before moving to Hendon in 2017 before joining Crawley in June 2018.
27. Harry Kyprianou
The 24-year-old Cyprus youth international started at Watford before switching to Southend in September 2015. He was loaned out to Lowestoft Town in 2016 where he played 13 games. Now in his sixth season at Roots Hall he spent October on a shortterm loan at Bromley.
28. Kyle Taylor
Joining on loan from AFC Bournemouth’s academy in September where he has been since the age of 12, the 21-yearold’s switch to Roots Hall was extended to a season-long loan in January. He made his pro debut for the Cherrie’s in 2018 and spent last season on loan at Forest Green Rovers.
44. Nathan Ferguson
Signing in January from Crawley Town, the 25-year-old started at Norwich City before moving to Dagenham & Redbridge’s youth set-up. Spells on loan at Chelmsford City, St Albans City, Hastings United and then permanently with Billericay Town followed, and then Grays in February 2015. Later that year he signed for Burton Albion and then Port Vale in July 2016 before moving to Bromley and then Dulwich Hamlet. He joined Crawley in June 2019, and made 50 appearances before moving to Southend.
Nathan Ferguson
UP TOP
9. Simeon Akinola
Signing for Southend in September 2020 from Barnet, the 28-year-old started his career at Boreham Wood making his senior debut in January 2011. He was loaned out to Billericay Town in November 2011 and then Harrow Borough in February 2012 before making that move permanent and after 23 goals in 78 games joined National League Braintree Town in August 2014. After more than 100 games for the Iron, Akinola joined League Two Barnet in January 2017 and went on to score 24 goals during his threeand-a-half years at The Hive.
10. Brandon Goodship
Joining Southend in June 2019 from Weymouth, the 26-year-old started his career
at Bournemouth at the age of 12 and after turning pro was sent out on loan to Blackfield & Langley, Dorchester Town, Hayes & Yeading United, Yeovil Town and Braintree Town. In January 2017 he joined Yeovil Town permanently until the end of the season and moved to Weymouth that summer. In two seasons with the Terras he scored a 75 goals in 83 league appearances which earned him a move to Southend.
17. Reeco Hackett-Fairchild
Joining Southend on loan in January from Portsmouth, the 23-year-old, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Bromley, started his career in the youth sides of Fulham and Brighton before joining Dagenham & Redbridge in July 2014. He moved to Charlton Athletic in 2016 and made 24 appearances for the Addicks before joining Bromley in summer 2019. After eight goals in 25 appearances at the start to the 2019-20 season, he joined League One Portsmouth in January 2020 before being loaned back to Bromley.
Simeon Akinola 18. Emile Acquah
After progressing through Southend’s academy and turning pro with the club, the 20-year-old was loaned out to Harlow Town in August 2018 where he scored nine times in 30 appearances before being recalled. On his return to Roots Hall he made his first-team debut in March 2019 before heading to Maidenhead United on loan in January 2020 only to be recalled without playing a game for the Magpies to cover for injuries before re-joining Maidenhead two months later. This season has been his breakthrough season for the Blues featuring regularly in the starting line-up.
Reeco Hackett-Fairchild
30. Ricky Homes
Joining Southend in February, the 33-year-old started his career in the Blues academy but was released and joined Chelmsford City in 2005. He has gone on to play in League Two, League One and the Championship, accumulating over a combined 300 EFL games at Barnet, Portsmouth, Northampton Town, Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United and Oxford United.
RECENT LINE-UP
v Walsall (H) D0-0
Tuesday, 23 March 2021
