Summer 2015 2 All At Sea is an unofficial publication that sup - ports Southend United Football Club. This is not the official programme and is in no way con - nected with the club. Disclaimer: Every article published within All At E know it’s tough, June in an Sea is the opinion of the author of the piece, not editorial odd-numbered year. Yes there’s necessarily that of the editorial team. We will publish anything that is sent to us, providing it the Women’s World Cup and the does not leave us open to libel or is not likely to WCopa America, but despite these distrac - offend a large percentage of the readership. tions, the football enthusiast is struggling Anything sent anonymously will not be consid - at this time of year. The only thing man - ered for inclusion. agers, players and agents are concerned Not everything said about the club will be posi - about in June is Instagramming pictures tive. However, we will endeavour to keep any of cocktails and beaches, which means in criticism of SUFC constructive. If anybody feels maligned by the contents of the fanzine, they the 24/7 information age, us fans are are entitled to a right of reply. struggling to get our fix. With regard to copyright, we endeavour to use Shrimperzone has turned into a mad place our own photographs and material whenever where 12 pages of threads about what the possible. Any unacknowledged copyright holders new kit might look like has become accept - are encouraged to get in touch. able, while social media has been full of pan - icky comments about how we should have Correspondence address: signed half a new team by now and that mo - All At Sea mentum has already been lost ahead of the 62 Eastcote Grove new season. Southend-on-Sea But don’t worry. We’re here with our first SS2 4QB summer edition to at least part-fill the void by giving you something to read and at least dis - Please send any contributions to tract you for a few minutes. [email protected] or to the We’ve taken the decision to offer this up postal address above online only. It has no issue number and no ad - vertising. It does not count as part of sub - Website: www.aas-fanzine.co.uk scriptions. This is partly because it’s June and there’s no games to sell it at, and partly to see Subscriptions: £10 for eight issues (UK) if we can attract a few of the online commu - £24 for eight issues (Mainland Europe) Cheques nity, many of whom don’t even know what a payable to James Forsyth fanzine is. We have 1,700 Twitter followers, but sell around 300 copies per month. That Back issues: £1.50 inc postage. doesn’t seem right to us, so we’ll see what Advertising: Full page £20, happens with this. Half page £15 One thing is for sure though – we’re not Quarter page £10 going to be abandoning print. This is a one- Colour full page £30 off, so the traditionalists can rest easy. Normal service will be resumed in August when we hit Next issue: Swindon, August 22 (probably) the streets with Issue 56 for the visit of Swin - Deadline: Monday, August 17 don on the 22nd. The bulk of this special edition will be Editorial team: taken up with celebrating promotion. When Ed Beavan (in exile), James Falkingham, Jamie we’ve brought out post-promotion issues be - Forsyth fore, it’s been the following August and all thoughts have turned to current matters, so it Front page picture: Peter Miles will be nice to be able to properly celebrate 3 All At Sea Promotion Special Summer 2015 4 getting out of the basement league. If you’re bored of Wembley talk (you’re not), there’s other stuff too. We delve deep into the past with Peter Baker on how tough it was to go up before play-offs, and Andrew Roach takes the club to task on arguably the that none of us will ever forget. most bizarre missive to appear on their HONESTLY never thought anything wwouldh top thea playotff fi nal aof 200 5. feThe deay hadl beigunn in a rag ther more homepage since the famous Sturrock-sack - subdued fashion, in the surroundings of Far - ing “statement”. We pay tribute to Barry Seeing the net bulge as Freddy ringdon's strategically positioned Wether - Corr, who has decided to move on to pas - Islammed the ball home at the Millen - spoons. We gathered at 1pm, arriving from tures new, with a look back at his top 10 nium Stadium to send us up was my our different entry points into London, but moments in a Southend shirt. And we’ll dish best ever football moment until about unlike the last game of the season, there out our prestigious player of the year 8.27pm on Saturday, 23rd May 2015. was no boistrousness, no singing, no sou - award. I didn’t realise Dan Bentley had saved it venir mobile phone videos being filmed in This month, most of the talk has been at first. Like many others around me, it was - readiness for glory. Just pure nerves. about contracts. Phil Brown has finally n't until Sam Wood flicked his leg helplessly I was fine in the pub, but I left alone at signed his three-year deal and my sources as the ball came back to him that I realised about 2.45pm to meet my best mate Si in tell me that because of the length of time the net had not bulged. It was that and the JJ Moons, Wembley. Once on my own, the that took, they’re already negotiating on the wall of yellow haring towards the orange- nerves well and truly set in. The overground next one. Of course, managers rarely last clad goalkeeper that convinced me we had train from Euston to Wembley Central, de - that long these days and whether the con - won it. And then everything is just a blur of void of all but a handful of Wembley-bound tract will be honoured remains to be seen arms and legs. supporters, saw my heart rate double as, but let’s hope it will – it will mean things are That penalty overtook Freddy’s goal. In away from the distraction of conversation, going in the right direction. fact, Freddy’s goal had already been over - the significance We’ve had our fair share of swipes at taken about 20 of the occasion Brown over the past couple of years but he minutes earlier, dawned. delivered us a promotion and you can’t when Joe Pig - On arrival, argue with that. The club also seems to be ott’s angled Si was in good moving forward with a strong backroom shot hit the net spirits despite team and as long as we continue to in front of us as being irked by progress, there’s no harm in keeping things we waited for denied initial the way they are. penalty that was. If Alex Lynch had got to the referee to entry to the pub Michael Timlin is away on his honey - that, he’d still be in hospital now. blow the final by “Wether - moon and as such has not signed a new The usual stock of pre-season games whistle. My coat Nazis” because contract yet, but the Echo told us this week have been arranged, with the highlight was on, I was he was munch - it’s not far from being done. Deegan looks probably the home game with Charlton. ready to leave ing on a likely to leave with the parties a fair way Trips to Great Wakering, Canvey and Brain - Wembley in a sausage roll. away on a deal, but Will Atkinson will sign tree have become annual events but it is dejected huff. Si’s attendance his two-year deal when he returns from hol - important to help local non-league clubs My brother this season was iday. out. We all moan at how selfish the Premier informed me af - non-existant There’s been no new signings as yet, but League clubs have become, shunning terwards that, until the playoff recent seasons show this is fairly normal. games with Football League clubs in favour during the cele - semi final sec - Transfer activity tends to hot up towards the of trips to Dubai, the Far East and the USA. brations for Pigott’s equaliser, he’d never ond leg, for a variety of reasons, not least a end of June, and clearly a couple of strikers Non-league clubs are important in their seen me like it. I was “like an animal”. A newborn son. But let there be no talk of need to be the club’s priority, with only communities and deserve a pre-season pay whole season’s joy, frustration and hope all daytripping here. He and I spent many a Jason Williams currently on the books in day, so get down to some of those games if coming out in a series of tribal roars di - Tuesday night away losing to some northern that position. you can. rected into the night sky around north west outfit in the dreadful days of the late 1990s. Club hero Adam Barrett has been per - London. The ten-hour round trip to see us Before the final appearance had been con - suaded to delay his retirement which is Enjoy the issue and the summer.