It’s the middle of March, we’re staring relegation in the face and our last game of the season is away to Southampton. Ring any bells? The only difference is that when we were in the Championship, for the 06/07 season, it didn’t feel like a relegation season. This does. There are many fingers you could point to many different people. Why hasn’t Tilson made more permanent signings and just let players go for cheap or free? Going so close to administration hasn’t helped on field performances and whose fault is that? Where is the money?
But I want to take a leaf out of my new friend Spoons’ book. Let’s think positively. We can be proud that we have the best fans in the land. My fellow football fans think I’m bias and by God I probably am but I don’t care. Just look at some of the admiration we get from other football fans. I wasn’t there but I watched on tele as Doncaster fans applauded our fans after we lost 5-1 in the 2008 play-off semi-final. We could have won that game and gone to Wembley for the first time but instead we were played out the park. Did our fans stop cheering? Did they nelly. We absolutely got behind the team and it brought a tear to my eye. It’s alright singing when you’re winning, or even singing when you’re losing to Chelsea a team that are expected to beat you. But singing when you’re losing 5-1, after drawing 0-0 in the first leg, in a game that you could potentially win to take you to Wembley, then that is heart-warming.
Come the last game of the season I hope to replicate a few things from 2007. The atmosphere we created last time we were at St Mary’s. Once again a very memorable game and once again receiving the appreciation our fans deserve. We were top of the relegation zone and ready to go down, but we wanted to cause one more upset before we said bon voyage to the Championship until next time. However, Southampton had the promise land in their sights. Losing 4-1 was not the way we wanted to go, but leaving an impression amongst the home support of the Saints was. They stormed the pitch as they booked the last play-off spot. After mobbing their players, the jubilant fans turned to the away end, walked over and applauded us just as passionately as our players had done. I was there in that away end and I will never forget that moment of mutual respect between fans brought together by football.
There’s a lot to be proud of supporting Southend United, let’s not forget that. I wouldn’t like to see us go the way Cardiff City fans went at the weekend. Making t-shirts against the chairman instead of getting behind the team. And they’re in the play-offs of the championship. So let’s show our counterparts that we are the Blues fans that were applauded for losing so graciously.
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