I have been a Southend United football supporter ever since my dad took me along to the Roots Hall ground, as a boy, to watch them play, which I did with a sense of excitement.

Sunday morning 02/06, we (Mrs B and I) passed the Roots Hall ground on our way to church. It was nice to see lots of happy, expectant fans waiting for their coach to take them to the Wembley National League play-off finals. It was a good opportunity to educate my beloved as to why what we were seeing was significant but first let me rewind the clock to days, long, long ago.

I am a somewhat fickle SUFC supporter compared with a number I know that I can place into the dedicated fan supporter cohort who will be out there watching their team play whatever the situation and circumstances. But I am a life-time fan. Even when others have preferred to support one of the big named teams that play in today’s Premier league, SUFC has always been the team I support and theirs is the first result I look out for after games have been played. I haven’t watched a live game for sometime but over the years I have gone along to Roots Hall to see them play on many occasions!

Until three years ago, SUFC (the Shrimpers) have been almost exclusively in either the third or fourth tier of the Football League, ever since it joined it in 1920 (it was founded in 1906). Other than for two seasons when they made it into the second tier and for a short time were even top of that league, they never looked likely to make it into the top tier and thus be able to regularly compete with the big boys. Then three years ago they dropped down from the Football League into the National League and at that time things looked dire and went further downhill. They were docked points for financial irregularities and were nearly wound up as a result.

In the season just gone things were looking up under new owners, an outstanding manager and incredible local support, hopeful and expectant. The challenge, in order to be guaranteed a place back into the Football League, was that they needed to win their league – and it soon became evident that this was not going to happen. As for the next six teams placed in the division at the end of the season, they would then contend for the remaining promotion spot in a series of play offs. Whilst Southend had a mixed season result wise, they managed to get enough points to secure the sixth and final play-off place, when they drew their last game of the season.

After then the play offs took place. Three games needed to be played by Southend. The first two they won against tough opposition and coming from behind. So it was off to Wembley for Sunday’s play off final, against another team, Oldham, who also enjoyed a fine tradition and were eager to return to the Football League. To cut a long story short, Oldham won, but had to come from behind twice to win. I listened to parts of the game in BBC Essex (I confess my nerves weren’t up to doing so exclusively). From what I could make out it was a very good game and maybe (just) Oldham deserved to win on the balance of play. I felt the game was played in the right spirit and I love the fair mindedness of both sets of supporters, e.g. evidenced by the comments found on social media. An attendance of 52,115 was the highest in history for the National League playoff, and this despite constraints on ticketing forced by disruption to transport into Wembley. Most of those attending were Oldham and Southend supporters, almost in equal numbers.

With presently only teams two being promoted from the National to the Football League, it is going to be a tough league to escape from given the quality of sides, even in this fifth tier of English Football. As an aside, I think three teams should be promoted (I feel sorry for York in second place, sixteen points ahead of the third team, who missed out). As for SUFC going forward, I am optimistic for the coming season, and am glad to have seen so many positives in the season just gone. Due to personal circumstances, I doubt if I will get to watch my team play live again. But I will follow their fortunes, hoping they do well, playing good football in the right spirit.