Southend - Getting there and what to do

Southend - seaside resort of choice for Essex man (and woman), and venue for Stockport's first game in Npower League 2. I've been to Southend a couple of times before, the last being a humbling 3-1 defeat for Sunderland when the travelling support in no uncertain terms informed the players that they were not fit to wear the shirt. This time, I decided to get there early and see a bit of the town - including the seafront and famous 1.5mile long pier (the longest in the world, apparently) 

In all honesty, Southend is pretty similar to Blackpool - its got a pier, a mini version of the Pleasure Beach, loads of tacky seaside souvenir shops, and countless Stag and Hen parties (one of the latter certainly looked quite scary, and that's in the daylight). Unlike Blackpool, Southend has a seafront (OK, Estuary front) vista of  - the Isle of Grain and the lovely industrial plants thereupon. So, with time getting on (and the aforementioned Hen party getting more boisterous), I resisted the urge to try one of the (numerous) chip/ice cream shops and headed back into town and towards the football ground.

The walk from the seafront to the ground took the best part of 35 minutes, and you walk up a fairly homogeneous, pedestrianised High Street that could be anywhere in the UK today. Southend scores a 2 on the  Greggs count, and up towards Victoria station, has several national restaurant chains (Nandos, La Tasca) as well as pubs/cafes, so there is plenty of options for something to eat.

Getting There:

Getting to Southend by train is fairly straightforward from London - all you have to do is decide which of the 2 major stations to go to. If you just want to head straight to the ground, your best bet is to take the National Express East Anglia service from Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria. Trains run every 20 minutes, and typically take just under an hour to reach Southend. 

Victoria station itself is roughly a 20 minute walk from the ground - head out of the exit to the right of the barriers, across the car park and head north (i.e., away from town) along Victoria Avenue. Keep going (past the Museum/Planetarium, Library and Civic Centre buildings) until you reach a large crossroads with a pub ("The Spread Eagle" - home fans only) on the left hand side and "The Fish House" fish & chip shop on the right. Here you can enter the stadium "complex" at the main entrance by the club shop - however be warned that there are a ridiculous number of heavy gates (mostly closed) that can block your way to the stand for away fans. Your best bet is to actually carry on walking down the main road to the next junction and turn left along Fairfax Drive. After about 100m you will see an entrance (between houses) signed "Away Fans" - this leads towards the back of the stand and the ticket booth.

Your second option is to use the C2C service from Fenchurch Street to Southend Central. Again, trains run very frequently (every 10 minutes) and take about an hour to reach Southend. This option is better if you want to spend a bit of time in the town centre or on the seafront. To do either, exit the station and turn right towards the High Street (you'll come out on a corner with a Starbucks cafe. Turning right will take you down towards the seafront; turning left will take you up towards Victoria station (about 7 minutes) and the football ground.

There is actually a third station that is closer to the ground - Prittlewell is the final stop before Southend Victoria and leaves you about 10 minutes away from the ground. Exit the station onto East Street (up the steps), go over the railway bridge carry on until you see the Spread Eagle pub and "The Fish House".  

The Ground:

Roots Hall is a fairly typical ground belonging to a club that has bounced around the divisions. A classic looking main stand is accompanied by 2 barrel-roofed stands (one at the north side of the ground housing the away fans, the other alongside the pitch), and a narrow, steep stand at the south (Town) end of the ground known as the "Hi-Tec Stand" (surely a case for false advertising if ever there was one). This mix of styles is topped off by a futuristic ticketing system whereby you scan your bar coded ticket to gain entry. A cynic would say that if they'd have spent as much on the team as they had the admission control system, Southend probably wouldn't be in League 2. 

The away stand is - well, functional. It's got plastic seats bolted onto the old terracing, numerous pillars that can obstruct your view, toilets that have certainly seen better days, and a small serving hatch selling snacks (sadly, no jellied eels, whelks or rock here). However, the barrel roof really does help to generate some noise, particularly for a vociferous following (like County's). The view (if you avoid the pillars) is pretty good, even from the back of the stand, and you are pretty close to the edge of the pitch (so much so that I got wet from the sprinkler system, and I was sat 7 rows from the front!)


Currently admission prices are £18 adults; £13 Senior Citizens; £12 Students/17-20 yr olds or £10 for under-16's. A £2 discount is available if you book in advance.


Other Links: 
Southend United Football Club