Travellers to Old Southendians Football Club will definitely be guaranteed a very warm welcome on a visit to the humble Warners Bridge ground in Sumpters Way this season. All the officials and supporters we met could not have been more polite, courteous and helpful when we attended the club for their Essex Olympian League Division Three fixture against Ramsden FC on the last Saturday in October. They definitely get our vote for 'hopper friendly' club of the year (so far)!

Since gaining promotion, as runners-up, from the Southend Borough Combination, the club has made a superb start to life in the EOL in 2010-11 and before play today had won all but two of their opening ten matches to achieve second place in the current league table behind fellow newboys Castle United from Leyton. Along with several other local hoppers including the affable Dave Hattersley from Harlow (and I didn't even call him Steve once, honest!) a small but appreciative crowd of twenty-eight fans witnessed a cracking game of football played in bright and sunny conditions.

For the record, the hosts dressed in a smart geen and white kit, notched up three more points by beating their visitors from Wickford comfortably in a game they went on to win by four goals to nil. Mark McCugh (18), back in the team after a short enforced lay off, opened the scoring inside twenty minutes, heading the ball over advancing keeper Stephen Hunter's head. Moments later the busy striker added his second of the game (25) following a poor clearance, drilling the ball under the keeper's body from the edge of the box. Old Southendian's extended their lead further just after the half hour mark when John Staines (31) met David Stubbs' cross at the near post with a cheeky flick to make it 3-0. Mark McHugh would have claimed his hat-trick but for some fantastic keeping from Hunter (56) whose quick-thinking reflexes saw him unhesitatingly stretch to tip the ball from a fierce rising point blank shot over the bar. It was definitely a breath-taking save and worthy of save of the season at any level (see pic above)! The hosts had the game sewn up with twenty minutes remaining when Dave Polley's superb twenty yard volley from Hunter's punch completed the scoring to leave the result as a 4-0 home victory. Mark McCugh's upbeat father told me that the club much prefer playing in the EOL as they see it is a far stronger, better organised and, perhaps for the players, a more consistently officiated competition than the SBC. Would he have said that had they lost?!

The club founded over one hundred years ago in 1900 has its roots in the Southend High School for Boys where players are either ex-pupils or siblings of staff at the prestigious institution in Prittlewell. Close to Southend Airport, the club is based at the Southend Rugby Club, playing on a large adjacent field also used by the reserve and third teams. The tree lined first team pitch runs lengthways from the main car park and is found to the right of the rugby club entrance where access is through an ornate set of wrought iron gates. The playing area is fairly basic having no pitchside accomodation, cover or dugouts, being roped off on three sides. A couple of advertising boards are attached to the rope on the far side of the pitch. In the event of poor weather, don't forget your anorak when you go here. Today the second or third team was playing a fixture in the SBC Division fixture on the second pitch which is marked out immediately beyond the main one. The club has its own social club serving Shepherd Neame beer inside the rugby and hockey club complex. Committee member Terry Brown intimated that although Old Southendian Football Club are grateful to the rugby club or their hospitality they would still like to occupy their own site and social facilities at some time in the future.

As a bonus hoppers will be pleased to learn that OSFC is issuing a tidy and informative sixteen page programme for all of its first team home games this season. For £1 it's a smashing effort with plenty of interesting content which interleaved with adverts is all neatly laid out. Complete with green card cover you can check out the club history, club news, fixtures, results, latest tongue-in-cheek match report and a table as well as line ups in the middle. You can also find out more about the club by logging on to the OSFC website (see adress below).

If you've not been here all ready, a visit to this lovely little club comes highly recommended. There's a terrific, enthusiastic atmosphere about the place from committee members and supporters alike making for a most enjoyable visit for the ground collecting neutral. Indeed the locals are quite amazed already at the level of interest shown in their club found at the end of the A127. The joys of hopping in the suburbs of Southend on Sea (or should that be Thames?!). Have fun when you go.                                                    

FGIF Match Stats

Scorers: (H) M McCugh (18; 25); J Staines (31); D Polley (70) and (A) N/A

Attendance: 28; Admission: None Programme: £1, 20pp; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 3/5.

OSFC website: http://www.oldsouthendianfc.co.uk/