2006–07 Southend United F.C. season


During the 2006–07 English football season, Southend United F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.

Season summary

Southend United started the season reasonably well, beating Stoke City 1–0 on the opening day and defeating Sunderland 3–1 at Roots Hall several games later. After that, Southend did not win a league game for 18 games until 9 December when they beat Southampton 2–1. Southend followed this with a convincing 3–1 win over promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion; on New Year's Day, in defeating Cardiff City 1-0 thanks to Lee Bradbury's 30-yard volley, Southend picked up their first away victory of the season and stretched their unbeaten run to five games. A 3–1 victory away to Birmingham City on 31 January saw the Shrimpers lift themselves from the bottom of the Championship, moving above Leeds United on goal difference. Southend finally pulled themselves out of the relegation zone on 13 March when Richie Foran came off the bench to score his first Southend United goal in the sixth minute of injury time, giving the Shrimpers a 1–0 victory over Burnley.
Regrettably, the form did not last and, after a humiliating 3–0 home defeat to local rivals Colchester United, the Shrimpers were relegated back to League One.
Southend pulled one of the shocks of the season when they defeated eventual champions and reigning cup holders Manchester United 1-0 at Roots Hall in the League Cup, Freddy Eastwood netting after 27 minutes to send the Shrimpers through to the quarter-finals, against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Southend defended bravely against Spurs, taking the London club to extra time before Jermain Defoe scored the only goal of the game with five minutes of extra time left, although replays later proved he was offside.
Top scorer Freddy Eastwood was to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £1.5 million in the close season, in a move that struck a huge blow to Southend's hopes of an automatic return to the second tier.

Final league table

A Deducted 10 points for entering administration.

Results

Southend United's score comes first

Legend

Football League Championship

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R36 January 2007BarnsleyH1-15,485Gower
R3R16 January 2007BarnsleyA2-04,944Maher, Bradbury
R427 January 2007Tottenham HotspurA1-333,406Eastwood

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R122 August 2006BournemouthA3-13,764Gower, Eastwood
R219 September 2006Brighton & Hove AlbionH3-24,819Paynter, Hunt, Eastwood
R324 October 2006Leeds UnitedA3-110,449Hammell, Hooper
R47 November 2006Manchester UnitedH1-011,532Eastwood
R520 December 2006Tottenham HotspurA0-135,811

Squad

Left club during season