Southend Manor was formed in 1955 by Gil and Doris Medcalf in Southend-on-sea as a team of 10 and 11 year old boys. Gil Medcalf had played for Eton Manor both before and after the Second World War,and the inclusion of manor in their club name is a direct echoing of Gil's own career. The team was accepted into the lowest division of the Southend Youth League in 1959 and promptly finished last. Steady improvement was made in the Youth League and when the team became too old for youth football, in 1964, Southend Manor entered Division 5 of the Southend Borough Combination. The rest of the 60's saw a steady advance up the divisions with the Premier Division being reached in 1969. The 1970s and early 1980s saw a domination of the Borough Combination. In twelve seasons Southend Manor were league champions six times and runners up three times. The league's knock-out cup was won five times and they were once runners up. In particular, the 1978/79 season saw a closing run of 25 wins and one draw in the last 26 games which included the capture of the Essex Intermediate Cup. With both League and League Cup won, an exhausting season ended with the winning of the Southend Charity Competition. In the early 1980s entry was gained to the newly formed Southend & District Alliance and two titles were gained in the first three years. With such a good pedigree it must be wondered why Southend Manor were unable to progress to higher standards of football. The problem was that the club used council pitches that were only available for a limited part of the season. However, after many years of pressure Southend Manor was allowed to use Southchurch Park Arena ( originally sharing with Southend Athletic Club ) which had many of the attributes needed for Senior Football.
In 1985 the club gained access to the Essex Senior League Reserve Division , while carrying out the work needed to meet senior status requirements. This status was reached in 1988 with a new clubhouse being erected. In the second season the Essex senior League Cup was won. In season 1990/91 the Essex Senior League title was won along with the Harry Fisher Memorial Cup, while the League Cup saw us fall in the final. In 1991/92 the final of the Harry Fisher Memorial Cup was reached but the Club was narrowly defeated by a goal in the last minute of extra time. In 1992/93 Southend Manor won the prestigious Essex Senior Trophy, and in 1995/96 they reached the final of the League Cup once more but were beaten by double winners Romford. In 1996/97 the club reached the last 32 of the F.A. Vase and in May of the same year reached the final of the Anglia T.V. 5-a-side Tournament held at Norwich. The season 1999/2000 saw the Manor narrowly lose the League Cup Final to Safron Walden Town and the League title by an even narrower margin of 4 goals difference to the same club. In season 2000/2001, in their successive Cup Final, they were eventful winners beating Strawbridgeworth Town 2 - 1 in extra time.
The club experienced some turbulent times in the mid 90s with significant debts which had been accumulated by the previous Chairmen needing to be addressed and cleared. They believe that their current Management and Committee structures are again strong and will enable the Manor to maintain a significant position in all leagues in which they compete. The favorite time pass game of the club is bingo. You can check the comparison on one of the best bingo websites yourself.
They are appealing to local companies who may be able to help them raise some funds for their Football Club by sponsoring a race at their race night. Each sponsor will be able to NAME the race and will have an advert printed in their programme. The cost is £25 per race They are also looking for anyone who would like to sponsor a horse, you can name the horse and the jockey with each race winning horse owner winning a bottle of wine. The cost is £2.50 per horse They are also looking for prizes for their raffle or anything that may be auctioned on the evening but MOST of all they are looking for your support. Ideas related to sites where you play online with great wagering quality are not welcome.
Southend Manor Youth are also putting together a year 10 girls squad for friendlies with a view to formal league entry next season. They are still looking for sponsors for some of their teams for this season, so if you know any companies who might be interested please let them know. They have a page about the club rules too.
Southchurch Park: Follow the A127 towards Southend. After the traffic lights at The Bell Public House, take the second exit at the next roundabout (Cuckoo Corner), and follow Priory Crescent over the railway bridge into Eastern Avenue. Follow this dual carriageway across the next two roundabouts, turning right at the third roundabout, by the Garons Sports Centre towards Southchurch (Hamstel Road). Follow this road to the traffic lights at the White Horse. Straight across, follow the road (Lifstan Way) downhill under the railway bridge and past the traffic lights. Turn right into Northumberland Crescent by the arena. The entrance to the car park is 200 yards on the left. For Soutchurch Park East the entrance is 50 yards past the Northumberland crescent turning on the left. You can always use our contact form.