Southend United – 1920–21 Season
Southend United 1920–21
The first Football League season
The first Football League season
Southend United's 1920–21 campaign marked one of the most important seasons in the club's history. After competing in the Southern League before the First World War, the Blues became founder members of the newly formed Football League Division Three and embarked on their first-ever Football League season.
The transition to national league football proved challenging but successful. Southend finished 17th in a 22-team division, securing their place in the Football League while establishing themselves against more experienced opposition. Much of the club's success came at The Kursaal, where strong home form provided the foundation for a respectable first campaign.
The season also delivered an impressive FA Cup run. Victories over Hednesford Town, Eccles United and Blackpool carried Southend into the Third Round Proper, where Tottenham Hotspur visited The Kursaal in front of a record home crowd. Although Spurs ended the run, they would go on to lift the FA Cup later that season.
Statistically, the Blues won 14 league matches, scored 44 league goals and collected 36 points from their 42 league fixtures. The home record gave the season its backbone, with victories over Brighton & Hove Albion, Portsmouth, Southampton, Reading, Bristol Rovers, Brentford and Norwich City all helping Southend adapt to the higher standard.
Away from home, wins were much harder to come by. The standout result came on 3 November 1920, when Southend recorded their first Football League away victory with a memorable 3–2 win at Crystal Palace.
More than a century later, every promotion challenge, relegation battle, cup run and Wembley appearance can trace part of its story back to the season that began Southend United's Football League journey.
League Record
| Competition | Football League Division Three |
|---|---|
| Final Position | 17th of 22 |
| Played | 42 |
| Won | 14 |
| Drawn | 8 |
| Lost | 20 |
| Goals For | 44 |
| Goals Against | 61 |
| Points | 36 |
Top Scorer
goals
Season Firsts
Home & Away League Record
Home
21Played| Won | 13 |
|---|---|
| Drawn | 2 |
| Lost | 6 |
| Goals | 32 for, 20 against |
| Points | 28 |
Away
21Played| Won | 1 |
|---|---|
| Drawn | 6 |
| Lost | 14 |
| Goals | 12 for, 41 against |
| Points | 8 |
FA Cup
The Kursaal
The Kursaal was far more than Southend United’s home ground. Situated alongside one of the town’s most famous seaside attractions, it provided a distinctive setting for the club’s early years and gave Southend a home unlike most others in the Football League.
During the 1920–21 season, the ground hosted Southend’s first-ever Football League home match, the opening-day victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, three FA Cup victories and the visit of Tottenham Hotspur in the Third Round Proper.
More than a century later, The Kursaal remains an important part of Southend United’s story. It was here that the club took its first steps as a Football League side and began a journey that would eventually lead to promotions, Wembley appearances and generations of Shrimpers supporters.
Known First-Team Squad / Key Figures
Squad data for the 1920s is reconstructed from available sources and will be expanded as further records are verified.
Goalkeeper
- Capper
Defenders
- Bob Reid
- Jimmy Evans
- Andy Newton
Half-backs
- Arthur Whalley
- Blakey Martin
- Henderson
Forwards
- Albert Fairclough
- Tommy Nuttall
- Joe Dorsett
- Joe Walters
- Myers
- Wileman
Match Results
| Date | Competition | Venue | Opponent | Score | Attendance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28/08/1920 | League | Home | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2–0 | 10,000 | W |
| 30/08/1920 | League | Away | Grimsby Town | 0–1 | 10,000 | L |
| 04/09/1920 | League | Away | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–1 | 11,000 | L |
| 06/09/1920 | League | Home | Grimsby Town | 3–1 | 7,000 | W |
| 11/09/1920 | League | Home | Swindon Town | 1–3 | 8,000 | L |
| 18/09/1920 | League | Away | Swindon Town | 0–3 | 9,500 | L |
| 25/09/1920 | League | Away | Watford | 0–3 | 9,000 | L |
| 02/10/1920 | League | Home | Watford | 4–1 | — | W |
| 09/10/1920 | League | Away | Queens Park Rangers | 0–2 | 14,500 | L |
| 16/10/1920 | League | Home | Queens Park Rangers | 1–0 | 8,000 | W |
| 20/10/1920 | League | Away | Exeter City | 0–0 | 3,000 | D |
| 23/10/1920 | League | Home | Northampton Town | 1–2 | 8,000 | L |
| 30/10/1920 | League | Away | Northampton Town | 0–1 | 9,000 | L |
| 03/11/1920 | League | Away | Crystal Palace | 3–2 | 9,000 | W |
| 06/11/1920 | League | Home | Portsmouth | 2–1 | 8,000 | W |
| 13/11/1920 | League | Away | Portsmouth | 0–3 | 15,000 | L |
| 22/11/1920 | League | Away | Merthyr Town | 0–2 | 7,000 | L |
| 27/11/1920 | League | Home | Merthyr Town | 0–1 | 6,000 | L |
| 04/12/1920 | League | Home | Plymouth Argyle | 2–1 | 3,750 | W |
| 11/12/1920 | League | Away | Plymouth Argyle | 0–0 | 12,500 | D |
| 18/12/1920 | FA Cup – Sixth Qualifying Round | Home | Hednesford Town | 3–1 | 4,445 | W |
| 25/12/1920 | League | Away | Newport County | 1–1 | 7,500 | D |
| 27/12/1920 | League | Home | Newport County | 2–1 | 10,000 | W |
| 01/01/1921 | League | Home | Exeter City | 0–0 | 4,000 | D |
| 08/01/1921 | FA Cup – First Round Proper | Home | Eccles United | 5–1 | 7,063 | W |
| 15/01/1921 | League | Home | Swansea Town | 1–2 | 6,500 | L |
| 22/01/1921 | League | Away | Swansea Town | 0–2 | 12,000 | L |
| 29/01/1921 | FA Cup – Second Round Proper | Home | Blackpool | 1–0 | 9,250 | W |
| 05/02/1921 | League | Away | Millwall Athletic | 2–4 | 20,000 | L |
| 12/02/1921 | League | Home | Luton Town | 1–1 | 6,000 | D |
| 19/02/1921 | FA Cup – Third Round Proper | Home | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–4 | 11,661 | L |
| 26/02/1921 | League | Home | Southampton | 1–0 | 11,000 | W |
| 05/03/1921 | League | Away | Southampton | 0–3 | 12,000 | L |
| 12/03/1921 | League | Home | Reading | 1–0 | 6,000 | W |
| 19/03/1921 | League | Away | Reading | 1–1 | 5,000 | D |
| 25/03/1921 | League | Away | Gillingham | 1–1 | 4,000 | D |
| 26/03/1921 | League | Away | Bristol Rovers | 1–2 | 14,000 | L |
| 28/03/1921 | League | Home | Gillingham | 1–0 | 10,000 | W |
| 02/04/1921 | League | Home | Bristol Rovers | 1–0 | 7,000 | W |
| 06/04/1921 | League | Home | Millwall Athletic | 1–2 | 6,000 | L |
| 09/04/1921 | League | Away | Brentford | 2–2 | 4,000 | D |
| 16/04/1921 | League | Home | Brentford | 4–1 | 6,000 | W |
| 23/04/1921 | League | Away | Norwich City | 1–3 | 4,000 | L |
| 30/04/1921 | League | Home | Norwich City | 3–1 | 6,000 | W |
| 02/05/1921 | League | Away | Luton Town | 0–4 | — | L |
| 07/05/1921 | League | Home | Crystal Palace | 0–2 | 6,500 | L |
Archive Notes & Sources
This season archive has been compiled using historical data from the original Shrimpers-online archive database and cross-referenced against a range of available historical records and published references.
While league and cup records from this period are generally well documented, some squad, appearance and attendance information has been reconstructed using the best available evidence. Due to the age of the records, some details may vary between historical sources.
Last Updated: June 2026