Southend United 1920–21
The club’s first season in the Football League — a landmark campaign that began more than a century of League football.
1920–21 season overview
The season story
Southend United entered the Football League for the first time in 1920 as founder members of the newly created Third Division. The division was formed largely from the clubs of the Southern League First Division and was not formally divided into North and South sections until the following season.
The Shrimpers opened their League life with a 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Kursaal. Results were uneven across the campaign, but Southend accumulated 36 points and finished 17th, ahead of Brighton, Exeter City, Reading, Brentford and Gillingham.
A notable FA Cup run brought a 1–0 home victory over Second Division Blackpool before eventual cup winners Tottenham Hotspur won 4–1 at the Kursaal. Albert Fairclough is recorded as Southend’s first Football League goalscorer and the leading League scorer with 15 goals.
Complete 1920–21 results
All 42 League fixtures and both supplied FA Cup ties are included below.
| Date | Fixture | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 1920 | Southend UnitedvBrighton & Hove Albion | W | 2–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 30 Aug 1920 | Grimsby TownvSouthend United | L | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 04 Sep 1920 | Brighton & Hove AlbionvSouthend United | L | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 06 Sep 1920 | Southend UnitedvGrimsby Town | W | 3–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 11 Sep 1920 | Southend UnitedvSwindon Town | L | 1–3 | Football League Third Division |
| 18 Sep 1920 | Swindon TownvSouthend United | L | 3–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 25 Sep 1920 | WatfordvSouthend United | L | 3–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 02 Oct 1920 | Southend UnitedvWatford | W | 4–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 09 Oct 1920 | Queens Park RangersvSouthend United | L | 2–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 16 Oct 1920 | Southend UnitedvQueens Park Rangers | W | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 20 Oct 1920 | Exeter CityvSouthend United | D | 0–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 23 Oct 1920 | Southend UnitedvNorthampton Town | L | 1–2 | Football League Third Division |
| 30 Oct 1920 | Northampton TownvSouthend United | L | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 03 Nov 1920 | Crystal PalacevSouthend United | W | 2–3 | Football League Third Division |
| 06 Nov 1920 | Southend UnitedvPortsmouth | W | 2–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 13 Nov 1920 | PortsmouthvSouthend United | L | 3–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 22 Nov 1920 | Merthyr TownvSouthend United | L | 2–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 27 Nov 1920 | Southend UnitedvMerthyr Town | L | 0–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 04 Dec 1920 | Southend UnitedvPlymouth Argyle | W | 2–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 11 Dec 1920 | Plymouth ArgylevSouthend United | D | 0–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 25 Dec 1920 | Newport CountyvSouthend United | D | 1–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 27 Dec 1920 | Southend UnitedvNewport County | W | 2–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 01 Jan 1921 | Southend UnitedvExeter City | D | 0–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 15 Jan 1921 | Southend UnitedvSwansea Town | L | 1–2 | Football League Third Division |
| 22 Jan 1921 | Swansea TownvSouthend United | L | 2–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 29 Jan 1921 | Southend UnitedvBlackpool | W | 1–0 | FA Cup |
| 05 Feb 1921 | MillwallvSouthend United | L | 4–2 | Football League Third Division |
| 12 Feb 1921 | Southend UnitedvLuton Town | D | 1–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 19 Feb 1921 | Southend UnitedvTottenham Hotspur | L | 1–4 | FA Cup |
| 26 Feb 1921 | Southend UnitedvSouthampton | W | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 05 Mar 1921 | SouthamptonvSouthend United | L | 3–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 12 Mar 1921 | Southend UnitedvReading | W | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 19 Mar 1921 | ReadingvSouthend United | D | 1–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 25 Mar 1921 | GillinghamvSouthend United | D | 1–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 26 Mar 1921 | Bristol RoversvSouthend United | L | 2–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 28 Mar 1921 | Southend UnitedvGillingham | W | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 02 Apr 1921 | Southend UnitedvBristol Rovers | W | 1–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 06 Apr 1921 | Southend UnitedvMillwall | L | 1–2 | Football League Third Division |
| 09 Apr 1921 | BrentfordvSouthend United | D | 2–2 | Football League Third Division |
| 16 Apr 1921 | Southend UnitedvBrentford | W | 4–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 23 Apr 1921 | Norwich CityvSouthend United | L | 3–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 30 Apr 1921 | Southend UnitedvNorwich City | W | 3–1 | Football League Third Division |
| 02 May 1921 | Luton TownvSouthend United | L | 4–0 | Football League Third Division |
| 07 May 1921 | Southend UnitedvCrystal Palace | L | 0–2 | Football League Third Division |
No matches found for that filter.
Historical naming note: contemporary records refer to the competition as the Football League Third Division. The regional “Third Division South” name was introduced for 1921–22.
Football League Third Division table
Southend finished 17th on 36 points in their first Football League season.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 70 | 34 | 59 |
| 2 | Southampton | 42 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 64 | 28 | 54 |
| 3 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 32 | 53 |
| 4 | Swindon Town | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 73 | 49 | 52 |
| 5 | Swansea Town | 42 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 56 | 45 | 51 |
| 6 | Watford | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 59 | 44 | 48 |
| 7 | Millwall | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 42 | 30 | 47 |
| 8 | Merthyr Town | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 60 | 49 | 45 |
| 9 | Luton Town | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 61 | 56 | 44 |
| 10 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 68 | 57 | 43 |
| 11 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 11 | 21 | 10 | 35 | 34 | 43 |
| 12 | Portsmouth | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 46 | 48 | 39 |
| 13 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 49 | 59 | 39 |
| 14 | Northampton Town | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 59 | 75 | 38 |
| 15 | Newport County | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 43 | 64 | 37 |
| 16 | Norwich City | 42 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 44 | 53 | 36 |
| 17 | Southend UnitedThe Shrimpers | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 44 | 61 | 36 |
| 18 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 42 | 61 | 36 |
| 19 | Exeter City | 42 | 10 | 15 | 17 | 39 | 54 | 35 |
| 20 | Reading | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 42 | 59 | 31 |
| 21 | Brentford | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 42 | 67 | 30 |
| 22 | Gillingham | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 74 | 28 |
Southend United’s 1920–21 home kit
Southend United wore a royal-blue long-sleeved shirt with a white lace-up collar, white shorts and black socks with white turnovers during the 1920–21 season.
The kit was worn throughout the club’s first Football League campaign, when the Shrimpers competed as founder members of the new Third Division.
The Kursaal
Southend played their inaugural Football League campaign at the Kursaal, beside the famous amusement park. The club had moved there in 1919 after the original Roots Hall Fields could not immediately be restored following wartime use. The unusual seaside setting, including the amusement park’s giant water chute, became part of the ground’s identity.