Southend United 1922-23 Season
Southend United 1922–23
The recovery season after the re-election scare
The bounce back after the scare
After the nerves and embarrassment of finishing bottom in 1921–22, this was the season Southend United needed. Not a promotion charge, not a glory year, but a proper step back in the right direction.
Under Ted Birnie, the Blues climbed to 15th in the Third Division South, added ten points to the previous season’s total, scored more freely, and looked a far more competitive Football League side.
The big difference was goals. Billy Goodwin arrived and gave Southend exactly what had been missing: a proper cutting edge. His 22 goals changed the feel of the season and helped turn a side fighting for its League life into one beginning to steady itself.
League Record
| Competition | Football League Third Division South |
|---|---|
| Final Position | 15th of 22 |
| Played | 42 |
| Won | 12 |
| Drawn | 13 |
| Lost | 17 |
| Goals For | 49 |
| Goals Against | 54 |
| Goal Average | 0.907 |
| Points | 37 |
Top Scorer
goals
Goodwin was the signing Southend needed after the struggle of 1921–22. He gave the team a genuine goal threat and became the headline figure of the recovery campaign.
Home & Away League Record
Home Record
| Won | 10 |
|---|---|
| Drawn | 6 |
| Lost | 5 |
| Goals | 35 for, 18 against |
| Points | 26 |
Away Record
| Won | 2 |
|---|---|
| Drawn | 7 |
| Lost | 12 |
| Goals | 14 for, 36 against |
| Points | 11 |
League Runs & Season Records
This was still an up-and-down campaign, but there were signs of a side learning how to compete again, especially during a seven-match unbeaten spell through January and February.
v Exeter City
at Bristol City
FA Cup
The FA Cup run was short but busy. Southend needed a replay to get past Sittingbourne, then drew with Norwich City at The Kursaal before losing the replay away from home.
The Kursaal
The Kursaal remained home, and Southend were much stronger there than on the road. Ten of the club’s twelve league wins came at home, including the 5–0 win over Exeter City and two separate 4–0 victories.
It was still a hard old place for visiting teams, and after the previous season’s re-election battle, every home win mattered.
Attendances
Millwall Athletic away
Newport County
from available figures
from available figures
Key Figures
Manager
- Ted Birnie
Top Scorer
- Billy Goodwin
Ground
- The Kursaal
Season Story
- Recovery after re-election
Why This Season Matters
Southend did not suddenly become world beaters in 1922–23, but the club did something almost as important: it steadied itself.
After finishing bottom and needing re-election the previous year, this was a clear improvement. More goals, more points, more resilience, and a mid-table-ish finish gave the Shrimpers something to build on.
In archive terms, this is the season where the club began to move from simply surviving in the Football League to slowly establishing itself there.
Match Results
| Date | Competition | Venue | Match | Attendance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/08/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Newport County 0–2 Southend United | 10,215 | W |
| 02/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 3–1 Newport County | 11,000 | W |
| 09/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Swansea Town 1–0 Southend United | 14,000 | L |
| 11/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Aberdare Athletic 1–1 Southend United | 5,000 | D |
| 16/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 0–1 Swansea Town | 10,000 | L |
| 23/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Norwich City 2–1 Southend United | 10,000 | L |
| 25/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 4–0 Aberdare Athletic | 6,000 | W |
| 30/09/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 3–1 Norwich City | 8,700 | W |
| 07/10/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Bristol Rovers 2–0 Southend United | 9,000 | L |
| 14/10/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 0–0 Bristol Rovers | 9,000 | D |
| 21/10/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Bristol City 5–0 Southend United | 10,000 | L |
| 28/10/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 0–3 Bristol City | 5,300 | L |
| 04/11/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 1–2 Northampton Town | 7,000 | L |
| 11/11/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Northampton Town 5–2 Southend United | 8,000 | L |
| 18/11/1922 | FA Cup | Away | Sittingbourne 0–0 Southend United | 5,000 | D |
| 22/11/1922 | FA Cup | Home | Southend United 4–2 Sittingbourne | 5,000 | W |
| 25/11/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Plymouth Argyle 1–1 Southend United | 10,000 | D |
| 02/12/1922 | FA Cup | Home | Southend United 2–2 Norwich City | 8,030 | D |
| 07/12/1922 | FA Cup | Away | Norwich City 2–1 Southend United | 10,113 | L |
| 09/12/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Exeter City 2–1 Southend United | 5,000 | L |
| 16/12/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 5–0 Exeter City | 3,000 | W |
| 23/12/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 0–0 Charlton Athletic | — | D |
| 25/12/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 3–1 Reading | 8,900 | W |
| 26/12/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Reading 1–1 Southend United | 9,000 | D |
| 30/12/1922 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Merthyr Town 2–1 Southend United | 4,000 | L |
| 06/01/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 1–1 Merthyr Town | 5,890 | D |
| 20/01/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 2–1 Watford | 4,000 | W |
| 27/01/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Watford 1–1 Southend United | 7,000 | D |
| 03/02/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Portsmouth 0–0 Southend United | 9,000 | D |
| 10/02/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 0–0 Portsmouth | 6,200 | D |
| 17/02/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Millwall Athletic 1–1 Southend United | 16,000 | D |
| 24/02/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 4–0 Millwall Athletic | 9,000 | W |
| 03/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Luton Town 2–0 Southend United | 7,000 | L |
| 10/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 1–3 Luton Town | 7,296 | L |
| 12/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Charlton Athletic 5–1 Southend United | — | L |
| 17/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 2–0 Queens Park Rangers | 7,000 | W |
| 24/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Queens Park Rangers 1–0 Southend United | 8,000 | L |
| 30/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Brentford 0–0 Southend United | 8,000 | D |
| 31/03/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 1–1 Gillingham | 8,000 | D |
| 02/04/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 1–2 Brentford | 10,000 | L |
| 07/04/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Gillingham 1–0 Southend United | 6,000 | L |
| 09/04/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 2–1 Plymouth Argyle | — | W |
| 14/04/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 0–0 Brighton & Hove Albion | 6,200 | D |
| 21/04/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Brighton & Hove Albion 0–1 Southend United | 8,000 | W |
| 28/04/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Home | Southend United 2–0 Swindon Town | 6,000 | W |
| 05/05/1923 | Football League Third Division South | Away | Swindon Town 3–0 Southend United | 3,000 | L |