Southend United, the Shrimpers Trust and the Southend United Ex-Players Association are proud to announce the opening of the Southend United Museum.

Situated in the BTMK Box Office, adjacent to the Club Shop, the museum explores 120 years of Southend United’s history and heritage, on the site of the Club’s home for the last 70 years, Roots Hall.

This permanent exhibition contains items spanning the Club’s entire existence, with a collection representing each decade, and with memorabilia as varied as trophies, kits, and match programmes.

It was constructed by a group of 20 volunteers, including former three-time Player of the Season Ron Pountney, and funded by supporters of Southend United, via their purchase of the former Roots Hall floodlight casings and their membership of the Shrimpers Trust.

The opening ceremony on Friday 14 August was attended by the leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, Daniel Cowan and the Mayor of Southend-on-Sea, Tony Cox.

The ribbon was cut by legendary former player and manager Steve Tilson, who personally donated several items for display in the museum. The ceremony was also attended by club legends Pountney, Frankie Banks, John White and Mike Beesley.

The Southend United Museum is open 10am-4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, as well as on match days.

Andrew Leeder from Southend United Historical Society said: “It’s a proud day; this has been a long-held ambition for us and a lot of work has gone into preparing the Museum, particularly in the last six weeks as we’ve installed everything into the space.

“The principal objective has been to try and get something from every decade, and we’ve even managed to obtain memorabilia from before the Club was officially formed. There’s something here for every single Southend United fan to enjoy, as well as football fans in general.”

Lead designer Stuart Byford added: “It’s been an honour to work on the identity and design for the Southend United Museum, bringing generations of the club’s history together under one roof. Seeing it all come to life has been such a highlight, and it’s great to know young fans will learn about the club’s history because of it.“

Shrimpers Trust Chair James Schooley said: “It has been a huge honour for the Shrimpers Trust and its members to help fund and create this wonderful space. A hardy group of volunteers has worked near enough around-the-clock to bring the vision of a museum to life, and we can’t thank them enough for their time and effort. I’m confident that this facility will be a source of pride for all connected to Southend United, and a place of community and learning for Southend-on-Sea.”

Former Southend United Club Captain John White added: “It’s incredible to see the trophy [Sky Bet EFL League Two Play-Offs] and memorabilia from my special day at Wembley altogether in one place alongside memorabilia like the trophies and squad lists I didn’t know about. I can’t wait to dig into it and have a proper look at everything that’s on show.

“I know there’s been a lot of long hours put into the project, not just to gather the items you see on display today but also the effort that’s gone into the painting and decorating of the space, and it looks amazing for it.

“It says a lot about the Club that those great people who have been involved on and off the pitch are all here to share in this momentous occasion. It shows the great history this Club has.”

Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, Daniel Cowan said: “Southend United is steeped in history, shaped by generations of players, staff and supporters who have stood by the club through the incredible highs, difficult lows and everything in between. This museum is a fantastic celebration of where we’ve come from and the people who have made our club what it is today. A huge thank you to the Shrimpers Trust, the Ex-Players Association, supporters and everyone who has given their time, money and effort to make it possible. It’s important that we preserve those memories for future generations, while looking forward with real optimism to the exciting chapters still to be written.”

Tony Cox, Mayor of Southend-on-Sea, commented: “Southend United has a rich history that deserves to be celebrated and preserved.

“I was delighted to attend the ceremonial opening of the Southend United Museum, alongside Val, whose late husband, Alderman Derek Jarvis, is honoured in the museum for his services to the city of Southend and to the club he loved so much.

“This brand-new facility at Roots Hall was created in partnership between the Club, the Shrimpers Trust and the Ex-Players Association, and captures 120 years of Southend United’s story, giving it a permanent home.

“It’s a fantastic achievement, made possible by dedicated volunteers and loyal supporters, and I’m proud to see it open its doors to the city.”

Images reproduced with the kind permission of Graham Whitby Boot.