1. Introduction
Micky Stead is one of our club greats, nearly 350 appearances from 1978 to 1985, he played his part in perhaps the most memorable night at Roots Hall ever and was a key player in our record-breaking 1980/81 campaign. However, back in April, he suddenly found himself in hospital where he stayed for three months, much of it in intensive care, and now finds himself recuperating but without the prospect of being able to return to work to earn a living.
Micky is a member of the Southend United Ex-Players Association (SUEPA) which itself is part of the Shrimpers Trust. We care about all players that once wore our club’s shirt with pride, and we care about what happened to Micky and want to do something to help. A benefit match has been arranged for Sunday 20 October 2024 – please read on for details.
2. What happened
In April Micky, without warning, suddenly found himself in pain and was admitted to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead. It soon became critical. He was diagnosed with having a blood clot on his right leg and for a few weeks was in and out of intensive care, became very weak (ultimately during his hospital stay he lost over four stone in weight), and treatment needs for his condition was for a while were uncertain. In June, as his stay extended beyond two months, things were further complicated by the need for a bowel operation.
Micky was boosted during that time by receiving over 100 messages of support from Shrimper fans and former teammates from both Southend and Spurs and was touched to find out just how much people cared.
Slowly, but surely, he regained enough strength, and on 18 July was able to return home where he is now recuperating, learning to walk again and put some weight back on. Micky currently walks with the aid of a frame, and it’s a key goal of his to be as mobile as he can be for the match on 20 October albeit he admits he won’t exactly be match fit! Indeed, Micky does not expect to be able to return to work as a cabbie, a job he has done for many years to earn a living and pay the rent.
Though Micky has received help from the Professional Footballers Association during this concerning time, that help will not last forever and so we hope our benefit match will provide a much-needed boost. Micky never had a testimonial as a player – his loyal stay as a Shrimper meant he fell a couple of years short of qualifying for that, but we’d like to think that almost 40 years after he donned a Southend United shirt for the last time, that the match we are arranging will also be an appropriate way for Shrimper fans to show their support and appreciation to him.
3. Micky’s playing career
Micky is an Eastender, born in West Ham but who went to North London to start his playing career as he signed for Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice in 1974. Back then White Hart Lane was a venue of legends and trophy winners, so breaking in to the first team was no mean feat, but that is just what Micky did on 21 February 1976 away at Stoke with the visitors coming away with a 2-1 win.
He went on to make 15 first team appearances for Spurs, then being sent on loan to Swansea City briefly in 1977 before Dave Smith brought him to Roots Hall in September 1978. We’ll cover Micky’s Roots Hall stay in detail in our benefit match programme, but let’s just say it was eventful – that match in the snow v Liverpool in 1979 in front of over 31,000 packed in to our home, a Division Four Champions 1980/81 campaign that at the time broke 19 club records (some which still stand today), rarely for a full back being our Player of the Year in the 1983-84 season, and overall amassing 341 appearances as a Shrimper (five goals – he’ll tell you they were all crackers) before Dave Cusack signed him for Doncaster Rovers in 1985 where he amassed nearly another 100 appearances.
Micky finished his career played for Fisher, Chelmsford, Heybridge and Dagenham before hanging up his boots in 1994. It was a career to be proud of.
4. Micky back at Roots Hall
Maybe you didn’t see Micky play but recall that you’ve seen him before? Well, you’ll be right as Micky was our SUEPA match day guest a couple of years ago and absolutely loved his return, meeting so many old friends, it was a day spent that he remembers fondly. And he was with us again soon afterwards in our first ever ‘Evening With’ event as we paid tribute to our former manager Dave Smith with 26 of his former teammates.
5. What we are doing
We are holding a benefit match on Sunday 20th October 2024, kick-off at 3.30pm (gates open at 2.30pm) at Bowers & Pitsea’s Len Salmon Stadium, Crown Avenue, Pitsea, Essex SS13 2BE. It is a great venue, and we experienced their warm hospitality last year in our benefit match for James Walker.
The match will be between Southend United Legends team managed by Frankie Banks and Steve Phillips, against a charity team known as The Carli Lansley Foundation FC. At the time of writing we (6 August 2024) we are in the process of contacting players and already have Kevin Maher, Mark Phillips, Duncan Jupp, Phil Gridelet, Leon Constantine, Frank’s son Gary (will Frank pick him?!), Garry Nelson (yes, the same Garry who played back in that 1980/81 team) and Lee Barnard helping us with this. The Carli Lansley team might include some surprise names too – let’s just say we are working on that with Karl who runs a wonderful charity in memory of his wife Carli.
But that’s not all! As mentioned, Micky started his playing career at Spurs and so we’ve been in touch with a few of his old White Hart Lane buddies. So far eight have said that they’ll aim to be there (subject in some cases to other commitments). It’s a group which includes two former England managers, domestic and European cup winners, three who played in Micky’s 1974 debut match at Stoke, and who between them have nearly 2,000 first team appearances for Spurs.
But that’s not all! This is a Shrimper event, right? The Dave Smith era is renowned for its small close-knit squads, and every one of them is a SUEPA member, so expect a good few of them to come along and be there with Micky and his family in the crowd. Now, one who will be coming and driving down from his Lancashire home, Derek Spence, said he wished he could take part in the match, so that got us thinking. As a result, we’ve arranged for a pre-match ‘keepie-uppie’ competition between all the former players coming along. After one Spurs player cheekily told us we’ll need to make it a three-day competition we’ve set a 30 second time limit! So do aim to get there as soon as the gates open to not miss out on all the fun.
6. How you can help
We hope that Shrimper fans, and indeed the wider football community, will want to help. You can do so in one of two ways:
a) You can purchase tickets for the match, available at just £5 for adults or £2 for under 18’s.
Tickets can be purchased HERE (a fee for postage will be charged for online purchases), or you can scan the QR Code to the right.
Alternatively, tickets can be purchased from the Shrimpers Trust stall in the Shrimpers Bar at Roots Hall before kick-off on first team match days, or at The Railway and Blue Boar pubs.
We will aim to post the tickets to you within seven to 10 days of receipt of your payment.
b) You can make a separate donation online HERE, or by Scanning the QR Code to the right.
Sponsors are in the process of being sought for the match – if you know of anyone that might be interested in becoming a sponsor then please do get in touch. Staging any match like this comes with a number of costs including match balls, kit, medical facilities, stewarding, insurance and much more. It is our hope that we will be able to cover all costs from sponsorship so that 100% of all match ticket sales and donations will be made available to Micky.
There will be opportunities to sponsor individual player shirts and take part in the match yourself too, keep an eye out on SUEPA social media for details.
6. Contact
We do hope you can take part and help us to give Micky a day to remember. We will gladly answer any questions or listen to any ideas you might have. Just email Shrimpers Trust Board Member Andy, email suepassoc@gmail.com