Three generations make first united Wembley trip

Granddad Roger was inspired by his dad who took him to the very first Roots Hall game

Three generations of a family of football fans will be making their first trip to Wembley this weekend.

On Sunday, 50,000 fans will attend the National League play-off clash between Southend United and Oldham Athletic as they seek to get back into the Football League.

For Southend fans Roger English, 75, along with his son Steve, 47, and grandson Stanley, seven, it will be one to finally cross of their bucket list.

"Dad took me to the very first game at Roots Hall on the 20th of August 1955, and that was when my passion for football and supporting such a wonderful team in Southend United [began]," Roger said.

"It's almost like a fairytale.

"I think that I'm gonna wake up and find out it was just a dream, but no, we're going to Wembley, and we're going to Wembley to win."

'Togetherness'

Steve attended all three away games in May's build-up to the final (the last regular league match and the two play-off matches), clocking just under 1,400 miles on his motorbike.

"It was just amazing, just to pull it back when we thought we were done," he said.

"Especially the last two games we've just come back from the brink.

"I've supported them all my life and I've gone to a lot of away games, but I've never had feelings like that."

During the play-off eliminators, Southend United came back from 3-1 down against Rochdale, and then equalised late in extra time against Forest Green Rovers before winning on penalties.

Roger suggested the club's never-say-die attitude trickles down through the staff, who have faced uncertainty as the club was threatened with being wound up.

"A lot of them went unpaid for a long, long while, and they stuck with it," said Roger.

"There's such a good togetherness with the team."

The family newest "Shrimper" Stanley said: "Since I was three, I liked football."

But he said the noise of the singing and chants could be "stressful".

Steve also placed a bet on promotion for his football team back when they were 10th in the table, at odds of 100/1.

He stands to win £2,700 if the Blues triumph.