TWENTY-SEVEN years ago this week, Southend United recorded one of the most memorable Roots Hall wins in recent history.

The prolific Brett Angell bagged the only goal of the game as the Shrimpers saw off a promotion chasing West Ham United in front of close to 13,000 fans.

And it is a victory match-winner Angell still remembers with great fondness.

“It was an evening game and I had been out of action since the start of the season after having an operation on my thigh,” said Angell.

“I had only recently returned to playing and a lot had happened with Barry Fry replacing Colin Murphy as manager.

“Stan Collymore had been brought into the club and we were at last having the opportunity to play together.”

And the strikers combined perfectly for Angell’s goal.

“I remember Stan dribbling and taking on a couple of West Ham defenders down the left side and as usual he managed to evade them,” said Angell.

“He hit a cross into the box and I was lucky enough to be in the right position at the right time to turn his cross towards the goal and past the despairing hands of their goalkeeper.

“So I don’t really remember much about it at all!”

Angell was a regular goal-getter with the Shrimpers, hitting the back of the net 63 times in 136 games.

And the 51-year-old recalls his spell at Roots Hall with great fondness.

“I look back on my time at Southend with much satisfaction and pride due to what was achieved by the playing squad and the club itself in the period I was involved,” said Angell.

“We got promotion to what is now the Championship and we over-achieved on the pitch.

“The squad that David (Webb) and Kevin (Lock) put together on paper had very little going for it.

“We were playing against clubs with far stronger resources and football heritage and on paper far stronger teams.

“But the underdog spirit and self belief within the group just became stronger and stronger and it was so great to be a part of.

“I have very happy memories and I am sure it’s the same for the fans who were watching around then too.”

Angell joined the Shrimpers in the summer of 1990 and scored 26 goals in his first season to secure promotion from Division Two.

And that remains one of Angell’s favourite moments.

“Gaining promotion to the Championship was a great memory,” said Angell.

“I remember we flew up from Southend for the game against Bury where we clinched promotion.

“When we arrived back to Southend airport that evening the supporters who hadn’t made the trip themselves were there to greet us and that’s a really happy memory.”

Angell also picked a 4-0 win against Newcastle United and beating Luton on the final day of the 1992/93 season to stay up as his favourite other matches, alongside beating West Ham.

But, in September 1993, Angell’s fine form saw him snapped up by Premier League side Everton.

However, he could not find the back of the net with such regularity in the top flight.

“After leaving Southend I moved onto Everton and Sunderland but I struggled a little both with a lack of confidence and being able to score the amount of goals at the higher level that I had managed to do previously,” said Angell.

“After that I returned to Stockport County and that gave my career the right platform to both rebuild my confidence and return to scoring goals very much like Southend.”

Angell won promotion with Stockport before also doing likewise with both Preston North End and Walsall.

And he remains proud of his career, which saw him net 200 goals.

“I believe I can look back with satisfaction but overall the one area where it would be regarded as not quite being up to the mark would have been my recorded in the Premier League,” said Angell.

“I wasn’t as strong or as consistent as the EFL teams I played for.”

Angell hung up his boots in 2003 but is still involved in football and has been working in Australasia for more than a decade.

“In March I was due to start a new position in Australia as the Technical Director of Northern New South Wales Football but due to the Coronavirus Pandemic this has been delayed,” said Angell.

“I had spent the last 10 years in New Zealand as Federation Development Manager of Central Football Federation so I have been over in Australasia for quite a while now trying to move the game forward.”

But Angell still follows English football and the fortunes of the Shrimpers.

“I keep up to date with all the ups and downs of the club,” said Angell.

“Obviously for everyone involved this has been a particularly difficult season both on and off the pitch for the club.

“But likewise I am sure these experiences will be looked back on in future as the starting point of moving the club back up the Leagues.

“Hopefully everyone can experience another local derby against West Ham one day soon as well.”