# 2005–06 Southend United F.C. season

During the 2005–06 English football season, Southend United F.C. competed in the Football League One.

## Season summary

In the 2005–06 season, Southend had another successful campaign and on 29 April 2006, the Shrimpers were promoted to the Football League Championship after a 2–2 draw with Swansea City at the Welsh club's new Liberty Stadium. Southend was crowned League One champions on 6 May 2006 after beating Bristol City 1–0 at Roots Hall in front of over 11,000 fans. This was the last professional appearance of Shaun Goater; fans from his former club Manchester City came to give him a special send-off at the end of a long and distinguished career. For Southend United, the title was the club's first in 25 years. On 6 May 2006, Tilson was named as the League Manager Association's Manager-of-the-Season for League One.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Southend United (C, P) | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 72 | 43 | +29 | 82 | Promotion to the Championship |
| 2 | Colchester United (P) | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 58 | 40 | +18 | 79 | Promotion to the Championship |
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 76 | Qualification for the League One play-offs |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 72 | 59 | +13 | 73 | Qualification for the League One play-offs |
| 5 | Barnsley (O, P) | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 72 | Qualification for the League One play-offs |

## Results

Southend United's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League One

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 6 August 2005 | Port Vale | H | 1–2 | 6,543 | Gray |
| 9 August 2005 | Bradford City | A | 2–0 | 8,250 | Wetherall (own goal), Guttridge |
| 13 August 2005 | Walsall | A | 2–2 | 5,563 | Gray, Goater |
| 20 August 2005 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–1 | 5,567 | Eastwood |
| 26 August 2005 | Scunthorpe United | A | 0–1 | 5,569 | |
| 29 August 2005 | Colchester United | H | 3–1 | 7,344 | Goater (2), Cole |
| 4 September 2005 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2–1 | 5,261 | Lawson, Gower |
| 10 September 2005 | Swindon Town | A | 2–1 | 4,785 | Barrett, Gray |
| 17 September 2005 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 3–1 | 6,691 | Lawson, Goater (2, 1 pen) |
| 24 September 2005 | Rotherham United | A | 4–2 | 4,259 | Bentley, Barrett, Gray (2, 1 pen) |
| 27 September 2005 | Yeovil Town | H | 4–1 | 6,694 | Guttridge, Gray, Eastwood (2) |
| 1 October 2005 | Gillingham | A | 2–1 | 8,128 | Bentley (2) |
| 9 October 2005 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–0 | 10,104 | Eastwood |
| 15 October 2005 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 0–2 | 5,899 | |
| 22 October 2005 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | 6,986 | Goater (pen) |
| 29 October 2005 | Bristol City | A | 3–0 | 10,625 | Eastwood (3) |
| 12 November 2005 | Swansea City | H | 1–2 | 11,049 | Eastwood |
| 19 November 2005 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | 19,576 | |
| 26 November 2005 | Port Vale | A | 1–2 | 3,961 | Smith |
| 6 December 2005 | Chesterfield | H | 0–0 | 5,767 | |
| 10 December 2005 | Bradford City | H | 1–1 | 7,307 | Gower |
| 17 December 2005 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–0 | 11,223 | |
| 26 December 2005 | Milton Keynes Dons | H | 0–0 | 7,452 | |
| 28 December 2005 | Hartlepool United | A | 2–1 | 3,929 | Eastwood, Gray (pen) |
| 31 December 2005 | Bournemouth | H | 2–1 | 6,357 | Gray (pen), Guttridge |
| 2 January 2006 | Blackpool | A | 2–1 | 5,271 | Bentley, Eastwood |
| 7 January 2006 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–0 | 5,662 | |
| 14 January 2006 | Brentford | H | 4–1 | 10,046 | Sodje, Gower, Barrett, Wilson |
| 21 January 2006 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–0 | 7,058 | |
| 27 January 2006 | Swindon Town | H | 2–0 | 7,945 | Guttridge, Gower |
| 4 February 2006 | Yeovil Town | A | 2–0 | 6,289 | Bentley, Goater |
| 10 February 2006 | Rotherham United | H | 2–0 | 7,879 | Goater, Eastwood |
| 14 February 2006 | Brentford | A | 0–2 | 7,022 | |
| 18 February 2006 | Chesterfield | A | 4–3 | 4,527 | Eastwood (3, 1 pen), Goater |
| 25 February 2006 | Walsall | H | 0–0 | 7,906 | |
| 4 March 2006 | Colchester United | A | 3–0 | 7,765 | Eastwood, Maher, Wilson |
| 10 March 2006 | Scunthorpe United | H | 3–0 | 8,717 | Eastwood, Bradbury, Goater |
| 18 March 2006 | Milton Keynes Dons | A | 1–2 | 7,071 | Goater |
| 25 March 2006 | Hartlepool United | H | 3–0 | 8,496 | Gower, Eastwood (2) |
| 1 April 2006 | Bournemouth | A | 1–1 | 7,638 | Eastwood |
| 8 April 2006 | Blackpool | H | 2–1 | 8,180 | Eastwood, Guttridge |
| 14 April 2006 | Gillingham | H | 0–1 | 11,195 | |
| 17 April 2006 | Barnsley | A | 2–2 | 10,663 | Gower, Eastwood |
| 22 April 2006 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 0–1 | 10,397 | |
| 29 April 2006 | Swansea City | A | 2–2 | 19,176 | Eastwood (2) |
| 6 May 2006 | Bristol City | H | 1–0 | 11,387 | Gray |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 5 November 2005 | Barnet | A | 1–0 | 3,545 | Eastwood |
| R2 | 3 December 2005 | Milton Keynes Dons | H | 1–2 | 5,267 | Eastwood |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 22 August 2005 | Southampton | H | 0–3 | 6,358 | |

### LDV Vans Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1S | 18 October 2005 | Rushden & Diamonds | A | 0–1 | 1,300 | |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Darryl Flahavan |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Duncan Jupp |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Che Wilson |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Lewis Hunt |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Spencer Prior |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Adam Barrett |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Mark Gower |
| 8 | MF | IRL | Kevin Maher |
| 9 | FW | BER | Shaun Goater |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Wayne Gray |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Carl Pettefer |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Mark Bentley |
| 13 | GK | NED | Bart Griemink |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Mitchell Cole |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Andy Edwards |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Luke Guttridge |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Jay Smith |
| 18 | FW | ENG | Charles Ademeno |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Lee Bradbury |
| 20 | FW | ENG | James Lawson |
| 22 | DF | NGA | Efe Sodje |
| 23 | FW | WAL | Freddy Eastwood |
| 24 | DF | ENG | Mark Wright (TV personality) |
| 25 | DF | IRL | Gerard Nash (on loan from Ipswich Town) |
| 26 | MF | BEL | Franck Moussa |
| 33 | GK | ENG | Matthew Driver |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | MF | JAM | Jamal Campbell-Ryce (on loan from Rotherham United) |