Cork hats and inflatable kangaroos – not sights traditionally seen at Roots Hall, but they might just be here to stay in coastal Essex.
Southend fans have been donning Australian fancy dress since October, when antipodean businessman Justin Rees (below) announced his six-man consortium had saved the club from liquidation. The following day, the Shrimpers had been due in the High Court to face a potentially fatal HM Revenue & Customs winding-up order.
“It was such an incredible relief,” Southend diehard Liam Ager tells now. “We came agonisingly close to losing our club forever. We’re not out of the woods yet, and Rees still has to prove to fans he’s the right person to lead us back to
