A GROUP of Southend United fans are to take on TV’s brainboxes on the BBC quizshow Eggheads.

The six friends met online on the Shrimpers’ fan forum ShrimperZone, and decided to form a team to take part in the BBC2 show, hosted by Jeremy Vine.

They will travel to London in August, with their ShrimperZone owl mascot Chrissy Powl, to challenge the show’s experts for a chance to win cash.

Team member Kay Searle, 47, of Stansfield Road, Benfleet, said they were surprised to be selected for the show, just a week after auditioning.

Mrs Searle said: “We went to London to do the auditions.

“We were surprised to get a call after just a week. As far as we know, we are the first team of football supporters to go on the show!”

Fellow team member Harry Roberts, 56, of May Avenue, Canvey, said: “We would love to go on in our Southend kit, but we probably won’t be able to get away with it, so hopefully we’ll be getting some team polo shirts with the club logo on.

“We all got together through football, so we have a good laugh. Although the Eggheads don’t lose very often.”

The team is hoping all six members will be able to attend Southend’s first home game of the season, on August 8.

If they can make it ahead of their filming, on August 10, Scott Clough, 22, from Hutton, Paul Cox, 37, from Milton Keynes, Richard Reade, 36, from Glasgow, and Ian Crossman, 39, from Southampton, will join Mrs Searle and Mr Roberts to cheer the Shrimpers on at home against Huddersfield.