SOUTHEND United take on Chesterfield tomorrow at the lowest ebb in the club’s long history.

But the last time the two teams met, things were looking bright for Blues.

It seems also inconceivable to imagine right now but, in April 2017, the Shrimpers triumphed 4-0 against the Spireites to move up to seventh in the League One standings.

And it is a match former Southend striker Simon Cox still remembers well.

“Chesterfield were struggling at the time and we knew we would have to go there and win but we had a good team,” said Cox.

“There was Cokes (Ben Coker), Woody (Anthony Wordsworth), myself, (Nile) Ranger, Marco (Antoine-Fortune) and we all stepped up.

“I remember I was on two goals and Phil Brown took me off which I wasn’t happy about!

“We won 4-0 and it was a resounding win in the end but it’s a shame to see where both clubs are now, especially the position Southend find themselves in.”

After back to back relegations, Blues now sit 18th in the National League standings after a poor start to the season.

And Cox feels a number of factors are to blame for the Shrimpers’ depressing demise.

“There are a lot of reasons why it’s happened,” said Cox.

“There has been a lot of mismanagement, a lot of players coming and going and managers coming and going too.

“There have been so many things that have spiralled out of control.

“There’s been no consistency across the board.

“It needs someone to come in, work with a shoestring budget and over-achieve for a year or two.

“The National League is tough to get out of and they will need to recruit well which I’m not sure they have done.

“But what they cannot do is go down.

“That will probably be the end of the football club and nobody wants that.

“But I think all this stemmed from Steve Kavanagh going as the chief executive back in the day.

“Everything fell onto Ron Martin and so many people came and went after that.

“The club is in a precarious position right now and it’s sad to see.”

And Cox was also saddened by how his spell with the Shrimpers came to an end at the start of 2020.

“I went out without really ever saying a proper goodbye,” said Cox.

“I went not really on my own terms.

“I got moved on but that happens in football.

“I wanted to finish my career there, that was my plan.

“The season we stayed up I wanted to sign a two or three year deal and get a coaching role within the club to help promote the next generation.

“I wanted to help get the club moving in a successful direction.

“But as soon as Sol (Campbell) came in and the team weren’t doing so well that kind of deal wasn’t on the table anymore.

“Ron took it away from me and I had to go and seek something else.”

However, Cox – who scored 45 goals in 172 appearances for Blues – still recalls his spell at Roots Hall with great fondness.

“It’s the longest I’ve spent at any club so you can’t not have enjoyed it,” said Cox.

“It was quite fruitful in terms of goals and assists but as a club we under-achieved in that first season.

“We lost our way towards the end and missed out on the play-offs by a point but I look back on my time there with great fondness.”

Upon leaving the Shrimpers, Cox headed out to Australia to join Western Sydney Wanderers before returning to his Essex home four months later to be with his new-born daughter.

And it was not long until Cox held more talks with Blues boss Phil Brown, who signed the striker during his first spell in charge.

“I spoke to Phil Brown when I came back,” said Cox.

“He was one of the first people I spoke to actually.

“I asked about going in to Southend as first team coach and I’d have been more than happy to jump at that.

“He went a different way and I don’t think they’ve appointed anyone yet.

“You take it with a pinch of salt whether he really wanted you there or not but ultimately he’s made his decision and that’s fine.

“I’m happy with where I’m at right now and he hasn’t picked up the phone to me since.

“That’s fine and I’m not really losing too much sleep over it to be honest.”

But, after missing out on a role with Blues, Cox looked elsewhere before starting up his own ‘SC31 Coaching’ company.

“When I came back from Australia, I loved being with my family but I’ve been in football for 17 years and when that suddenly stops you need to throw your hand at something else,” said Cox.

“After completing my A license I wanted to get into coaching as quickly as I could but it’s proving difficult so I thought why not help local kids or professional players.

“Some of the lads I’ve played with maybe don’t have clubs right now or they’re on their way back from injuries wanting to do some additional work.

“I’ve set something up and it’s fresh eyes onto their game really. I’ve had a really good response from it and it’s been pretty good so far. “

But Cox has not ended his playing career just yet.

“I haven’t retired,” stressed the striker.

“I thought somebody would pick up the phone when I came back and see if I was available to play.

“I realise that when you leave the English league it very quickly forgets you which is fine.

“I still felt like I was able to do a job but it has to work logistically for me now and I didn’t want to be spending a lot of time away from home.

“Nothing really came up so that’s why I’ve turned my hand to the coaching and I’m looking to keep busy really.”

For more details on Cox’s coaching company visit @SCoxy31Real on Twitter or Instagram.