OUR recent story revealing the Southend-on-Sea club’s merger with Ekco Monarchs and Trojans has resulted in a number of readers letting us have their memories of playing in former years.

Few know the Southend cricket scene better than Johnny Heiser who was with Ekco CC from 1952-60 and joined Southend, where he’s still a member, in 1975.

Heiser reports that Ekco CC was formed in 1935 — six years after the football section started.

Both sports adopted the amber and green colours after the large flag which flew over the main EK Cole offices in Priory Crescent.

He said: “The cricket team ran two sides and played mostly in the local area.

“At the start of the Second World War in 1939 most of the sportsmen were called up and this led to the firm borrowing whoever they could get their hands on to make up the teams.

“Ekco were at that time manufacturing various components for the war effort so, for security reasons, Ekco FC and Ekco CC became known as Nomads and they carried on for the war years.

“When peace came in 1945 those sportsmen that survived unscathed returned to the firm.

“In those first post-war years they took on their old name and thanks to players like Sid Grimes, Tom Daniels, Trevor Byram and Fred Petchey, the club blossomed.”

Heiser reports that they were able to call on several Southend United stars — notably Stan Montgomery (who played county cricket for Glamorgan), Frank Dudley, Cyril Thompson, Jack French, Frank Walton and Jack Pritchard.

Explained Heiser: “In those days professional footballers could play cricket in the summer.”

The club still sometimes used the name Nomads but Reg Earle, the sports club secretary was still in charge. Eventually a rule was brought in that players had to work for the company.

Heiser further recalled: “I joined the company in 1952 and played on Sundays — I had a Saturday club.

“I played under two captains, Frank Ferne (1952-55) and Ken Good (1955-61). We played against a lot of the top firms in the country such as Rolls Royce, Kodak, Pye etc and some of the strongest London Transport sides.

“They were always full of excellent West indian players — they had some of the fastest bowlers I had ever seen.

“In one of these game we included Harry Threadgold, the Southend United goalkeeper, who was the finest hooker of bouncers that I ever saw.

“I suppose playing in goal for Sunderland at the very top gave him lightning reflexes and very fast hands.

“What was amazing was dear old Harry never wore a helmet or batting gloves!

“The last get-together of these old players which graced the Ekco Ground was the 50th anniversary gala dinner held at the Ekco clubhouse in October 1985.”

Heiser still has the menu, autographed by many of his fellow players, from that night and it remains a treasured possession — as does the scoresheet from when he took all 10 wickets in an Ekco match with Southend Nomads in August 1958 and when he received a certificate of merit for his feat in emerging the club’s outstanding bowler that year with 65 wickets at an average of 6.26.

Another with great cricketing memories of yesteryear is John Vanner, who played for Monarchs.

He said: “ Playing for Monarchs against Brookweald about 20 years ago we were chasing a total and falling behind the clock with our opening batsman Trevor Blackman being very slow.

“Our captain Bob Meen commandeered a remote control car from a small boy on the boundary, wrote a note telling Trevor to get out, and sent the car out to the wicket between overs.

“Trevor read the note, but so did their wicket-keeper and they would not get him out and the game ended in a draw — but we all had a great laugh!”

Vanner further reminisced: “About 25 years ago Monarchs were playing against Southchurch and our opening batsman Angus Thornes had forgotten to unpack his cricket kit from the previous season.

“He dressed in the creased and mildew kit that had been in his bag for the past nine months.

“The very first ball of the match hit him on the chin and knocked him to the ground and, as he laid down — our other opening bat Ron Giles — who had a very dry sense of humour, said to him ‘before you are carried off to hospital you must disclose the name of your tailor.’ “I have many happy memories of playing cricket and football for Monarchs and good luck to the new cricket club.”