Echo reporter stages popular pre-Wembley livestream ahead of Blues' final
SOUTHEND Echo reporter Chris Phillips staged a successful pre-Wembley live-stream at the Railway Pub tonight.
Chris - who has covered the Shrimpers for the Echo since 2003 - was joined by a number of key names from the club and community ahead of Sunday's play-off final with Oldham Athletic.
Advertisement
And he was keen to thank those who helped him raise funds for the Mind of the Student charity.
Chris said: "These things are always hard to put together and run but it was great to have so many great guests.
"It was nice to speak to those who played such a key part during the club's struggles and to really sit back and reflect on how far we've come before we kept caught up in the madness of Wembley.
"A big thanks also goes to Data Migrator for sponsoring the livestream and the Railway for hosting.
"We had more than 6,000 people tuned in for most of it and we raised a good amount of money for a cause so close to my heart too."
Advertisement
Among those to join Chris for interviews were Darryl Flahavan, Justin Rees, Steve Tilson, Tom Lawrence, Daniel Cowan, Barry Corr, Duncan Jupp and Jason Demetriou.
Chris also spoke with Mitchell Drew - the young fan he memorably photographed cleaning the never give up sign at Roots Hall - plus several supporters who have flown in from all around the world to be at Wembley.
National League expert Sam Collyer also gave his views on Sunday's game.
Chris added: "The stream can still be watched via my Twitter channel and on Facebook for anyone who might be interested.
"People can still donate too."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Chicago Tribune
29 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Sagging Chicago Cubs lose 5-1 to the Cincinnati Reds with continued sluggish offense
Zack Littell struck out eight in seven crisp innings in his Cincinnati debut, and the Reds beat the slumping Chicago Cubs 5-1 at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Littell (9-8) allowed three hits and walked two in his first start since he was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays last week. Spencer Steer hit a tiebreaking three-run home run in Cincinnati's four-run seventh inning. The Reds (60-54) won for the third time in four games. Matt Shaw homered for the Cubs (65-48), who finished with four hits. They had just three hits in Monday's 3-2 loss in the series opener. The Cubs have dropped three of their last four games. They trail the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers by four games. Steer singled home Miguel Andujar in the fifth inning, but Shaw responded with his seventh home run of the season in the bottom half of the inning. The Reds grabbed control in the seventh against Andrew Kittredge (2-3). Austin Hays walked, Andujar singled and Steer hit a drive to left-center for his 13th home run of the season. Santiago Espinal added a sacrifice fly. It was Kittredge's third appearance since he was acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles. Andujar collected his first two hits with the Reds after coming over in a trade deadline deal with the Athletics. TJ Friedl also had two hits. Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings. He was charged with one run and three hits. The Cubs had a chance to grab an early lead, putting runners on first and second with none out in the first inning. But Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Willi Castro struck out swinging. The Reds went 3 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The Cubs went 0 for 6 in those situations. Reds All-Star LHP Andrew Abbott (8-1, 2.15 ERA) faces Cubs rookie RHP Cade Horton (5-2, 3.42 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday.


New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Chelsea are back in pre-season training. What issues must Enzo Maresca address?
The long, intolerable wait is over. A little more than three weeks after lifting the FIFA Club World Cup in New Jersey, Chelsea are back in pre-season training at Cobham. Enzo Maresca's team only have time to play two friendlies at Stamford Bridge — against Bayer Leverkusen on August 8 and against AC Milan on August 10 — before their new Premier League campaign begins at home to Crystal Palace on August 17. Advertisement No club has faced such a tight turnaround between seasons in modern history, but Chelsea and Maresca are confident that they are equipped to handle it. As they begin to gear up at lightning speed for the new season, The Athletic addresses some of the key questions being posed to the Chelsea head coach and his squad. Chelsea released their first pictures of pre-season training on Monday and there was no holiday fat to be seen. That should come as no surprise: modern elite footballers tend to stay in good shape all year round, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising every day, on their own or with personal fitness coaches, even when not on the clock for their clubs. Those ingrained habits were what Chelsea were counting on. Ramping up preparations for competitive action quickly is only feasible if players are building from a solid base of fitness, which all the indications suggest they are. Re-establishing the level of specialised conditioning that footballers need to see them through a 10-month season is the next challenge. The most positive sight of all from Chelsea's first day back at Cobham was Wesley Fofana training with the first-team group as he continues his recovery from hamstring surgery in April. Maresca's inspired game plan against Paris Saint-Germain was not an unrecognisable shift from his default approach, but it did feature some notable changes. Cole Palmer started on the right wing rather than as the No 10 and drifted inside, while Malo Gusto pushed high up as an overlapping, rather than inverting, right-back. Robert Sanchez also kicked long often. These were gambits tailored to target what Maresca had identified as PSG's specific weaknesses, so don't expect to see them every week. He has the personnel in almost every area of the pitch to make selection decisions in response to certain match-ups, and Chelsea's tougher schedule in 2025-26 will necessitate greater rotation in any case. But the fundamentals will remain the same: Chelsea will line up in a 4-2-3-1 that, one way or another, becomes a 3-4-3 in possession with a box midfield. Beyond that, much will depend on opponents' strengths, weaknesses and tactical approaches. Chelsea's unwanted players have been working separately at Cobham for almost a month, building their fitness while they and their representatives work on finding moves elsewhere. There has already been considerable progress on that front: Joao Felix signed for Al Nassr in a deal that could be worth up to €50million (£43.5m; $57.8m) last week, while goalkeepers Djordje Petrovic and Kepa Arrizabalaga have joined Bournemouth and Arsenal respectively. Burnley have also agreed to buy striker Armando Broja and midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu in separate deals. Advertisement But there is much more work to do. Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are the two headline names with markets that have been slow to develop, while Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga and Carney Chukwuemeka are also prime sale candidates. Chelsea always expected several of these situations to be resolved later in the summer window. Maresca's preparations for the new season are punctuated by a friendly double-header at Stamford Bridge this weekend, with Leverkusen their opponents on Friday evening and Milan their visitors on Sunday afternoon. Expect to see almost wholesale rotation of the starting XI with less than 48 hours between the two games, and plenty of substitutions. Maresca was notably cautious with the newer faces in his squad at the Club World Cup. Every outfield player made it onto the pitch in the United States, but the bulk of Chelsea's minutes in the competition were soaked up by the core of the group who delivered a fourth-place finish in the Premier League in 2024-25 and lifted the UEFA Conference League. Liam Delap and Joao Pedro were the only real exceptions to this rule, though Andrey Santos also stepped up impressively at the base of midfield when Moises Caicedo missed the quarter-final against Palmeiras due to suspension. Of the summer arrivals (or in the case of Santos, a return), these three look best placed to play significant roles in the early weeks. Many supporters will be intrigued to get a look at Estevao, who arrives at Stamford Bridge with considerable hype and shone against Chelsea in the Club World Cup. But alongside the excitement, there is also a recognition within the club that the 18-year-old will need time to adjust to his new surroundings and to adapt to English football. He will be eased in. On the left flank, a lack of natural alternatives may mean that Jamie Gittens is elevated quickly towards starting status, though Maresca has shown a willingness to deploy Pedro Neto and even Palmer on that side at times and Joao Pedro is regarded as being versatile enough to function across the attacking line. Advertisement Jorrel Hato is another who will likely see the pitch for the first time against Leverkusen or Milan, but the fitness and form of Marc Cucurella mean there is no urgent rush to assimilate him. Three of Chelsea's other exciting young acquisitions this summer — Kendry Paez, Mike Penders and Mamadou Sarr — will spend this season developing at BlueCo sister club Strasbourg.


USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners 5-star defensive end target sets commitment date
The Oklahoma Sooners are in the running for one of the top edge rushers in the nation in ESPN five-star prospect Jake Kreul. Oklahoma, along with Texas and Ole Miss, is in the running for the elite pass rushers' services, and Kreul has set a decision date ahead of his senior season. Kreul told ESPN's Eli Lederman that he plans to commit on August 12. Kreul is the No. 22 player in the class according to ESPN and No. 61 according to 247Sports. He's one of the most polished pass rushers in the class, and with his size and strength, would have an opportunity to play early in his career. Oklahoma has made a strong play for Kreul. Defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis has built a strong relationship with the IMG Academy product, and Kreul is a former teammate of Sooners defensive linemen David Stone and Jayden Jackson. While predictions have favored the Sooners in this recruitment, it's one of those national recruiting battles that could go in any direction. Texas is a major player, and Ole Miss shouldn't be counted out due to their recent success developing defensive end prospects. He's an elite player with the ability to be a difference maker against the run and as a pass rusher. He has 36 Power Four offers. Any team would be thrilled to land a player with his skill set. Can the Oklahoma Sooners hold off the Longhorns and Rebels to land the elite prospect? We'll find out on August 12. Jake Kreul Recruiting Profile Watch Jake Kreul highlights on Hudl Kreul is one of the elite prospects in the 2026 cycle, demonstrating technical refinement in his game. Locked On's recruiting analyst Brian Smith called Kreul "the most technically advanced high school edge rusher" he's ever seen. Vitals Ratings Offers Per 247Sports Social Media Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.