In the 2005–06 season, Southend had another successful campaign and on 29 April 2006, the Shrimpers were promoted to the Football League Championship after a 2–2 draw with Swansea City at the Welsh club's new Liberty Stadium.{{cite web|title=Southend go up after Swansea draw|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4933682.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=29 April 2006|access-date=21 April 2014}} Southend was crowned League One champions on 6 May 2006 after beating Bristol City 1–0 at Roots Hall in front of over 11,000 fans.{{cite web|title=Southend 1-0 Bristol City|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4957548.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=6 May 2006|access-date=21 April 2014}} This was the last professional appearance of Shaun Goater; fans from his former club Manchester City came to give him a special send-off at the end of a long and distinguished career. For Southend United, the title was the club's first in 25 years. On 6 May 2006, Tilson was named as the League Manager Association's Manager-of-the-Season for League One.

Final league table

{{:2005–06 Football League|transcludesection=League One|showteam=SND}}

Results

Southend United's score comes first{{Cite web |url=http://www.statto.com/football/teams/southend-united/2005-2006/results |title=Southend United 2005-2006 Results - statto.com |access-date=21 April 2014 |archive-date=22 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422233223/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/southend-united/2005-2006/results |url-status=dead }}

=Legend=

class="wikitable"

|style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"|Win

|style="background-color: #ffffdd;"|Draw

|style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"|Loss

=Football League One=

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center" !Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 6 August 2005	Port Vale	H	1–2	6,543	Gray
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 9 August 2005	Bradford City	A	2–0	8,250	Wetherall (own goal), Guttridge
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 13 August 2005	Walsall	A	2–2	5,563	Gray, Goater
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 20 August 2005	Huddersfield Town	H	1–1	5,567	Eastwood
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 26 August 2005	Scunthorpe United	A	0–1	5,569
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 29 August 2005	Colchester United	H	3–1	7,344	Goater (2), Cole
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 4 September 2005	Oldham Athletic	H	2–1	5,261	Lawson, Gower
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 10 September 2005	Swindon Town	A	2–1	4,785	Barrett, Gray
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 17 September 2005	Tranmere Rovers	H	3–1	6,691	Lawson, Goater (2, 1 pen)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 24 September 2005	Rotherham United	A	4–2	4,259	Bentley, Barrett, Gray (2, 1 pen)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 27 September 2005	Yeovil Town	H	4–1	6,694	Guttridge, Gray, Eastwood (2)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 1 October 2005	Gillingham	A	2–1	8,128	Bentley (2)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 9 October 2005	Nottingham Forest	H	1–0	10,104	Eastwood
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 15 October 2005	Doncaster Rovers	A	0–2	5,899
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 22 October 2005	Barnsley	H	1–1	6,986	Goater (pen)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 29 October 2005	Bristol City	A	3–0	10,625	Eastwood (3)
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 12 November 2005	Swansea City	H	1–2	11,049	Eastwood
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 19 November 2005	Nottingham Forest	A	0–2	19,576
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 26 November 2005	Port Vale	A	1–2	3,961	Smith
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 6 December 2005	Chesterfield	H	0–0	5,767
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 10 December 2005	Bradford City	H	1–1	7,307	Gower
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 17 December 2005	Huddersfield Town	A	0–0	11,223
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 26 December 2005	Milton Keynes Dons	H	0–0	7,452
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 28 December 2005	Hartlepool United	A	2–1	3,929	Eastwood, Gray (pen)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 31 December 2005	Bournemouth	H	2–1	6,357	Gray (pen), Guttridge
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 2 January 2006	Blackpool	A	2–1	5,271	Bentley, Eastwood
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 7 January 2006	Oldham Athletic	A	0–0	5,662
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 14 January 2006	Brentford	H	4–1	10,046	Sodje, Gower, Barrett, Wilson
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 21 January 2006	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–0	7,058
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 27 January 2006	Swindon Town	H	2–0	7,945	Guttridge, Gower
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 4 February 2006	Yeovil Town	A	2–0	6,289	Bentley, Goater
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 10 February 2006	Rotherham United	H	2–0	7,879	Goater, Eastwood
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 14 February 2006	Brentford	A	0–2	7,022
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 18 February 2006	Chesterfield	A	4–3	4,527	Eastwood (3, 1 pen), Goater
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 25 February 2006	Walsall	H	0–0	7,906
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 4 March 2006	Colchester United	A	3–0	7,765	Eastwood, Maher, Wilson
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 10 March 2006	Scunthorpe United	H	3–0	8,717	Eastwood, Bradbury, Goater
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 18 March 2006	Milton Keynes Dons	A	1–2	7,071	Goater
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 25 March 2006	Hartlepool United	H	3–0	8,496	Gower, Eastwood (2)
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 1 April 2006	Bournemouth	A	1–1	7,638	Eastwood
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 8 April 2006	Blackpool	H	2–1	8,180	Eastwood, Guttridge
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 14 April 2006	Gillingham	H	0–1	11,195
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 17 April 2006	Barnsley	A	2–2	10,663	Gower, Eastwood
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" \| 22 April 2006	Doncaster Rovers	H	0–1	10,397
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" \| 29 April 2006	Swansea City	A	2–2	19,176	Eastwood (2)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" \| 6 May 2006	Bristol City	H	1–0	11,387	Gray