A NEW era begins for Southend United today and the Echo will be there every kick of the way.

After years of off-field issues, Blues kick off the new National League season against York City at a packed Roots Hall this afternoon with the consortium led by Justin Rees officially in charge for the first time.

During the struggles, our Shrimpers reporter Chris Phillips was vital in keeping supporters up to date and was named as the best in non-league editorial at the Football Content Awards.

And you can now follow every word of his coverage and everything else the Echo has to offer for just £6 for the next six months.

Special offer – to follow our Southend United coverage (Image: Newsquest)

On average, Chris writes around 180 stories a month meaning you can read 1,080 of his articles for the reduced rate of just £6.

Right now, you can also get more than 50 per cent off an annual subscription during our limited-time promotion.

A digital subscription is the best way to read our news site online, as subscribers have unlimited access to news articles, with fewer ads and interruptions.

In addition to unlimited access to news and sports articles and fewer ads, subscribers can also enjoy monthly savings on big brands through the reader rewards scheme, as well as puzzles that you can play online.

Access to the ad-free app is also included with a digital subscription, available on mobile and tablet from the Apple App Store and Google Play. App users can browse all news stories, play puzzles and more without any ad interruptions.

Subscribers can also read the digital edition of the paper, which is a replica of the printed newspaper.

The digital edition can be accessed on the website and through our ad-free app.

Readers can subscribe for just £6 for the first six months or get an annual subscription at only £26 (over 50% off the full price of £52) if they join before the promotion ends.

After the six-month trial period, the monthly subscription will be renewed at £4.99 per month.

Visit the subscribe page for further details. 

This deal is only for new subscribers, but if you’re already a subscriber, there are other ways to enjoy money-saving benefits.

Reader Rewards offers hundreds of deals, discounts and special offers on big brands to all our subscribers.

*Terms and conditions apply. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled. After the six-month trial period, monthly subscription will be charged at £4.99 per month. After the one-year trial period, annual digital subscription will be charged at £52 per year. All subscriptions can be cancelled and refunded within 14 days of purchase. Newsquest Media Group reserves the right to change or remove the offer at any time. Please see www.newsquest.co.uk/digital-subscription-terms-and-conditions for full details.