Can we show what we are made of? Please read.

[Phippsy]

2 home shirts and 3 humbug shirts too be ordered soon, countless pints and burgers (with or without onions) to be consumed , match day programmes to buy and read at half time.... I'm already saving my pennies for another season of supporting the only team in Essex worth watching.. Phil Browns barmy army, c'mon!!

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I don't always agree with fbm but this is outrageous.

Why is it outrageous. It sounded like One of the speeches Ron Martin used to give in the first few Years with the club. I don't know who fbm is, so I'm entitled to ask or wonder if he has anything to do with the club.

If he is saying this just as a true supporter, then good shout, and well said.

 

[The Ed Miller Band]

I don't really know anyone at the club. I used to work there in the early 90's (I wasn't paid then either for a while - times don't change!) but anyone who was there then that I knew has left now. I have also never met or spoken to Ron, despite the fact that I see him frequently either in Costa Coffee, Stop the World or walking past my house. I have no "in" with the club and all my thoughts are based on my own experience as a businessman, plus a little inside knowledge (albeit old knowledge) of how clubs are run plus some common sense.

I am just a realistic person who prefers to focus on things I can do rather than worrying or moaning about things I can't. Can I affect what RM does? No. Can I do anything to make sure FF gets built? No. Can I help the club in a monetary way? Yes - so I do. I buy a shirt and season ticket every year, programmes more often than not, I had a Southend United Credit card (when they did them). Can I do anything to ensure that the supporters have a voice to discuss our favourite football team? Yes - which is why, when the previous owners had SZ and were in danger of not being able to afford to run it, I (via my firm) offered sponsorship which I still maintain to this day. Can I do anything to try and persuade the people who will not buy shirts or attend games to change their mind? Yes - hence my post.

I have no agenda. I just want to see SUFC back up the leagues and don't believe in cutting my nose off to spite my face.

I think your opening post was an admirable one but as a long term SZ observer I think your final comment about having no agenda may be the problem where some others are concerned. Though Southend fans, some people appear to have other agendas that will relish any problems that hit the club whilst Ron Martin's troubled ownership lasts.

 

[Jam_Man]

Why is it outrageous. It sounded like One of the speeches Ron Martin used to give in the first few Years with the club. I don't know who fbm is, so I'm entitled to ask or wonder if he has anything to do with the club.

If he is saying this just as a true supporter, then good shout, and well said.

He is just a supporter.

What a cynical lot we have become when a positive post gets questioned :smile:

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

He is just a supporter.

What a cynical lot we have become when a positive post gets questioned :smile:

Nature of the beast I'm afraid. We've been lied to, let down, given false promises. Some even bought shares at a high price on the strength of that glossy brochure that came through the door of all season ticket holders, a few Years back that ended up as a way to get money for the club, but ended up worthless to fans. So much secrecy, undisclosed transfer fees, monies going here there and everywhere, without telling us real fans, where? Us fans can't find out what sort of doo dah we are really in.

On the plus side, we have an amazing and loyal fan base. The Club seems much more professional this Year. A very strong Management team, Coach and Chief Scout. The squad is being improved nicely. The building work has to start this Year. I am feeling very hopeful for this season.

 

[Jam_Man]

Nature of the beast I'm afraid. We've been lied to, let down, given false promises. Some even bought shares at a high price on the strength of that glossy brochure that came through the door of all season ticket holders, a few Years back that ended up as a way to get money for the club, but ended up worthless to fans. So much secrecy, undisclosed transfer fees, monies going here there and everywhere, without telling us real fans, where? Us fans can't find out what sort of doo dah we are really in.

On the plus side, we have an amazing and loyal fan base. The Club seems much more professional this Year. A very strong Management team, Coach and Chief Scout. The squad is being improved nicely. The building work has to start this Year. I am feeling very hopeful for this season.

To be fair everyone knew they would be worthless when they bought them surely?

 

[NZamba Legend]

What a cynical lot we have become when a positive post gets questioned :smile:

Is it positive? Sounds more like a call to maintain the status quo, a large part of which involves passively paying up for shirts, tickets and beer and hoping for the best (a three sided stadium in an anonymous big box retail park).

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

To be fair everyone knew they would be worthless when they bought them surely?

Not the way the brochure was presented. It sort of made out that you could help the club out, and because of the Fossett Farm development, your shares had every chance of being worth more. It was very well done.
But of course, shares are a gamble, so you takes yer chance.

 

[zelx77]

Well said fbm - up the blues!

 

[fbm]

Why is it outrageous. It sounded like One of the speeches Ron Martin used to give in the first few Years with the club. I don't know who fbm is, so I'm entitled to ask or wonder if he has anything to do with the club.

If he is saying this just as a true supporter, then good shout, and well said.

It's outrageous if for no other reason that no-one within or close to the club would refer to Straker in the same sentence as Gareth Ba... oh, hang on...

 

[Lord Zoltan]

Great post fbm, it's always nice to read something positive.

 

[Cricko]

It's a great post Mark and I know you well enough to say it comes from your love of the club.I am not going to sit here and condemn it at all, although as you are aware I disagree with some points.

Well done mate UTB.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Laaaaave it. Bring on the 3rd of August !

 

[A Century United]

To be fair everyone knew they would be worthless when they bought them surely?

On the contrary, I knew that I would always be first in line for things like Wembley tickets, and I would get a copy of the accounts posted out to me every year without fail..... Not Ron's fault that Royal Mail are clearly holding them up again!

 

[Prawn]

I think it is unfair that people are labled supporters or followers, would I fall under a follower not a supporter as I live in Australia? I purchase Blues Player every season so maybe in a way I am a supporter.

I'm off to the club shop tomorrow to get a bit of merchandise before I go back home after being here for holidays, I would have liked to have come during the season so I could have caught a few games but I was unable to do this time. So it'll be listening to the games on a Saturday night. If I lived in the UK I would try and get to as many games as possible and purchase more merchandise.

 

[fbm]

I think it is unfair that people are labled supporters or followers, would I fall under a follower not a supporter as I live in Australia? I purchase Blues Player every season so maybe in a way I am a supporter.

I'm off to the club shop tomorrow to get a bit of merchandise before I go back home after being here for holidays, I would have liked to have come during the season so I could have caught a few games but I was unable to do this time. So it'll be listening to the games on a Saturday night. If I lived in the UK I would try and get to as many games as possible and purchase more merchandise.

But you're doing what you can and that's all you can do. There are people who are actively NOT doing what they could do yet still wondering why we aren't in a better position. If my initial post just makes a few people think and maybe buy a shirt, or attend the Yeovil game when they otherwise wouldn't have, then great. If we all did what we could, we could actually solve the clubs cash flow problems ourselves rather than sit here wondering when the next unpaid bill is going to rise up and bite us.

After all, it doesn't matter who owns the club really, it's the team on the pitch we watch.

 

[rlb999]

Great post. Agree with it almost in entirety.
Sadly we all know that as soon as we first concede a goal, players will be singled out by some, irrespective of their guilt. Darryl Flahavan wasn't tall enough, and all that.

 

[Cricko]

But you're doing what you can and that's all you can do. There are people who are actively NOT doing what they could do yet still wondering why we aren't in a better position. If my initial post just makes a few people think and maybe buy a shirt, or attend the Yeovil game when they otherwise wouldn't have, then great. If we all did what we could, we could actually solve the clubs cash flow problems ourselves rather than sit here wondering when the next unpaid bill is going to rise up and bite us.

After all, it doesn't matter who owns the club really, it's the team on the pitch we watch.

See you fished and now I have to bite, we could if it was a stand alone company, but it isn't, it is within a myriad of companies that pass money about to keep them all and one man afloat to keep him going.

We were doing so well up until that point :winking:

 

[Pubey]

See you fished and now I have to bite, we could if it was a stand alone company, but it isn't, it is within a myriad of companies that pass money about to keep them all and one man afloat to keep him going.

We were doing so well up until that point :winking:

I'm pretty sure ticket sales and replica kits go directly to SUFC, and not to one of RM's companies.

 

[Cricko]

I'm pretty sure ticket sales and replica kits go directly to SUFC, and not to one of RM's companies.

If there was a difference between the companies I would agree Jon, but there isn't.