stan collymore
Stanley Victor Collymore
Hi Guys
Had a 2pm zoom face to face with Ron for 50 minutes.
It was open, honest, friendly and as you'd hope from me, your concerns and thoughts along with my own were expressed and reaffirmed throughout.
There were no no go areas and extensive contemporaneous notes were taken.
My offer to Ron was as follows.
1. To use me as conduit for Ron and the club to build and maintain bridges with supporters, dealing with clubs where bridges have been broken, a face of Southend United to meet parents and potential young players who we should be looking to recruit, offering football advice and solutions to the club structures, media, supporters, local business, council and to Ron, daily.
2. To arrange a meeting with Ron and I and a potential CEO that I have in mind as a matter of urgency to allow Ron to concentrate of FF, council and allow a football structure to take shape immediately to allow the club and team to get out of the blocks with the aim of an immediate Football League return.
I am delighted to say that Ron's candour was refreshing, he acknowledged that help was needed and that a unification of the club was his desire. He asked me about the CEO, and how quickly could we all meet which was incredibly encouraging.
I put to him the suggestion that as a 23 year owner of a football club, which we all agree isn't easy, Ron should utilise his energy in ways that can achieve the FF project, with the football business on and off the pitch being run by a competent CEO with me to be an advisor, titled or not, formal or not. A guardian football angel for the benefit of Southend United Football Club.
Ron wants to explore both immediately as a matter of urgency.
So I will contact the CEO I have in mind today, wait to hear from him and should he be willing to meet Ron, I will facilitate that within meeting to happen in Ron's words "within days". As I said to you guys, I'll drive the guy myself if I have to!
What would I see my role as? Like Mark Bright at Crystal Palace who advises Steve Parrish, I'd offer my experience and knowledge and contacts to build bridges with you guys, have a clear and transparent relationship with your club and its structures, to sometimes say ( as I said in the meeting with Ron) "Ron, hold fire on Mark Molesley in any statement, we may want this guy in 5 years time!", to give a face to recruitment of the best kids in the region to play for this wonderful football club, to vet manager's and football staff to make sure the football vision is realised and to support everyone at the club including Ron, to take things from their plate rather than add to them.
So Ron wants to meet me, the potential CEO all together ( should the CEO want to, time commitments willing, usual terms and conditions apply etc etc) in the coming days, with a view to moving the conversation and potential solutions quickly.
I believe Ron when he says he wants the best for the club but as I said to him, sometimes new energy, new voices, help and assistance from other quarters is all that's needed to get back on track. Ron asked me what time I could commit and I said "as much as the club needs me to commit".
I hope that helps in the short term, I promised I'd offer practical help to Ron and the club and I have. Next step is to get this potential CEO in front of Ron, I'll sit outside with a bag of chips and a cuppa and then I'll go in to continue the "how can we move this forward " conversation.
I can only take anyone in face value and Ron seemed to be open to all suggestions which would enable a sustainable football club to progress. We all have a role to play now to ensure that happens.
Out of tiny acorns, great oaks shall grow.
Unity, transparency, sustainability, progression.
Stan Collymore
Had a 2pm zoom face to face with Ron for 50 minutes.
It was open, honest, friendly and as you'd hope from me, your concerns and thoughts along with my own were expressed and reaffirmed throughout.
There were no no go areas and extensive contemporaneous notes were taken.
My offer to Ron was as follows.
1. To use me as conduit for Ron and the club to build and maintain bridges with supporters, dealing with clubs where bridges have been broken, a face of Southend United to meet parents and potential young players who we should be looking to recruit, offering football advice and solutions to the club structures, media, supporters, local business, council and to Ron, daily.
2. To arrange a meeting with Ron and I and a potential CEO that I have in mind as a matter of urgency to allow Ron to concentrate of FF, council and allow a football structure to take shape immediately to allow the club and team to get out of the blocks with the aim of an immediate Football League return.
I am delighted to say that Ron's candour was refreshing, he acknowledged that help was needed and that a unification of the club was his desire. He asked me about the CEO, and how quickly could we all meet which was incredibly encouraging.
I put to him the suggestion that as a 23 year owner of a football club, which we all agree isn't easy, Ron should utilise his energy in ways that can achieve the FF project, with the football business on and off the pitch being run by a competent CEO with me to be an advisor, titled or not, formal or not. A guardian football angel for the benefit of Southend United Football Club.
Ron wants to explore both immediately as a matter of urgency.
So I will contact the CEO I have in mind today, wait to hear from him and should he be willing to meet Ron, I will facilitate that within meeting to happen in Ron's words "within days". As I said to you guys, I'll drive the guy myself if I have to!
What would I see my role as? Like Mark Bright at Crystal Palace who advises Steve Parrish, I'd offer my experience and knowledge and contacts to build bridges with you guys, have a clear and transparent relationship with your club and its structures, to sometimes say ( as I said in the meeting with Ron) "Ron, hold fire on Mark Molesley in any statement, we may want this guy in 5 years time!", to give a face to recruitment of the best kids in the region to play for this wonderful football club, to vet manager's and football staff to make sure the football vision is realised and to support everyone at the club including Ron, to take things from their plate rather than add to them.
So Ron wants to meet me, the potential CEO all together ( should the CEO want to, time commitments willing, usual terms and conditions apply etc etc) in the coming days, with a view to moving the conversation and potential solutions quickly.
I believe Ron when he says he wants the best for the club but as I said to him, sometimes new energy, new voices, help and assistance from other quarters is all that's needed to get back on track. Ron asked me what time I could commit and I said "as much as the club needs me to commit".
I hope that helps in the short term, I promised I'd offer practical help to Ron and the club and I have. Next step is to get this potential CEO in front of Ron, I'll sit outside with a bag of chips and a cuppa and then I'll go in to continue the "how can we move this forward " conversation.
I can only take anyone in face value and Ron seemed to be open to all suggestions which would enable a sustainable football club to progress. We all have a role to play now to ensure that happens.
Out of tiny acorns, great oaks shall grow.
Unity, transparency, sustainability, progression.
Stan Collymore
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