Pre-Match Thread HMRC v SUFC - FINAL hearing on 1st March. DISMISSED

[Dubai]

Agree that RM is not the the future for SUFC but I tell you one thing, I hope we don’t go down any fan ownership/involvement route. Bloody hell, based on this forum alone we would be in big trouble if anyone of us got the nod to be replace Ron Martin.

Tbf, we are already owned by a fan. He just did what all of us would do on FM. Overspent on players/wages in the hope we made it to the promised land. He has since paid for that heavily.

Should’ve saved, quit and reset back to the start of that championship season until we stayed up.

 

[danbowen]

100% behind @BoyWonder2 here. Just because some people have common sense and can see that Ron isn’t going to give away something so close to his dream doesn’t mean we support him it’s just being a realist.

On the argument of positives under Ron you could say getting us to the championship, back to back promotions, beating United, playing at Wembley and millennium stadium more than a lot of teams. He also has backed every single manager more than most chairman and owners would albeit this has become his downfall due to overspending and lead to relegations etc however at the time fans were lapping the new signings up and calling for more.

As mentioned though just because we can see the successes does not mean that anyone thinks he should stay here any longer than he needs to and does not mean that we are in ‘his corner’ as the same handful of posters continue to claim if a post isn’t all doom and gloom.

Those calling for change and suggesting Carl reader being a successful owner for example. Last time I checked hungerford they were bottom of the league and 8 points from safety…. #justsaying

 

[rootshall rambler]

I think all BW is trying to say is that there is a grey area. It’s not all black or white.

Sadly about half the posters on the zone can only see the black (assuming black is the bad side of the equation). Unfortunately these seem to be getting in the way of the other half who see different shades of grey. I haven’t seen one poster in the white category and suspect only Rob himself is there.

Actually, like me I think most are in a dark grey. Only differing on whether now is the right time to protest or not. My view is that it is not, given it won’t make a blind bit of difference to Ron at the moment. But I respect other people may think differently and may choose to act differently.

I do think with all the AI pushing content that appeals to specific individuals is spiking this new way of being, and people then find it difficult to talk or debate different opinions in various forums.

Good post.
I used to be in that grey area, and had a slightly more positive view of that “person” back in the days when there was a bit of success on the pitch. BUT…. over the last few years, it has become increasingly likely that even during those “better times”, he was busy behind the scenes deliberately ensnaring our club in a financial/commercial spiders web of eternal debt from which we are unlikely to ever emerge.

Three words always spring to my mind when I think of the effect on our dear club, and how its been run over the past 20 years ……. Toxic, incompetent and malignant**. It seems to me, thats how it is now, and always was…… though we might not have seen it at the time.

That is why he will never get one single positive word from me, and it explains why I find even the slightest praise for him so utterly unjustified and frustrating

In my view, that ”person” has all but destroyed the club I have loved for 50+ years, but if I ever wake up to find SUFC is a thriving , healthy, debt free , admired by all, going places club…….. I will be at the front of the line to admit my misjudgment and heap praise upon him .

** alternatives…….. sad, frustrated and angry.

 

[in the know]

I guess like many I will not rest easy until we hear this officially from the club via our CEO aa too many if's, but's and maybe's at the moment........perhaps on Monday morning the Trust should be seeking clarification !

I doubt we will hear anything until everything is formally and officially documented as paid off, whenever that may be.

 

[Linda Loan Shark]

37 days left to pay and i was hoping by now we would have an update.

Also @BoyWonder2 please keep posting on here. I find your posts very interesting indeed

 

[Barry.C]

I cant agree with Boy Wonder that every thread gets hi jacked with Ron Abuse. That is a clear exaggeration and I wonder why someone would want to say that. ??

You could equally point to the same raft of posters who if I exaggerated this as well , you would EASILY conclude there is a clear group of posters determined to tamper down any criticism of Ron at every opportunity. To deflect and possibly divide the fan base

The number of posts of this kind run into hundreds if not thousands, so lets not play the game its all poor old Ron abuse at every opportunity

 

[Rayleigh boy]

regarding championship season and the relegations due "overspending" I am more of the opinion that Ron Martin found relegations beneficial ... player sales and playing staff costs down ... the Tilson relegation from Lge 1 was achieved by exploiting loyalty and not paying players ...

anyway who cares - the clown has got us at our lowest ever point ..

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

I cant agree with Boy Wonder that every thread gets hi jacked with Ron Abuse. That is a clear exaggeration and I wonder why someone would want to say that. ??

You could equally point to the same raft of posters who if I exaggerated this as well , you would EASILY conclude there is a clear group of posters determined to tamper down any criticism of Ron at every opportunity. To deflect and possibly divide the fan base

The number of posts of this kind run into hundreds if not thousands, so lets not play the game its all poor old Ron abuse at every opportunity

Fans of rivals clubs could hijacked our post to try and split us up.

 

[Barry.C]

Fans of rivals clubs could hijacked our post to try and split us up.

Fans of rivals clubs could hijacked our post to try and split us up.

What an amusing if slightly bizarre thought

 

[Whispering Bob]

Please correct me if I'm wrong here but, as far as I understand Ron was supposed to pay £4m for Vic Jobson's shares - 55% of the total shareholding. According to the Jobson family, he allegedly only paid two-thirds of that sum (meaning that he was only truly entitled to 36%?). He now owns approx 70% of the shares. can anybody enlighten me where he picked up the additional 15%?

 

[Blue43]

As someone who wants Ron removed from the club with immediate effect I can still appreciate we have had some good times under his ownership, I won’t deny that. Promotion to the Championship, trips to Wembley and Cardiff and of course beating Man United, they were all great times and memories.

However we can’t keep living in the past and I’m sure everyone will agree that the last 5 years have been nothing short of abysmal and things have just got worse and worse. The only positives recently is our current management team of Kev and Co along with Tom, Stan and John Still. They have given the fans some hope on the pitch.

Ron’s own personal greed for his end goal (FF) has put the club on the brink of going under and us becoming the next Bury and Macclesfield and make no bones about it, that is now becoming a real possibility, I hate to say.

Fans who still believe he will secure the loan in the next 30 something days need to remember that this loan was meant to be through by the end of October. Yet here we are edging towards the end of January now and still no news.

There will be no more chances come the end of February, the judge made that very apparent last Wednesday, it’s now sink or swim. There has been radio silence from the club with no reassurances or nothing to try and help with fans worries and concerns for the very future of the club.

Yes I will recognise the good times Ron has provided us fans with, I was there for all of them and thoroughly enjoyed them highs, but I will never trust or forgive that man for what he has done to our club now and won’t be happy until he’s sold the club, which is the only way forward for the club.

As long as Ron remains we will continue with the same problems with unpaid taxes, staff wages and transfer embargo’s. I firmly believe he has run out of money and people to turn to and can’t build the stadium and development, no matter how close the end goal is now!!

 

[danbowen]

As someone who wants Ron removed from the club with immediate effect I can still appreciate we have had some good times under his ownership, I won’t deny that. Promotion to the Championship, trips to Wembley and Cardiff and of course beating Man United, they were all great times and memories.

However we can’t keep living in the past and I’m sure everyone will agree that the last 5 years have been nothing short of abysmal and things have just got worse and worse. The only positives recently is our current management team of Kev and Co along with Tom, Stan and John Still. They have given the fans some hope on the pitch.

Ron’s own personal greed for his end goal (FF) has put the club on the brink of going under and us becoming the next Bury and Macclesfield and make no bones about it, that is now becoming a real possibility, I hate to say.

Fans who still believe he will secure the loan in the next 30 something days need to remember that this loan was meant to be through by the end of October. Yet here we are edging towards the end of January now and still no news.

There will be no more chances come the end of February, the judge made that very apparent last Wednesday, it’s now sink or swim. There has been radio silence from the club with no reassurances or nothing to try and help with fans worries and concerns for the very future of the club.

Yes I will recognise the good times Ron has provided us fans with, I was there for all of them and thoroughly enjoyed them highs, but I will never trust or forgive that man for what he has done to our club now and won’t be happy until he’s sold the club, which is the only way forward for the club.

As long as Ron remains we will continue with the same problems with unpaid taxes, staff wages and transfer embargo’s. I firmly believe he has run out of money and people to turn to and can’t build the stadium and development, no matter how close the end goal is now!!

Who comes in? What price are they willing to pay? Ultimately the club is going to need to constantly be funded until we become more self sufficient - something that we can’t do at roots hall. Can’t blame Ron for sticking to his game plan really anyone else in his position would almost certainly be doing the same. I am of the belief Ron needs to go but understand that won’t be happening right now. You could argue he will be one of the best people to run the club after his huge payday as we know he is happy to put money in to the club and he will have plenty. Having said that I think we need a fresh start but only with the right owner. We can’t have someone who doesn’t know what they are doing coming in.

 

[8]

Who comes in? What price are they willing to pay? Ultimately the club is going to need to constantly be funded until we become more self sufficient - something that we can’t do at roots hall. Can’t blame Ron for sticking to his game plan really anyone else in his position would almost certainly be doing the same. I am of the belief Ron needs to go but understand that won’t be happening right now. You could argue he will be one of the best people to run the club after his huge payday as we know he is happy to put money in to the club and he will have plenty. Having said that I think we need a fresh start but only with the right owner. We can’t have someone who doesn’t know what they are doing coming in.

Happy??? Only putting money in to keep his dream alive. Nothing to do with his 'love' for the club

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

What an amusing if slightly bizarre thought

Anyone can create an account and post on here.

 

[Cricko]

Anyone can create an account and post on here.

Only if we let them.

 

[RHB]

The time between now and when funds rock up is likely to be very fraught, both for the believers that the money exists and those that have totally lost faith. The common denominator in all this is that we are ALL Southend United supporters, so can everyone please try and show some respect for other posters views, even if you don't agree with them. Poking another poster with a pointy stick just to get a reaction isn't clever and just makes a bad situation worse.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

As someone who wants Ron removed from the club with immediate effect I can still appreciate we have had some good times under his ownership, I won’t deny that. Promotion to the Championship, trips to Wembley and Cardiff and of course beating Man United, they were all great times and memories.


As long as Ron remains we will continue with the same problems with unpaid taxes, staff wages and transfer embargo’s. I firmly believe he has run out of money and people to turn to and can’t build the stadium and development, no matter how close the end goal is now!!

He was never building it with his money. He was using some of his money and doing the rob Peter to pay Paul thing to keep this club going and alive. Lending a bridging loan to a football club in dire financial trouble and one that doesn't seem to publish accounts until forced, is not a good strategy. I'm sure the loan people wanted to know everything about the club and Fossetts before lending the money. Probably a lot more than Ron wanted to divulge. That's my guess and from snippets I have heard as to why the long delay in the bridging loan. I have also heard the loan has got the go ahead, and I fully expect the deadline to be beaten and Fossetts and the Stadium to happen.

 

[Hadleigh-shrimper]

Seems a lot has been repeated . I’m just hoping the loan happens now. As a season ticket holder am dreading home games with negativity and protests Maher and co don’t deserve that. There must be another way not affecting the team

 

[The Big Dady]

Anyone can create an account and post on here.

Only if we let them.

Yep, but I have no idea how we let @Cricko slip through the net!

 

[Blue43]

Who comes in? What price are they willing to pay? Ultimately the club is going to need to constantly be funded until we become more self sufficient - something that we can’t do at roots hall. Can’t blame Ron for sticking to his game plan really anyone else in his position would almost certainly be doing the same. I am of the belief Ron needs to go but understand that won’t be happening right now. You could argue he will be one of the best people to run the club after his huge payday as we know he is happy to put money in to the club and he will have plenty. Having said that I think we need a fresh start but only with the right owner. We can’t have someone who doesn’t know what they are doing coming in.

And you think Ron has known what he has been doing for the past few years? His total mismanagement of the club has put us in this position.

It still amazes me that with just over a month to go until we could be out of business that there are still fans out there that say “We’re stuck with Ron, he’s going nowhere, what good are protests, they are pointless”

Whilst everyone is of course entitled to their opinion on this I just can’t believe some fans have any faith in that man still and believe he will save the club.

My opinion, for what’s it’s worth is that the maximum pressure should be applied to Ron right now before it’s too late.

If the absolute worst happens and the club dies there will be a lot of fans out there wishing they had tried harder to do anything in their power to get rid of Ron. Protests are not pointless, they attract media attention to the cause and could just attract the right buyer that would be prepared to give Ron enough before it’s too late and save the club.

Apart from Ron of course, the fans will look to point the fingers at others if the worst happens and they will be wanting answers into why wasn’t more done by the fan base to prevent this from happening.