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

[The Big Dady]

As far as I am aware it is NOT the actual club that is taking out a "Bridging Loan" it will be one of Ron's development companies based on future development profits.

I guess there will then be intercompany transfers for the sums required by the club and this will drawn down as required and be added to the clubs existing intercompany debit.

 

[Jai]

We've already seen that protests can be effective, would we really have had Stan Collymore making a nuisance of himself last October and bringing about the positive change we needed on the pitch, if there hadn't been strong protests at the Eastleigh/Chesterfield games?

I don't agree that fans haven't done enough. In the last few years there have been protests outside the ground, protests inside the ground, protests outside Ron's house. I attended the 'sit-in' protest after a recent home game which barely anyone else did. I respect anyone who is planning to protest against the ownership, although I might not necessarily always agree with their methods.

The key thing is to draw media attention - Ron isn't going anywhere at the moment but showcasing our club as one that is important to the community will do no harm when attracting a potential buyer. I'm pleased a documentary is being made, and we've had TV coverage and articles in national newspapers in the past.

I am also concerned that any protests have as little impact on the playing staff as possible. It is a difficult balance to get right. I'm reluctant to join in with anything that jeopardises our progress on the pitch. Cash flow is our issue and by far the best way to ease some of the difficulties we find ourselves in is to get promoted this season.

I disagree with anyone who says our fans are doing nothing to try and end Ron's regime. There were a few idiots on social media comparing last week's Scunthorpe protests to us and inferring they care about their club more. Absolute nonsense. We literally did the same thing a year ago.

 

[Strykr]

Are you sure about that?

We can redirect it to the players in the traditional way.

 

[danbowen]

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.

Look everyone can clearly see your agenda. As always you avoid the first part. Are you a member of the Carl Reader fan club? If you are, I get he is interested but the club that they was part of a takeover are hardly setting the world alight sitting bottom of their league and miles from safety.

Firstly, who realistically has anywhere near the money that Ron would want to buy a National League team right now? How are they going to fund our loss making business in the meantime? Anyone who pays Ron what he would realistically want would have to be absolutely mental. The club needs to become sustainable and as has been said thousands of times that is not possible at Roots Hall.

Secondly, what are your protests aiming to do? Last time it mustered up a massive number of backers.... NOT. The fact that there is evidence out there of some of the protesters wanting to cause trouble really doesnt help numbers rise and therefore it looks absolutely pathetic. If people want to protest thats fine and I am behind it but the only common goal is everyone thinks Ron needs to go. Protests wont achieve that and even getting more attention to the situation isnt going to make the blindest bit of difference. There are a number of high profile football journalists who support the club and dont say anything even though there are in the best position to highlight our issues.

Finally, if the club are to succeed then it needs people to have a common goal to work towards. Not some who are determined to go to any lengths to get rid of Ron (YES - it is clear some people on here would have a phoenix club without Ron that SUFC with him). People need to be realistic. Some people are talking about liking us to go in to administration which is absolute madness and shows how little understanding people actually have of certain things.

 

[Blue43]

Look everyone can clearly see your agenda. As always you avoid the first part. Are you a member of the Carl Reader fan club? If you are, I get he is interested but the club that they was part of a takeover are hardly setting the world alight sitting bottom of their league and miles from safety.

Firstly, who realistically has anywhere near the money that Ron would want to buy a National League team right now? How are they going to fund our loss making business in the meantime? Anyone who pays Ron what he would realistically want would have to be absolutely mental. The club needs to become sustainable and as has been said thousands of times that is not possible at Roots Hall.

Secondly, what are your protests aiming to do? Last time it mustered up a massive number of backers.... NOT. The fact that there is evidence out there of some of the protesters wanting to cause trouble really doesnt help numbers rise and therefore it looks absolutely pathetic. If people want to protest thats fine and I am behind it but the only common goal is everyone thinks Ron needs to go. Protests wont achieve that and even getting more attention to the situation isnt going to make the blindest bit of difference. There are a number of high profile football journalists who support the club and dont say anything even though there are in the best position to highlight our issues.

Finally, if the club are to succeed then it needs people to have a common goal to work towards. Not some who are determined to go to any lengths to get rid of Ron (YES - it is clear some people on here would have a phoenix club without Ron that SUFC with him). People need to be realistic. Some people are talking about liking us to go in to administration which is absolute madness and shows how little understanding people actually have of certain things.

What’s my agenda then? A member of the Carl Reader fan club? I’ve never met the guy or had a conversation with him, only what I have read about him on here so how do you come to that conclusion?

But what I will do is support interested parties, of which there are more than one or two wanting to buy the club because unlike you I can’t see any future under Ron Martin, history supports this. I understand having a new owner doesn’t always guarantee success but could things really be any worse than they currently are?


Even if he manages to secure the loan, which as I said I have serious doubts he will do, all he’s doing is adding more debt onto the club. And even after that, do you really think there won’t be issues still with unpaid wages and construction delays? The guy is potless and can’t even afford to file his own company accounts yet you still believe he will deliver you this stadium along with a huge housing development without help?

Working in the construction industry myself and seeing the huge problems facing large construction companies right now I will happily have a bet with you now that Ron will not be able to build this stadium development without outside help and new investment.

 

[Pak66]

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.

Mr Martin a fan????? Behave, before he got a sniff of riches by taking over at Roots Hall he did not even know where the ground was let alone who played there! a Fan? My ar"e

 

[WestStandBlue]

What’s my agenda then? A member of the Carl Reader fan club? I’ve never met the guy or had a conversation with him, only what I have read about him on here so how do you come to that conclusion?

But what I will do is support interested parties, of which there are more than one or two wanting to buy the club because unlike you I can’t see any future under Ron Martin, history supports this. I understand having a new owner doesn’t always guarantee success but could things really be any worse than they currently are?


Even if he manages to secure the loan, which as I said I have serious doubts he will do, all he’s doing is adding more debt onto the club. And even after that, do you really think there won’t be issues still with unpaid wages and construction delays? The guy is potless and can’t even afford to file his own company accounts yet you still believe he will deliver you this stadium along with a huge housing development without help?

Working in the construction industry myself and seeing the huge problems facing large construction companies right now I will happily have a bet with you now that Ron will not be able to build this stadium development without outside help and new investment.

And that is why he has got partners helping him deliver the project. can’t think of many developers that do anything with there own money (even if they have it)

 

[brigg blue]

Working in the construction industry myself and seeing the huge problems facing large construction companies right now I will happily have a bet with you now that Ron will not be able to build this stadium development without outside help and new investment.

Ron was never going to do the development without outside investment, no sane person would. This is the biggest single development in the cities history and there is a lot of investment available to fund it.

Ron's problem was not letting others invest now for a small slice of the obscene profits which at his age seems foolish.

 

[Shrimper]

It must be a really good statement they're writing if we're still waiting

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

It must be a really good statement they're writing if we're still waiting

Ha, i think we all know what the content will be?. Covid, lack of revenue etc, but never a reason as to why we've been taken to court more times than any other football club over the years ( correct me if i'm wrong ) over unpaid bills?.
Also bearing in mind, we generate bigger crowds than many league 1 & 2 clubs, & probably are the 3rd or 4th best supported club in our current division.
So how come everyone else can pay their bills & we can't?.

 

[Evening Echo]

SO, Ron Martin has obtained a further time extension to pay HMRC, good for him but in my opinion not good for Southend United Football Club.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

This must help

https://twitter.com/x/status/1617867475143782401

 

[danbowen]

This must help

https://twitter.com/x/status/1617867475143782401

Can’t open the link. Does it say when we can start using the pitches?

 

[RHB]

Can’t open the link. Does it say when we can start using the pitches?

This is the script that accompanied the pictures. Not much help I'm afraid.

calfordseaden was appointed by Roots Hall Limited to provide Employer’s Agent and Quantity Surveying services for the design and construction of four training pitches, water attenuation pond, access road and car park at Southend United Football Club.

This included four senior sized pitches resulting in an overall pitch area of approximately 33,000m2. These were designed and constructed to meet the needs of Elite and Academy players.

Our appointment included addressing extensive earthworks remodeling to create two plateaux, each containing two pitches of acceptable gradient.

All of the pitches benefit from the inclusion of an appropriate sports field drainage system designed to meet the performance requirements stipulated by The Football Association and Sport England. So as not to increase the risk of flooding on land up or down stream of the site, the rate of drainage discharge was restricted, and excess surface water will be temporarily stored on-site in an attenuation pond until it can be released at a controlled flow rate into the nearby ditch network.

This project was completed in November 2022 to enable Southend United Club to decant from the existing training complex and to unlock the commencement of the wider development.

 

[Smiffy]

Those fences are a bit Col Ewe aren’t they…

Looks good though.

 

[Holy Joe]

Can’t open the link. Does it say when we can start using the pitches?

Remember we don't actually need to be using the pitches to meet the conditions of the planning permission - they just need to be available and a lease signed. It's possible that this could be a milestone that releases more funds.

 

[meerkat54]

Remember we don't actually need to be using the pitches to meet the conditions of the planning permission - they just need to be available and a lease signed. It's possible that this could be a milestone that releases more funds.

Ron was probably gambling on the early release of the training pitches, to access the next round of funds.
Maybe tax bill will hopefully be settled now.
And probably no need for bridging loan now ? Maybe
Or am I getting ahead of myself?

 

[Holy Joe]

Ron was probably gambling on the early release of the training pitches, to access the next round of funds.
Maybe tax bill will hopefully be settled now.
And probably no need for bridging loan now ? Maybe
Or am I getting ahead of myself?

Possibly - will have to wait until the club announcement

 

[dusterman]

Gambling again, that doesn’t sound like Ronnie

 

[stewart]

Training pitches look good, very nice ,but have to say it the best news i could read on here and its just two little words, UMBARGO LIFTED !!! then i will be happy .