Breaking News Interview with Justin Rees for the Guardian Australia

[tommy tucker]

I really hope the new owners keep us the life blood of the club in the loop as to what is happening .For far to long we have been trated like mushrooms in a dark cupbourd .Not knowing what the hell is going on from our old chairman soon to be gone thank god .I like everyone else like to know a little bit about what is going on with our club .

 

[gatecrasher]

He sounds ideal for the situation the club found itself in. I love the fact the consortium it's self is made up of fans, business heads and no longer a one man dictatorship. It's gone from complete oblivion to real hope for getting back into the league

 

[Blue Yonder]

I think the consortium is putting their hands in their pockets for this one

But is the money they put in called a loan a la RM and therefore debt.

 

[kentblues]

Like all this a lot tbh. JR was not looking to buy a football club. A year out travelling around Europe to work out his next project. Then one day just happens to see a story on BBC news...and he is actually attracted, not put off, by the challenge of turning around a historic football club on its kness. What luck.

At this point he has no co-investors at all, no Aussie consortium, no idea of the level of investment or depth of the mess. He flies in, sits down with Ron to understand the "opportunity". No doubt he is at the same time excited, alarmed and aware he needs other investors.

This is the next good fortune. For the very reason he wasn't expecting to buy a football club he needs to find investors from scratch, and the club (Ron, Tom, Gary L et al between then point him in the direction of some local businessmen they know to be fans- maybe even involved in another potential bid, maybe past sponsors, hospitality customers..).

No majority owner. What this means is not only have we genuine lifelong fans as custodians fo the club, it will be relatively easy to keep this ownership model going- as an individual consortium member inevitably moves on over time, hopefully another local businessman and fan will step in and so on...This model has a level of investment that allowed, and hopefully will continue to allow, local businessmen who real fans to get involved.

Wonder if ST will be offered a seat on the board?

 

[Redbridge Blue]

"The bid only came together in the past three months. The other five in the consortium are Southend fans who Rees met through the club after he initially expressed an interest"

I'm still confused how this lot managed to find themselves in a room together thrashing out a deal to buy us. Has someone gone out and hand picked this lot and got them around the table? Or were these 6 interested as individuals, but all agreed to join forces? Someone must of pulled it all together....Tom, Gary?

How does an Aussie travelling across Europe, bump into 5 blokes he doesn't know from Hong Kong, Rayleigh, Southend etc and suddenly they all decide yeah let's buy a dying NL club?

It's bizarre, but I love it. I'd like to know the full story once the deal is done. Could be a perfect one for an opening fans forum, with a beer.

Didn't RM say something to a fan at the court hearing along the lines "We've found Justin some really good investors" or am I imagining that? Could it be that RM suggested the other investors?

 

[kentblues]

But is the money they put in called a loan a la RM and therefore debt.

They are shareholders. So on one level its debt, but its not like a loan where the lender calls in the loan after x amount of time or on demand. They get the money back by selling the shares on to someone else at some future point. And the value of the shares goes up and down to reflect the value of the business- and so in theory market forces will always find a new shareholder. The shareholder can't just demand their money back from the business as with a loan.

 

[kentblues]

Didn't RM say something to a fan at the court hearing along the lines "We've found Justin some really good investors" or am I imagining that? Could it be that RM suggested the other investors?

Suspect the "we" means Tom, Gary L, other directors as well as Ron. For sure if it was just Ron the word "I" would have featured..

 

[Jai]

Didn't RM say something to a fan at the court hearing along the lines "We've found Justin some really good investors" or am I imagining that? Could it be that RM suggested the other investors?

'We've' probably means a combination of Tom, Jez Moxey and co, Gary Lockett and perhaps even other directors through their connections.

I doubt Ron has done much, but as we know he likes to take the credit for the work of others.

 

[Target man]

Really interesting article.

I really don’t know much about Rees, but the more I’m finding out, the more I’m likely what he is about and what he has to say.

Spoken with him a couple of times and I really like him. He seems a very warm engaging person, has a great sense of humour, is visionary and knows how to deliver it. Great times ahead!

 

[wakes123]

There are some interesting stories to come out of this. Why did RM meet an unknown Australian within days of making contact when he apparently ignored contact/bids from supposedly credible others ? Did RM pass other interested parties onto JR to form this consortium ? What happened with Kimura ? Who came up with the idea to remain at RH and ditch the stadium at FF ?

I'm convinced that he didn't like the Kimura boys for whatever reason, so he didn't sell to them out of spite/pride.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

I would be surprised if he hasn't physically had sight of Roots Hall, was there not previously a report about Australians being at Boots & Laces and meeting players and staff, surely RH would have been on the Grand Tour? I took the comment about his RH debut to be football related as in his first attendance at a match, might be wrong but that's how it came across to me.

 

[Jai]

I'm convinced that he didn't like the Kimura boys for whatever reason, so he didn't sell to them out of spite/pride.

Partly, but there was also an element of significant doubt on Kimura's side because of the state of the plans for Fossetts Farm. There was definitely a significant stand off at one point. It was a far more complex deal involving unbuilt property and relying on Ron Martin to deliver his side of the deal in time, which he hasn't managed to do in 25 years. You can't blame Kimura for getting jittery.

 

[Leeboy]

I'm convinced that he didn't like the Kimura boys for whatever reason, so he didn't sell to them out of spite/pride.

yes this has been mentioned before - probably not 'his sort of people'

 

[Leeboy]

I would be surprised if he hasn't physically had sight of Roots Hall, was there not previously a report about Australians being at Boots & Laces and meeting players and staff, surely RH would have been on the Grand Tour? I took the comment about his RH debut to be football related as in his first attendance at a match, might be wrong but that's how it came across to me.

or just Google Maps?

 

[BEERMONSTER]

or just Google Maps?

Exactly or even TL doing a walk round video on his phone, no way has he not seen what his taking on in my opinion.

 

[Silver]

or just Google Maps?

That and all the photos and comments during the cleanup days. I have never been in person but as a relatively late follower of this fantastic club and forum I couldn't avoid seeing the state the stadium has sunk to.

 

[fredheim_holm]

That and all the photos and comments during the cleanup days. I have never been in person but as a relatively late follower of this fantastic club and forum I couldn't avoid seeing the state the stadium has sunk to.

Off topic but now I'm intrigued, what got you hooked on a non-league club the other end of the country? Was it when you heard about the famous night when Rooney/Ronaldo/SAF got their pants pulled down?

 

[Blue Yonder]

'We've' probably means a combination of Tom, Jez Moxey and co, Gary Lockett and perhaps even other directors through their connections.

I doubt Ron has done much, but as we know he likes to take the credit for the work of others.

Will Jez Moxey/the agents now get their percentage of £3 ? Wonder what the deal with Ron is ? Good luck with it whatever it is.

 

[Northbank Nirvana]

Partly, but there was also an element of significant doubt on Kimura's side because of the state of the plans for Fossetts Farm. There was definitely a significant stand off at one point. It was a far more complex deal involving unbuilt property and relying on Ron Martin to deliver his side of the deal in time, which he hasn't managed to do in 25 years. You can't blame Kimura for getting jittery.

From what I understand , Kimura wanted the shiney new stadium , the present consortium saw the potential of a redeveloped Roots Hall . As soon as the Consortium intimated that Ron could have the whole of Fossetts (with the council helping ) but Ron therefore needs to change the whole shape of the deal , that was the game changer . Ron saw bigger pound signs in the long run and the Consortium saw a lot easier transition with Ron completely out of the picture .
Thank God.

 

[NZamba Legend]

One of the things that must have improved the 'sale-ability' of the club was the stable on-field environment provided by Kev, the coaching staff and players (all motivated, all signed for modest fees, on sensible wages). We were a basket case off the field but on it we have been well managed and, against all odds, have been able to get decent results. This means that there will be no for a Rees-'revolution', we don't really need a huge jolt. With new ownership we'll be able to better support those positive changes to the football department implemented what, nearly two years ago. And if we hadn't made those changes we would be dead now, one way or another, I'm sure of it.

Also, huge well done to the Trust, SZ, other fans groups, the bloggers, vloggers and podcasters. This stuff isn't ephemeral, it's the social and cultural infrastructure that to an an outsider makes a club seem worth investing in.