Latest Meeting with the Club.

[Jam_Man]

I dont remember ever hearing specifics about how the club would benefit, just that it would. Which doesnt sound any different than "commercial opportunities" which could mean anything.

If thats not vague Im not sure what is.

What wouldnt be vague is if they said rent from the retail units/hotel/conference facilties would form part of SUFC income, but I dont recall that ever been said, just the club "would benefit". That could mean the money goes straight to the parent company who may then use it for the club, or may not.

 

[Mick]

17. Assuming, and here we require a great leap of faith, the Stadium gets build, how will the Football Club benefit financially from it ?

RM - I am disappointed you feel it needs a great leap of faith. Nevertheless lets assume you are wrong and the Stadium does get built. There will be a substantial amount of revenue streams in the new facility that do not and could not ever exist at Roots Hall from which the Club will benefit financially.

leap of faith

- The act or an instance of believing or trusting in something intangible or incapable of being proved.


I think this may have been my question and the answer is unhelpful on two counts.

Firstly he finds it disappointing that "a great leap of faith" is required in respect of the stadium. This is a typically arrogant and out-of-touch comment from him. Of course we need a leap of faith. We have been fed a diet of false promises, missed deadlines and non-information for absolutely years and years. In asking the question, I was making that leap of faith and rather than gratitude from him that I was making it, he turns it into a criticism.

The question asked is how will the Club benefit financially. The answer given can be paraphrased a little more succinctly as "financially" ! What sort of revenue streams are we looking at here and what sort of return might the Club be anticipating. The stadium is being portrayed as the panacea for all the club's ills. How will that be so?

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Old Ronald McDonald does come across as a bit touchy, next time Ken dont forget your sexy maids outfit to get him in the mood

 

[Jam_Man]

Point seven seems to specifically and clearly say that the club will only benefit from an increase in footballing revenues. Nice and clean and exciting new stadium = more tickets sold = more revenue. That's it.

The Commerical opportunities are fundamentally tied into the main stand.

Mick's posted another mention of us benefitting

Ah theres another point that indicates we will benefit

There will be a substantial amount of revenue streams in the new facility that do not and could not ever exist at Roots Hall from which the Club will benefit financially.

Again, vague and doesnt actually say what they are.

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

Old Ronald McDonald does come across as a bit touchy, next time Ken dont forget your sexy maids outfit to get him in the mood

Not sure this would be a successful ploy, it may in fact culminate in Ronald becoming suspicious after being allegedly falsely accused by someone in similar attire of naughtiness, can I suggest an outfit that bears a close resemblance to Earl from wonga.com may yield more results ?

 

[rlb999]

So that looks like confirmation to me we will have a 3 sided stadium. Terrible news.

I agree. Sounds like a silly thing to fall out over, but I really think we should try to avoid this. I get the feeling if we start off 3 sided, we'll still be 3 sided in 20 years.

 

[rlb999]

5. How confident are you that Southend United F.C will continue in it's current form?

RM and SK - Everyone is ambitious for this Club and is desperate for success both on and off the field. We have added to the squad, we have extended Assombalonga and we are working hard on targets for midfield and we are aiming for promotion and feel the team is capable of achieving that success. This year’s player’s wages are in fact higher than last year even though the squad size is less.


This was a BIG question, and the answer given is (worryingly) nonsense.

 

[rlb999]

Well done to the directors for trying to engage. I think a couple of questions were a little unfair and would agree one was potentially slanderous - if you're going to ask this sort of thing, you must have some basis for backing it up, other than rumour. It's also a fair point that RM has put several million £ into SUFC and still he gets slagged off.
I'm trying to think of another company that employs a typist in the year 2012, and wondering if further costs can be trimmed.

 

[Firestorm]

5. How confident are you that Southend United F.C will continue in it's current form?

RM and SK - Everyone is ambitious for this Club and is desperate for success both on and off the field. We have added to the squad, we have extended Assombalonga and we are working hard on targets for midfield and we are aiming for promotion and feel the team is capable of achieving that success. This year’s player’s wages are in fact higher than last year even though the squad size is less.


This was a BIG question, and the answer given is (worryingly) nonsense.

Strikes me that the question was interpreted as to mean current form on the pitch
Whereas it could have been about its current state
I assume that as SK was not corrected in his assumption that his interpretation was as the question was intended

 

[Fiftyone]

Old Ronald McDonald does come across as a bit touchy, next time Ken dont forget your sexy maids outfit to get him in the mood

No pictures though Ken - they would be even worst than last night!.:smile::smile::smile:

 

[Tampa Blue]

How much money of their own did the Glazers put in to buy Man Utd?

I think you'll find that they borrowed from investors against future profits - there is a subtle difference between that and investing their 'own money'.

 

[Jam_Man]

No pictures though Ken - they would be even worst than last night!.:smile::smile::smile:

I dunno, he'd probably show more balls than the players did...

 

[Fiftyone]

I dunno, he'd probably show more balls than the players did...

I don't think Ken would want Ron anywhere near his balls, unless you know something about the two of them that I don't.:winking:

 

[Malcontent]

I dont remember ever hearing specifics about how the club would benefit, just that it would. Which doesnt sound any different than "commercial opportunities" which could mean anything.

If thats not vague Im not sure what is.

What wouldnt be vague is if they said rent from the retail units/hotel/conference facilties would form part of SUFC income, but I dont recall that ever been said, just the club "would benefit". That could mean the money goes straight to the parent company who may then use it for the club, or may not.

It seems to me this should be a question for the next meeting. Some clarity as to how the stadium will generate revenue for the club outside of match day revenues? What other commercial activities, such as meeting space rental, outside entertainment etc., is envisaged that will bring direct revenue to the club?

Really positive step in engaging SK/RM

 

[sealion]

An out of/edge of town stadium with 3 sides on a windswept boots and laces site hardly seems that it will generate big revenue streams, when getting there will be more difficult and no pubs, transport links (well less than there are now)
Try getting to/from Garons when Essex Cricket used to bother venturing there, useless)
The new stadium almost certainly will have no character give or take a load of bare concrete and breeze blocks, still a good move if you may gain personally, I suppose.:omg:

 

[Dick Bate's Protege]

18. Is RM expecting us to be promoted this season, as in is his financial planning including higher revenue next season?


RM - Promotion is always the objective and I am never going to be satisfied with treading water whether it be League 2 or for that matter in a higher League. Football for me is about winning otherwise we might as well stay at Roots Hall and be content in League 2. Certainly the Club would increase revenues if we were promoted as all commercial areas benefit the higher the Club is in the football ladder. There remains a need to balance player wages but overall there is a financial improvement from promotion. These statistics have been borne out not only by Southend but many other Clubs also.

------------------

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but when questions were raised in the past regarding the necessity of a new ground, the answer was that the club would be unable to survive if it remained at Roots Hall. Martin now appears to claim that a future is possible, albeit marooned in League 2. It's long been my own contention that a redeveloped East/North stand would give us the required 16000 capacity that could potentially facilitate a Championship Club.

A small point no doubt in the scheme of things, but evidence again to my mind that the line of argument is too often shifted to suit.

 

[Mbof]

Has Ron approached Stobarts about getting involved, the airports taken off really well since they got involved there. Just imagine a Stobarts truck shaped hotel, all those spotters visiting the stadium, extra visitors / extra cash could see us fly through the league...........:whistling:

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

I don't agree that it's vague. Seems far more specific than any answer we've had to that question previously.

The club will benefit from increased match day revenue caused by an increase in fans and by commerical opportunities that the new stadium will create. And that is it. And that's fine as an answer and does make sense but it isn't what was sold to us.

I dont think a 3 sided ground in League 2 or even League 1 is really going to increase the crowds by that much. If we were in the new ground this season how many more people would have gone to the Aldershot game, not many more I bet.

Anyway another year has nearly gone by without any work on the new ground even close to starting. I very much doubt any of the current team will actually play at the new ground, but I bet all the new players are told about the plans for a super new stadium when they sign for us.

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

Should we ever get into this new ground it is imperative we are at least fighting it out at the top end of League 1. In League 2 the novelty will wear off from visiting the new ground after a few visits.( Talking about floating and potential new supporters).

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

"Medium term we want to see this Club playing in at least the Championship in front of near full houses every week in a new Stadium pushing for promotion to the Premier League, we have to have ambitious targets."

that is funny:hilarious: