Ron Martin

[Jam_Man]

jimmyshrimp I don't think your point will be valid if we don't go up. Failure to get up and there will be scapegoats and Ron will be one of the first to point the finger at. Freddy coming in has created a feelgood factor which is great but it will only last if promotion happens. Not reaching League 1 then the atmosphere on here will soon change.

Signing Freddy and eve getting promotion are short term achievements.

They do not wipe the slate clean after the past few years.

The only thing that will result in Ron Martin regaining any credibility will be completing the stadium (with 4 sides!) and putting the club in a position where with the new facilities it can sustain itself.

Until that time theres not a lot he can do to rectify damage done.

 

[Firestorm]

To be honest, does Ron really take a lot of notice when people who, know very little about the state of the club then and now, details of the takeover, running a large business, building a stadium and keeping a historically loss making organisation going, actually think.

I criticised The Rubins during their tenure here, I did not doing anything constructive , just moaned about them . They sold up and thousands of fans sat there and did nothing other than gloat at thier demise , we ended up with Johnson......

I didn't do anything when Vic started to lose the plot, I criticised but I did not do anything to help the club and we ended up in such a financial state that selling the assets was the only way we could keep a football team

The Fans of SUFC once had a reputation for being really involved, buying RH and nigh on building it themselves, if the fans want to make a difference off the pitch (we have seen the difference fans make when they get behind the team on matchday) then it needs to be constructive and meaningful.

We did not move into RH in 1955 because disgruntled fans wrote letters to the Southend Chronicle, we did it because fans got up and did things.

For those who want to change the regime, please remember that lesson from the 80's, the grass isn't always greener

 

[Jam_Man]

I think Ron does actually care how he is thought of, he loved it when things were going great and think he fell in love with the club and being a club chairman. Im sure his opinion is different now and wouldnt be surprised if his aim is to get out soon as he can. Does he care what people think ? Probably, but as his objective is to make the money from the development it makes no difference, he wont and cant leave and wont be going anywhere.

If he builds the stadium and it is a success and has 4 sides maybe he will have turned things around, and if at that stage we are self sufficient with a clear idea that debts will be cleared and incomes will be good people will feel differently.

Whether any of that happens is anyones guess...

 

[fbm]

The only thing I credit Ron Martin with is getting us relegated 2 years ago and making Tilson and Brush scapegoats. Like so many Southend fans I will never forgive him for that.

Would you also credit Ron for appointing T&B in the first place and presiding over 2 successive promotions?

 

[Jam_Man]

Would you also credit Ron for appointing T&B in the first place and presiding over 2 successive promotions?

Or finally getting the go ahead for the new ground, which whilst is still a total nightmare will be a massive step forward for the club if it ever happens.

People like to have their black and white cartoon villains. The reality is that its far more grey...

 

[Bromley Blue]

Or finally getting the go ahead for the new ground, which whilst is still a total nightmare will be a massive step forward for the club if it ever happens.

People like to have their black and white cartoon villains. The reality is that its far more grey...

Yeah exactly. The general opinion of Ron Martin on here says as much about us as a fan base as it does about him.

I find a large section of our support to hold such extreme views of either positivity or negativity at times. If we sign a new striker then he must score in his first 2 games or he gets terrible abuse from the stands. And at times on here if we lose a game then people are calling for Sturrock's head when we've been in and around the playoffs (and better) all year.

Ron was in charge during 2 successive promotions and 2 LDV Finals and has funded Paul Sturrock's huge squad this year so its not been all bad. This said, I think the guy has made some pretty bad mistakes. The way Tilson was treated in the last few months was horrific and I heard rumours of him having a pretty heated row with Adam Barrett about ripping the heart out of his club. There were theories that Ron wanted relegation to get the wage bill down but I doubt this would be true as the reduction in player wages would surely not make up for the loss of matchday revenue in numbers coming into the ground in both home and away colours.

I believe Ron has done everything in his power to try and get the new stadium project on site and the delays have been caused by pure lack of finance and people dragging their heels in making decisions. Yes he was guilty of giving out dates for when certain stages would be completed by but us as fans would also be demanding this information so I do feel he couldn't win.

I don't despise Ron but I'm not a huge fan either. I just feel like he made some poor decisions when under tremendous pressure at a debt ridden club and has lost the fan base because of this. Some people are too stubborn to see any good in the man but I still feel things could be worse.

 

[Ricey]

No matter what anyone thinks of the guy you cannot take away from him the fact he has an amazing head of hair and looks after it so well.

 

[rlb999]

Now that Ron has probably done the one thing he could to turn the tide of the knockers around, how about a bit of praise for the man.
Like him or not, getting Freddy back was a stroke of genius from him. I hope everyone now sees him as a fan of
The Blues.
UTB
SU BLUE

Without wishing to be rude, I honestly think this is one of the most ridiculous thread starts I've ever seen on the zone. There are certain fans whose thoughts extend no further than who's wearing 1 to 11 on a Saturday, and what our most recent result was - if that's fine, everything else must be. At best, you're being naive. At worst, you're plain stupid.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Yeah we win 4 nil, hero returns and Roots Hall roars once more - time for Ron bashing - ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

The thread was started with the intention of celebrating his genius?

 

[jimmyshrimp]

Yeah exactly. The general opinion of Ron Martin on here says as much about us as a fan base as it does about him.

I find a large section of our support to hold such extreme views of either positivity or negativity at times. If we sign a new striker then he must score in his first 2 games or he gets terrible abuse from the stands. And at times on here if we lose a game then people are calling for Sturrock's head when we've been in and around the playoffs (and better) all year.

Ron was in charge during 2 successive promotions and 2 LDV Finals and has funded Paul Sturrock's huge squad this year so its not been all bad. This said, I think the guy has made some pretty bad mistakes. The way Tilson was treated in the last few months was horrific and I heard rumours of him having a pretty heated row with Adam Barrett about ripping the heart out of his club. There were theories that Ron wanted relegation to get the wage bill down but I doubt this would be true as the reduction in player wages would surely not make up for the loss of matchday revenue in numbers coming into the ground in both home and away colours.

I believe Ron has done everything in his power to try and get the new stadium project on site and the delays have been caused by pure lack of finance and people dragging their heels in making decisions. Yes he was guilty of giving out dates for when certain stages would be completed by but us as fans would also be demanding this information so I do feel he couldn't win.

I don't despise Ron but I'm not a huge fan either. I just feel like he made some poor decisions when under tremendous pressure at a debt ridden club and has lost the fan base because of this. Some people are too stubborn to see any good in the man but I still feel things could be worse.

Pretty much sums up my feelings, But written better than I could of done.

 

[TTS]

Yeah exactly. The general opinion of Ron Martin on here says as much about us as a fan base as it does about him.

I find a large section of our support to hold such extreme views of either positivity or negativity at times. If we sign a new striker then he must score in his first 2 games or he gets terrible abuse from the stands. And at times on here if we lose a game then people are calling for Sturrock's head when we've been in and around the playoffs (and better) all year.

Ron was in charge during 2 successive promotions and 2 LDV Finals and has funded Paul Sturrock's huge squad this year so its not been all bad. This said, I think the guy has made some pretty bad mistakes. The way Tilson was treated in the last few months was horrific and I heard rumours of him having a pretty heated row with Adam Barrett about ripping the heart out of his club. There were theories that Ron wanted relegation to get the wage bill down but I doubt this would be true as the reduction in player wages would surely not make up for the loss of matchday revenue in numbers coming into the ground in both home and away colours.

I believe Ron has done everything in his power to try and get the new stadium project on site and the delays have been caused by pure lack of finance and people dragging their heels in making decisions. Yes he was guilty of giving out dates for when certain stages would be completed by but us as fans would also be demanding this information so I do feel he couldn't win.

I don't despise Ron but I'm not a huge fan either. I just feel like he made some poor decisions when under tremendous pressure at a debt ridden club and has lost the fan base because of this. Some people are too stubborn to see any good in the man but I still feel things could be worse.

Pretty bang on response really.

Every side has 2 stories doesnt it.

I would still say that we have still not yet gone into Administration, where others have (including Clubs such as Rangers etc). Yes the Club has been run both badly at some times, but also better through others times (when taking the world recession into consideration).

As I have said numerous times before, football is technically bust, across all divisions. I would say that 90% of clubs operate with negitive cash flows, yet remain funded by TV and/or billionaire owners.

HMRC will close a football club down soon and at least for the time being, it doesnt seem it will be us !!

Times are still hard and we still have a football team to discuss, so whilst we remain in business and out of Administration, Ron is doing his job in the current times - what happens in the future, with the ground and with the Football Club as a whole still is an area of concern ......

However for the time being, I am delighted to be able to concentrate on Eastwoods goals and the forthcoming Easter Weekend that will hopefully allow us to stay in the mix !!!

UTB's

 

[fbm]

Pretty bang on response really.

Every side has 2 stories doesnt it.

I would still say that we have still not yet gone into Administration, where others have (including Clubs such as Rangers etc). Yes the Club has been run both badly at some times, but also better through others times (when taking the world recession into consideration).

As I have said numerous times before, football is technically bust, across all divisions. I would say that 90% of clubs operate with negitive cash flows, yet remain funded by TV and/or billionaire owners.

HMRC will close a football club down soon and at least for the time being, it doesnt seem it will be us !!

Times are still hard and we still have a football team to discuss, so whilst we remain in business and out of Administration, Ron is doing his job in the current times - what happens in the future, with the ground and with the Football Club as a whole still is an area of concern ......

However for the time being, I am delighted to be able to concentrate on Eastwoods goals and the forthcoming Easter Weekend that will hopefully allow us to stay in the mix !!!

UTB's

Been saying this for years, and it really shouldn't be. There is more than enough money in the game itself, when you consider the TV revenue, sponsorship and gate receipts. It's mainly in the wrong place though, i.e. Premiership players pockets.

I feel a big club or two NEEDS to go bust if only to highlight the problem to the rest so that something can be done about it. And they'll be the ones that have to do it; they can't be forced into it.

 

[SU BLUE]

in answer to rib999 can i tell you that i am not naive or stupid. i am probably a lot older than you as i first started supporting OUR team back in the days of the old stadium. so being a lot older brings with it wisdom. something clearly lacking in your mentality. Ron Martin i am sure is doing his best in extremely difficult times. he is no rich oil sheikh, but us supporters want us to win every game and it a'int going to happen.
all i said was i thought it a stoke of genius getting Freddy back and that he deserved some praise for that. i understand that others may have had some input into this also but Ron is the one that signs everything off. the place is buzzing again since freddy came back plus an extra 2000 on the gate.
where is the downside?
UTB
SU BLUE

 

[Jam_Man]

Theres no downside to Freddy being back, its a great signing and lifted the whole club, Im even taking the whole family along on Monday. Never would have done that a few weeks ago into the "Stadium of Misery".

With Ron Martin though, you have to give him praise sparingly. He may be doing his "best" in difficult circumstances but his best has fallen very short of being good enough. Not being financially capable of providing the stability we need is one thing, but it has been his actions during those times that have turned opinion against him.

The place may be buzzing now because of him bringing in Freddy, but the buzz left before because of things he did remember.

At some point you have to draw a line under previous events, it will take time for that to happen and probably not before the stadium is completed.

 

[rlb999]

in answer to rib999 can i tell you that i am not naive or stupid. i am probably a lot older than you as i first started supporting OUR team back in the days of the old stadium. so being a lot older brings with it wisdom. something clearly lacking in your mentality. Ron Martin i am sure is doing his best in extremely difficult times. he is no rich oil sheikh, but us supporters want us to win every game and it a'int going to happen.
all i said was i thought it a stoke of genius getting Freddy back and that he deserved some praise for that. i understand that others may have had some input into this also but Ron is the one that signs everything off. the place is buzzing again since freddy came back plus an extra 2000 on the gate.
where is the downside?
UTB
SU BLUE

The downside is that it's commercial nonsense, and short termism. Martin was given a few million quid by Sainsbury's to get rid of the HMRC issue and has seemingly spent it on an oversized squad and trophy signings like Harris and Eastwood who (surely) must be commanding more salary than we can afford. And all this to impress people like you.

I'm off to Bradford tomorrow, and looking forward to it - for the rest of the season things are looking great! However I'm very concerned about the medium / long term future of the club and the tendency of the current management to 'spunk' money rather than 'invest' it.

 

[united we stand]

in answer to rib999 can i tell you that i am not naive or stupid. i am probably a lot older than you as i first started supporting OUR team back in the days of the old stadium. so being a lot older brings with it wisdom. something clearly lacking in your mentality. Ron Martin i am sure is doing his best in extremely difficult times. he is no rich oil sheikh, but us supporters want us to win every game and it a'int going to happen.
all i said was i thought it a stoke of genius getting Freddy back and that he deserved some praise for that. i understand that others may have had some input into this also but Ron is the one that signs everything off. the place is buzzing again since freddy came back plus an extra 2000 on the gate.
where is the downside?
UTB
SU BLUE

preciously. no downside and boody obvious, so not exactly genius--- more like common sense

 

[united we stand]

The downside is that it's commercial nonsense, and short termism. Martin was given a few million quid by Sainsbury's to get rid of the HMRC issue and has seemingly spent it on an oversized squad and trophy signings like Harris and Eastwood who (surely) must be commanding more salary than we can afford. And all this to impress people like you.

I'm off to Bradford tomorrow, and looking forward to it - for the rest of the season things are looking great! However I'm very concerned about the medium / long term future of the club and the tendency of the current management to 'spunk' money rather than 'invest' it.

I have no way of knowing, but my gut feel is that we are not paying Eastwood a lot of money. If we were I think this would have been sownup a lot earlier that the last day of the transfer window. Like I said, just an opinion, as is yours u aqw

 

[CC51DAS]

Theres no downside to Freddy being back, its a great signing and lifted the whole club, Im even taking the whole family along on Monday. Never would have done that a few weeks ago into the "Stadium of Misery".

With Ron Martin though, you have to give him praise sparingly. He may be doing his "best" in difficult circumstances but his best has fallen very short of being good enough. Not being financially capable of providing the stability we need is one thing, but it has been his actions during those times that have turned opinion against him.

The place may be buzzing now because of him bringing in Freddy, but the buzz left before because of things he did remember.

At some point you have to draw a line under previous events,





it will take time for that to happen and probably not before the stadium is completed.

Crikey ! The last reliable date I heard on that was 2042 ......

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

The only good thing about Ron is his hair and to be honest that's even turning into a load of **** recently!

 

[r16sby]

I feel a big club or two NEEDS to go bust if only to highlight the problem to the rest so that something can be done about it. And they'll be the ones that have to do it; they can't be forced into it.[/QUOTE]

British people (mainly men but not totally) love their football. With or without a big local team to shout for, the majority of modern day supporters will, I feel, still 'subscribe' to their football.

IMO there are enough 'big' clubs to be able to absorb one or two going under. It isn't bums on seats but TV/SKY revenue that keeps the 'full-time' league the size that it is. You could probably remove the bottom two divisions and shrink the upper two and you would still get the same revenue funding the astronomical wages in the top tier.

The only real loss to the satellite providers would be the depth and dreams of the FA Cup.

I do foresee a considerable shrinkage in the size of the current full-time setup and/or maybe the European super league that has been mooted now and then.