Afternoon all, hope everyone is well.
Silence versus verbal diahorrea versus regular communication. Which should I chose?
Well,lately it's been silence. Why? I'll tell you.
There's a lengthy zoom call from before I came to the club outlining what I wanted to do and acheive. Some obviously haven't watched it.
Media. Help Matt and the media team give excellent media content.
Commercial. Help Rhys and Rylee bring in £ and develop better partnerships.
Recruitment. Playing staff and football staff. To ensure ( along with Football Department) we get 80%+ of on pitch decisions right.
Supporters. Regular monthly meetings to keep supporters updated on on field decisions, why and any non sensitive off pitch ( commercial, media, et.) information.
I know the financial picture of the club, future plans , FF, training ground, general overview, but never once have I intimated that my role includes club finances,Chairman's decisions, or privy to legal information on any of his businesses, including Southend United. Not once.
I don't care about any abuse, I just feel sorry for them because like all of us, we crave information that will lead to a safe and healthy club. So if they have to take it out on me, so be it, as long as the staff and players are protected. I'll then remind them some sunny day what I've done and they can write an A4 page of lines "Stan, I apologise, I love you..
So..
Media, the boys can only concentrate on the basics, we have no money to develop content as we'd want. Matt and Co are still doing a great job though, support them.
Supporters. After meeting 1, no more. I think it's fair to say the club have had a "there's no good news so why talk about on pitch or commercial positives ". They have a point although I'm personally disappointed. But I can't do something that the club feel is a bad idea. And I trust Tom Lawrence judgement 100%. When the situation improves, the the things the club can do will improve, including communication in person.
Commercial. Rylee and Rhys are working tirelessly to bring in much needed funds and are. I help where I can and have helped bring in some new business and will host a networking event to engage with more in March.
Football. Hednesford v Coalville for me last Saturday, turning down a lucrative trip to Paris( i'm going this weekend for Canal Plus France) to watch players. Kev, Daz, Benno and John all know I'm there to assist and facilitate anything they want, and I spoke at B&L 3 weeks ago to staff and players to tell them that I'm there for them, in whatever way I can help.
The financial situation I can do nothing about which means..
We can't move on targets.
I can't meet you regularly because of above reason.
Commercially I'll support the guys in any way I can.
Media will grow as we have resources to grow.
In short, everyone, and I mean everyone at the club are restricted by the financial situation. And that situation is dictated by the Chairman. I've met him several times, I speak candidly to him, try to nudge and persuade and to that end have had some success. But I cannot threaten Ron with my loud media voice. Why? As I've said before, I can help carry a banner up the road and realistically do nothing to change the club, or I can be inside to persuade, support, facilitate change. Without the patience ( i'm not the most patient person, so it's a skill I've had to learn) to stay inside the club and support everyone where I can, and to talk frankly to those who wield decision making power, I honestly believe the club would be in the NLS, without a CEO who is working 24/7 to fight fires, we wouldn't have a threesome of coaches who graft tirelessly and relentlessly to improve, and as a consequence of those people coming in, we would not have a team to be proud of, competing at this level despite being subject to envious looks from other clubs.
We literally kept a coaching team and football team together when at other clubs with significantly less issues than we have, not only who stayed but play with pride for our club. This happens when a culture changes, and I defy anyone to dare suggest this would have happened under the last football department.
I drive from Cannock and Bucks RH, approximately 2 to 3 hours each way, around £100+ in diesel. I have a contract and I told Tom very early on that when everyone else is paid, then pay me. October was my last payment.
Brentford today called to play a friendly, the third time in weeks they want a game. Steve Cooper and Sean Dyche offered real support when we can go into the market again, along with dozens of clubs who love what Kev, the boys, John are doing. We're building a lot of demolished bridges, so that in the future, the groundwork is set. Scouts are working for free, agents are being calmed, players reassured, all things that several people are doing, unnoticed, unheralded but which are crucial if this club is going to move forward.
The financial situation as we know is serious and nobody is shying away from it, but do not confuse silence with inactivity. I work for other companies elsewhere so that Southend United can have my services for free until the situation improves. Not bad for "Ron's bitch".
Tensions are high, but we all want one thing, a happy, settled club, staffed properly, staff appreciated and ownership that pays everything on time in a manner befitting the history of this club. So nobody is doing Chemical Ali and saying on behalf of Ron that everything is OK, he knows the score from staff and players, but realpolitik dictates that we have to work within a structure today where ordinarily incompatible bedfellows have to work together for the security of the club. That is guaranteed from me whoever owns this club.
Support the team.
Support the staff.
If silence is the price to help keep Southend United alive, then I'll stay silent.
Canal Plus, Qatar World Cup, talksport, Caughoffside, Mirror Football all pay me so that you don't have to right now, something the 16 year olds shouting "talksport ****er" at Maidenhead might do well to remember. Likewise respect to the man in the picture below that helped your club before and came good when needed.
Stan.
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