SUFC: The Future SUFC up for sale

[Sparte]

Well, for some considerable time now most people have been focusing on getting Ron Martin out of the club, and getting him out now. I have never been an advocate of that strategy as I thought it would kill the club; literally cutting our nose off to spite our face. I only wanted him to go either when he was ready (i.e. after FF was built) or if there was a buyer. There was, then there wasn't, then there was again, then possibly someone else, but not really. The reasons for that are actually not important. We are where we are and thank heavens the NL and the Courts have given us the stay of execution necessary for us to get to this point; 5 days away from a home game at the start of the season.

And as far as Ron goes, we are no further along the road than we were in March, aside from showing him, his family and neighbours that he really isn't very popular.

He has put another £250k in the club to keep it afloat and keep us alive. We aren't in very good health, granted, yet here we are. August 23rd will be a milestone date but again, absolutely nothing that has happened makes me think that there is any intention for us to not pay HMRC by then.

So, embargo lifted, there isn't another payday due between now and then so that means Kev and Co can move quickly to improve the squad before the inevitable next embargo.

So, as @ms brush says, what are the polar opposites to the highlighted questions? Because anything that we have done so far hasn't had the desired effect.

I'm not sure there is an answer or an opposite for the second question actually; but the opposite of "How to kill a football club" is "How do you keep a football club alive?" and the answer is so unbelievably obvious to me, but sadly not to many who have allowed their own personal hatred of Ron Martin to overtake and cloud their thoughts.

It's "You put money into it."

Even the Oldham fans get it... @Ritchierich says that every £20 from an Oldham fan goes towards our survival and yes it does, absolutely it does and please bring 1000 people down.

But what's the point in that when we have our own fans boycotting the game, not buying season tickets, threatening never to set foot inside Roots Hall until the rat is gone... wow, what power you are giving him! He certainly doesn't seem bothered.

So, if we throw our financial support behind the club (note, the club, not Ron Martin) then we can actually ensure the wages are paid. I have said before, 1000 season tickets equal about £300,000 so 2000 will be double that. There could be another £50k matchday revenue on top if there is a 6000 crowd and with transfer fees for Wooster, league/TV appearance money and sales of other merchandise this could be a significant amount towards our survival.

The management team have been here working behind the scenes unpaid. Staff at the club went unpaid for months. Now it's all systems go again and we need to ensure that we do absolutely everything to make sure we don't get a 10 point deduction. I want to show the unpaid heroes who have stuck around for us because they care, to know that we care too and you can't do that by refusing to give the club your support when it needs it most.

So come on. The protests may have had an effect of sorts but they haven't achieved the desired result. Now is time for us to step up in the other direction - the polar opposite of what we have done so far - and do our very very best to keep the club alive. After all, we have donated to the Trust's hardship fund, many gave up their time at the weekend for "Operation clean Roots Hall" and there are various posts on here suggesting that the fans could raise significant sums of money to wrest the club from Ron's grip by - literally - putting sufficient money in his pocket to go. I find it therefore ironic that people won't consider putting a far smaller amount in to help the current survival plan because they don't want to put money in Ron's pocket.

If we all pull together, who knows what we can achieve? We need the loyal players who have stayed to hear a packed Hall, just like it was against Wealdstone in May, with all the home voices roaring them on against all odds.

And one day, Ron will go. Of that I am certain.

That sums up beautifully where we are as a club at this point in time…

 

[Farmer Fossett]

Well, for some considerable time now most people have been focusing on getting Ron Martin out of the club, and getting him out now. I have never been an advocate of that strategy as I thought it would kill the club; literally cutting our nose off to spite our face. I only wanted him to go either when he was ready (i.e. after FF was built) or if there was a buyer. There was, then there wasn't, then there was again, then possibly someone else, but not really. The reasons for that are actually not important. We are where we are and thank heavens the NL and the Courts have given us the stay of execution necessary for us to get to this point; 5 days away from a home game at the start of the season.

And as far as Ron goes, we are no further along the road than we were in March, aside from showing him, his family and neighbours that he really isn't very popular.

He has put another £250k in the club to keep it afloat and keep us alive. We aren't in very good health, granted, yet here we are. August 23rd will be a milestone date but again, absolutely nothing that has happened makes me think that there is any intention for us to not pay HMRC by then.

So, embargo lifted, there isn't another payday due between now and then so that means Kev and Co can move quickly to improve the squad before the inevitable next embargo.

So, as @ms brush says, what are the polar opposites to the highlighted questions? Because anything that we have done so far hasn't had the desired effect.

I'm not sure there is an answer or an opposite for the second question actually; but the opposite of "How to kill a football club" is "How do you keep a football club alive?" and the answer is so unbelievably obvious to me, but sadly not to many who have allowed their own personal hatred of Ron Martin to overtake and cloud their thoughts.

It's "You put money into it."

Even the Oldham fans get it... @Ritchierich says that every £20 from an Oldham fan goes towards our survival and yes it does, absolutely it does and please bring 1000 people down.

But what's the point in that when we have our own fans boycotting the game, not buying season tickets, threatening never to set foot inside Roots Hall until the rat is gone... wow, what power you are giving him! He certainly doesn't seem bothered.

So, if we throw our financial support behind the club (note, the club, not Ron Martin) then we can actually ensure the wages are paid. I have said before, 1000 season tickets equal about £300,000 so 2000 will be double that. There could be another £50k matchday revenue on top if there is a 6000 crowd and with transfer fees for Wooster, league/TV appearance money and sales of other merchandise this could be a significant amount towards our survival.

The management team have been here working behind the scenes unpaid. Staff at the club went unpaid for months. Now it's all systems go again and we need to ensure that we do absolutely everything to make sure we don't get a 10 point deduction. I want to show the unpaid heroes who have stuck around for us because they care, to know that we care too and you can't do that by refusing to give the club your support when it needs it most.

So come on. The protests may have had an effect of sorts but they haven't achieved the desired result. Now is time for us to step up in the other direction - the polar opposite of what we have done so far - and do our very very best to keep the club alive. After all, we have donated to the Trust's hardship fund, many gave up their time at the weekend for "Operation clean Roots Hall" and there are various posts on here suggesting that the fans could raise significant sums of money to wrest the club from Ron's grip by - literally - putting sufficient money in his pocket to go. I find it therefore ironic that people won't consider putting a far smaller amount in to help the current survival plan because they don't want to put money in Ron's pocket.

If we all pull together, who knows what we can achieve? We need the loyal players who have stayed to hear a packed Hall, just like it was against Wealdstone in May, with all the home voices roaring them on against all odds.

And one day, Ron will go. Of that I am certain.

I understand that we have very limited options as things stand as there are no credible offers (according to RM). There is no interest in anyone buying a National League club with significant debt and a stadium that requires redevelopment at a cost of at least £5m.

It however is clear that RM is not fit to run our club. We have had minimal investment in the stadium, staff that are constantly worried that they may not be paid and a dream that has almost bankrupted the club.

You are right that we as fans should continue to support the team buy tickets, merchandise etc. This may help keep the club alive but we are only delaying the inevitable. It may be a month, six months or a year before life support is turned off and the club we all love folds.

Yes, we can carry on sticking out heads in the sand and praying for a miracle. I for one would rather protest and try to force change. If we were to make Ron's life a little more uncomfortable he may decide it's not worth it and make the deal slightly more attractive. We then hopefully can attract interest.

I will attend the game on Saturday but hope there are protests being held both before and during the game. We need to demonstrate to attract media interest and to more importantly show RM that we the fans want him out of our club!

 

[fbm]

I understand that we have very limited options as things stand as there are no credible offers (according to RM). There is no interest in anyone buying a National League club with significant debt and a stadium that requires redevelopment at a cost of at least £5m.

It however is clear that RM is not fit to run our club. We have had minimal investment in the stadium, staff that are constantly worried that they may not be paid and a dream that has almost bankrupted the club.

You are right that we as fans should continue to support the team buy tickets, merchandise etc. This may help keep the club alive but we are only delaying the inevitable. It may be a month, six months or a year before life support is turned off and the club we all love folds.

Yes, we can carry on sticking out heads in the sand and praying for a miracle. I for one would rather protest and try to force change. If we were to make Ron's life a little more uncomfortable he may decide it's not worth it and make the deal slightly more attractive. We then hopefully can attract interest.

I will attend the game on Saturday but hope there are protests being held both before and during the game. We need to demonstrate to attract media interest and to more importantly show RM that we the fans want him out of our club!

That's a possibility certainly. I want Ron gone, but not at the expense of the club.

 

[NZamba Legend]

That's a possibility certainly. I want Ron gone, but not at the expense of the club.

Without a new buyer this is our predicament. Very grim. Are we currently experiencing the worst of both worlds? Possibly. If we carry on as we are with Ron we are a shambles club with less players than a pub team, likely to accrue multiple points deductions and dead certs for relegation but, yes, without Ron the club is finished. Both scenarios are unpalatable

 

[Beefy]

But he’ll need to be able to show where any of the club’s money has gone while there is a WUP ongoing with HMRC as a preferred creditor.

Right but, assuming he's paying wages, bills etc, he's getting the money either from the account or from not having to borrow that amount/withdraw it from his overseas slush fund.

 

[Yer Blues]

anyone else get the horrible feeling he’ll be there on Saturday, riding a white steed, shouting PEASANTS LOVE ME ADORE ME I AM YOUR SAVIOUR….*ahem*

God, I hope so. *Swoon*

 

[Barry.C]

Right but, assuming he's paying wages, bills etc, he's getting the money either from the account or from not having to borrow that amount/withdraw it from his overseas slush fund.

Surely hes not had all that money sitting in the background for all that time that staff and players were not paid and we have been reduced to a skeleton squad

It must be new money otherwise the man would probably be seen to be reduced to an even lower level, if that's possible and a complete sicko

 

[Shrimper]

Was in San Francisco last week and people in Oakland are protesting against their ownership as they're moving to Las Vegas. Whilst there is a difference in the two it might be worth adopting some of their methods. Reverse boycott, T-Shirts with SELL on them etv

 

[rigsby]

That's a possibility certainly. I want Ron gone, but not at the expense of the club.

That should be the aim of all fans. Its certainly what any new owner/investor would want

 

[palexander]

Was in San Francisco last week and people in Oakland are protesting against their ownership as they're moving to Las Vegas. Whilst there is a difference in the two it might be worth adopting some of their methods. Reverse boycott, T-Shirts with SELL on them etv

What the hell is a "reverse boycott"... surely thats just attending? :D

 

[WestyReturns]

Well, for some considerable time now most people have been focusing on getting Ron Martin out of the club, and getting him out now. I have never been an advocate of that strategy as I thought it would kill the club; literally cutting our nose off to spite our face. I only wanted him to go either when he was ready (i.e. after FF was built) or if there was a buyer. There was, then there wasn't, then there was again, then possibly someone else, but not really. The reasons for that are actually not important. We are where we are and thank heavens the NL and the Courts have given us the stay of execution necessary for us to get to this point; 5 days away from a home game at the start of the season.

And as far as Ron goes, we are no further along the road than we were in March, aside from showing him, his family and neighbours that he really isn't very popular.

He has put another £250k in the club to keep it afloat and keep us alive. We aren't in very good health, granted, yet here we are. August 23rd will be a milestone date but again, absolutely nothing that has happened makes me think that there is any intention for us to not pay HMRC by then.

So, embargo lifted, there isn't another payday due between now and then so that means Kev and Co can move quickly to improve the squad before the inevitable next embargo.

So, as @ms brush says, what are the polar opposites to the highlighted questions? Because anything that we have done so far hasn't had the desired effect.

I'm not sure there is an answer or an opposite for the second question actually; but the opposite of "How to kill a football club" is "How do you keep a football club alive?" and the answer is so unbelievably obvious to me, but sadly not to many who have allowed their own personal hatred of Ron Martin to overtake and cloud their thoughts.

It's "You put money into it."

Even the Oldham fans get it... @Ritchierich says that every £20 from an Oldham fan goes towards our survival and yes it does, absolutely it does and please bring 1000 people down.

But what's the point in that when we have our own fans boycotting the game, not buying season tickets, threatening never to set foot inside Roots Hall until the rat is gone... wow, what power you are giving him! He certainly doesn't seem bothered.

So, if we throw our financial support behind the club (note, the club, not Ron Martin) then we can actually ensure the wages are paid. I have said before, 1000 season tickets equal about £300,000 so 2000 will be double that. There could be another £50k matchday revenue on top if there is a 6000 crowd and with transfer fees for Wooster, league/TV appearance money and sales of other merchandise this could be a significant amount towards our survival.

The management team have been here working behind the scenes unpaid. Staff at the club went unpaid for months. Now it's all systems go again and we need to ensure that we do absolutely everything to make sure we don't get a 10 point deduction. I want to show the unpaid heroes who have stuck around for us because they care, to know that we care too and you can't do that by refusing to give the club your support when it needs it most.

So come on. The protests may have had an effect of sorts but they haven't achieved the desired result. Now is time for us to step up in the other direction - the polar opposite of what we have done so far - and do our very very best to keep the club alive. After all, we have donated to the Trust's hardship fund, many gave up their time at the weekend for "Operation clean Roots Hall" and there are various posts on here suggesting that the fans could raise significant sums of money to wrest the club from Ron's grip by - literally - putting sufficient money in his pocket to go. I find it therefore ironic that people won't consider putting a far smaller amount in to help the current survival plan because they don't want to put money in Ron's pocket.

If we all pull together, who knows what we can achieve? We need the loyal players who have stayed to hear a packed Hall, just like it was against Wealdstone in May, with all the home voices roaring them on against all odds.

And one day, Ron will go. Of that I am certain.

I understand where you are coming from but even when we've put money into the club it's resulted in failure under Ron. If crowds rise, if anything it will result in him staying on and changing the clubs status as not for sale. Regardless of how much money goes in its been woefully mismanaged.

I'm glad we've finally broken the....let's do nothing approach and watch our club spiral into disaster. Let's not go back to this.

 

[Shrimper]

What the hell is a "reverse boycott"... surely thats just attending? :D

A’s fans come out en masse for reverse boycott and tell owner to sell | FOX Sports

The biggest Oakland crowd in five years cheered the A's on to a seventh straight win while protesting the team's planned move to Las Vegas.

www.foxsports.com

Part of it was choosing to be completely silent for a period. No matter what happened. Then go bananas

 

[londonblue]

Was in San Francisco last week and people in Oakland are protesting against their ownership as they're moving to Las Vegas. Whilst there is a difference in the two it might be worth adopting some of their methods. Reverse boycott, T-Shirts with SELL on them etv

Didn't know they were moving. My cousin won't be happy. He lives in SF and is an As fan.

 

[defender05]

It's getting to the point now that if we don't get a new owner in soon we will be asking AF to get the council to get the next stage of FF underway so that there are more funds available which would hopefully stop us keep paying everyone late.

 

[Maroon Blue]

Didn't know they were moving. My cousin won't be happy. He lives in SF and is an As fan.

They moved over a year ago and played in Vegas last season, now the Las Vegas Raiders

 

[Shrimper]

They moved over a year ago and played in Vegas last season, now the Las Vegas Raiders

That's the Oakland Raiders. We're talking about the Oakland Athletics

 

[basilrobbie]

I think you have completely missed my point.

I don't doubt what you say for a minute. That wasn't the object of the post which was in response to a specific question. We - the fans - have it in our power to make things a lot better than they are but we aren't willing to do that because of the anti-Ron sentiment. I get it, I really do, but with the season 5 days away, protests, boycotts and foot stamping are not the way forward in my opinion. If we actually support the club, like, you know, supporters are meant to do (as opposed to just being followers), then things may be a little better than they would have been if we just relied on Ron Martin to do the right thing and then moan about it afterwards when he invariably doesn't.

In short, I want a club to support. However, if you want to bang your head against a brick wall by trying to get that confused narcissist out of the club before he is either ready or able to go, then you knock yourself out. Good luck with that.

I think you argue your case well, but I disagree with most of it, albeit you do put your finger on the nub of the issue well. I just reach very different conclusions to you!

I think there is a distinct chance he will pay HMRC himself, by 23/8, without any outside help from a potential investor. The fact that he has paid wages on time this month suggests to me that he doesn't think he can dispose of the club by then and he is preparing to hunker down and wait until that changes. So you may be stuck with him for a while yet, unless the NL choose to intervene decisively.

I'm not sure they can do anything that will induce a sale either, other than withdraw the club's right to compete. There is no suggestion that they want to do that. Quite the opposite in fact, they have been accommodating to a fault (in my opinion).

Which is why organised fan action is very important. HMRC will lose interest in you, if they get their money, and won't get interested again unless and until there is a further default. The NL now, willingly or not, have a vested interest in the club staggering on in a more or less competitive manner and I would argue their ability to take punitive action in the future is now compromised. If you start badly and give up cheap points to other clubs, the beneficiaries will put pressure on the NL to maintain the status quo as well.

So where does the pressure come from, that might induce movement? I'd argue from the same place it has come all summer - namely, from you. I think the way you have publicised your plight, engaged local MPs, withdrawn your financial support and made a nuisance of yourselves has been the main catalyst for what change we have seen. And now the season is about to start, I'd be looking to give him even more hostile coverage and general aggravation. Every time you have a game.

 

[overseas shrimper]

What the hell is a "reverse boycott"... surely thats just attending? :D

So, from now on, a boycott will be known as 'reverse attending'.

 

[Smiffy]

I think you argue your case well, but I disagree with most of it, albeit you do put your finger on the nub of the issue well. I just reach very different conclusions to you!

I think there is a distinct chance he will pay HMRC himself, by 23/8, without any outside help from a potential investor. The fact that he has paid wages on time this month suggests to me that he doesn't think he can dispose of the club by then and he is preparing to hunker down and wait until that changes. So you may be stuck with him for a while yet, unless the NL choose to intervene decisively.

I'm not sure they can do anything that will induce a sale either, other than withdraw the club's right to compete. There is no suggestion that they want to do that. Quite the opposite in fact, they have been accommodating to a fault (in my opinion).

Which is why organised fan action is very important. HMRC will lose interest in you, if they get their money, and won't get interested again unless and until there is a further default. The NL now, willingly or not, have a vested interest in the club staggering on in a more or less competitive manner and I would argue their ability to take punitive action in the future is now compromised. If you start badly and give up cheap points to other clubs, the beneficiaries will put pressure on the NL to maintain the status quo as well.

So where does the pressure come from, that might induce movement? I'd argue from the same place it has come all summer - namely, from you. I think the way you have publicised your plight, engaged local MPs, withdrawn your financial support and made a nuisance of yourselves has been the main catalyst for what change we have seen. And now the season is about to start, I'd be looking to give him even more hostile coverage and general aggravation. Every time you have a game.

Spot on, as always. As a fanbase we need to pay attention to posts from members like @basilrobbie he and his fellow Tangerine compatriots have been there, done it and got the t-shirt. We can learn a lot.

 

[hlane17]

So where does the pressure come from, that might induce movement? I'd argue from the same place it has come all summer - namely, from you. I think the way you have publicised your plight, engaged local MPs, withdrawn your financial support and made a nuisance of yourselves has been the main catalyst for what change we have seen. And now the season is about to start, I'd be looking to give him even more hostile coverage and general aggravation. Every time you have a game.

Top post again mate, picking out this paragraph in particular as it's really important IMO.

For us fans who are inclined to stay away from Roots Hall while Ron's in charge, I think we need to come together to do our bit in gaining continued press and awareness.

Any protests planned for this weekend?