SUFC: The Future SUFC up for sale

[West Stand]

This must be up for best post ever!!!!!

Hope this isn’t too self indulgent as figure there’s lots of people here going through the same right now, but this is my current mood as posted on my social media today.

“So, facing the very real possibility (maybe even probability) of the THING I love most in this world not existing in less than 48 hours. And yes, that thing is Southend United Football Club so for the non-football/sport minded folk among you I should add some perspective.

The fact it’s a football club isn’t important. For something of similar meaning to others it could be linked to any other sport or activity, that’s just the excuse – it’s what it means that’s more important.

One of my very earliest memories is going to a game at 7 taken by my Uncle and the smell of frying onions, roll up cigarettes and hearing grown ups swear for the first time (really properly swearing too) had me gripped and I was hooked. Family trips with Uncle, cousins, brother and occasionally my Dad (who isn’t a huge football fan but came anyway) followed before I graduated to being old enough to go on my own.

At that point it became about mates, lifelong friendships which survive over 30 years on. On a journey that has seen us navigate falling in and out of love, marriages, divorces, kids and sadly even a few deaths along the way. Travelling up and down the country and even into Europe with a group of people just to watch 22 men kick a ball around for 90 minutes because really the kicking the ball around bit wasn’t the point.

As for our ground (calling it a stadium is pushing it a bit) well it’s MY home as much as anywhere in the planet is. It’s old, decrepit, crumbling but I love it as much as anyone loves a grand cathedral and it is my place of worship. It was built by the fans originally in the 1950s (my bricklaying Grandad among them or so he claimed anyway) and I can honestly say the first place I go to and the last place I say goodbye to when I’m back for a visit.

It's a hub and community focal point for the most vulnerable in society. It is a warm meeting place for the elderly and offers support and inspiration for the young and disadvantaged. In a town that quite frankly has allowed to be run down and largely forgotten and neglected it offers something to cling to and be proud of.

Sadly there hasn’t been that much to cheer and be proud of for a good few years. Quite frankly the team (well the professional men anyway, the grassroots women’s team have had success lately) have been objectively terrible. But still people turn up in their thousands (some sad people even fly from the other side of the world to watch them when they can).

If we survive this and do have success on the pitch again in the future then we’ll line the streets and hail our heroes…but really we will be celebrating us. The fans who stuck by them, the community volunteers who do such great work in the clubs name, the town as a whole.

If it dies then a bit of me dies with it. It’s a huge part of my identity and I know that’s the same for many others. The badge says Southend United Football Club but really it’s my family and I can’t even begin to imagine it not being there.”

I have been reflecting on this post and wonder , no suspect most of us bought up in the 60s, 70s and indeed 80s feel the same sense of belonging be they a Southend supporter or replace the club name with theirs but post the PL formation that family feel is now longgone

 

[Petejames]

I fully agree with you. Why is he doing this? I honestly don’t know, nothing Ron does is logical or makes sense. I’m just letting you know what I’ve been told.

Have a listen to the video from last night again. Ron said, “If Kimura or SOMEONE ELSE want to buy the club, they are welcome to it”

Why would he say someone else if a deal with Kimura was almost finalised?

If some fans don’t want to believe me, I’ll respect their opinion, that’s your choice, this is an open forum after all and we aren’t always going to agree and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I fully trust the person who told me this information.

Ok fair play

 

[bazzashrimper]

I fully agree with you. Why is he doing this? I honestly don’t know, nothing Ron does is logical or makes sense. I’m just letting you know what I’ve been told.

Have a listen to the video from last night again. Ron said, “If Kimura or SOMEONE ELSE want to buy the club, they are welcome to it”

Why would he say someone else if a deal with Kimura was almost finalised?

If some fans don’t want to believe me, I’ll respect their opinion, that’s your choice, this is an open forum after all and we aren’t always going to agree and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I fully trust the person who told me this information.

Do you have a longer video than the one I’m seeing?

 

[GBJ]

Surly when gambling you weigh up what you gain and what you loose and in this case you looses a lot more than he would gain?

This myth that Ron loses more than he gains is exactly that, a myth.

As @rigsby pointed out above, he could probably flog B&L and earn more out of that than whatever he’s selling currently.

Don’t think the rat has his back to the wall. He doesn’t.

 

[West Stand]

There may be covenants on RH and a council who no longer have to meet government targets on housing......Whats to stop anyone building on B&L now we have anew training ground. What's to stop Ron selling the land at B&L for a huge earner this week.

Ron might have abetter hand than many on here believe. That will allow him to go to the wire, including risking the club.

Sports England almost certainly wouldnt agree to that and planning and of course any developers would know that.

Fast forward 5 years of the land being redundant and that may change but even the it is not a given

 

[rowe23]

Just another thought I had on the video and Wednesday court. Could it be and I mean this is a long stretch, Ron will pay the debts and that is why he said we will see what the judge has to say. I’ve only seen a 14 sec clip so not sure if or what other questions were asked they only seemed to be around the takeover being completed/agreed before Wednesday court case. If anyone is able to confirm if the question was asked that would be great.

I mean I am clutching here with the above and I still think my other theory is more accurate in that the deal is close but can’t/won’t be concluded before tomorrow due to funds not being easily accessible in that short time period as the deal will only be agreed at the eleventh hour or 1 minute before the court case is due to begin.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Please let today be the day this is over

I think last night was

 

[Jack_23]

A chance that Ron heard about the news coming out that deal was done so Ron being Ron had to come out and dismiss that as he likes having us on the ropes?
Wishful thinking I know

 

[overseas shrimper]

Which is what he wants. Soon, one way or another, he'll get his comeuppance

Yeah, but will that be at the cost of our club?

 

[West Stand]

The charges registered for me were a game changer.

RM and his companies appear to have covered their exposed financial position but does that change the need to ensure there is a football club ? I like everyone on here is trying work out what is going on but ( and this is an open question) are we all missing something that is so obvious but we can’t see it ?

 

[rigsby]

Very possible, but in gambling terms, it wouldn’t be odds on.

Only question you’ve got to ask yourself is, is Ron a gambler?

Surely you would prefer "You've got ask yourself, do you feel lucky"......Whilst pointing your Magnum 44 at his head.

 

[Avl1983]

This myth that Ron loses more than he gains is exactly that, a myth.

As @rigsby pointed out above, he could probably flog B&L and earn more out of that than whatever he’s selling currently.

Don’t think the rat has his back to the wall. He doesn’t.

Then why hasn't he done this already? Genuine question

 

[sufc4life21]

This myth that Ron loses more than he gains is exactly that, a myth.

As @rigsby pointed out above, he could probably flog B&L and earn more out of that than whatever he’s selling currently.

Don’t think the rat has his back to the wall. He doesn’t.

Also the club's potential debt which will cause the buyer to reduce their original offer. If Kimura DD have discovered heap of debt, potentially Ron could walk away with next to nothing from the sale if he accepts the offer. I don't think him staying on will do him any good either in the short to medium term.

 

[Target man]

Surly when gambling you weigh up what you gain and what you loose and in this case you looses a lot more than he would gain?

That's business, not roulette gambling. When there's a history of gambling, you've gone beyond logical thinking, it's just all you know. If gamblers were logical, they wouldn't gamble.

 

[Booma]

A chance that Ron heard about the news coming out that deal was done so Ron being Ron had to come out and dismiss that as he likes having us on the ropes?
Wishful thinking I know

Divide and conquer, he’s done it with the players and the staff, now the fans. He’s probably been on here last night watching squabbling over who knows what, who was where etc.

I think he’ll go to the court and say “there was an offer for the club but it wasn’t good enough, there is another interested party, can we have an adjournment?” He either gets it and the club has to deal with the NL, or he doesn’t and he gets the land at RH, FF, and B&L for houses.

 

[henry18]

Ok my positivity is dwindling now, I’m hearing nothing positive but all we can do is pray and hope IT uses its brain and accepts the offer

 

[brigadista]

His body language is far too calm compared to previous videos where he has fronted up to fans. He is never going to say to a handful of fans on his drive way what is going on like he didn’t in any email response to people. He hides behind an NDA excuse so isn’t going to give anything away. Surely his family etc have all been pushing for him to accept what is on the table rather than playing roulette and losing it all.

Oh don’t worry, he still found time to threaten people in the same manner he did that lad outside the court last time.

 

[overseas shrimper]

What normal, sane, serious businessman would stand out on the street and speak to people protesting at his home in this manner just as negotiations are at a crucial point ahead of a court hearing which could see the football club be wound up?

So I don’t know what to make of this.

Is it ego, the last chance to play pantomime villain before he sails off into the sunset with his payout?

Or some ham fisted attempt to force a few extra quid out of the deal at the last minute?

Or it’s genuinely true and he enjoys the distress it causes?

A normal, sane, serious businessman would't have people protesting at his home in the first place.

 

[londonblue]

Is it possible that Kimurai buys the club and RH, and then improve RH and forget about FF.
As far as I’m aware, there is no planning permission to build the stadium.
What ever the capacity is for RH, it’s not going to be full until the club gets a couple of promotions under its belt.

From what I've heard Kimura want the new stadium as it will generate income more regularly. They also want the 21,000 version which already has planning permission. They also want to take a 2 year lease on Roots Hall, presumably because they expect the new stadium to be completed by then. Realistically that can only happen if the aren't waiting for planning permission as well as I would imagine that would take a whole lot longer than 2 years.

 

[Napster]

Maybe whoever has been funding the club recently has decided to go all in, repay the debts and buy the club outright.