Breaking News SZ & Trust meeting with RM Tuesday.

[Earls Hall Blue]

I was told that up to Friday no players had been identified and I brought up the tweet only to be told perhaps the player tweeted that as an excuse for not being required. Who am I to argue ?

Maybe you cant argue the point but do you believe it?

A manager of PS experience with his contacts cant identify players for a squad that is painfully thin in CM? If we was to go on the balance of probabilities I know who I think was telling porkies..:winking:

 

[McNasty]

Maybe you cant argue the point but do you believe it?

A manager of PS experience with his contacts cant identify players for a squad that is painfully thin in CM? If we was to go on the balance of probabilities I know who I think was telling porkies..:winking:

I did not feel it would be in anyone's interest to call the Chairman a liar at our first meeting. I am a master of diplomacy. :smile:

 

[Malcontent]

I did not feel it would be in anyone's interest to call the Chairman a liar at our first meeting. I am a master of diplomacy. :smile:

Indeed.

Southend United chairman Ron Martin writes to Blues supporters in an open letter.
At a recent meeting with club staff it was felt that there was a lack of flow of information to supporters.
"I've been looking on ShrimperZone"

I think this is a valid criticism and I must, in part, take a responsibility, but with the recent departure of Gary Lockett as CEO at the club (Gary will remain a non executive director) inevitably creates uncertainty in supporters’ minds. This coupled with a ‘lack of information’ is unhelpful.
"I don't want to say anything because you won't believe me"

There are changes taking place at the club but these are positive, exciting changes and it is right that fans be kept informed. However, at times I hope the majority of supporters understand that I am unable to openly discuss the clubs plans without risking damage to the clubs interests. Unquestionably the future is exciting even though the club continues to wrestle with its short term cash requirements to ensure the on field investment to get us out of this league is maintained.
"People keep leaving, I am skint and please stop asking questions"

There will be further announcements this week, which surround behind the scenes management as we gear up to move to the new stadium. My focus for a long time has been completing a major ‘jigsaw’ to enable development of our future and which everyone will understand has been made all the more difficult during these challenging economic times.
"Please wait, my next load of spin will be out soon"

However as our ‘line of sight’ grows ever clearer the changes that to take place will positively compliment the bigger picture. I am determined to get this club firing on all cylinders behind the scenes to ensure that Paul receives the support that he needs. That said he has already assembled an excellent group of players and created a brilliant team spirit that I have not seen at Southend United Football Club for many years. It is a joy to watch the goal celebration and long may that continue, starting tomorrow!
"I will be sacking a few more staff so I can pay the players --- other staff will have to continue waiting for pay. Keep scoring goals , it keeps the plebs off my back"

I do not wish to put Paul Sturrock under extra pressure but the ‘feel good factor’ will certainly stand this years squad in very good stead to complete the job we so nearly achieved last season. There are areas where reinforcements are needed and Paul will be supported when he identifies the right players to join us.
"Sturrock , get my club promoted or you are out!"

In closing I just want to reiterate that if the club has been lax in communicating with its supporters then this will now change. Of course commercial sensitivities will still be protected but we are one group of people, United in Southend’s success.
"I have managed to avoid you lot for ages, but now I need your money more than ever because no-one will lend me any.
Keep handing your cash over and don't forget to pay for next year's season cards by the end of October, love Ron."

 

[McNasty]

Mal, you naughty boy !

 

[Blue_Wes]

I asked about an embargo and RM stated that PS had yet to identify and players to bring in on loan and as soon as he does the payments will be made so we can sign players.

If this was true, why did Ron not lift the embargo to allow us to sign McCallister.

RM said cashflow is a problem for most clubs -- something that can't really be argued with and to that end our monthly losses are currently at £75,000 a month and RM injected £200,000 recently to pay wages and the absolutely important bills and he said the money would be available to pay the Inland Revenue when due. I asked about the High Court Judge stating the club would be wound up if we appeared there again to which RM stated that he felt that that action wouldn't happen. He has more faith in the judicial system than I have.

Then why have most clubs not been in front of the high court judge once, let alone enough times to warrant the last chance saloon comments we receive. At the end of the day, how other clubs run themselves shouldn't be our bench mark, everyone else is **** so we can afford to be **** is a terribly poor answer from a businessman as to why we are in financial difficulty. It's a playground response.

RM said that the annual losses , he hoped, would be nearer £500,000 this time next year compared to the £900.000 currently.

This at least sounds positive, although typically the one positive (reducing our losses) is obviously caveated by Ron with 'hoped'. It's still alarmingly high as well.

With regard to FF he said he had a hotel chain interested in occupying the premises but felt a casino would not provide a large enough rental income. He did say that things were progressing with regard to FF but such a large development tying in the proposals for RH are hopefully heading to nearer contractual completion and when the revised plans are passed by the Council it shouldn't be too long after all the necessary legal parts are completed work will begin but , he couldn't give a date as quite a lot of things need to fall in place. I asked if Sainsburys had given him a time limit and he said that they were fully on-board for the developments and the purchase of some of the remaining properties in Vic Ave was nearing completion.

It's funny how Ron uses other clubs as a benchmark for our failings in cashflow, (everyone does it) but in building the new stadium, he doesn't mention the numerous clubs that have started and completed their own new stadium projects, since our new stadium project has been in production. We seem to be the only club to have encountered difficulties and suffered from the economy, whilst we conveniently ignore the fact that multiple new stadiums seem to be popping up, up and down the country, many to clubs with smaller income than our own, quite bizarre that so many clubs achieve this considering we all suffer the same cash flow problems. #Ronspin.

I brought up the Mohsni bid from Wet Sham and RM said the initial bid was very low but with add-ons for extras like Prem appearances boosted it up and he felt their bid did not match our valuation so he asked for a higher price but WH obviously didn't want to increase their bid so never came back. RM did say with hindsight it may have been better to have accepted their initial offer. Good old hindsight.

Ron may cite hindsight, I think most of us realise it's just greed.

Ken, I appreciate this may appearing scathing to your efforts. It's not, I really appreciate your (and Paul's) efforts to bring us closer to the club, and to improve the comms between us, I just feel Ron is so full of **** (we can call it spin if we like), that he's now incapable of even answering a simple question without trying to twist it. Maybe the cynic in me has been bitten too many times by false promises and my views are blinkered, but to my mind there's just too many holes in every message that Ron delivers. Again, thank for your efforts, and the updates too. But Ron is still a long way off of being truly open to the fans.

 

[McNasty]

Not a problem Wes, as I said to RM some members of the Zone hate him, some love him and everyone else is in between those two. I will post the details as told to me and everyone can form their own opinions. That is the beauty of ShrimperZone.

 

[fbm]

Not a problem Wes, as I said to RM most members of the Zone hate him and some tolerate him. I will post the details as told to me and everyone can form their own opinions. That is the beauty of ShrimperZone.

Edited for accuracy.

 

[The Prawn]

What a load of crap. Sturrock in his last 5 post match interviews has stated that he is trying & looking to bring in extra bodies. And what about that trialist we were looking at signing but couldn't due to the embargo ?

Does Ron honestly think we're clueless fools ?

Probably. Because we are...

 

[Tampa Blue]

What a load of nonsense, I personally know for fact that PS has identified a ball winning midfielder at Rotherham - so why hasn't he been able to sign him?

However, I also know that PS wishes to maximise the use of loans over the Christmas period so that may explain a delay.

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Just awoken after an early night due to 4:30 start today, and was hoping to hear that Ron was being courted by an extremely rich Gay Arab who has a "thing" about neatly groomed midgets, and was willing to invest millions into SUFC if Ron would "take one for the team" every now and then. Alas it appears the only ones getting Butt Fu**ed/shafted are us the money paying fans.

In Ron we trust.....if we are still deluded :sad:

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

Thank you to Paul and Ken for giving up their time but do we really think as a result of the comments made last night we aere any significently further down the line? Not dissimilar to previous comments at Q and a sessions. I'll believe the stadium bit when I see the workers with my own eyes. Still seems many small obstacles to overcome which will take time which may explain he wasn't really definitive about anything. To me confirms his address last week regarding this was to get fans on side with attractive wording. Why would McCallister exaggerate his reasonong? He wants to play but can't. This is a Ron attempt to get at the player publicly because he was irked the player revealed the truth in what is the embargo. This topc indermines Sturrock as I don't believe someone with his experience, age and success would be lax in searching the loan market. Hope he is not sought-after as he should be as maybe if an offer came from elsewhere would he be tempted if things here are not sorted. The losses is a shame. From 100 000 to 60 000 now rises again to 75 000. Hope its not worse than that. Did Ron mention the real reason Gary L resigned? As I'm sure he'd have things to say. Did he mention the office staff who continusly get paid late thru out the year? Did he admit the Club are not quite as one towards him as he indirectly tries to portray in last weeks communication. Really not a lot different to whats been said in the past but hats off to Paul and Ken for getting the meeting set up and concluded.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

While I applaud the efforts of the trust and the zone trying to communicate with RM, I feel as if it was just another goundhog day with RM just reworking old excuses for his total incompetence.

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

As for the alternative to McCallister, where is he and why hasn't he signed? To label ron's efforts as " quite productive" is being very generous. Why not exceedingly productive or at last we're virtually there now. He said nothing too different from the past and he was slated. To now say its quite productive having said similar thingsI hope its not a sign he's succeeded in mesmerising fans yet again.

 

[McNasty]

The meeting was quite productive in that the Zone has, for the first time, established official links with the club with an agenda of regular meetings to discuss supporters' feelings.

I agree that very little wonderful news tit-bits were obtained but we have made a start.

It certainly wasn't a waste of time and went far better than I had expected.

 

[palexander]

Thanks for going guys.

One thing (well, one of a few) that has massively irked me is the embargo question. Why or how would Mcallister know we were under an embargo if we weren't? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't make that up. Also, cp confirmed from his sources a week or so ago that we were under embargo - but Ron pretty much lies outright to your faces when asked the question? I feel like you could have pushed him on that?

besides that, it's making ps look bad and basically putting the pressure on him, which is disgusting really and surprised ps is standing for it. We all know from the contacts and players Paul has bought to the club that its very hard to believe he 'can't find the right player'.

Pretty outrageous.

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

Agreed Ken and it is a shame really and truthfully Ron ( Not your fault Ken and Paul) didn't oblige us with a bigger renewed hope in terms of going forward. I mean NO targets haven't been identified as yet. The Bournemouth lad, Donnelly who trained with us, McCallister who is training with us. What Sean tweeted he would not have said if he wasn't a "target" as such. And I think Akinfenwa and Rooney were on the radar as well but the first three mames here certainly were on the brink of signing but for the restriction. Last night I thought the team played well considering its the early stages of the JPT and Cresswell I felt was immense. No disrespect to Daggers but the team wiull face tougher games and that starts at Rotherham on Sat.

 

[McNasty]

Thanks for going guys.

One thing (well, one of a few) that has massively irked me is the embargo question. Why or how would Mcallister know we were under an embargo if we weren't? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't make that up. Also, cp confirmed from his sources a week or so ago that we were under embargo - but Ron pretty much lies outright to your faces when asked the question? I feel like you could have pushed him on that?

besides that, it's making ps look bad and basically putting the pressure on him, which is disgusting really and surprised ps is standing for it. We all know from the contacts and players Paul has bought to the club that its very hard to believe he 'can't find the right player'.

Pretty outrageous.

His words were "It's not really an embargo we need to settle some bills for a few thousand to other clubs for away ticket sales and as soon as PS identifies players the bills will be paid and we can sign them. Up until last Friday PS hadn't identified anyone". So we are under a not really embargo.

 

[GBJ]

Edited for accuracy.

You missed out some still defend him to the hilt & claim his actions as heroic

 

[blue scorpion]

Summarising then,

1.We are under an embargo but that is unimportant as PS has no targets in mind.
2.Dont hold your breath about the new stadium
3.The club needs average crowds well in excess of 6500 to break even,
4. RM feels the judge was simply having a laugh when threatening to wind us up
5.Presumably the Sainsburys money has gone as our generous benefactor has put £200000 of his own money in.
6.Etc etc.

Onwards and downwards.

 

[McNasty]

Summarising then,

1.We are under an embargo but that is unimportant as PS has no targets in mind.
2.Dont hold your breath about the new stadium
3.The club needs average crowds well in excess of 6500 to break even,
4. RM feels the judge was simply having a laugh when threatening to wind us up
5.Presumably the Sainsburys money has gone as our generous benefactor has put £200000 of his own money in.
6.Etc etc.

Onwards and downwards.

I wonder if the £200,000 was anything to do with Kane's transfer to P'boro. I am sure RM said that he had put the money in.