Breaking News SZ & Trust meeting with RM Tuesday.

[onceknownasrab]

Its not anyone's view its a fact, the council have agreed the stadium.

I'm not sure what you think the council are doing to stop the development.

Trust me if it was the council dragging their feet Ron would be shouting from the rooftops about it.

You have lost the thread JamMan. I am not going on about them dragging their heels I am trying to get them to see a three sided stadium may well be a club death knell and not in the interests of the town.

 

[A Century United]

Complete red herring from onceknownasron.

Can't we have a mature debate without anyone who holds an independent view point being mocked as a sock-puppet? It is rather tedious. People disagree with you. Respect that, and deal with the arguments not the person.

 

[Jam_Man]

You have lost the thread JamMan. I am not going on about them dragging their heels I am trying to get them to see a three sided stadium may well be a club death knell and not in the interests of the town.

Again its not the councils wish for there to be 3 sides, SUFC requested the plans be amended so it could be.

You can lobby the council, but Im not sure what you are lobbying them for. Do you want them to pay for the 4th side? I doubt they will have a budget for that...

 

[Cricko]

Maybe I am clutching at straws but I am more convinced that I need to be involved in doing something rather than waiting for disaster. You say the council has been helpful and supportive and I am not trying to lambast them but would like them to be ever vigilant of pitfuls and mindful of our concerns. I cannot believe it is in the councils interest to have a three sided stadium and no club. Does little for the town.

I think the council are well aware RM may fail in his luck to get this whole project sorted and are already talking about a way to sort this whole mess out.

 

[Jam_Man]

I think the council are well aware RM may fail in his luck to get this whole project sorted and are already talking about a way to sort this whole mess out.

New council offices in the 4th stand ? :smile:

 

[onceknownasrab]

Again its not the councils wish for there to be 3 sides, SUFC requested the plans be amended so it could be.

You can lobby the council, but Im not sure what you are lobbying them for. Do you want them to pay for the 4th side? I doubt they will have a budget for that...

No I dont want them to pay. I want them to grant planning in full with no changes to a four sided stadium only. I believe its the only way it can work.

 

[Jam_Man]

No I dont want them to pay. I want them to grant planning in full with no changes to a four sided stadium only. I believe its the only way it can work.

I dont see how that helps if we are unable to build the stadium with 4 sides then you are blocking the stadium completely.

Dont get me wrong I cant stand the thought of 3 sides, it will be a disaster, but Im not following your logic in how that would help us?

What is your objective/goal ?

 

[onceknownasrab]

I dont see how that helps if we are unable to build the stadium with 4 sides then you are blocking the stadium completely.

Dont get me wrong I cant stand the thought of 3 sides, it will be a disaster, but Im not following your logic in how that would help us?

My logic, however right or askew, is that the new stadium being built is a proviso of the retail aspects being erected. If you are after the gold and have to shell out silver to get it sobeit. Without any revenue streams apart from gate money then I can only see the end.

Until the full planning is sorted we stay at RH. If the money guys want their dream so much they will have to part with a bit more silver and earn slightly less gold but at least we will have a club that has a half chance of survival.

 

[Jam_Man]

The club is not going to benefit from the retail park though?

There has never been any confirmation anything generated in the development is actually going to go to SUFC, Ron has always sidestepped this question. My understanding is it will benefit Ron Martin, and if he is benefiting then he will put money into the club.

Probably a question that Mcnasty can add to the next round of questions, although its been asked before.

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

Agreed.

I did mail them several weeks ago outlining my personal concerns. This was the response.

Thank you for your e-mail in which you outline your concerns for the future of Southend United.

You pose questions which are difficult for me to answer. The Council, Members and officers, have tried to be as supportive to the club as we can be, recognising the importance of a successful football club for the town. We will continue to try to be supportive and positive whilst meeting our statutory duties and responsibilities.

As you will know, the Council is facing significant financial challenges and has extremely limited resources available to put to new projects. That said, I would hope that the type of worst case scenario that you describe will not happen but, if the club did face such circumstances I suspect that councillors would wish to explore how the Council can help keep a viable professional football side in the town for the future.

I am sorry that I can’t be more specific on your questions at present.

Which I thought was fairly encouraging. If anyone else has these concerns then fire them off an email. I can provide the address if you so wish.

Well done, this is just the sort of action that needs taking.

 

[onceknownasrab]

The club is not going to benefit from the retail park though?

There has never been any confirmation anything generated in the development is actually going to go to SUFC, Ron has always sidestepped this question. My understanding is it will benefit Ron Martin, and if he is benefiting then he will put money into the club.

Probably a question that Mcnasty can add to the next round of questions, although its been asked before.

o Hotel of 114 bedrooms
o Conference floorspace
o Corporate hospitality
o Supporters’ food and drink concessions (15 in total)
o Supporters’ bars
o Ticket offices / club shop / club offices
o Players’ hostel


This is the list of things supposed to be built within the stadium area. Revenue streams from the fourth stand. No one can seriously believe we will survive just as a stadium.

We lobbied for the plans to be passed not for the changes. Especially a change where the developer is saying he will do his best to build a fourth stand but not guarantee it.

 

[Jam_Man]

o Hotel of 114 bedrooms
o Conference floorspace
o Corporate hospitality
o Supporters’ food and drink concessions (15 in total)
o Supporters’ bars
o Ticket offices / club shop / club offices
o Players’ hostel


This is the list of things supposed to be built within the stadium area. Revenue streams from the fourth stand. No one can seriously believe we will survive just as a stadium.

We lobbied for the plans to be passed not for the changes. Especially a change where the developer is saying he will do his best to build a fourth stand but not guarantee it.

Again, as with the retail park the hotel and conference side will not be revenue for SUFC. Ron has never confirmed the football club will receive any direct funds from anything other than the stadium.

These I assume will:
o Supporters’ food and drink concessions (15 in total)
o Supporters’ bars
o Ticket offices / club shop

The 3 other sides will contain some of the bars/food/drink etc and obviously there will have to be a ticket office and club shop even if they are in a portacabin.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Again, as with the retail park the hotel and conference side will not be revenue for SUFC. Ron has never confirmed the football club will receive any direct funds from anything other than the stadium.

These I assume will:
o Supporters’ food and drink concessions (15 in total)
o Supporters’ bars
o Ticket offices / club shop

The 3 other sides will contain some of the bars/food/drink etc and obviously there will have to be a ticket office and club shop even if they are in a portacabin.

To be fair he hasn't actually said we will benefit from those either!!!

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

This can be a problem that, short of censorship, is impossible to police. A copy of the tweet was posted on the Zone for all to see. It goes against our policy of freedom of speech to remove a post like that but it leaves the damaging post available for anyone to see.

Seems a rather minor point to be making when there is such an important discussion going on, concerning FF, the club and council involvement. However, I don't lay any blame or responsibility at the door of SZ for showing the damaging tweet. Once Sean McAllister had tweeted it was in the public domain, it's he who carries the ultimate blame. If he was searching for a contract I think he needed to be a little more tactful...........he's been a bit of a silly boy. Having said all that, perhaps Luggy, seeing him in training and before the lights went out at Witham, decided that he wasn't what we wanted and the tweet was used as a convenient excuse......who knows???

 

[Jam_Man]

To be fair he hasn't actually said we will benefit from those either!!!

No he has swerved every question, think that needs to be asked at the next liason meeting.

 

[Cricko]

o Hotel of 114 bedrooms
o Conference floorspace
o Corporate hospitality
o Supporters’ food and drink concessions (15 in total)
o Supporters’ bars
o Ticket offices / club shop / club offices
o Players’ hostel


This is the list of things supposed to be built within the stadium area. Revenue streams from the fourth stand. No one can seriously believe we will survive just as a stadium.

We lobbied for the plans to be passed not for the changes. Especially a change where the developer is saying he will do his best to build a fourth stand but not guarantee it.

To be fair you do raise some valid points at times and I respect your views on this saga, but unfortunately I have more chance of shagging Cheryl Cole than most of that happening.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

I just hope that the next meeting 1. Isn't an age in coming 2. That the answers to questions are pressed a bit harder because I would hate these sessions to be just another trust liaison meeting where the same questions are asked and the same replays given.

 

[McNasty]

Please note that , in the short time for a meeting, I felt it was more important to try to resolve questions about the immediate future --- embargo and short-term funding---- than get too bogged down with lots of FF questions.

RM is aware I am preparing more questions from the thread to put to him for his answers and I will e-mail those to him as soon as I can fit everything into my tight schedule.

 

[onceknownasrab]

ok lets look at this from another way. A 3 sided stadium that no-one wants or believes in. No guarantees of a fourth side. No guarantee of perpetuity. Lets accept it. Lets do nothing. Lets not even discuss possible actions/options. All we need to do it wag a finger at RM, call him the devil and watch the club slide into oblivion.

I have always tried to see things from RM's side too and I wish him well but I do want his success to acknowledge his debt to us and the club and those that heroically strove to provide us with a stadium at roots hall.

By all means let him have his dream but not by giving us a nightmare. We deserve better than that. I accept a lot of you disagree with me but as yet I have not heard one alternative suggestion of action bar talking to RM as and when he deems acceptable. I think its good to open lines of communication but I certainly hope that is not all we do.

 

[McNasty]

I just hope that the next meeting 1. Isn't an age in coming 2. That the answers to questions are pressed a bit harder because I would hate these sessions to be just another trust liaison meeting where the same questions are asked and the same replays given.

1) SK wanted another meeting next week but that isn't possible but it will be as soon as everyone's diaries allow.

2) We endeavour to get answers , and a bit like the club paying it's bills promptly --- and you should know mate ---- it is like getting blood from a stone if someone doesn't want to divulge too much. We can hardly pull out his teeth with pliers until he talks.