The New Stadium - A non match report

[Bielzibubz]

Velmurugan?

English please Mike, it helps :p



Edited..

Oh, it's the guys name!:D:D:D doh!

 

[bluearmy1]

thanks D62 - going onto Longpier now

 

[Airmiles]

Truly a Day to Remember:


After wrapping up like I was about to embark on an Arctic expedition it was time to leave for Roots Hall and hopefully meet up with the many other like minded hardy souls. In my pessimism I expected perhaps 30 to 40 to be in

attendance​

so you can imagine my surprise and delight when I drove through the gates of Roots Hall bang on 1pm to find I was just one of

approximately​

100 to 150 other Blues supporters to have taken time out of their day to attend

today's​

events.

After 20 minutes of standing around, chatting to others, all airing their views on what today's outcome would likely be I verily jumped at the chance to hitch a ride to the Council Offices on the Trust coach and try and get some sort of feeling back into my toes which by this time had I'm sure gone blue.


Another 15 minutes in traffic getting the 1/2 mile from Roots Hall to the Council offices and we

de​

-camped prior to the bus stop to join those that had made the short walk on foot.


Not 10 seconds after leaving the coach we were informed that the Council chamber where the meeting was taking place was already full and that we'd have to wait outside. Various rumors spread as to why it should have been full so early, ranging from it being full of KARERS and objectors to it being moved to a smaller chamber with far less seating in the public gallery but no matter, this didn't seem to dampen

anyone's​

enthusiasm and this just went up a notch when the assembled media photographers got everyone together on the steps for a photo call.


2pm came around and still we waited for the outside speaker to jump into life. All wasn't looking well when at 2.07pm it sparked into life and we were then

privileged​

to hear a Council Committee member ramble on through the square footage of this and the square footage of that. Cue lots of bemused looks from the assembled masses.


2.30pm and a coffee was in order,

courtesy​

of Beaver. It was then we heard a rumor that some were being aloud upstairs to listen to the

proceedings​

from the comfort of a nice warm corridor with comfy chairs and speakers in the ceiling. Needless to say a few of us

surreptisiously​

and cautiously made our way upstairs and pick our spot.


After a few tweaks with the speaker system all was well and we got stuck into what was being said in the room next door. For the first 60 minutes or so there was a distinct feeling of

apprehension​

as we listened to one Councillor after another

recommend​

the application be referred until various sticking points had been resolved.

Not being up on all this planning speak I have to admit that a lot of it went completely over my head but the one bit I did get was when it came to the first vote. The vote for referral.
Everything went quiet as the Chairman asked for a show of hands. You could have heard a pin drop I swear but the next few words spoken by the Chairman, when they came, were a complete and utter shock. A big fat NO to the referral option.
I looked at a few others and they genuinely seemed as shocked as me as up to this point referral was what we were all realistically expecting but no, it had to be a yes or a no, one or the other.
The tension went up a notch or two at this news but it would be another 30 minutes or so until the final vote came in (although a large number got rather ahead of themselves at something that was said in chambers and started cheering and shouting way before time).


Best

speech​

of the day by a councillor was by far the one made by an Indian chap, who's name escapes me now, who more or less told the other councillors to pull their

proverbial​

fingers out and look to the future and approve the application. The man

deservedly​

got the biggest cheer and applause from those assembled around me.


Shortly after came the vote we had all be hoping for but secretly not expecting. A 13 - 0 majority vote in favor of the Fossets Farm development. The place

erupted​

to cheers, whoops, claps and terrace songs with looks of astonishment and joy from all those around me.


After so many years of

disappointment​

and let downs our beloved club was finally going to get what it needs and deserves. Well done and a big thank you to Ron Martin, Tilly & Brush, the players and everyone concerned with doing their bit to see this day

finally​

come to fruition.

I don't remember the walk back to Roots Hall. I spent the whole time on the phone to various people giving them the good news and how I didn't get run down will remain a total mystery.

The futures bright. The futures Blue

D62

Were there any non-believers there?

 

[Bielzibubz]

In the Council chamber, apparently not no. There was one poor woman and her husband in the corridor outside but she was err, how shall I put this, slightly out numbered :D

From what I gather she was the only one.

 

[Shoebury Shrimper]

Were there any non-believers there?

There was 1 woman who sat a couple of seats away from me in the councils chamber and she put up an A4 sheet of paper saying no to the stadium with a red cross going through it.

 

[Airmiles]

In the Council chamber, apparently not no. There was one poor woman and her husband in the corridor outside but she was err, how shall I put this, slightly out numbered :D

From what I gather she was the only one.

No CS J and the gang of doom. Inc' tony the Kray?

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

There was 1 woman who sat a couple of seats away from me in the councils chamber and she put up an A4 sheet of paper saying no to the stadium with a red cross going through it.

So, she actually meant yes to the stadium?

;)

 

[londonblue]

So, she actually meant yes to the stadium?

;)

Indeed! You beat me to it.

 

[sufcintheprem]

I heard that she just really hates the naysayers and isn't fussed on the stadium itself...

 

[Airmiles]

Who is this "Sue Steer?"

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

The attractive redhead.

Damn, knew I should have made the effort ;)

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Don't quite know what happened to the formatting of the above post but its gone tits up....Mods, any chance of sorting please:)

I've sorted it out

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

She is (was?) chairman of the KARERS (Keeping of Amenities, Recreation and Environmental Resources Safe) which was originally created to oppose development at Fossetts Farm five or six years ago but then expanded to take in other issues, such as the Priory Crescent expansion project.

Back in 2001 the KARERS embarked on a campaign of scare-mongering tactics to build up opposition to the development of a football stadium at Fossetts Farm. At the time, a certain "Steve Clayton*" told BBC Sport that "KARERS have attempted to portray all football fans as Neanderthals. They have been busy telling anyone who will listen that building the stadium will mean hundreds of fans defecating and urinating in their gardens every week."

* Whatever happened to him? It's like he disappeared into space or something?! ;)

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Back in 2001 the KARERS embarked on a campaign of scare-mongering tactics to build up opposition to the development of a football stadium at Fossetts Farm. At the time, a certain "Steve Clayton*" told BBC Sport that "KARERS have attempted to portray all football fans as Neanderthals. They have been busy telling anyone who will listen that building the stadium will mean hundreds of fans defecating and urinating in their gardens every week."

* Whatever happened to him? It's like he disappeared into space or something?! ;)

:D Good heavens, whatever happened to him?? A very likeable chap if I remember correctly...

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

At the time, a certain "Steve Clayton*" told BBC Sport...

* Whatever happened to him? It's like he disappeared into space or something?! ;)

I've heard that the bloke is a total plank...

:p :D

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southend_utd/1279529.stm

So he did. To see how far we've come on and off the pitch, our team at that time was:

Gay, Beard, Cort, McSweeney, Searle, Thurgood, Selley, Maher, Johnson, Whelan, Belgrave. Subs: Flahavan, Wallace, Alderton, Broad, Kerrigan.

How Shrewsbury only scored 2 past that lot, I'll never know.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

Who is this "Sue Steer?"

CSJ girlfriend innt?