Today in The Daily Mail

[Norfolkshrimp]

The Court cases could only have been avoided if we paid up. We didn't have any money to pay up.

Have we paid the legal fees ? If so where did that money come from ?

I'm talking about the cases before the Sainsbury bail out. RM seems to find money to defend the indefensible wouldn't you agree ?

 

[Beefy]

Have we paid the legal fees ? If so where did that money come from ?

I'm talking about the cases before the Sainsbury bail out. RM seems to find money to defend the indefensible wouldn't you agree ?

I don't know how much we pay on legal fees. Do you?

I may be wrong here, but didn't every Court appearence we make in 2009/10 end in either payment from Sainsburys or a promise of payment from Sainsburys?

 

[onceknownasrab]

Lets put things into context. If we were solvent and jogging along at Roots Hall, our revenue streams and possible attendances would make us a reasonable league one side that dipped in and out of league two. One thing against this scenario is Roots Hall itself and its limitations in terms of maintenance costs and restricted capacity. It also allows little for other forms of revenue. We could, in compliance with the covenant, switch to a smaller more affordable ground and basically give up on any ambition. However, the town of Southend and its huge growth in my lifetime, allows for a football club to reflect the towns growing status. At least RM is looking along those lines. We all feel that it would be sustainable to eventually exist in the championship in tandem with current plans. It is though, quite plausible, that we could be a handy premiership side in our lifetime. The towns growth is unabated and we are ideally located, being close enough to the capital but reasonably distanced from other Premiership outfits. Tomorrows new recruits to West Ham may well be tempted to align with us if we were a top flight side. Remember, RM can still build his little retail town at FF and give us a tin-pot stadium that reflects our current status and comply with the covenant. Thankfully he has chosen not to.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

I don't know how much we pay on legal fees. Do you?

I may be wrong here, but didn't every Court appearence we make in 2009/10 end in either payment from Sainsburys or a promise of payment from Sainsburys?

Why do you always answer a question with a question ? For someone with almost 12,000 posts you don't know a lot but say plenty.

 

[TJC]

The Court cases could only have been avoided if we paid up. We didn't have any money to pay up.

EDIT - the thing is you could be entirely right. There could be a massive conspiracy between RM, GK and a shadowy group of business associates to bring the Club to its knees. You could certainly make the case and there is no way that I, or anyone else, could disprove it.

The reason why I don't think it's the case is because there are other, more straight-forward, explanations why we're where we are. Until there's some firm evidence one way or the other I'll stick with my feeling that there really isn't more here than meets the eye.

Happy to go with this. Ron would have always wanted to come out of this smelling of roses and make a life change amount of profit too. I can't believe he would prefer to destroy a 100 year old football club just to make a quick buck. I'm sure if that was his intention from the outset, he would have done it long ago.

Made some pretty close to the bone mistakes - yes. Running things far too close to the wire - yes. Deliberately trying to put the club out of business - not a chance.

Lets just hope that teflon coating isn't damaged!

 

[Frankie the half breed]

Help us Alison, where are youuuuu :(

 

[Beefy]

Why do you always answer a question with a question ? For someone with almost 12,000 posts you don't know a lot but say plenty.

Firstly, you just answered a question with a question.

Secondly you've made a number of wild, over the top allegations in this thread and elsewhere. I'm just trying to establish if there is a single fact upon which they are based. I suspect I know the answer.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

Lets put things into context. If we were solvent and jogging along at Roots Hall, our revenue streams and possible attendances would make us a reasonable league one side that dipped in and out of league two. One thing against this scenario is Roots Hall itself and its limitations in terms of maintenance costs and restricted capacity. It also allows little for other forms of revenue. We could, in compliance with the covenant, switch to a smaller more affordable ground and basically give up on any ambition. However, the town of Southend and its huge growth in my lifetime, allows for a football club to reflect the towns growing status. At least RM is looking along those lines. We all feel that it would be sustainable to eventually exist in the championship in tandem with current plans. It is though, quite plausible, that we could be a handy premiership side in our lifetime. The towns growth is unabated and we are ideally located, being close enough to the capital but reasonably distanced from other Premiership outfits. Tomorrows new recruits to West Ham may well be tempted to align with us if we were a top flight side. Remember, RM can still build his little retail town at FF and give us a tin-pot stadium that reflects our current status and comply with the covenant. Thankfully he has chosen not to.

No matter how you dress it up facts are facts.

RM only got involved with SUFC because he saw a chance to make a very good profit which is fine, for that I can't criticise him.

The fact remains though that he has failed at every turn, not only is SUFC in dire financial trouble it appears all of his other companies are too. Doesn't that ring alarm bells ? Do you really think he has the capability to continue much longer ? His credit rating and that of his companies is probably one of the worst on record and it's not as simple as using the Sainsbury's money to build a shiny new stadium. If the stadium ever gets built do you think everything will be ok ?

The only way forward is with a new owner and that probably isn't going to happen but RM will not be able to dig us out of this mess either.

I saw a thread about starting a trust for a 4th side to the new stadium today. FFS if people want to do something then I would suggest a trust to plan for the future of the club and some kind of contingency plan for when we eventually do get wound up. It really is a distinct possibility we may have to start from scratch at a much lower level.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

Secondly you've made a number of wild, over the top allegations in this thread and elsewhere.

Really ? Well we will see about that in the not too distant future no doubt.

Over the top or hit a nerve with certain people ?

 

[Beefy]

Really ? Well we will see about that in the not too distant future no doubt.

Over the top or hit a nerve with certain people ?

The lack of evidence hits a nerve, yeah. The opinion stated as undeniable fact, definitely.

As I said in a post above (which you may have missed because I edited it in whilst you were replying) you could be right and I can't dispute that. Alternatively you could be wrong. Until some evidence comes out one way or another I'll put our plight down to a cashflow problem caused by a number of factors rather than to any conspiracy theory.

 

[Beefy]

No matter how you dress it up facts are facts.

RM only got involved with SUFC because he saw a chance to make a very good profit which is fine, for that I can't criticise him.

The fact remains though that he has failed at every turn, not only is SUFC in dire financial trouble it appears all of his other companies are too. Doesn't that ring alarm bells ? Do you really think he has the capability to continue much longer ? His credit rating and that of his companies is probably one of the worst on record and it's not as simple as using the Sainsbury's money to build a shiny new stadium. If the stadium ever gets built do you think everything will be ok ?

The only way forward is with a new owner and that probably isn't going to happen but RM will not be able to dig us out of this mess either.

I saw a thread about starting a trust for a 4th side to the new stadium today. FFS if people want to do something then I would suggest a trust to plan for the future of the club and some kind of contingency plan for when we eventually do get wound up. It really is a distinct possibility we may have to start from scratch at a much lower level.

See, now I agree with that post. But an hour ago you were blaming people conspiring to bring us down. Now you're saying we're here because RM is in financial trouble.

As for a Trust needing to be set up to plan for the future of the Club, isn't that what we've got?

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

The lack of evidence hits a nerve, yeah. The opinion stated as undeniable fact, definitely.

As I said in a post above (which you may have missed because I edited it in whilst you were replying) you could be right and I can't dispute that. Alternatively you could be wrong. Until some evidence comes out one way or another I'll put our plight down to a cashflow problem caused by a number of factors rather than to any conspiracy theory.

Factors could be many in number yes I agree but these rank pretty highly on my list.

1 - Incompetence
2 - Facilitating an as yet unknown agenda but one clearly motivated by money alone

In fact in my opinion both apply and as a combination it's pretty deadly to the health of the club.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

See, now I agree with that post. But an hour ago you were blaming people conspiring to bring us down. Now you're saying we're here because RM is in financial trouble.

As for a Trust needing to be set up to plan for the future of the Club, isn't that what we've got?

Did I say conspire ? I think I said "aid" in some way, whether that be brown nosing for personal financial gain or an act deliberately or unintentionally resulting in the demise of the football club, but the survival of RM in business, my point is he isn't clever enough to achieve his ultimate goal alone. If someone in the inner sanctum had stood up to him at some point and said "you know what Ronald you don't have a ****ing clue and if we don't change direction then there won't be a football club to play at your shiny new stadium" maybe we wouldn't be in such a mess.

I don't think there is anyone who has any say in the day to day debacle we have to witness that has a real passion for this club and has it's best interests at heart.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

As for a Trust needing to be set up to plan for the future of the Club, isn't that what we've got?

That's a different can of worms don't you think ?

Would it not have been prudent for the current trust to have maintained a healthy bank balance to use on any future regeneration of the club instead of handing over a considerable sum to RM last year ? A topic for a different thread maybe.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

I don't think there is anyone who has any say in the day to day debacle we have to witness that has a real passion for this club and has it's best interests at heart.

I'm going to quote myself now LOL

Actually I think there was, the names were Tilson, Brush and Barrett and look what happens when you do speak up !

 

[Firestorm]

I don't blame just one person. I blame RM, GK and any other brown noser who has helped them to conspire to put the club in the position it finds itself in today. I'm sure RM has a number of people who turn a blind eye or actively assist the ongoing incompetence demonstrated on a daily basis.

Does that make my position clear ? LOL

Did I say conspire ? I think I said "aid" in some way, whether that be brown nosing for personal financial gain or an act deliberately or unintentionally resulting in the demise of the football club, but the survival of RM in business, my point is he isn't clever enough to achieve his ultimate goal alone. If someone in the inner sanctum had stood up to him at some point and said "you know what Ronald you don't have a ****ing clue and if we don't change direction then there won't be a football club to play at your shiny new stadium" maybe we wouldn't be in such a mess.

I don't think there is anyone who has any say in the day to day debacle we have to witness that has a real passion for this club and has it's best interests at heart.

yes.............

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

yes.............

Thanks couldn't be arsed to check back

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'm going to quote myself now LOL

Actually I think there was, the names were Tilson, Brush and Barrett and look what happens when you do speak up !

Did Barrett have the best interest of the club at heart when he signed his 5 year(?) deal that made him one of the highest earners at the club?

I'm not criticising him for wanting to make money and I'm sure he wants/wanted the club to do well, but doesn't the same apply to Ron?

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

but doesn't the same apply to Ron?

I'm not convinced it does tbh. If RM can pull off the stadium and make a modest profit or break even with the project it would put him in a much stronger financial position than he's currently in. I think if he can pull his arse out of the fire he will walk away without giving a second thought about the football club. ie. Sell the Stadium and shops etc.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'm not convinced it does tbh. If RM can pull off the stadium and make a modest profit or break even with the project it would put him in a much stronger financial position than he's currently in. I think if he can pull his arse out of the fire he will walk away without giving a second thought about the football club.

Did Adam Barrett give a second thought when Palace reserves offered him a contract well in excess of what Southend could offer?

I'll reiterate, I don't have an issue with Barrett, I realise he was doing his best in circumstances beyond his control but that he was out of his depth.

How does that differ from Ron?