Transfer Embargo, Winding Up Petition & Staff Salary Issues

[Medway Blue]

I hear you mate, just hurts it feels like it’s going to take us going under before the majority act

This is what I'm afraid of.

 

[GNH]

I see myself in the boat of willing to stand up and fight, but what vehicle do we choose to do that in?

Well we are definitely up **** creek without a paddle

 

[* ORM *]

I see myself in the boat of willing to stand up and fight, but what vehicle do we choose to do that in?

Is the popemobile available?

 

[hlane17]

This is what I'm afraid of.

Same here. I'm quite ready to act now in whatever way I'd be useful, and have been for years.

I had an old Twitter account called Save our Southend before the current SOS came about (after which I changed my account name to avoid confusion) I started mine in late 2019 in the face of the Sol shambles and embargo.

That is how long I've been calling for change at the top of this club, mainly through talking to fans on social media.

However it seems many will let us go very very close to bust before doing anything.

 

[Kat_r]

All the unpaid staff should strike.

Agree. It’s disgraceful. The most vulnerable treated the worst

 

[Kat_r]

Well we are definitely up **** creek without a paddle

It’s the fact sponsors are openly saying they can’t be associated with the club anymore that worries me too. These aren’t club employees or fans. They are neutral and are running away saying they have been misled

 

[Jai]

It is a perfectly reasonable point of view to argue that SVC is being cleverly used as a human shield by Martin to take the heat off him, Never under estimate the Machiavellian skills of RM, Similarly TL, as a director of PG he has been put in a difficult position as a sponsor of SUFC. If you sup with the devil, you need a long spoon.

I would disagree with this. Stan is not going to be taken in by this. Let us not forget that if it weren't for Stan taking Ron to task, we'd not only be stuck with a crook owner, but we wouldn't have a competent CEO or a decent football team.

Can't disagree on the machiavellian RM, but I just think Stan's too savvy. Whatever Stan says, I truly believe you can take to the bank. Many people have said many things about Stan Collymore, but he's always been honest and said things as he has seen them.

 

[Jai]

It’s the fact sponsors are openly saying they can’t be associated with the club anymore that worries me too. These aren’t club employees or fans. They are neutral and are running away saying they have been misled

Wonder what they feel they have been misled about. Let's be honest, it can hardly come as a huge shock that Ron's not paid staff or HMRC. These things are a regular occurrence, despicable as it may be.

Were they promised a contract on the new stadium in some way? Is there more to it? Because presumably they're paying money to the club, not receiving it. So they won't have been owed anything or have been stiffed for money like so many over the years.

Makes you wonder what they feel the club have gone back on. May be as simple as a promise that their brand wouldn't be associated with a financial basket case, but I get the feeling they would have weighed that risk up already.

 

[Jai]

Not just from you @Sherif H, but the phrase "apathy of our fans" is something I've read a lot on here lately, mainly (but not always) because we aren't all 100% united on getting Ron Martin out at this stage of his tenure, or mass protests, or sit-ins, or whatever.

Can I just point out that if the fans were in any way apathetic towards the club, we would not have loyally supported the club through the worst period in it's history, probably the worst set of football results over 2 and a bit seasons for any English professional club in history (I haven't checked, so I'll happily be proved wrong on that) and repeatedly turned up to cheer the team on, home and away.

We cannot be patting ourselves on the back one minute yet dismissing most of those people as apathetic the next. It doesn't work both ways.

Apathetic support means the sort of gates Col U get. Our crowds in the mid 1980's were apathetic.

This current set of supporters are not apathetic. They are loyal beyond belief and the club do not deserve them, seriously. They want the very best for this team and are frequently the 12th man, trying to get the team over the line. The Blue Voice, the supporters groups, they all want the best. They have agreed to the ceasing of protests mid match at the request of Stan, so as not to upset the good work everyone now connected with the management team are trying to do by creating distracting problems on the pitch. The players have responded as well.

However, there are clear differences on where we go from here. Yes, not paying staff is bad, but unfortunately in all businesses that will sometimes happen.

So, to those who think that most people don't care, just maybe consider that they just see it differently. and will consider that they want to put their energy behind getting the club out of this league rather than getting Ron Martin out of the club.

I can't speak for everyone, but judging from the comments on here I guess most people fall into that camp.

We are not apathetic, none of us. We just maybe don't believe in cutting our nose off to spite our face.

We're not an apathetic fan base. Unfortunately, because our relationship with RM is so complex, it divides people on the way forward. There are many of our fans who don't understand the issues, many that are tired and just don't want to think about it.

I've said it before but I hate it when people cite Blackpool and Orient etc. Those examples were black and white. We've had success with Ron. Ron puts money into the club every month. Crucially, many see the stadium as the only viable future for the club and that also adds a layer of complexity given how close it is. Now for me and for several hundred other fans, none of that is cutting any ice given the disasters of the last few years. But for possibly the less vocal majority, it makes them fall short of taking action.

Then there's the stadium. The promised pot of gold. It was never questioned for years, it was clear the revenue stream argument was accepted, and it is partly true of course. But the warning signs have been there for a few years with the three-sided stuff, the scaling down.

The arguments between fans on the best way forward just demonstrate that the passion isn't lacking, it's the consensus that is lacking.

 

[blues exile]

I would disagree with this. Stan is not going to be taken in by this. Let us not forget that if it weren't for Stan taking Ron to task, we'd not only be stuck with a crook owner, but we wouldn't have a competent CEO or a decent football team.

Can't disagree on the machiavellian RM, but I just think Stan's too savvy. Whatever Stan says, I truly believe you can take to the bank. Many people have said many things about Stan Collymore, but he's always been honest and said things as he has seen them.

That is precisely my point. Martin needs an honest man like Stan as cover. There must surely come a time when honourable people must act to disassociate themselves from the duplicity, obfuscation and webspinning they are embroiled in.

 

[Holy Joe]

Who was the poster on here a couple of months ago who was saying that he was arranging a sponsors meeting to discuss the non payment of wages to staff? Was he/she anything to do with pg services?

 

[RHB]

Who was the poster on here a couple of months ago who was saying that he was arranging a sponsors meeting to discuss the non payment of wages to staff? Was he/she anything to do with pg services?

The meeting was never arranged and he has not been on the Zone since.

 

[Stuart W]

That is precisely my point. Martin needs an honest man like Stan as cover. There must surely come a time when honourable people must act to disassociate themselves from the duplicity, obfuscation and webspinning they are embroiled in.

Well you made me think when you mentioned “honourable people must act”.
Every comment on here is “Martin this”, “Martin that”. The last time I looked we also had THREE DIRECTORS going by the names of Michael Markscheffel, Gary Lockett and Frank van Wezel.
What precisely is their function if not to contribute financially to the running of the club? If this embargo is purely down to short term cash flow issues, then shouldn’t they be coming to the club’s aid, or are they just nodding dogs?
it is not all about just Ron.

 

[Blue43]

RElly dont know why people keep harping on get rid of Ron .Ok where is the knight in shining armor coming from .I.It just is not going to happen is it .Sadly we are stuck with the fool on the hill .Who keeps telling us its all going to ok ..Thank god we still have Stan and Tom on our side And coaching staff who reall do care ..Because Ron sure does not .

I’m afraid this is exactly the mentality why we are a now a NL club, fans saying we’re stuck with Ron, who else will buy us.

It’s been proved that there have been plenty of interest from groups wanting to buy the club. However because of his selfish ways, he’s putting his personal fortune before the clubs best interest.

I’ve said it a few times on here that a large portion of our fan base have to take a lot of responsibility for the mess we are in. For way too long the club has been sinking faster than the Titanic and yet a lot of fans have just sat back and and done nothing and kept thinking Ron’s the best option we have and actually moaned about some fans and groups trying to actually do something about it and force him out.

I have no doubt in mind that if 99% of the fan base and ALL fans groups stuck together with the same goal in forcing Ron Martin out of the club then we would be in a much different position now.

 

[Whispering Bob]

That is precisely my point. Martin needs an honest man like Stan as cover. There must surely come a time when honourable people must act to disassociate themselves from the duplicity, obfuscation and webspinning they are embroiled in.

Stan was a busy man on Saturday, trialing a safe standing area in the Directors Box;

 

[Whispering Bob]

And then placating/reassuring concerned fans ;

 

[londonblue]

Well you made me think when you mentioned “honourable people must act”.
Every comment on here is “Martin this”, “Martin that”. The last time I looked we also had THREE DIRECTORS going by the names of Michael Markscheffel, Gary Lockett and Frank van Wezel.
What precisely is their function if not to contribute financially to the running of the club? If this embargo is purely down to short term cash flow issues, then shouldn’t they be coming to the club’s aid, or are they just nodding dogs?
it is not all about just Ron.

My understanding is that the other directors do what they can to keep RM in check, but since he owns the vast majority of shares there's very little they can do. He keeps them in the dark almost as much as he does the rest of us.

I've also been told in the past that they used to bail the club out but have stopped because Ron never keeps them informed and they don't really see why it should be a one way street.

 

[Stuart W]

My understanding is that the other directors do what they can to keep RM in check, but since he owns the vast majority of shares there's very little they can do. He keeps them in the dark almost as much as he does the rest of us.

I've also been told in the past that they used to bail the club out but have stopped because Ron never keeps them informed and they don't really see why it should be a one way street.

So can your source tell me what do they actually do then?

 

[londonblue]

So can your source tell me what do they actually do then?

I doubt my source could tell you anything. I'm also trying not to discuss things with him these days as he's probably sick of me asking questions. But as I said, there's very little they can do other than continually ask questions that they very rarely get straight answers to.

Ron talking in riddles, who'd have thought.

 

[Kat_r]

Ok so pg services are still our sponcers or are they .They say someone at the club lied to them to obtain shirt sponcers .Well i thought the deal we brockered by Tom and i doubt very much Tom lied to anyone .So who is telling the truth ?????

Good question