Transfer News and Gossip Transfer Rumours Thread 2024/25 - Time to Cook 👨‍🍳

[sufc4life21]

Spending loads of money, doesn't guarantee anything. Just remember we have a Stadium that only gained a Safety Certificate a couple of days before the season started. Parts of the Stadium are still unusable. Question of priorities of which a successful side is just one. COSU like us want promotion, but increasing the Income Stream is just as important. We lost almost the entire close season, which hasn't helped. Patience is needed.

Maybe COSU need to come out and tell us there medium to long term plan then fans would have better understanding of what the longer term vision is. Currently we have undercooked squad with a stadium which is only 7,5k capacity and training facilities which are falling to pieces. Its nice to have new owners but they haven't exactly been on the club social media channels to outline there long term vision for the club so fans are little bit in the dark. We are living in era where communication to its fanbase is vital with social media being dominant force.

 

[leeblue]

What a load of nonsense my friend. We have a good budget at this level.

Good, for sure my friend.
Others have very good and great and in FGR case phenomenal. I think recent history shows money needs spending to get out of this league. Boy wonders post is alluding to the scenario where we have agreed a deal then club x comes in and says here's a few more quid....we are rightly showing financial responsibility however that's not how modern football works of you want to win.

 

[BoyWonder2]

I know Kev doesn't like them but he's going to have get a loan or two in if we can't get anyone permanent

What do you think he has tried to do with Tshimanga and Moncur?

 

[leeblue]

What do you think he has tried to do with Tshimanga and Moncur?

Hi boss, is it fair to say parent clubs want x amount in contributions and we are not paying it?
Or we have agreed x amount and club x have come in and offered parent club more?

 

[Jai]

Agreed, as i said many seasons in the NL incoming. Expense of stadium upkeep and renovation alone means years of reduced funds for playing squad, coupled with the wait for renovations to start bearing financial fruit which will be years. Again I'm not having a go as you said patience, years of patience.

Very good points which I am sure many haven't considered.

The way the club was run for years means we are going to be disadvantaged for some time. It's not just the stadium either. The short-termism and desperation when it came to recruitment will be an ongoing issue. Look at Maidenhead and Barnet. Both took millions this summer through sell on clauses of young players they developed sensibly and sold on with good deals.

Then you take the situation with Lopata, a player we could and should have made a few hundred K on, and you start to see how we have had to start completely from scratch. We're not just starting a few weeks behind. It's several years.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Maybe COSU need to come out and tell us there medium to long term plan then fans would have better understanding of what the longer term vision is. Currently we have undercooked squad with a stadium which is only 7,5k capacity and training facilities which are falling to pieces. Its nice to have new owners but they haven't exactly been on the club social media channels to outline there long term vision for the club so fans are little bit in the dark. We are living in era where communication to its fanbase is vital with social media being dominant force.

Would have said they outlined a vision at the Cliffs Pavilion back in January. You will get a good idea if you find the Thread, "Football and Finance". Page 6, last post on it was 3rd August. Tom Lawrence has plenty to say. Listen to the Podcast, very enlightening.

 

[BoyWonder2]

Hi boss, is it fair to say parent clubs want x amount in contributions and we are not paying it?
Or we have agreed x amount and club x have come in and offered parent club more?

In the case of Tshimanga & Moncur, at the moment, we haven’t agreed to the percentage of wage contribution that their clubs want.

It’s quite simple. As I said before, our position is strengthened once the EFL window slams shut and they are still there. We are just competing with other National League clubs, and below at that stage.

 

[leeblue]

Very good points which I am sure many haven't considered.

The way the club was run for years means we are going to be disadvantaged for some time. It's not just the stadium either. The short-termism and desperation when it came to recruitment will be an ongoing issue. Look at Maidenhead and Barnet. Both took millions this summer through sell on clauses of young players they developed sensibly and sold on with good deals.

Then you take the situation with Lopata, a player we could and should have made a few hundred K on, and you start to see how we have had to start completely from scratch. We're not just starting a few weeks behind. It's several years.

Absolutely, the levels of how shafted we were by the ratty slag can be judged by the buzz created due to......a scoreboard!
We have sunk to such depths of awfulness that something as humdrum as a scoreboard gets people going. Quick disclaimer I love the scoreboard
We are trying to rebuild, not from rubble but dust.

 

[leeblue]

In the case of Tshimanga & Moncur, at the moment, we haven’t agreed to the percentage of wage contribution that their clubs want.

It’s quite simple. As I said before, our position is strengthened once the EFL window slams shut and they are still there. We are just competing with other National League clubs, and below at that stage.

As always thank you very much for your insight. Always appreciated mate x
31st could be a very interesting day.

 

[sufc4life21]

Good, for sure my friend.
Others have very good and great and in FGR case phenomenal. I think recent history shows money needs spending to get out of this league. Boy wonders post is alluding to the scenario where we have agreed a deal then club x comes in and says here's a few more quid....we are rightly showing financial responsibility however that's not how modern football works of you want to win.

You got to have the right balance I guess. You don't want to go overkill on player signings but you do need to invest to progress. Problem with this league is clubs don't generate enough money to become sustainable so clubs who have owners with cash want out to have better income streams ie bigger tv deals and marketing opportunities which could potentially net better sponsorship due to the exposure a club gets through being in the EFL provides, Sky are showing lot more lower league coverage now. Being in the EFL does provide vastly substantial tv deal compared to the national league, im sure each club in league 2 earns around 500k year (maybe more I'm not to sure) also clubs have youth academy's which is funded by the EFL so that's another income stream when it comes to selling promising young players. We currently don't have that so we are reliant on fan numbers and player trading....... John still diamonds in the rough have served us well but none of them have gone on to make us a decent profit which is disappointing.

 

[onceknownasrab]

It's all a bit early doors to get too worked up or worried. COSU have dug deep already and their party line has always been sustainability not sugar daddy.
I know I am on record, repeatedly, for doubting the long term viability of RH but, it's what we've got. There are so many current constraints at the ground that restrict or prohibit the opportunity to tap into a myriad of possible revenue streams.
We label ourselves as a community club and so we need to delve into the community to bring in extra revenue. Parks for events, hotels, clubs, pubs, community centres etc can all be utilised to put on SUFC fund raising activities. The venues benefit, the club benefits and the SUFC brand reaches further.
A party in the park with all local based bands? Comedy nights, not the ones we see under our floodlights, or even the simple quiz can add much needed monies.
We need the club to be a veritable roadshow of entertainment above and beyond football. I hope the marketing department is already looking into the possibilities but, a number of the well connected fans on this site alone could organise many a good time that puts cash in the Blues coffers.

 

[Shrimper]

What do you think he has tried to do with Tshimanga and Moncur?

Forgot about Tshimanga but are either him or Moncour really possible with the wages there on? If we want to be sustainable we're probably going to have to be more realistic.

 

[BoyWonder2]

Forgot about Tshimanga but are either him or Moncour really possible with the wages there on? If we want to be sustainable we're probably going to have to be more realistic.

If we have a budget, and our wage contribution fits into that budget, then we are being sustainable and realistic.

We’ve taken players on loan before, who are on higher wages than the likes of Tshimanga and Moncur, and haven’t had to pay anything towards their wages.

If Posh or Orient said “yeah, crack on, take them for 1/3/6/12 months and we’ll cover their wages” then that fits in perfectly. Unfortunately, Posh & Orient haven’t said this.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

Forgot about Tshimanga but are either him or Moncour really possible with the wages there on? If we want to be sustainable we're probably going to have to be more realistic.

The only observation I would make is if both are still on their individual clubs books when the EFL window shuts then arguably it maybe those clubs who have to be realistic and take the best they can get! It's just if we are in a position to be that option then rather than now.

 

[sufc4life21]

Would have said they outlined a vision at the Cliffs Pavilion back in January. You will get a good idea if you find the Thread, "Football and Finance". Page 6, last post on it was 3rd August. Tom Lawrence has plenty to say. Listen to the Podcast, very enlightening.

I've watched there induction back in January but I feel its now its slightly outdated considering they officially obtained the club in July. I well have to check out the football and finance page to find out more.

 

[Holy Joe]

I've watched there induction back in January but I feel its now its slightly outdated considering they officially obtained the club in July. I well have to check out the football and finance page to find out more.

I agree, the deal is slightly different as well. I'd hope also some more details and/or progress could be reported - it was pretty high level stuff at the cliffs - and not just because I was on the balcony. Plus they've now got the keys and can see the real picture. I'd have thought an update in the coming weeks, not months, would be appropriate. Afterall they did say improved communication.

Could also hold a shareholders AGM, haven't had one of those for many years!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Can we please stop with the club was only taken over a few weeks ago.

I'm sure the scouting didn't stop all summer and when we lost some targets because we couldn't sign players further players would have been scouted to replace them. Maher would have know what the budget was going to be in place for the year and the new contracts would have taken this into account.

Would Maher have known the actual budget?

I’m sure a budget was set back in January but that was based on the consortium getting in in Q1. The new contract increases would have been based on this budget.

So what has changed since then?

Well not much, which is half the problem. The initial business plan would have been based on COSU being able to implement their changes in time for the season. That would mean fixing the ground to increase capacity and allow for more revenue. A fanzone was planned that should have been earning money for the club during the Euros(!) and all through this season. Food and drink offerings were to be expanded etc.

Additionally they incurred extra costs notably the two appeals against the bond. A KC instructed for two appeals - I’d suggest that’s quite possibly a player’s wages for the year. Meanwhile legal spend for the takeover would have continued to mount as the deal changed for the umpteenth time, including reducing Ron’s contribution from £20m to £12m.

It’s quite possible by the time COSU got in their initial spending plans had to be slimmed down considerably.

 

[sufc4life21]

I agree, the deal is slightly different as well. I'd hope also some more details and/or progress could be reported - it was pretty high level stuff at the cliffs - and not just because I was on the balcony. Plus they've now got the keys and can see the real picture. I'd have thought an update in the coming weeks, not months, would be appropriate. Afterall they did say improved communication.

Could also hold a shareholders AGM, haven't had one of those for many years!

Probably just needs the club media team do 20 minute interview with Justin so he can outline his vision for Southend united medium to long term then post it on social media channels to give the wider fanbase and insight into the club future going forward.

 

[Gridelet's contact lens]

You got to have the right balance I guess. You don't want to go overkill on player signings but you do need to invest to progress. Problem with this league is clubs don't generate enough money to become sustainable so clubs who have owners with cash want out to have better income streams ie bigger tv deals and marketing opportunities which could potentially net better sponsorship due to the exposure a club gets through being in the EFL provides, Sky are showing lot more lower league coverage now. Being in the EFL does provide vastly substantial tv deal compared to the national league, im sure each club in league 2 earns around 500k year (maybe more I'm not to sure) also clubs have youth academy's which is funded by the EFL so that's another income stream when it comes to selling promising young players. We currently don't have that so we are reliant on fan numbers and player trading....... John still diamonds in the rough have served us well but none of them have gone on to make us a decent profit which is disappointing.

Well, I wonder how the Shrimper faithful would feel if we sold Scott-Morriss and Colin to a League 2 EFL club for, say £200k each? It has not happened yet, as we could not let anyone go, but now we may and the signing of George Wind as a young RWB as maybe a nod towards that happening?

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

I'm not quite sure why the panic/pessimism.

Despite seemingly being close to budget in terms of what he was originally given, It's clear that Kev will be allowed to bring in a couple more players in to supplement the squad on an average to good wage.
(Max £1500 per week as an estimate).

It would also appear that COSU are prepared to stump up a modest transfer fee if the right player becomes available and accepts a wage that's comparable with what others in the squad are on.

Kev's simply trying to get the best player he can for his buck.

Personally I'm still hoping that the Adarkwa deal can be done. Like one or two others have said, I'm not convinced that deal is dead in the water.