What or Who is more important? Southend United or Ron Martin?

[westie]

We continue to discuss the merits of boycotting Roots Hall for the purpose of venting our feelings to the Chairman. But I'm not convinced for the follwing reasons:

(1) I think he pretty much knows how the majority of fans feel.

(2) I don't think he gives a toss.

(3) Would any such a boycott realistically make any difference?

I've supported this Club for over 50 years and during that time, SUFC has NEVER been truly solvent. It has mainly survived on donations from the Supporters' Club and by selling its best players. In my time, from Errol Crossan in 1957 to Lee Barnard in 2010 ... the list is very long ... and the sum accrued, runs into millions.

During my long association with this Club, I cannot remember too many, if any, popular Chairmen. For me, Ron Martin is the modern-day version of what the Club has previously experienced. The only real difference being that I cannot remember the Club paying the wages and its taxes so belatedly.

Irrespective of who is Team Manager and who is Club Chairman, history tells us that Southend United's fortunes both on and off the pitch have continued to fluctuate over its long existence. An existence which I'm sure we all hope we continue after August 2nd.

It is on this basis and for these reasons that I will continue to support Southend United Football Club. Because I believe the Club is more important than anyone individual such as Ron Martin.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

It is on this basis and for these reasons that I will continue to support Southend United Football Club. Because I believe the Club is more important than anyone individual such as Ron Martin.

But as RM so eloquently put on the morning of the Sturrock press conference, it's HIS club, not ours and therefore for that reason I, and I'm sure many others currently, am questioning my continuing support and commitment to SUFC.

 

[westie]

But as RM so eloquently put on the morning of the Sturrock press conference, it's HIS club, not ours and therefore for that reason I, and I'm sure many others currently, am questioning my continuing support and commitment to SUFC.

Understand your concern. But previous Chairmen, notably the late Vic Jobson, made similar noises. And on the same "it's all been done before" theme, how many fans realise Sainsburys have been trying to buy Roots Hall since the mid 70s?

 

[Rayleigh boy]

at the end of the day its all about Roots Hall -

just everything is about Roots Hall ....

 

[David Essex]

Personally i have nothing against Ron or anyone who works for the club i support. I truly believe ron has hit brick walls every corner he has turned, decisions have to made at particular times wrong or right, we knew we would be in for a bumpy ride, I loved Tilson to bits but we needed change, Its getting close to crunch time and i am optimistic as ever, A new stadium is needed for us to put in a serious challenge of quality football, There arent many owners of clubs who actually Live and die for the club, you only have to look at all these take overs through recent years. Seems Sheffield Wednesday are the next to be rabbits in the headlights. Hopefully they will come through without administration which is the ultimate low, something we have so far avoided.....UTB

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Personally i have nothing against Ron or anyone who works for the club i support.

You might do if you knew exactly what had gone down (in certain circumstances)...

 

[Jack The Flag]

Rons a Liar!
But will not stop me from supporting Southend United :support:

But ...
I will be cutting back on what i buy at Roots Hall now,

I am not buying Southend Shirt,
Buying no food or drink,
No programmes.

I will pay to enter to support the team but i will not be purchasing anything else.

UTB

 

[David Essex]

I shall buy a shirt, i shall by a programme, i never buy food coz its fattening (with age i need to cut back!!) programmes and shirts are my fondest memories, and again does anyone really know what goes on at any football club, i mean look at the state of West Ham, used to be a family club then they ousted Lyall Bonds and greenwood, probably some of the nicest people in the sport, Im guessing no one on this board has ever told a lie ?

 

[BrettieAngell]

I shall buy a shirt, i shall by a programme, i never buy food coz its **** (with age i need to cut back!!) programmes and shirts are my fondest memories, and again does anyone really know what goes on at any football club, i mean look at the state of West Ham, used to be a family club then they ousted Lyall Bonds and greenwood, probably some of the nicest people in the sport, Im guessing no one on this board has ever told a lie ?

edited for accuracy.

 

[A Century United]

But as RM so eloquently put on the morning of the Sturrock press conference, it's HIS club, not ours and therefore for that reason I, and I'm sure many others currently, am questioning my continuing support and commitment to SUFC.

Good grief, Rich - as Westie has said, that sort of statement has been made by many previous chairmen. It isn't a question of who owns the club - it's a question of what the club means to you.

To Ron it's mainly an opportunity to make some money and though I think he also wants the club to succeed, he isn't a fan, and doesn't love the club as we do.

To you, it's much less physical, much more spiritual. You do love the club for many reasons, and to talk about:

questioning (your) continuing support and commitment to SUFC

is just madness. Either you're a fan, and you will follow your club through thick AND thin, or you are just a follower, who will peel away when things turn bad. And I know you, and you are no mere follower. Please turn away from this vendetta against one man who will one day be gone and mostly forgotten, and focus on what you can do to maximise the chances of our club surviving the latest in the series of crisis it has been lurching into and out of ever since I have been going to Roots Hall - and that's nearly as long as Westie!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Personally i have nothing against Ron or anyone who works for the club i support. I truly believe ron has hit brick walls every corner he has turned, decisions have to made at particular times wrong or right, we knew we would be in for a bumpy ride, I loved Tilson to bits but we needed change, Its getting close to crunch time and i am optimistic as ever, A new stadium is needed for us to put in a serious challenge of quality football, There arent many owners of clubs who actually Live and die for the club, you only have to look at all these take overs through recent years. Seems Sheffield Wednesday are the next to be rabbits in the headlights. Hopefully they will come through without administration which is the ultimate low, something we have so far avoided.....UTB

Pretty much my sentiments and a good post.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Rons a Liar!
But will not stop me from supporting Southend United :support:

But ...
I will be cutting back on what i buy at Roots Hall now,

I am not buying Southend Shirt,
Buying no food or drink,
No programmes.

I will pay to enter to support the team but i will not be purchasing anything else.

UTB

The very things that may help to keep SUFC afloat. Well done

 

[palexander]

The very things that may help to keep SUFC afloat. Well done

Some people just don't understand they will be as much to blame by doing this.

I saw a guy argue till he was blue in the face at the turnstiles Monday in trying to get out of the steward where his £10 note was going. "if it's going to Ron, I'm not coming in" poor steward didn't know what to do or say.

Just ridiculous, support the club, let the money men take care of what they can.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

During my long association with this Club, I cannot remember too many, if any, popular Chairmen. For me, Ron Martin is the modern-day version of what the Club has previously experienced. The only real difference being that I cannot remember the Club paying the wages and its taxes so belatedly.

FWIW, the club has certainly paid its taxes late before. The main difference here is HMRC's position, they are no longer tolerating a practice which use to be rife within football. As soon as we now miss a payment, we are slapped with a winding-up or administration order whereas in the past the Inland Revenue and/or Customs and Excise were slow to do so and allowed arrears to accumulate over several years.

 

[steveo]

I will be cutting back on what i buy at Roots Hall now,
I am not buying Southend ShirtBuying no food or drink, No programmes

UTB

Good idea. Make the club go out of business quicker then you can bang on about what a great fan you are when you are following the team all over the non league grounds.

 

[Norfolkshrimp]

We continue to discuss the merits of boycotting Roots Hall for the purpose of venting our feelings to the Chairman. But I'm not convinced for the follwing reasons:

(1) I think he pretty much knows how the majority of fans feel.

(2) I don't think he gives a toss.

(3) Would any such a boycott realistically make any difference?

I've supported this Club for over 50 years and during that time, SUFC has NEVER been truly solvent. It has mainly survived on donations from the Supporters' Club and by selling its best players. In my time, from Errol Crossan in 1957 to Lee Barnard in 2010 ... the list is very long ... and the sum accrued, runs into millions.

During my long association with this Club, I cannot remember too many, if any, popular Chairmen. For me, Ron Martin is the modern-day version of what the Club has previously experienced. The only real difference being that I cannot remember the Club paying the wages and its taxes so belatedly.

Irrespective of who is Team Manager and who is Club Chairman, history tells us that Southend United's fortunes both on and off the pitch have continued to fluctuate over its long existence. An existence which I'm sure we all hope we continue after August 2nd.

It is on this basis and for these reasons that I will continue to support Southend United Football Club. Because I believe the Club is more important than anyone individual such as Ron Martin.

Understand your reasoning and you make the point very well, however why should we as supporters not aspire to something better ? Why can't we show the determination to rid ourselves of this parasite that has bled the club dry in his attempt to pull of a huge property development deal for himself ?

Past history may show we are not used to anything better but do we just give up then and accept that we will always be an also ran ?

We don't know if there is anyone out there that can transform our club but I think it's short sighted to just give up.

Personally I would rather aspire to emulate the likes of Blackpool, Reading and Swansea amongst others, if they can do it we can, they are all as unfashionable as SUFC (Blackpool's heritage acknowledged but they have been a lower league team for decades until recently)

Time to stand up for what we believe in but the question is what do you all really believe in ? because as they say, football fans can be very fickle and we appear to have plenty in that category !

I shall not be attending matches as long as RM remains, I have been coming to RH since 1979 and for the last 22 years that has included a 200 mile round trip for home matches, no more unless RM goes.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Understand your reasoning and you make the point very well, however why should we as supporters not aspire to something better ? Why can't we show the determination to rid ourselves of this parasite that has bled the club dry in his attempt to pull of a huge property development deal for himself ?

Past history may show we are not used to anything better but do we just give up then and accept that we will always be an also ran ?

We don't know if there is anyone out there that can transform our club but I think it's short sighted to just give up.

Personally I would rather aspire to emulate the likes of Blackpool, Reading and Swansea amongst others, if they can do it we can, they are all as unfashionable as SUFC (Blackpool's heritage acknowledged but they have been a lower league team for decades until recently)

Time to stand up for what we believe in but the question is what do you all really believe in ? because as they say, football fans can be very fickle and we appear to have plenty in that category !

I shall not be attending matches as long as RM remains, I have been coming to RH since 1979 and for the last 22 years that has included a 200 mile round trip for home matches, no more unless RM goes.

This is the one phrase that is continually banded around that I never quite understand... How exactly has RM "bled the club dry"? To infer that Ron has been funnelling money out of the club is, at best, a little misguided.

 

[Lavender Blue]

Jack's posts do make me laugh, I know he is young and his heart is in the right place, but he is very mis-guided, he has chosen to follow a group of people, without really realising why or what for, try jumping off the band wagon Jack, step back and think about OUR club, and the ways you should be supporting it. ;)
Sorry I digress :offtopic:, great post Westie :clap:

 

[Mick]

This is the one phrase that is continually banded around that I never quite understand... How exactly has RM "bled the club dry"? To infer that Ron has been funnelling money out of the club is, at best, a little misguided.

Perhaps you will at least accept the abject and irresponsible neglect of the football part of his football club ?

 

[steveo]

This is the one phrase that is continually banded around that I never quite understand... How exactly has RM "bled the club dry"? To infer that Ron has been funnelling money out of the club is, at best, a little misguided.

And total ********. Ask where the Club were before RM took over. Ask where would we be if he had never turned up? Would you have been happy to suffer many more seasons of mediocrity or can you remember the promotions and the trips to Cardiff and watching teams like Sunderland and Leicester play at Roots Hall? Can you remember Ron walking round the pitch to a standing ovation and explaining at the time for the club to go forward it had to leave Roots Hall?

People dont seem to realise there is no advantage to Ron if the football club ceases to exist. Why would he want that? The only way Ron prospers if the football club succeeds and you cant start before you get the whole thing on a firm financial footing, which he is trying to do now. If the money isnt there, its not his fault.