Memory Lane Furious Southend United fans locked team out Roots Hall following big defeat at Colchester United (2020)

[Exiled Shrimper]

I understand the frustrations but doing that to what in essence was the youth / reserve team (a few exceptions) is not overly productive for ours or their futures. Some of those lads made the debut last night. The blame for what has happened the last 2 years isnt on them

Agree with this. There was a 16-year-old, three 17-year-olds and two 18-year-olds on that coach with a combined three first-team appearances even after last night's fixture, and four of whom didn't even get onto the pitch. Seems to be a disproportionate course of action to lock them out of the ground and egg the coach they're sitting on, whatever supporters' frustrations with the result last night.

 

[sufc4life21]

Should condone this sort of behaviour but it has been coming. Manager and the players need to know these sort of performances are unacceptable!

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I agree with protests about RM, but not egging a coach full of our youth players. What incentive does that gives potential players to join us ? Still, patience is wearing very thin now and unless RM starts being straight with the fanbase I fear this will get worse.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Is protesting about dead rubber EFL Trophy games an acceptable reason to flout lockdown regulations?

 

[dcblue]

I understand the frustration which resulted in such actions. I don't suppose for one minute it was those particular players who were the target, but they had just been the latest representatives of the first team suffering another humiliating defeat.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

Its more about the absolute crap we've had the past 16 games rather than the one last night and i am sure those kids understand that.

This was the straw that broke the camels back after 3 years of pathetic teams, managers and a joke of a chairman who is now taking the **** out of us.

No wonder he isn't too vocal about getting fans back because he knows the protests will be aimed at him and in the public eye. Enough is enough now and hopefully this is the start of a proper revolt because its needed.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Enough is enough now and hopefully this is the start of a proper revolt because its needed.

Are you thinking of something like Momentum SUFC or a full on Militant tendency?

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Shouldn't people be protesting against the owner. That's the root of all the problems.

 

[NZamba Legend]

Players and chairman love the craziness and passion of supporters when everything is going well, but deride supporters for their stupidity when the atmosphere turn ugly due to bad results, commercial exploitation and/or mismanagement. Fans, by definition, are not rational. Reason doesn't come in to it.

But it's also true that intimidating a young, inexperienced and ill prepared team is not a very nice thing to do.

 

[NZamba Legend]

Is protesting about dead rubber EFL Trophy games an acceptable reason to flout lockdown regulations?

Matt Hancock can add Emile Acquah's disappointing form to his list of things/ people to blame as the second wave escalates.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Shouldn't people be protesting against the owner. That's the root of all the problems.

Someone knocks Ron's front wall down on a regular basis...

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Our version of "local lockdown!?

As above, shocking performances, embargo, chairman, will someone please try and stop the rot....

The "kids" cannot be blamed....the **** has hit the fan....Ron needs to take action...today

 

[GBJ]

when's the pigs head going to be delivered to the center circle? This all sounds completely childish to me, and I would (in other scenarios) feel a little shameful about this, But I really don't. Not at all...

I just feel there is a complete lack of understanding and appreciation just how poor performances /Motivation/Pride playing for this shirt means. we can be the ****test team in the league, but to lay on our back and have a bellies tickled each week is absolutely shameful. I hope what ever happened last night, now gives the management team and players an understanding that although fans aren't in the ground, we are still fans of this once glorious club, and even if you the players and management staff are going to go down without a fight, Us fans certainly wont...

Ron Martin has clearly publicly lied to us all (at the meet the fans meeting the other night)

He advised there was no issues with Akinola apart form the injury, and that there is no issue with being under an embargo as we can still sign players that we want, and he doesn't understand the need to remove the embargo, when clearly its completely tied into one another. He also confirmed it was a mere hour long phone call to get the embargo lifted, clearly it isn't, and he has very publicly lied to us all. its game over as far as I am concerned. As a club we are doomed, I am completely certain of that, and we as fans are sitting on our hands and letting it happen right in front of our eyes.. We are not going to get out of this, and we will certainly not bounce back .... I feel sick today, but slightly more at ease that finally some fan action has occured

Agree with this.

I can’t really put too much blame on these players tbh. It’s not their fault they’re out of their depth. They’re all we have at the end of the day.

Forget this notion that another manager could get more out of them, as that’s just not the case at this point in time. I don’t wanna hear about how Sol got them playing, or what an experienced guy might have brought to the table, the truth is that for most of these players, this is the pinnacle of their careers... and that goes for more “senior” players too, not just the youngsters.

Egging the coach isn’t exactly helpful, and not something I’m condoning, but it’s hardly a Besiktas or Lazio style response either. It’s just a waste of eggs if I’m honest.

Will it make these players play better? Absolutely not. Will it make MM study the data any harder? I doubt it. But it does show Ron Martin - in case there was any doubt left - that the fans are close to breaking point, and simply will not tolerate this for much longer.

Please Ron, no more stories. No more tales. We see right through it. Take some responsibility. Hold your hands up & say, I’ve ****ed up, but I’m working on it. Show us that you’ve acknowledged your mistakes & you’re going hell for leather to put them right. Please, ffs.

It’s probably a godsend for him that fans aren’t allowed into the stadium right now. The attendances would have plummeted & the response to some of these performances would have been vitriolic to say the least.

I’m not expecting us to be a footballing powerhouse or challenge for titles... All I want is for us to function like a proper club for a change. Being skint is understandable, but being under an embargo for a year, is not.

 

[danburyshrimper]

A better idea would be to go to Roots Hall about 1.30 on Saturday + lock Walsall from getting into the ground ... they are the ones who will no doubt inflict more misery on our beleaguered ( soon to be non leaguered ) team of kids.

 

[LennySUFC]

Agree with this.

I can’t really put too much blame on these players tbh. It’s not their fault they’re out of their depth. They’re all we have at the end of the day.

Forget this notion that another manager could get more out of them, as that’s just not the case at this point in time. I don’t wanna hear about how Sol got them playing, or what an experienced guy might have brought to the table, the truth is that for most of these players, this is the pinnacle of their careers... and that goes for more “senior” players too, not just the youngsters.

Egging the coach isn’t exactly helpful, and not something I’m condoning, but it’s hardly a Besiktas or Lazio style response either. It’s just a waste of eggs if I’m honest.

Will it make these players play better? Absolutely not. Will it make MM study the data any harder? I doubt it. But it does show Ron Martin - in case there was any doubt left - that the fans are close to breaking point, and simply will not tolerate this for much longer.

Please Ron, no more stories. No more tales. We see right through it. Take some responsibility. Hold your hands up & say, I’ve ****ed up, but I’m working on it. Show us that you’ve acknowledged your mistakes & you’re going hell for leather to put them right. Please, ffs.

It’s probably a godsend for him that fans aren’t allowed into the stadium right now. The attendances would have plummeted & the response to some of these performances would have been vitriolic to say the least.

I’m not expecting us to be a footballing powerhouse or challenge for titles... All I want is for us to function like a proper club for a change. Being skint is understandable, but being under an embargo for a year, is not.

I get the impression with the rumours circulating that they are looking to remove all embargo's across the league that Ron will not make the call and wait for that to potentially happen.

It also means that 20 clubs are then able to make signings all at once... I wonder how appealing a move to Southend looks vs those other 19...

 

[edwardss2]

I think locking the gates is quite funny, harmless and makes a point. Throwing things at anyone or anything is quite different though, I can imagine that being quite scary and it really is only a game. Hopefully MM is right, and Saturday will show him to be a master tactician.

 

[crangoner]

Pathetic and cowardly.

A better idea would be to go to Roots Hall about 1.30 on Saturday + lock Walsall from getting into the ground ... they are the ones who will no doubt inflict more misery on our beleaguered ( soon to be non leaguered ) team of kids.

Not sure why Walsall would be arriving at Roots Hall at that time when they're meant to be hosting Southend 90 minutes later...

 

[Cultist of Sooty]

This isn't fair on those kids, who were thrown in at the deep end. They should never have been put in that position. After 15 losses in a row, sending out a bunch of youngsters as sacrificial lambs against our local rivals was a terrible idea.

The management team should be well aware that the fans are furious and despondent and should be protecting these kids from being put in a position of being blamed for yet another embarrassing loss.

The idiots who locked the gates and egged the coaches should be ashamed of themselves. They're even more embarrasing than 0 wins out of 16 games.

And Ron Martin, Mark Molesley, etc. should be ashamed of themselves for putting those kids in that position.

I now want Molesley to be sacked, 100%. He's a ****ing ****er who doesn't protect his players. **** him and his entire bunch of cronies.

 

[rhrussell]

I don't think the protest was against the youth players but more likely the manager, think yourself lucky Ron that we are in not allowed in the ground, we the fan's have just had enough.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Shouldn't people be protesting against the owner. That's the root of all the problems.

I thought that happened, and instead they got a hour long cozy up with Martin??