Statement from Ron Martin (16/9/20)

[Swiss Tony]

What a load of Bollocks.

Do people really think there is a line of wealthy individuals queuing up to invest in a lower league soccer team?

I despair, I really do.

Maybe they have had enough laying on their backs and Ronni tickling their bellys,i'd say frustration rather then a load of Bollocks,different people different views,please just stay within the law,UTB

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Rubin Out Rubin Out!.........Sorry forgot what year and crisis we're in.
Has anyone got the old Jobson Out banner we can reuse .
Last one I attended Stan Collymore turned up and singlehandedly spoilt the day.......Lets hope it's a lucky omen again

 

[Ricey]

I don’t see what a protest is going to do. Did nothing back in 2009 and it’ll do nothing in 2020. He isn’t going to see it and suddenhave a change of heart. This is his retirement nest egg and FF getting the go ahead and being built sorts him, then he’ll be gone.

Ron is the owner and he will do with it as he pleases. Unfortunately it’s something we have to live with. We’ve just got to hope he doesn’t burn us to the ground.

Doesn’t mean we have to like it and I really don’t but protesting will do **** all and is a waste of anyone who goes time.

 

[Swiss Tony]

I don’t see what a protest is going to do. Did nothing back in 2009 and it’ll do nothing in 2020. He isn’t going to see it and suddenhave a change of heart. This is his retirement nest egg and FF getting the go ahead and being built sorts him, then he’ll be gone.

Ron is the owner and he will do with it as he pleases. Unfortunately it’s something we have to live with. We’ve just got to hope he doesn’t burn us to the ground.

Doesn’t mean we have to like it and I really don’t but protesting will do **** all and is a waste of anyone who goes time.

Their choice though what's the problem?

 

[Ricey]

Their choice though what's the problem?

No problem, just think it’s a waste of time.

 

[Jai]

If there was a bit more to it than a few angry people calling for his head, it might be worth listening to. But a Martin Out protest is pointless. Now if it was a more targeted campaign, calling for him to appoint a CEO, protesting season card prices/kit issues or raising awareness of the plight of the staff members he has paid late etc then I'd say fill your boots.

Ron Martin isn't going anywhere, and neither should he until he sorts out FF, so a Martin Out protest is pointless. He runs the club badly, and he should appoint a CEO. But really a vague protest does nobody any favours.

 

[Tampa Blue]

I tend to agree with a lot of the comments as to what a protest would achieve - probably nothing. But I also totally empathize with anyone who attends as things aren't exactly going too well at the moment.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Im ready to take some flack now... and I know I will get some.

We need to get in front of him, find out what he (RM) needs, what the plan really is, and work out if and how we can help (if you want to help that is)
Mob rule isnt going to work, and we are in such a perilous position ,I feel we need to try and stick together

make no mistake I dont trust him, but I am conscious, very conscious that until planning is granted he is all we have, and its clear we all want the same. Southend United Football Club to remain (well I certainly do)

How do we do that? Do we reach out to the trust and try and maybe inject new blood into the organisation? there maybe fans that have specific skills that could benefit the trust in their discussions with RM

None of us really know whats going on, and my only concern is that we tip him, and he tips us mega bolloxs and the whole thing comes crashing in, he hasn't got to be our 'mate, we haven't got to trust him ... but by understanding what really is the main issue, then we can try and find a pragmatic response to help him /our club/the trust what ever you want to call it

 

[Swiss Tony]

No problem, just think it’s a waste of time.

Me too but they they have the same love for the club as us lets not knock them,we all want the same thing.

 

[Blue Yonder]

Fair play to anyone that gets up and fights for something they believe in. In a week when Spurs are reported to be signing someone on £600K per week. A sum that would pay off our debt plus some in a week. An annual amount that would go a long way to keeping the entire League 2 going for a season from one player I wonder if the elite of the football ‘family’ might be able to do a bit more in this unprecedented time and that protest and action might be better directed in a different direction ? Otherwise there are clubs with 100 year plus histories at the heart of their communities that will got to the wall.

 

[kentblues]

Announce that he's open to investors abd they'll come knocking.

Oh the sunlit uplands...

 

[londonblue]

Fair play to anyone that gets up and fights for something they believe in. In a week when Spurs are reported to be signing someone on £600K per week. A sum that would pay off our debt plus some in a week. An annual amount that would go a long way to keeping the entire League 2 going for a season from one player I wonder if the elite of the football ‘family’ might be able to do a bit more in this unprecedented time and that protest and action might be better directed in a different direction ? Otherwise there are clubs with 100 year plus histories at the heart of their communities that will got to the wall.

What happened to he idea mooted early on in lockdown that the PL should help out? Funny that that died a death. They couldn't possibly spare a few quid.

 

[Leo210856]

What happened to he idea mooted early on in lockdown that the PL should help out? Funny that that died a death. They couldn't possibly spare a few quid.

I think it’s too easy to get distracted from the fact that Covid 19 ,although having a massive impact on clubs finances , that the core problem is that for years most EFL clubs have been surviving not on money they generated through the gates but on money handed out by the league and from solidarity payments and yes Southend is one of those clubs

Let’s not forget this current order is just one of a succession of such actions and the gamble was always going to be that by spending current income to settle historical debts was a strategy based on sand.

Its impossible to really get a realistic grasp on the current financial state of the club because other than snippets coming from official sources the last accounts posted on companies website are now so out of date ( in itself a potential breech of EFL Regulations which could easily lead to a embargo in itself) they are near to meaningless

In 2017/18 Div1 clubs received around £1.4 million made up by way of £732k from central EFL funds and another £675k in solidarity payments from the PL.

That’s hellava lot more than non leagues received even if you forget the amount but just look at how much they rec from their respective leagues and any money from the PL.

Aren’t those non league clubs entitled to ask why don’t EFL clubs have a duty to help them out ?


I don’t want to get into the comment about players or indeed which of the other staff provide value for money but from those ancient accounts we know that on average the club were paying 104 playing, training staff and on top of that another 41 support and maintenance staff. To gain some perspective Bournemouth in the PL at that time had 177 in total.


Unfortunately this whole mess is due to how the past has been handled and sadly it does seem as the short term solutions that have been deployed in the past won’t work for too much longer.

 

[Tampa Blue]

Unfortunately this whole mess is due to how the past has been handled and sadly it does seem as the short term solutions that have been deployed in the past won’t work for too much longer.

Spot on and far too sensible for some on here who trust in RM

 

[overseas shrimper]

As others have said, the protest is pointless. It will achieve nothing. It cannot achieve anything. If you have a loved one critically ill in hospital and only being kept alive by a life support machine of inferior quality, no matter how unhappy you are with that apparatus, you don't switch it off until you have a better option at the ready.

Do we have such an option waiting in the wings? Well, we know the answer to that.

 

[Chairman Trigg]

As others have said, the protest is pointless. It will achieve nothing. It cannot achieve anything. If you have a loved one critically ill in hospital and only being kept alive by a life support machine of inferior quality, no matter how unhappy you are with that apparatus, you don't switch it off until you have a better option at the ready.

Do we have such an option waiting in the wings? Well, we know the answer to that.

As much as Ron is to blame I still believe that the other guilty party is Southend council who constantly over the last four to five decades have not supported or helped the club or football in the town .We could have been the first of the new stadiums in the 80s whereas we are now one of the last major towns going down this route.If it wasn't for the golden egg of masses of new housing to fulfil government requirements I doubt they would would even be interested.

 

[GBJ]

I’m not sure why myself or others have to keep mentioning this every few weeks, but there are people out there interested in taking over the club. They came very close to it a year ago.

For now, it’s on hold, and will stay that way until the wheels are put in motion regarding the new stadium.

These are facts. Not opinions.

Again, I’m not a fan of Ron, but we need him to finish what he’s started, if we’re to ever see the back of him with our club still in existence.

The quickest way to get him out of the club is for the council to greenlight the building work, and for that to begin next year.

It really is that simple.

 

[londonblue]

I’m not sure why myself or others have to keep mentioning this every few weeks, but there are people out there interested in taking over the club. They came very close to it a year ago.

For now, it’s on hold, and will stay that way until the wheels are put in motion regarding the new stadium.

These are facts. Not opinions.

Again, I’m not a fan of Ron, but we need him to finish what he’s started, if we’re to ever see the back of him with our club still in existence.

The quickest way to get him out of the club is for the council to greenlight the building work, and for that to begin next year.

It really is that simple.

Of course, the council can't greenlight building until they see, and have had time to review, the plans. Plans that are yet to be submitted.

 

[GBJ]

Of course, the council can't greenlight building until they see, and have had time to review, the plans. Plans that are yet to be submitted.

There’s obviously a reason for that.

It’s not as if Ron’s chucked the plans in a desk drawer at home & forgotten about them.

I think the key is to get the plans right, so we only have to submit them once.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Ron has been tipped off/advised on exactly what needs to be in the plans, or how the plans need to look, before submitting them. Sadly, it all takes time.

 

[nevereatwhitesnow]

There’s obviously a reason for that.

It’s not as if Ron’s chucked the plans in a desk drawer at home & forgotten about them.

I think the key is to get the plans right, so we only have to submit them once.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Ron has been tipped off/advised on exactly what needs to be in the plans, or how the plans need to look, before submitting them. Sadly, it all takes time.

That’s true, 22 years and counting! ?