Wembley - Just a day out?

[Angell Delight]

Its the best chance of winning some silverware for 40+ clubs.

Unless you're Bradford.... :winking:

 

[Beefy]

Yep and for the longevity of our club, it is without doubt the only option. We have to go up this season. I dread to think of the consequences of not doing so. No Wembley trip will change that.

Cashflow, cashflow, cashflow....

There's no guarantee that promotion will improve our finances. The last time we were promoted to League One was probably where things started to go wrong financially and our last season in League One nearly killed is.

Obviously provided those in charge of the club know what they're doing then promotion should lead to an easing of our cashflow problems. None of the evidence suggests that it actually will though.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Wembley each and every day. I've supported the club through thick and thin for 40 odd years, the vast majority of which have been at the 3rd and 4th level. The chance of winning silverware at the national stadium is like the culmination of a dream for me, wherever the club is next season, I'll still be going.

It's interesting those voting on this, I'm wondering if this is partially an age (or length of time supporting) thing and those of us who've been supporters for years are generally voting for Wembley while the bright young things are voting for promotion, purely because they've not had the years and years of bouncing between leagues 3 and 4 that some of us have.

 

[Smiffy]

There's no guarantee that promotion will improve our finances. The last time we were promoted to League One was probably where things started to go wrong financially and our last season in League One nearly killed is.

Obviously provided those in charge of the club know what they're doing then promotion should lead to an easing of our cashflow problems. None of the evidence suggests that it actually will though.

Nope and that is a discussion for another time.

But, normal logic would suggest going up to League One will give us a better chance of survival. Than any cup final appearance would.

If we stay in League 2 again next season. Then our already perilous financial state will be worsened. Those are the facts.

 

[BrettieAngell]

One of my lifelong dreams is to see Southend at Wembley don't care what competition it is.

 

[dingleydangley]

Of course, most of us will bare it. There will be quite a drop-off though I fear next season, should we fail to go up.

But, will the club bare it. That is the worrying aspect.

The club would re-group. Crowds would fluctuate with our success or lack of. In terms of survival, check out the attendances for the mid-eighties and wonder, as I do, just how we are still here. Wembley would be a day off from all of that....AND we could wear silly hats.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I don't recall everyone getting quite so animated in the first round of the JPT when we had under 2,000 fans at the ground. Of course you can get injured in any match but when you add further fixtures to an already hectic fixture schedule then you are increasing the chance of injury and even burnout. All the wealthy clubs do mid-season breaks now to rest physically and mentally. That says a lot about what they think of the fixture schedule. Yes, we have had a good run this year and yes it has helped but at what cost? A few knocks and a serious injury. What if we went out early on and and we picked up a serious injury? It's all good to ride the wave and I am all for that - it's nothing to turn your nose up at but if come the start of a season you ask me and other fans about priorities don't tell me that people would rank a day out at Wembley above promotion? Promotion could also come via Wembley. That's nonsense. I'm sure fans would rather a good run in the FA Cup playing some big teams. But as I say it would seem that you and others are being blinded by this potential day out at Wembley which has all of a sudden added meaning to the competition.

If you don't buy into the financial argument then to me that sounds like you don't want Southend to progress. Of course you do but how can you use increased costs as a reason to choose JPT over the league? Surely not. If we could have it all then we would but surely going up the leagues is what will help to secure our future with everything that comes with it rather than a JPT final at Wembley?!

You're the one who doesn't want Southend to progress. I want us to progress to Wembley.

And if you look back at the first round of the JPT I was saying the same thing then.

The last time this club progressed up the leagues it was on the back of success in the LDV. It built up belief, it built up a buzz, it built up our finances. The last time we reached the final it was such a distraction that we got promoted.

1. What if, as is likely we will be playing another L1 side, we lose? That glory still good enough ? (Personally just playing there will be great).

2. If we do go and even win, if we then finish 9th how many people will say "oh thats ok we won the JPT Im happy to be in League Two" ?

The JPT final will be a great memory to have, but fans will be more peeved come the end of season if we dont go up and win the cup than the other way around.

If we win the JPT and finish 9th it will have been a successful season.

It will be far more enjoyable and memorable than finishing 3rd. There will be idiots who will find things to moan about and fail to appreciate it.

My grandfather supported the club for 80 odd years. He saw promotions but he never saw us at a Wembley final.

Then what is the point of supporting a football club? I genuinely don't get it. Why waste all this time and money following the club up and down the country if not for chasing the one day that isn't **** out of 6,000 that are?

Putting aside the financial factor which none of us can control, does anyone on here really give a single solitary **** what division we're in? Sure, you've got the floating fans but whether we're playing Rochdale, Aston Villa, Sheffield United or Alfreton Town surely we'll all be at every match that we can be?

It just strikes me as weird that any football fan - especially a fan of a small club - wouldn't want to grast this rare opportunity with both hands. There's always another league game.

This.

 

[united we stand]

Nope and that is a discussion for another time.

But, normal logic would suggest going up to League One will give us a better chance of survival. Than any cup final appearance would.

If we stay in League 2 again next season. Then our already perilous financial state will be worsened. Those are the facts.

but you are ignoring the extra cash that will have been generated from the JPT ?

Lots of people are making IMO MASSIVE assumptions about the financial value of promotion to league 1 vs extra income from getting to the finla of the JPT - and I haven't seeen one post with any figures on it justifying one way or the other.

I know Ron says that promotion is vital to survival, but that statement is not in the context of ' How vital is promotion if we got to the final of the JPT which generated £xxxxxx for the club ?


Personally I would prefer JPGT Wembley to auto promotion , but that a personal opinion that does not make me right or wrong . I fully understand your logic for having promotion as more importatnt.

While it is stil techncially possible I will be draming of two days out at Wembley this year, and coming home with massive smiels both times. If you cant dream whats the point :smile:

 

[Jam_Man]

but you are ignoring the extra cash that will have been generated from the JPT ?

Lots of people are making IMO MASSIVE assumptions about the financial value of promotion to league 1 vs extra income from getting to the finla of the JPT - and I haven't seeen one post with any figures on it justifying one way or the other.

I know Ron says that promotion is vital to survival, but that statement is not in the context of ' How vital is promotion if we got to the final of the JPT which generated £xxxxxx for the club ?


Personally I would prefer JPGT Wembley to auto promotion , but that a personal opinion that does not make me right or wrong . I fully understand your logic for having promotion as more importatnt.

While it is stil techncially possible I will be draming of two days out at Wembley this year, and coming home with massive smiels both times. If you cant dream whats the point :smile:

Dont forget being in league one means financial benefits every year, not just a one off. (God forbid relegation)

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Dont forget being in league one means financial benefits every year, not just a one off. (God forbid relegation)

No it doesn't. It gives you financial benefits (whatever these may be) for one year less the increased costs (which may be for a longer period). The financial benefits are entirely dependent on performance in that one season and if we perform badly crowds may even be down on what we'd be getting by winning in a lower league.

 

[leeblue]

To cut a long story short......I would gladly give up promotion to see my beloved SUFC walk out at wembley, in fact I would gladly let someone chop a finger or two off me if it meant seeing this. I would be a crying snotty bag of goo if we got there I have no doubt. I am 30+ years being a shrimper and my one of my remaining dreams in life is to see us play at wembely.

 

[Jam_Man]

No it doesn't. It gives you financial benefits (whatever these may be) for one year less the increased costs (which may be for a longer period). The financial benefits are entirely dependent on performance in that one season and if we perform badly crowds may even be down on what we'd be getting by winning in a lower league.

Well thats all dependant on how much is spent, income will be increased.

I doubt crowds will fall below this years even in the bottom half of league one, and even then you have increased money from TV etc.

If Ron overspends like last time then it wont be of benefit, but then neither will a one off cup appearance (whos benefits will already have been spent before the end of the season).

 

[wally4pm]

After watching the mighty Southend for over 30 years go up and down between the divisions like a prostitute's knickers, it would be brilliant to make a day out at that stadium in NW London to remember for years to come. I still recall my 3 visits to Cardiff, but not quite the same. I don't quite understand the either or situation. We are 1 game away, so we go for it full tilt. Otherwise we might as well have not bothered through all these earlier rounds. If we get there great, if we don't, we dust ourselves down and then concentrate on getting promotion in any way we can. Even if we don't get promotion this year, we'll be no different than we are now. We'll still hate Col Ewe and Borient. We've been terribly unlucky with injuries, but all clubs have these issues to deal with. Our just seem to have come at the wrong time, but is there ever a right time? For me, a trip to that famous stadium would be better than promotion, but I still believe we can have both. Just for the record, I thought that the League 2 play off final this year is at Old Trafford due to the Champions League Final being played at the NW London venue again this year, so those who have been talking about us getting there twice are mistaken.

Please everyone go to the Borient game and get behind the team like we did a few weeks ago and lift them on. Anyone at that game could tell how up for it the team were. Unfortunately I can't be there as I'm going to Barbados tomorrow but will try to stream the game on the Tinternet.

UTB

 

[Swiss Tony]

Ive wanted out of this god forsaken league as much as the next man, but watching Southend United at the home of football and being so close. Give me the mickey mouse cup every day

Agree with you,walking up Wembley way with thousands of Shrimpers to the Mecca of football i should bloody cocoa,i've been waiting for that day for 40 odd years,it's what we dream of isn't it?come on you mighty mighty Shrimpers.

 

[superblue24]

But in 107 years we have always been a lower league club. The chances are therefore that we will be for many years to come. Only 44 clubs can be in the top 2 divisions and there are probably 50-60 with stronger claims to stay in them than us.

That's the reality of supporting Southend United. We aren't big or very good. We go in the bad times and exist for the rare, great moments. If people argued promotion is better because the day we get promoted is an equally great day amongst the ****, I'd be more inclined to agree.

But why are teams like Ipswich town (for example) "bigger" than us? Look at the population difference and surrounding catchments for both towns and tell me that Ipswich should have a stronger following than Southend.....

I would accept our lower league status if I supported Fleetwood, Accrington, Aldershot and even Borient or Colchester....They are mainly small towns or surrounded by bigger clubs. Our closest rival is Wet Spam and they are 40+ miles away.

This coupled with the fact that we (one day) are going to build a new stadium complex, for me, puts us in the bracket of lower Championship\Upper L1 level club....Or at least that's where we should be.....Don't forget that in the early/mid 90's we enjoyed a lot of success in the second tier.....

Why people do this clubs' ambitions a disjustice often baffles me. In one breath are questioning how fans can call themselves "real fans" because we belittle the Paint Pot cup, yet in the next are saying that the team is only ever going to be "lower league".....We may as well just give up and fold the club then if the only success we have to look forward to is the bloody JPT!!!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

But why are teams like Ipswich town (for example) "bigger" than us? Look at the population difference and surrounding catchments for both towns and tell me that Ipswich should have a stronger following than Southend.....

I would accept our lower league status if I supported Fleetwood, Accrington, Aldershot and even Borient or Colchester....They are mainly small towns or surrounded by bigger clubs. Our closest rival is Wet Spam and they are 40+ miles away.

This coupled with the fact that we (one day) are going to build a new stadium complex, for me, puts us in the bracket of lower Championship\Upper L1 level club....Or at least that's where we should be.....Don't forget that in the early/mid 90's we enjoyed a lot of success in the second tier.....

Why people do this clubs' ambitions a disjustice often baffles me. In one breath are questioning how fans can call themselves "real fans" because we belittle the Paint Pot cup, yet in the next are saying that the team is only ever going to be "lower league".....We may as well just give up and fold the club then if the only success we have to look forward to is the bloody JPT!!!

Unfortunately their fans are a lot closer than that.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Unfortunately their fans are a lot closer than that.

They're not even anything like 40+ miles away, or is this blokey over-estimating measurements? :whistling:

 

[superblue24]

They're not even anything like 40+ miles away, or is this blokey over-estimating measurements? :whistling:

36.8 miles. Ok so 3.2 miles out from my initial estimate.

 

[OldBlueLady]

36.8 miles. Ok so 3.2 miles out from my initial estimate.

35.2 according to Google maps, which is nowhere near 40 PLUS!

 

[superblue24]

35.2 according to Google maps, which is nowhere near 40 PLUS!

No. 35.2 is definitely nowhere near 40. You win.