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What needs to happen

gatecrasher

Newbie
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
1,341
This might be unpopular, its painful to even think about but it's something I have been coming to terms with over the last couple of seasons.

We need to let Southend United, as it currently stands die. Ron bought us as an investment vehicle, if back in 2008 we had started building the stadium he would of got his pot of gold, sold us and we would still probably be a football league team. As it is that never happened and kts never going to happen. Ron has had Sainsbury, British Land and various other " partners" and for over a decade we have been sold the dream that it will happen and all will be right in the world again. It won't.

Most fans want Ron gone, but Southend United is already gone. We need to realise that no one is going to buy him out for the value he would put on us and he will just let us terminally decline but never let us fold as that ends his dream. The best thing that can happen now is if Ron builds on Roots Hall and gets his money but allows us the fans to take back ownership of our club and start a phoenix club. If we do this now there is enough support still left for us to be like Hereford, Newport, AFC Wimbledon and climb back reasonably quickly. If we don't over the next few years fan numbers will dwindle massively and that will be that.

This is not an overreaction, this has been years in the making. When other league sides have fallen through the trap door ownership has changed and that is how the likes of Tranmere, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln and the like have been able to stabilise and move on....we have not been allowed to do so.

Best case scenario is we do a "Brighton" which is let an unscrupulous owner develop our stadium for their own purpose, we become homeless but free of them, ground share and hope that a Dick Knight/ Tony Bloom comes in and eventually we find a new home.

All I know is we cannot let the next 5 years be the next 5 years or we will have little to no fans at all and there being zero interest in a Southend football team.
 
This might be unpopular, its painful to even think about but it's something I have been coming to terms with over the last couple of seasons.

We need to let Southend United, as it currently stands die. Ron bought us as an investment vehicle, if back in 2008 we had started building the stadium he would of got his pot of gold, sold us and we would still probably be a football league team. As it is that never happened and kts never going to happen. Ron has had Sainsbury, British Land and various other " partners" and for over a decade we have been sold the dream that it will happen and all will be right in the world again. It won't.

Most fans want Ron gone, but Southend United is already gone. We need to realise that no one is going to buy him out for the value he would put on us and he will just let us terminally decline but never let us fold as that ends his dream. The best thing that can happen now is if Ron builds on Roots Hall and gets his money but allows us the fans to take back ownership of our club and start a phoenix club. If we do this now there is enough support still left for us to be like Hereford, Newport, AFC Wimbledon and climb back reasonably quickly. If we don't over the next few years fan numbers will dwindle massively and that will be that.

This is not an overreaction, this has been years in the making. When other league sides have fallen through the trap door ownership has changed and that is how the likes of Tranmere, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln and the like have been able to stabilise and move on....we have not been allowed to do so.

Best case scenario is we do a "Brighton" which is let an unscrupulous owner develop our stadium for their own purpose, we become homeless but free of them, ground share and hope that a Dick Knight/ Tony Bloom comes in and eventually we find a new home.

All I know is we cannot let the next 5 years be the next 5 years or we will have little to no fans at all and there being zero interest in a Southend football team.

Not unpopular but a huge over reaction

Where would new phoenix club play - Canvey?
 
You do have a valid point. I think most of us have been thinking on those lines for some time now. Thing is, he doesn't seem to have an interest in building on RH, and even if he did, why should we just let him demolish the ground so he can get his pot of gold ? He made a business decision. In my opinion, he got the clubs main assets on the cheap and gambled the equity on us being in the Championship with a shiny new stadium. He hasn't provided the stadium after all this time (and still has no planning permission to build one), therefore the gamble is lost. He needs to accept defeat and speak honestly with the supporters about how he's going to make SUFC a sustainable club....otherwise, I think gatecrashers idea is the only option
 
Not unpopular but a huge over reaction

Where would new phoenix club play - Canvey?
Is it an over reaction ? If it was just this season's results, then yes. But this has been going on several seasons now.
 
I don't think this is a huge overreaction at all.

In fact think we should go one step further and ban the SUFC club badge much like the swastika is banned in Germany. Artefacts such as season highlights videos, one off cup final strips or coffee mugs should only be held by museums and discussion of the relative merits of Steve Tilson or David Webb should be limited to academia.
 
To play players in there natural positions or strongest positions would be nice, and give akinola a game as he will do a lot better than 8 of the players that so called played last night.
 
I think that the club is going that way anyway.

The lack of season cards, the poor communication, a shop that has hardly anything in it, no programmes being sold outside of the ground (as far as I can see), the results .... It is as if no one cares. I hope that is not true, but it just looks like terminal decline has set in. I thought the new Chief Executive was employed to make it a more professional set-up. There is more than a metaphorical 'whiff of decay' about the club.

I can cope with us being rubbish, I can cope with an old and decrepit ground; but this stuff is basic.
 
It appears that many potential signings won't touch us due to our history of late payment etc. It ought to be worth looking at players from non league teams who are currently not on big wages and would jump at a chance of playing for a bigger club. I seem to recall Tilly recently saying that he feels there is plenty of talent around the local non league scene who would do well with us. Maybe gems like Eastwood and Mark Bentley are still out there. Surely this is a better strategy than signing ageing journeyman players.
 
What needs to happen?

Ron needs to exit the club at the earliest opportunity.

Is this going to be before the stadium/housing development gets the green light?. No.

So the question needs to be, how can we speed up his exit and ensure we are left with a football club and a home at the end of it?

Answers on a postcard.
 
They shoot horses, don't they?

Not an overreaction in the slightest. This club is riddled with disease and rot beyond any recognition of the club I've been supporting since the 80s. The drop to non-league was the tipping point for me where I no longer believe it is worth backing a club with Ron at the helm, it will never recover under his "leadership".

I'm gobsmacked that he's had such an easy ride from the fans.
 
The only hope is planning permission is received quickly, Ron sails off into the sunset with tons of money and leaves the club & stadium to the next owner. The new stadium MUST be on a peppercorn rent. Any other rent is quite simply going to lead to disaster. The quicker the houses & stadium are built the quicker a re build of the club can happen.
 
The only hope is planning permission is received quickly, Ron sails off into the sunset with tons of money and leaves the club & stadium to the next owner. The new stadium MUST be on a peppercorn rent. Any other rent is quite simply going to lead to disaster. The quicker the houses & stadium are built the quicker a re build of the club can happen.
That'll take many years. You'll have all the NIMBYS etc complaining next. I think he needs to know that we as fans know exactly where the problem lies. Time to up the anti. A protest where the players are made aware it's not against them but directly aimed at Ron.
 
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The only hope is planning permission is received quickly, Ron sails off into the sunset with tons of money and leaves the club & stadium to the next owner. The new stadium MUST be on a peppercorn rent. Any other rent is quite simply going to lead to disaster. The quicker the houses & stadium are built the quicker a re build of the club can happen.

Thats what has led us to this position in the first place. Tryin to Rob Peter to pay Paul for years. All in the vain hope that SBC will offer a green light and rejuvenate the club.

This hasn't happened for years and as a result we are now on our knees.

This only goes one of two ways now.

We get the green light. Ron builds and then leaves the club to a more capable custodian.

We get the red light. Ron is sunk and the club is sunk. We will more than likely enter administration and potentially fold or find new ownership.

I still think we should protest against Ron and make our feelings known.

It won't make a difference to him either way but it serves to release some anger and highlights our plight.
 
Here's my (flawed, probably) thinking.

There's a covenant on Roots Hall that states development can't begin until the new stadium is ready. OK here's the bit - supposing SUFC goes under - no need for a new stadium as there's no club. Then RM can develop the Hall thus saving the expense of the new stadium. Or am I totally wrong?
 
Here's my (flawed, probably) thinking.

There's a covenant on Roots Hall that states development can't begin until the new stadium is ready. OK here's the bit - supposing SUFC goes under - no need for a new stadium as there's no club. Then RM can develop the Hall thus saving the expense of the new stadium. Or am I totally wrong?
If the club did go under, RH could be developed yes, and they wouldn't need to build a stadium at FF either so there is room there to build more houses (more revenue). Apart from the damage to his reputation (!) Ron doesn't really lose out from this scenario. You could make a strong case for saying he actually benefits.

I don't think this is his strategy by the way. And if SUFC goes under surely that means RM has also gone under?

Rather, I think we will shrink. Planned shrinkage perhaps, or maybe just through neglect/ carelessness. We will continue but with less running costs and eventually a very small new stadium.
 
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If the club did go under, RH could be developed yes, and they wouldn't need to build a stadium at FF either so there is room there to build more houses (more revenue). Apart from the damage to his reputation (!) Ron doesn't really lose out from this scenario. You could make a strong case for saying he actually benefits.

I don't think this is his strategy by the way. And if SUFC goes under surely that means RM has also gone under?

Rather, I think we will shrink. Planned shrinkage perhaps, or maybe just through neglect/ carelessness. We will continue but with less running costs and eventually a very small new stadium.
How does SUFC going under mean RM has also gone under ? He has all the prime assets in his company names ! As you said, RM doesn't lose out.
 
If the club did go under, RH could be developed yes, and they wouldn't need to build a stadium at FF either so there is room there to build more houses (more revenue). Apart from the damage to his reputation (!) Ron doesn't really lose out from this scenario. You could make a strong case for saying he actually benefits.

I don't think this is his strategy by the way. And if SUFC goes under surely that means RM has also gone under?

Rather, I think we will shrink. Planned shrinkage perhaps, or maybe just through neglect/ carelessness. We will continue but with less running costs and eventually a very small new stadium.
Not a loaded question as I don’t know the answer….. are there any financial or legal reason that Ron keeps the club afloat?
 
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