Ambition

[sufcintheprem]

I had a strange thought earlier today while looking at what Ron Martin said.

I made a post on rivals after someone suggested an inferiority complex that it was a brand of realism based on the size of our club. We've only played at this level once in our career and hardly threatened the topof the table outside of that crazy festive period. However, the truth is that we all see ourselves as a small club. All of us, that is, except Ron Martin.

Even more striking is that his ambition is infectious.

All the way through this talk of new stadia, internationally capped signings and promotions, I realise now that I still felt as though we are a small club living above our means and savouring the moment.

Ron seems to disagree with me. Every interview he has, he talks about his long term plans. Until now, every time I have had a little smirk as, towards the end of each interview, he throws in a comment that seems so far fetched as to be ridiculous. I've been putting it down to natural chairman optimism but he's doing the business.

He said he didn't see passion in Wignall's eyes. Sounded like a funny reason but he seems to have been spot on.

He talked about us getting promoted when we were only just hauling ourselves out of the relegation zone. I thought, maybe a chance of playoffs but there we were perched on top of the league and in a cup final a year later.

He talked about back to back promotions, he talked about a new stadium and more recently, he's dared to mention the P word in the same sentence a Southend. Again, it comes up in is interview about the new stadium and I'm starting to warm to his ideas of grandeur as something we can actually achieve.

The LDV final indicated the potential this club has. If we can get that many people to travel the breadth of the country for a trohpy of little national significance. We now find ourselves in a position where we have players other clubs want, a stadium that might actually go ahead and a manager who lives and breathes Southend.

The cynics on here will have to excuse me breaking my last remaining links with them, but I'm starting to get a little bit more excited than I was before. The way this club's going, we are almost in a position where we will be making a genuine and permanent step towards securing and improving the long term future of the club.

Whether Ron is justified in his optimism remains to be seen but I for one am starting to believe it.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

A good all-round thought out post, which seems like a breath of fresh air around here the past month or so!

I have reactions like that too in certain parts of Uncle Ron's visions for SUFC!!!

 

[Pubey]

i think one of the most exciting things about southend at the moment is the youth team, we are actually producing genuine talent (or attracting youngsters to our youth academy). this, hand-in-hand with being in the championship, and getting a new stadium will see some really exciting things to come in the new few seasons. as fans however its up to us to really get behind the team and the club and do our bit to push us forward

 

[fredheim_holm]

Everyday I wake up I feel as though it was an amazing dream or vision, but it isnt! It might happen!

 

[Pubey]

it WILL happen fred! oh yes it WILL happen

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Look into Jon's eyes ...

 

[fredheim_holm]

Quote[/b] (jontosh2001 @ Oct. 04 2006,09:13)]it WILL happen fred! oh yes it WILL happen

 

[Angell Delight]

Quote[/b] (sufcintheprem @ Oct. 03 2006,22:32)]I had a strange thought earlier today while looking at what Ron Martin said.

I made a post on rivals after someone suggested an inferiority complex that it was a brand of realism based on the size of our club.  We've only played at this level once in our career and hardly threatened the topof the table outside of that crazy festive period.  However, the truth is that we all see ourselves as a small club.  All of us, that is, except Ron Martin.

Even more striking is that his ambition is infectious.

All the way through this talk of new stadia, internationally capped signings and promotions, I realise now that I still felt as though we are a small club living above our means and savouring the moment.

Ron seems to disagree with me.  Every interview he has, he talks about his long term plans.  Until now, every time I have had a little smirk as, towards the end of each interview, he throws in a  comment that seems so far fetched as to be ridiculous.  I've been putting it down to natural chairman optimism but he's doing the business.

He said he didn't see passion in Wignall's eyes.  Sounded like a funny reason but he seems to have been spot on.  

He talked about us getting promoted when we were only just hauling ourselves out of the relegation zone.  I thought, maybe a chance of playoffs but there we were perched on top of the league and in a cup final a year later.

He talked about back to back promotions, he talked about a new stadium and more recently, he's dared to mention the P word in the same sentence a Southend.  Again, it comes up in is interview about the new stadium and I'm starting to warm to his ideas of grandeur as something we can actually achieve.  

The LDV final indicated the potential this club has.  If we can get that many people to travel the breadth of the country for a trohpy of little national significance.  We now find ourselves in a position where we have players other clubs want, a stadium that might actually go ahead and a manager who lives and breathes Southend.

The cynics on here will have to excuse me breaking my last remaining links with them, but I'm starting to get a little bit more excited than I was before.  The way this club's going, we are almost in a position where we will be making a genuine and permanent step towards securing and improving the long term future of the club.

Whether Ron is justified in his optimism remains to be seen but I for one am starting to believe it.

Post of the week!

 

[Jam_Man]

Yes a good post.

Im still sceptical that we could make use of a 22,000 seat stadium, but the LDV final shows how many people will go to watch SUFC in the right circumstances. (the play off final shows how much that can change though!).

So the potential is there and hopefully the new ground will iattract more and more floaters.

I think Ron Martins attitude is optimistic, but lets face it we would rather have someone like that than someone not interested in developing the club.

Now it may be hard to see where we could get 16,000 every week at the moment but I imagine if the new stadium is built in 10 years time there will be lots more youngsters who would actually be interested in going to games as opposed to going to West Ham et al.

 

[Andu]

I was struck by similar thoughts last season when we played at Barnet (and this is not a dig at Barnet). If I remember correctly there was spiel in the programme from their chairman about taking Barnet onwards and upwards. I looked at the programme and thought, well you need to something about the state of this, it looks like something thrown together by the local school, come and look what at what SUFC have done. Then at half time the most exciting thing to look at was the odd pidgeon landing on the pitch, and I thought again about what SUFC do, with the competition and the Bluebelles. It all goes together to show that we have ambition beyond what we are now, starting with the little things and building up to the bigger things.

 

[Plumstix]

Quote[/b] (Jam_Man @ Oct. 04 2006,12:00)]but the LDV final shows how many people will go to watch SUFC in the right circumstances. (the play off final shows how much that can change though!).

Obviously the reason we had such a large crowd for the first LDV final was because people were thinking that they'd better go because we'd never get there again. By the third time in a little over a year it was getting par for the course. Also it's a hell of a round trip. I bet the attendance would have been better if it was closer to home i.e. Wembley.

 

[Bromley Blue]

I for one am ashamed to admit I didnt go to the playoff final. I went to both LDV finals and just thought we were destined not to win in that stadium. I thought I was some sort of curse or something. It may have been justified coz we bloody won!

I think this and the fat we'd been twice in as many years were a major contributing factor to our low turnout for that game. With no previous LDV defeats we would have taken 20,000+ to that playoff final I am in no doubt.

 

[Jam_Man]

Indeed, if that was our first trip we certainly would have taken 20,000.

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (the_saafender @ Oct. 04 2006,12:39)]With no previous LDV defeats we would have taken 20,000+ to that playoff final I am in no doubt.

I disagree. We took 20,000 because it was our first time there.

Our true fans are the ones who went to Swansea away in mid-week, the members of the Trust and so on, not the Johnny come latelys who latch onto a bit of success. They won't be here when were losing

 

[gbshrimper]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Oct. 04 2006,12:45)]

Quote[/b] (the_saafender @ Oct. 04 2006,12:39)]With no previous LDV defeats we would have taken 20,000+ to that playoff final I am in no doubt.

I disagree. We took 20,000 because it was our first time there.

Our true fans are the ones who went to Swansea away in mid-week, the members of the Trust and so on, not the Johnny come latelys who latch onto a bit of success. They won't be here when were losing

I have never been to Swansea in midweek, neither am I a member of the trust...but I'll still be here when we're losing.

It is extremely unfair to say I am not a true fan.

I even, like the Saafender, didn't go to the PlayOff Final..making the ultimate sacrifice knowing that if I attended we would surely lose.

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (gbshrimper @ Oct. 04 2006,13:15)]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Oct. 04 2006,12:45)]

Quote[/b] (the_saafender @ Oct. 04 2006,12:39)]With no previous LDV defeats we would have taken 20,000+ to that playoff final I am in no doubt.

I disagree. We took 20,000 because it was our first time there.

Our true fans are the ones who went to Swansea away in mid-week, the members of the Trust and so on, not the Johnny come latelys who latch onto a bit of success. They won't be here when were losing

I have never been to Swansea in midweek, neither am I a member of the trust...but I'll still be here when we're losing.

It is extremely unfair to say I am not a true fan.

I even, like the Saafender, didn't go to the PlayOff Final..making the ultimate sacrifice knowing that if I attended we would surely lose.

Too easy

 

[Angell Delight]

Quote[/b] (Jam_Man @ Oct. 04 2006,12:00)]So the potential is there and hopefully the new ground will iattract more and more floaters.

Let's hope not, the toilets at the Hall see enough of them already.....

 

[Bielzibubz]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Oct. 04 2006,13:25)]

Quote[/b] (gbshrimper @ Oct. 04 2006,13:15)]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Oct. 04 2006,12:45)]

Quote[/b] (the_saafender @ Oct. 04 2006,12:39)]With no previous LDV defeats we would have taken 20,000+ to that playoff final I am in no doubt.

I disagree. We took 20,000 because it was our first time there.

Our true fans are the ones who went to Swansea away in mid-week, the members of the Trust and so on, not the Johnny come latelys who latch onto a bit of success. They won't be here when were losing

I have never been to Swansea in midweek, neither am I a member of the trust...but I'll still be here when we're losing.

It is extremely unfair to say I am not a true fan.

I even, like the Saafender, didn't go to the PlayOff Final..making the ultimate sacrifice knowing that if I attended we would surely lose.

Too easy

No wonder Grimsby is such a derelict sh!tehole. All the whoppers are being caught down here

 

[gbshrimper]

Quote[/b] (D62SUBOY @ Oct. 04 2006,15:06)]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Oct. 04 2006,13:25)]

Quote[/b] (gbshrimper @ Oct. 04 2006,13:15)]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Oct. 04 2006,12:45)]

Quote[/b] (the_saafender @ Oct. 04 2006,12:39)]With no previous LDV defeats we would have taken 20,000+ to that playoff final I am in no doubt.

I disagree. We took 20,000 because it was our first time there.

Our true fans are the ones who went to Swansea away in mid-week, the members of the Trust and so on, not the Johnny come latelys who latch onto a bit of success. They won't be here when were losing

I have never been to Swansea in midweek, neither am I a member of the trust...but I'll still be here when we're losing.

It is extremely unfair to say I am not a true fan.

I even, like the Saafender, didn't go to the PlayOff Final..making the ultimate sacrifice knowing that if I attended we would surely lose.

Too easy

 

No wonder Grimsby is such a derelict sh!tehole. All the whoppers are being caught down here  

 

uh - ermmm....awwww crap

 

[Ulysses]

Quote[/b] (sufcintheprem @ Oct. 03 2006,22:32)]I'm starting to get a little bit more excited than I was before. The way this club's going, we are almost in a position where we will be making a genuine and permanent step towards securing and improving the long term future of the club.

Whether Ron is justified in his optimism remains to be seen but I for one am starting to believe it.

Ron's generally a guy who looks at the bigger picture. The plan for 30,000 new home in the area over the next 15 years will help bring revenue and business to the new area. I think the club can boost itself from this and Ron see's this. It may take time to pack it week in and out (depending on how the team is going) but i think if all goes to plan you could be looking at expansion of the stada to cope.