Echo News Anna Firth reacts to Southend United sale by Ron Martin

[Evening Echo]

Southend United was listed for sale on Friday by chairman Ron Martin

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[thenobster]

Tory MP for Southend Westcliff has said the time is right for Shrimpers chairman Ron Martin to step aside.

No sh I t sherlock

 

[Target man]

How on earth can she thank him for 25 years?

We're in a far worse situation now than when he took over ... that doesn't call for a congratulations.

Trying to be one of the supporters just to get votes but saying the wrong things.... should stick to politics.

 

[nick12]

Spoken like a true Politician when discussing another expert on lies and spin. Nothing against Anna but talk about stating the obvious

Votes and season ticket sales much needed so let's tell the ignorant peasants exactly what they want to hear

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

An excellent statement. When the history books are written they will talk about the contradiction and difficulties of running a football club whilst at the same time trying to develop its assets. However the football successes and failures are a matter of record
He will also have left the club with a better ground, training facilities and community assets (dome) that will be well used at least by Cecil Jones school whose land it will sit on. If and when they are built of course.

 

[Cricko]

The Tory MP for Southend Westcliff has said the time is right for Shrimpers chairman Ron Martin to step aside.


Anna Firth said the future of Southend United has “never looked brighter” as she thanked Mr Martin for his contribution, spanning 25 years.
Ms Firth spoke after Mr Martin announced he is selling the club on Friday.
“Following Friday's news that Ron Martin has begun the process of selling Southend United, I would like to thank him for 25 years at the helm, which have been anything but uneventful,” said the MP.

“From promotion to the Championship, back to back Football League trophy finals and more recently the superb playoff final at Wembley against Wycombe, the club has had some truly wonderful moments under his stewardship.

“However, the club is about to enter a new era with the stadium at Fossetts Farm and I agree that now is the right time for him to step aside and welcome fresh ownership and a fresh vision for Southend United.

“Recent events have unfortunately overshadowed the truly remarkable efforts of the players and management and that should never be the case.”

She added: “The future at Southend United has never looked brighter and as a member of the Shrimpers Trust and MP, I stand ready to help and support in any way to make this exciting future a reality”

 

[borientater]

Better to keep politicians out of football and footballers out of politics

 

[Ted]

Better to keep politicians out of football and footballers out of politics

I doubt Gary Lineker reads this forum

 

[stewart]

some on here will pick ****e out of anything ! she is quite right during RMs 25 years in control you all have had some great memories ,yes its ended badly, but you have witnessed some absolutely great times and some wonderful players wearing our shirt with pride , The club is now up for sale ,lets hope we will get new and good ownership very soon, Then we can forget the bad times and talk about the wonderful times ,being top of the Championship even though just for a few hours , seeing the likes of SVC ,FE, BB, and so many others playing for us , Matches against Man Utd and Ronaldo ,etc gracing RH , Liverpool , Chelsea ,Spurs, and so many others, Trophy finals at Millenium stadium against Wrexham and Blackpool ,Playoff finals Bury and Wycombe, bringing 25 to 30000 supporters to Wembley ,getting back to back promotions,5th round of FA cup, Gosh we have had some absolutely wonderful times ,seen some wonderful players and great clubs grace our home , be thankful for all this and pray for good times again .

 

[Pak66]

some on here will pick ****e out of anything ! she is quite right during RMs 25 years in control you all have had some great memories ,yes its ended badly, but you have witnessed some absolutely great times and some wonderful players wearing our shirt with pride , The club is now up for sale ,lets hope we will get new and good ownership very soon, Then we can forget the bad times and talk about the wonderful times ,being top of the Championship even though just for a few hours , seeing the likes of SVC ,FE, BB, and so many others playing for us , Matches against Man Utd and Ronaldo ,etc gracing RH , Liverpool , Chelsea ,Spurs, and so many others, Trophy finals at Millenium stadium against Wrexham and Blackpool ,Playoff finals Bury and Wycombe, bringing 25 to 30000 supporters to Wembley ,getting back to back promotions,5th round of FA cup, Gosh we have had some absolutely wonderful times ,seen some wonderful players and great clubs grace our home , be thankful for all this and pray for good times again .

 

[Pak66]

Oh Dear! I suppose it's easy to get confused trying to follow Mr Martin's years at Southend United, so just to clarify we did not play Liverpool or reach the 5th round of the FA Cup during Mr Martins reign of financial disaster> I have not fact checked anything else.

 

[Medway Blue]

Christ alive there are some silly reactions on here!

The statement required a little bit of balance. I want him out more than anything and will never forgive him for what he has done to this football club, but you can't really make a statement like that without mentioning the highs of his tenure too. They don't absolve him of the blame and infamy for the crushing lows, but they can't be forgotten.

Some balance required regarding Anna Firth too. Regardless of whether you agree with her or her party's politics, she has been very active in the background helping the club's cause and we should be grateful for that. She has done a great job of leveraging the white paper to spread awareness of SUFC's troubles, she has lent useful advice in the battles with HMRC, and I'm sure she'll continue to be valuable asset.

Whether she sees it as a vote-gaining political play, whether she wanted photo opportunities at the matches (I suspect not, I think she has actually caught the bug a little now), I don't know and to be honest, I don't give a ****. She has done and is doing some good stuff.

 

[overseas shrimper]

SZ really does reflect our present society with it's nitpicking, moaning about anything and getting offended.

Shame really. It would be nice to come on here to get away from all that crap.

 

[stewart]

Oh Dear! I suppose it's easy to get confused trying to follow Mr Martin's years at Southend United, so just to clarify we did not play Liverpool or reach the 5th round of the FA Cup during Mr Martins reign of financial disaster> I have not fact checked anything else.
[/QU
You must be one off those that will pick sh*t out of any post just for the fact you dont like that persons politics,I think even we were to win the FA CUP and get promoted you would still nit pick.

 

[Dutch Branch]

The Tory MP for Southend Westcliff has said the time is right for Shrimpers chairman Ron Martin to step aside.


Anna Firth said the future of Southend United has “never looked brighter” as she thanked Mr Martin for his contribution, spanning 25 years.
Ms Firth spoke after Mr Martin announced he is selling the club on Friday.
“Following Friday's news that Ron Martin has begun the process of selling Southend United, I would like to thank him for 25 years at the helm, which have been anything but uneventful,” said the MP.

“From promotion to the Championship, back to back Football League trophy finals and more recently the superb playoff final at Wembley against Wycombe, the club has had some truly wonderful moments under his stewardship.

“However, the club is about to enter a new era with the stadium at Fossetts Farm and I agree that now is the right time for him to step aside and welcome fresh ownership and a fresh vision for Southend United.

“Recent events have unfortunately overshadowed the truly remarkable efforts of the players and management and that should never be the case.”

She added: “The future at Southend United has never looked brighter and as a member of the Shrimpers Trust and MP, I stand ready to help and support in any way to make this exciting future a reality”

The helm of a ship heading for a big ice berg more like. At the moment we are all putting our life vests on ready to board the life boats. Woman and children first. Ron probably has his own private life boat on the port side .

I really wish that these politicians would give some thought before posting stuff.

 

[Rayleigh boy]

I am very concerned …. What is the SNPs stance on this ?

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

“The future at Southend United has never looked brighter"...really !!! I assume she must be paying the next HMRC bill, all the staff and building a new stadium for us , then ?

 

[stewart]

“The future at Southend United has never looked brighter"...really !!! I assume she must be paying the next HMRC bill, all the staff and building a new stadium for us , then ?

Or perhaps she knows more than she is permitted to say at this point in time.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Or perhaps she knows more than she is permitted to say at this point in time.

Unless she can come up with proof of that, it just sounds like typical politicians drivel

 

[basilrobbie]

I think some of you are being a bit hard on her.

She is a politician, and she knows this is nowhere near being a done deal yet. She wants to keep lines of communication open with everyone - including RM. So she doesn't want to alienate him.

Having heard her speak recently, it is clear she knows very little about football. But she understands the potential impact of the White Paper and you can hardly blame her if she uses the political capital it offers on an issue of key constituency importance. She will probably have to face the electorate in a year or eighteen months time - she wants to put her best foot forward.

It's unfortunate, but local MPs are a key potential partner for football activists today. You have to work with them in whatever way you can.