Are we close to the edge once more?

[Cricko]

Without laying blame at anybody's feet as we have had enough threads about who is to blame in this sorry mess we find ourselves in.

Do you think this is as close to the edge as we have ever been regarding out club collapsing into the mire. We have sailed close before, the most recent probably being when PS arrived when we had next to zero players available. This is just to judge the overall feelings out there amongst the fans.

So what do you think?

 

[Medway Blue]

I think 2009/10 was worse because RM let it go too far. December 2019 was a sign that things are going that way again and I think what he’s doing this month is trying to get it under control sooner than last time.

 

[Shrimper93]

We will be fine

 

[Ron Manager]

I’m a LONG way away so this is only based purely on what is out there as public knowledge (no inside scoop), but yeah....it all feels like we are in serious trouble right now.

If there aren‘t contingency plans being set up on what exactly would need to happen to ‘start again’ should the worst happen then I reckon that should be put in place. Not saying it will, hopefully it won’t...but if it can happen to Bury it could happen to us.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Same old same old, been here before. That’s the sorriest thing about the whole shambles. From where we were and how hard we battled to get up here to the absolute joke this season’s been. But we will be ok.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

We've sailed very close to the wind a few times over the decades, started in the 80's, 2k crowds etc, escaped re-election by a whisker one year.
Late 90's were depressing, but in last few years the financial strain on the club seems to have intensified 10 fold?. No point discussing the reasons why, but one day our luck will run out with all the Inland revenue cases & other charges brought against us from others.
We all talk about next season, with Sol ( if hes still here ) rebuilding the squad, & happy days ahead?.
Everything financially depends on Fossetts Farm being given the go ahead, & personally i have no confidence in that project being passed.
Sincerely hope i'm wrong, but i fear more depressing times ahead, than what we've had to experience up to today.

 

[Floval Flyer]

If I am totally honest I was off the scene for a few years (2003-2009, with very young children) leading up the capitulation prior to Luggy coming in, so I am not really fully clear on what happened or what lead to that dark period in our history, but presume Ron had deep financial issues due to the global economical collapse. What I do seem to recall is that we didn’t have anywhere near the same youth team set up as we have now or any players coming through the ranks.

I also recall that we only had 3 or 4 players under contract and Luggy signed a load of frees in a short period of time. In terms of the current set up we could possibly see the likes of Bishop, Elvis, Clifford, Phillips, Gard, Kinali, Kelman and Rush as the core of the team next season, with Sol bringing in some experience to compliment our young starlets.

The big problem with Football now compared to then is that you need a whole heap more cash to survive than 10 years ago.

My fear is that Ron won’t be able to sustain the ever growing losses if FF doesn’t get the green light in the next 3 years and we will end up like Newport County, or Bury, and start again.

I don’t think this is the worst ever, but it could be in 2 or 3 years if our wonderful council doesn’t support our club more positively.

 

[Smiffy]

A quick browse of the accounts says it all for me.

 

[GBJ]

In terms of staying in business, we’re as close to the edge, as we could possibly get.

Stripping back our wage budget is the first step towards redressing the balance. And I include Ron in that aswell. Haven’t looked at last years accounts, but are him and his wife still claiming their £130k-per-year wage? Oh, and don’t bother telling me “he needs/deserves to earn a wage”, just save yourself the energy, give your head a little wobble & tell it to someone else.

However, our long term future is still in the hands of The Council.

Until they green light this fantasy move, or someone finally agrees to buy this basket case of a football club from Ron, we’ll continue to fly by the seat of our pants.

 

[Mad Cyril]

My theory is that it costs us more to sign players than many of our peers in the lower leagues because of the cost of living in the region and this is starting to bite.

 

[Mad Cyril]

In terms of staying in business, we’re as close to the edge, as we could possibly get.

Stripping back our wage budget is the first step towards redressing the balance. And I include Ron in that aswell. Haven’t looked at last years accounts, but are him and his wife still claiming their £130k-per-year wage? Oh, and don’t bother telling me “he needs/deserves to earn a wage”, just save yourself the energy, give your head a little wobble & tell it to someone else.

However, our long term future is still in the hands of The Council.

Until they green light this fantasy move, or someone finally agrees to buy this basket case of a football club from Ron, we’ll continue to fly by the seat of our pants.

£130k is not a lot of money for running an organisation the size of SUFC.

There are many in the region who earn more for far less responsibility.

 

[flangejackrabbit]

My theory is that it costs us more than many of our peers in the lower leagues because of the cost of living in the region and this is starting to bite.

£130k is not a lot of money for running an organisation the size of SUFC.

There are many in the region who earn more for far less responsibility.

Becoming unusually sane in your old age...

 

[Tinks]

It’s all making me feel very flat to be honest

 

[IloveShrimp]

One positive for Ron could be that it looks very much like the cinema etc on the seafront will not be going on ahead as the council failed to pass the plans. Perhaps this could mean that the cinema investors may return to Ron?

 

[rayleighblue22]

Gotta say it (and I hate to believe me ) but I fear this the beginning of the end, there's nothing running for the side now, a bad season, lack of passion, players cant be assed, council playing us like a used fiddle, A chairman who runs the club by the skin of his teeth (ive heard the name Teflon ron a lot recently make of that what you will, people not being paid and to top it all off and investigation by the efl which could cost us very dear if imposed next year (which it probably will be!! (after all if imposed this year when we are already relegated aint much of a punishment is it) if you had a horse with this many problems you would call a vet and put it out of its misery.
To quote a famous film line ""I've got a real bad feeling about this!!!!!""

 

[GBJ]

£130k is not a lot of money for running an organisation the size of SUFC.

There are many in the region who earn more for far less responsibility.

Yeah sure.

But when tightening your belt - ya know, in order to stay in business - one might have thought that taking a slight, personal pay cut wouldn’t be out of the question.

Especially considering that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that you crave so badly, is intrinsically linked to the continued survival of the enterprise that you’re taking a significant wage, from?

The players have 25% pay cuts written into their contracts (which is their own choice to sign).

Will Ron take a pay cut?

 

[meerkat54]

Think we have gone over the top of the cliff and are now hanging on by our finger nails. More bitter medicine to take im afraid !

 

[fleabag1]

Has roots hall been sold or do we still own it ?

 

[GBJ]

Has roots hall been sold or do we still own it ?

Ron bought that from us years ago, along with the training ground.

I can’t remember if he owns it personally, or it’s registered to one of his companies.

 

[SUFCfan44]

There are many in the region who earn more for far less responsibility.

Say what you want of Ron, but this is true.