OldBlueLady
Junior Blues Coordinator⭐⭐
I believe I have now answered all those questions – either singularly or combined – that have been sent to the Club’s media department. There were one or two “stragglers” but these points were covered in earlier responses.
I have yet to come to a decision whether to continue blogs weekly but will ensure that I stay in touch with supporters throughout the close season but perhaps on a reduced content basis and in a more blogging style as opposed to the interminable Q&As of the past month.
Whilst, to some degree, this next item may be a duplication of issues I have clarified previously I thought I could use the following email from a supporter dated 5th May as a template to answer a few general points that arise surrounding most, if not all, players.
The email is as follows verbatim:
Sent: 05 May 2009 23:42
To: Media
Subject: Feedback: Media Query [Scanned by Sophos]
My question is about peter clarke why aint we got him on a new contract yet he got the supporters player of the year and the fans are singing sign on peter, and what is ron martin playing at we need the players like peter at the club he has the squad we have players and we have had the players who we have let go harding, sawyer,kanu robson.when the new stadium is build we need the players like clarke to be there so ron dont stall get his contract signed so he stays because thiss new stadium will not get filled because keep letting good players go i dont expect a reply but im a loyal supporter if you look at the games ive been to at the ticket office im loyal .
Firstly, it has been well documented that we WOULD like Peter Clarke to sign a new contract. In fact, many of you will recall that I wanted Peter Clarke to sign a new contract in the close season last year – primarily for continuity and to maintain value in a player where the Club had made a significant investment. I am sure many of the fans will appreciate that I cannot drag Peter kicking and screaming and as to whether he signs is entirely a matter for HIM with undoubted input from his agent and quite proper influence from Peter’s family.
I do not know if Peter Clarke will sign but he met with Steve Tilson on Friday morning and has confirmed he is now willing to talk, just as he promised he would when he and I met back on September 10th 2008.
The point being is I wonder whether fans really do think that a club can sign a player just because a club wants to. The fact is of course we cannot. There are so many things which impact on a player’s decision.
Fundamentally this will of course be money but secondly players will always want to play in the highest league possible. Generally the two objectives go hand in hand i.e. the higher up the leagues you go the more money you get paid.
There will also be personal circumstances when a player wants to go “back home”. I am not saying this applies to Peter Clarke but his family hail from Southport and as his wife has just had their first child you can perhaps understand that may be an influence also, nearer to parents, grandparents etc.
Things are never straightforward and it would also be ridiculous to attempt to pay an individual so much money to stay for a disproportionate wage made to one player (I am not talking about Peter Clarke per se) would cause dissention with other players and undo all the good work that the management strives to achieve in wanting the team and everyone playing for each other. In my view that is where the real secrets to success lie – team spirit.
Believe me, the players do discuss each other’s wages, maybe not in specific detail but certainly generally and their must be fairness running right the way through the squad. It is my opinion, and also that of Steve Tilson , that this is crucial.
Chris Jeffery’s email above also talks about letting Harding, Sawyer, Kanu Robson (sic.) – Robson-Kanu – go. We did not. Each of those players came to the end of their loan spell. Harding went on loan at a high level to Reading . Sawyer came to the end of his loan spell and Chelsea would not let him return. Robson Kanu came to the end of his loan spells and was precluded under Football League rules of returning to Southend – hence why he went to Swindon .
If we had our way all three would have stayed but to reiterate these judgements are not ours and ours alone. Also fans should know that whether a player stays, goes, is bought, loaned or sold it is not my decision. These decisions are for the Manager. Of course I would want and expect those decisions to be shared with me but the Manger should be best placed to initiate the thought in the first place whilst having due regard to budgets, cash flows and investments etc.
We know exactly where we are going with this Club, the players we would like to retain and why we are investing in youth to help produce that culture and commitment to Southend United in the future.
So Chris, I am not “stalling” on Peter Clarke’s contract and fully understand the quality of players we need at Southend now and for the Club’s future success. I personally have no doubt that this will be achieved at the new stadium and whilst some of the more cynical individuals might suggest to the contrary, I strongly believe the new stadium will generate so much more interest in SUFC in addition to greater revenues which together will create a bigger fan base very quickly with sustained growth following.
Clearly we will need to keep recruiting at the best levels including the development of our own youth policy. Incidentally our Youth Team have done brilliantly this year which speaks volumes for the conveyor belt we are beginning to put in place.
I know this is a duplication of other issues we have had before but in case other fans think similarly to the above supporter I hope this amplifies matters.
We can work very hard and may justify the rewards but if a player, his agent or his family have got ideas elsewhere they can all impact adversely on the Club’s objectives and its continuity i.e. Nicky Bailey, Mark Gower and not forgetting someone like JCR who also insisted on leaving.
In short, when a player is not happy, and that can be for a whole host of reasons, he will not play his best football or commit to the Club. I would suggest something miffed Didier Drogba in the first few months of the season – and also last Wednesday!!
I will write something further next Tuesday and by that time I will also decide subjects and the frequency of my posting during the summer.
Until then, up the Blues!
p.s. I hope supporters like the new, blue kit. I certainly do and I expect the away kit to be a popular choice also – again I am pleased with the colour scheme and styling. I hope to keep both new shirts for the next two seasons.
Very good news on the shirts!
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