• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

COLLYMORE -MARTIN SUMMARY

Hi Guys

Had a 2pm zoom face to face with Ron for 50 minutes.

It was open, honest, friendly and as you'd hope from me, your concerns and thoughts along with my own were expressed and reaffirmed throughout.

There were no no go areas and extensive contemporaneous notes were taken.

My offer to Ron was as follows.

1. To use me as conduit for Ron and the club to build and maintain bridges with supporters, dealing with clubs where bridges have been broken, a face of Southend United to meet parents and potential young players who we should be looking to recruit, offering football advice and solutions to the club structures, media, supporters, local business, council and to Ron, daily.

2. To arrange a meeting with Ron and I and a potential CEO that I have in mind as a matter of urgency to allow Ron to concentrate of FF, council and allow a football structure to take shape immediately to allow the club and team to get out of the blocks with the aim of an immediate Football League return.

I am delighted to say that Ron's candour was refreshing, he acknowledged that help was needed and that a unification of the club was his desire. He asked me about the CEO, and how quickly could we all meet which was incredibly encouraging.

I put to him the suggestion that as a 23 year owner of a football club, which we all agree isn't easy, Ron should utilise his energy in ways that can achieve the FF project, with the football business on and off the pitch being run by a competent CEO with me to be an advisor, titled or not, formal or not. A guardian football angel for the benefit of Southend United Football Club.

Ron wants to explore both immediately as a matter of urgency.

So I will contact the CEO I have in mind today, wait to hear from him and should he be willing to meet Ron, I will facilitate that within meeting to happen in Ron's words "within days". As I said to you guys, I'll drive the guy myself if I have to!

What would I see my role as? Like Mark Bright at Crystal Palace who advises Steve Parrish, I'd offer my experience and knowledge and contacts to build bridges with you guys, have a clear and transparent relationship with your club and its structures, to sometimes say ( as I said in the meeting with Ron) "Ron, hold fire on Mark Molesley in any statement, we may want this guy in 5 years time!", to give a face to recruitment of the best kids in the region to play for this wonderful football club, to vet manager's and football staff to make sure the football vision is realised and to support everyone at the club including Ron, to take things from their plate rather than add to them.


So Ron wants to meet me, the potential CEO all together ( should the CEO want to, time commitments willing, usual terms and conditions apply etc etc) in the coming days, with a view to moving the conversation and potential solutions quickly.

I believe Ron when he says he wants the best for the club but as I said to him, sometimes new energy, new voices, help and assistance from other quarters is all that's needed to get back on track. Ron asked me what time I could commit and I said "as much as the club needs me to commit".

I hope that helps in the short term, I promised I'd offer practical help to Ron and the club and I have. Next step is to get this potential CEO in front of Ron, I'll sit outside with a bag of chips and a cuppa and then I'll go in to continue the "how can we move this forward " conversation.

I can only take anyone in face value and Ron seemed to be open to all suggestions which would enable a sustainable football club to progress. We all have a role to play now to ensure that happens.

Out of tiny acorns, great oaks shall grow.


Unity, transparency, sustainability, progression.


Stan Collymore
Great news really didn't think the meeting would go ahead today sounds promising for RM to admit help is needed that's a huge step in the right direction . Thank you Stan for getting the ball rolling let's hope things do happen many thanks
 
In all of this it is important to recognise that RM has the right to turn down the CEO that SC has suggested if he simply doesn't feel he'd be right for the club. Don't forget, Ron has to work with this person and has to make sure that he's happy to do so.

That shouldn't be read as a negative necessarily. It is only a negative if it this doesn't lead to someone being appointed sooner rather than later.

Moreover, this is only the 1st step...there's about a million more that are needed!
 
Last edited:
@stan collymore Obviously you're not going divulge the identity of the potential CEO on here, but can you confirm if you stated who you had in mind with Ron?

Sounds like a good constructive meeting. I for one would love to see you down at the hall every now and again on matchdays.
 
Great work Stan. Any admission of help required is the biggest first step.

I guess you have already spoken to the CEO and have an indication of interest? If you've mentioned "Southend United" and he/she? is still talking to you, then that is very positive!
No talk of selling the club and keeping the land at FF and Roots Hall for development.

I just hope Ron is sincere and this progresses fast to enable us to take full benefit ASAP

Truly humbled by you love for the club you only spent six fabulous months at and commitment to help us out on a longer term given your other interest.

Thanks for saving us in 1992/93 and hopefully 2021!
 
Last edited:
'Out of tiny acorns, great oaks shall grow'

Oy Stan, that's what my Missus says :)
 
We owe you a collective pint Stan. You have achieved in this last week more than us Supporters could’ve ever have achieved in years. You’ve given us a voice Stan and have given us hope when all looked bleak to say the least. Your achievements off the pitch could very well eclipse your not inconsiderable achievements on it.
 
Good grief, what an impact we supporters must truly have had on you Stan, for those 6 month's lol. I fully respect the time and effort you are putting in on the club and it's fanbases' behalf.

That sounds absolutely the best outcome from this afternoons meeting we could have hoped for. It is also one of the reasons I am not yet a disciple of the "Ron Out" view, although I hold him to account as the major reason we are where we are now. I still do see a future, positive view of where we can get to, being achievable if Ron holds his hands up and admits he needs help.

As you said, you have to take the man at his word, and if he wants to meet a prospective CEO "in days", with you as a reference, then this must be a positive!!!

If we have to be in this sad position as a club, then I am so glad we have Stan batting so forcefully and committedly on our side.

This is leaving me feeling so positive after last night, believe you me.

One more huge THANK YOU Stan, because you have created a bead of light at the end of the tunnel on the playing side for sure, that I never thought I would see so quickly!!
 
Last edited:
That is great Stan. Some actual, tangible first steps towards getting us back going in the right direction. Appreciate that this is going to mean time commitments on your part and if you're happy to be the face of the football club then that is fantastic. Most of us are outside of the football bubble beyond being supporters but it hasn't been fun to hear about how our Club's name has been dragged through the mud with Clubs, players and agents.

Looking forward to future updates.
 
Thank you for the update Stan and for taking the trouble to help out in our hour of need. It all sounds very positive and much more encouraging than I expected. I am so pleased Ron has listened to you in the first instance, I had my doubts, and I hope the relationship develops in the way you plan for the good of SUFC as well as all parties concerned.
 
Fantastic work Stan - Let’s hope Ron takes up your very generous offer of advice. Great to hear you could be an ambassador for the club - this role is so important in attracting the players we want and uniting the supporters. Getting a new CEO would be a massive step forward
 
Thank you for what you've done for our club so far, Stan. Anything that promotes change to the festering status of the recent years is extremely welcomed. Keep up the fight and we'll keep in tow.
 
Back
Top