How would you like our trust to proceed?

[Shrimper57]

Of course we don’t have to agree, this forum would be boring if we all did.

However, to write off a season on the 23rd September, is absolute madness.

Well come may we can discuss further

 

[BoyWonder2]

Well come may we can discuss further

Of course.

As I said, we may not achieve our aims of the title/promotion/play offs, but you can’t rule it out at the moment because of a slow start.

 

[TrueBlue]

Of course.

As I said, we may not achieve our aims of the title/promotion/play offs, but you can’t rule it out at the moment because of a slow start.

Indeed, look at Nottingham Forest start of last season!

 

[WestyReturns]

What demands could they make, and how do they hold him accountable?

Ultimately, RM owns the Club, and can do with it as he sees fit (within reason). If he wants us to play in blue and white stripes (like them up the A12), we would have to. If he wanted to move us to another part of Essex, he could. If he wants to change the name of the Club he could.

If the Trust said, we demand that all staff wages are paid (as this is the current issue), and they aren’t. How to the trust hold RM accountable? They can’t sack him. It’s not the same as you (unless you own a company) and I, in the respect you have someone above you who could sack you, we don’t have that with RM.

Yes, we can vote with our feet on certain issues, but that will only do so much.

Again, im not defending RM, im just trying to be educated on what demands they can and should make, and then when they aren’t met, how is RM held accountable in a meaningful way?

I've suggested in the past they put a criteria together that Ron must abide to otherwise the trust pulls all support for Ron Martin and involvement with Ron Martin.....from then consequences could be decided whether that be boycott etc.

Like any business its dependant on income from customers.

It appears that debt centralised in SUFC are also propping up his other companies making those look viable so folding us would end up badly for him.

Ron's whole empire could go to the wall fairly easily and he'll be left with nothing. Admins would pick up SUFC and land owned by him and sell off to a new owner.

Sure there'd be short term pain for a long term gain. If we'd of done this years ago we could of avoided this whole scenario.

The point is that the Trust need to declare that Ron Martin is not a fit and proper owner of our football club and encourage him to exit asap by being open when approached.

 

[meerkat54]

At Blackpool they initially thought that about Oyston , I don’t pretend to have the answers but it’s been made to happen elsewhere so why is Southend any different?

Yes it’s possible, but do you think the fan’s have the resolve to see this through?
Didn’t it take many years to get Oysten out ?
Probably with luck Ron will have cashed in?
Just my thoughts on the subject. Personally I would like to see Ron gone today.
I think we can’t be surprised by non payment of support staff. As the saying goes’a leopard can’t change it’s spots’
I’m along way away too offer physical support but if a fighting fund was started I would donate!

 

[stewart]

I find it hard to vote yes or no sorry, i love this club ,yes i would like RM to sell it, Also i would like Carl Readerand any other potential buyers to come on here and outline their plans should they be able to buy the club , Realise this wont happen ,but would love it too. I trust Stan and all he has done for us this past 2 years, when he says TL is an honest man i truly believe that ,I think there is more to this than meets the eye and am willing to wait a little longer as i think it will all become much clearer to us all very soon.

 

[TrueBlue]

Yes it’s possible, but do you think the fan’s have the resolve to see this through?
Didn’t it take many years to get Oysten out ?
Probably with luck Ron will have cashed in?
Just my thoughts on the subject. Personally I would like to see Ron gone today.
I think we can’t be surprised by non payment of support staff. As the saying goes’a leopard can’t change it’s spots’
I’m along way away too offer physical support but if a fighting fund was started I would donate!

Oh for sure it was not a five minute thing with Blackpool but we have to start somewhere, there has to be a moment when you say this can’t go on anymore.

As for resolve what makes Blackpool fans any different from us or from any other club for that matter. It’s certainly not a question of numbers, we are a well supported club at our level now and when in league 2 and on our day league 1.

I like the commented posted further up where this has to start with the trust declaring RM unfit and we go from there.

 

[TrueBlue]

I find it hard to vote yes or no sorry, i love this club ,yes i would like RM to sell it, Also i would like Carl Readerand any other potential buyers to come on here and outline their plans should they be able to buy the club , Realise this wont happen ,but would love it too. I trust Stan and all he has done for us this past 2 years, when he says TL is an honest man i truly believe that ,I think there is more to this than meets the eye and am willing to wait a little longer as i think it will all become much clearer to us all very soon.

I respect your stance Stewart, however why are we still waiting? And for what? I just can’t help think that a different fan base would have been mobilised by now and much further down the road

 

[jphfitz]

Really interesting to read all the opinions, keep them coming.

The Trust have declared RM not a fit and proper owner previously albeit not since December.

Supporters Group Header - 250

www.shrimperstrust.co.uk

I’m sure there will be further updates as to our position in the next few days.

 

[Carl]

Carl Reader will find it difficult to get all Southend supporters behind him without revealing his actual plan. So far, it's all been mates that know him from school or another walk in life saying he is a sound lad.

In regards to anti-Ron, I personally think he's the best option available at the moment. On the pitch, we are capable and made strong signings. Off the pitch, the new training ground is being built and FF is on the way. On paper, Ron has taken all steps we wanted him to take in the previous seasons...

Yes, a businessman/club should be paying people on time, there's no question about that. In my opinion, it would help clear a lot of facts up if these unpaid employees came on the Zone and shared their non-payment complaints and whether there is/was an actual agreement to defer payday to help cashflow. I know that pay is a private matter though and that is a risky step that many are unwilling to take.

As I alluded to on the previous Q&A, I'd love to share publicly exactly how much we have committed from our funders, the result of our initial DD (which of course is only from what we can find externally), and the nature of conversations so far.

We've had conversations with representatives of most stakeholders and have shared more details to substantiate our plans, but we simply can't share all at this stage on a public forum.

What's more, if things progress, we will have to sign an NDA which means things will go from cryptic updates to radio silence. Unfortunately that's how these things work.

In summary, would love to show all our cards publicly, but would have to be insane to do so at this stage.

 

[RHB]

I respect your stance Stewart, however why are we still waiting? And for what? I just can’t help think that a different fan base would have been mobilised by now and much further down the road

It seems to me that the fan base is totally fragmented, and always has been. Every man and his dog have an opinion on what should happen to resolve the issue that is our Chairman, and it is getting muddied by the fact that the immediate issue is getting the back room staff paid on time.

On the latter, there is precious little that the fan base can do, short of stumping up cash to cover the shortfall on wages. But truthfully, this is what needs sorting first. Ron gone is an entirely different ball game. He has already shown that protests just pass him by, as do offers to buy the Club from him. So, leadership of opposition to the current owner is the name of the game. Did the likes of Blackpool create an Oyston opposition model that combined reps from all sides, Trust, fans, boards etc? And if they did how long did it take.

Yes, the Trust could take the lead, but will they? I honestly don't know. But if you want a leadership group to come out and say 'This is what we are going to do - Follow us now', statement, then I don't have a scooby how to kick any of this off in a way that encourages Ron to show any interest at all.

 

[meerkat54]

As I alluded to on the previous Q&A, I'd love to share publicly exactly how much we have committed from our funders, the result of our initial DD (which of course is only from what we can find externally), and the nature of conversations so far.

We've had conversations with representatives of most stakeholders and have shared more details to substantiate our plans, but we simply can't share all at this stage on a public forum.

What's more, if things progress, we will have to sign an NDA which means things will go from cryptic updates to radio silence. Unfortunately that's how these things work.

In summary, would love to show all our cards publicly, but would have to be insane to do so at this stage.

Isn’t what’s app fairly secure and can’t only invitees take part in discussions within the group?

 

[Shrimper57]

Isn’t what’s app fairly secure and can’t only invitees take part in discussions within the group?

Probably because people would then pass on what they have found out

 

[Carl]

Isn’t what’s app fairly secure and can’t only invitees take part in discussions within the group?

Yup, and I've spoken to the people I want to disclose information to on there.

Again, I can't simply share everything at this stage on public forums or people I don't know. It's not a power play, and it's not how I'd see the club should be run long term (you'll see before that I've spoken about the importance of three tenets for a football club - transparency, community and sustainability).

But as it stands, we need to get on with doing a commercial deal that will then allow us to live to the ideals that we'd wish the club to. And sharing warts and all simply isn't going to help that cause.

 

[tommy tucker]

No while the trust are involved with the club While not agreeing with what Ron Martin is doing It is still a voice for the fans against Ron martin .

 

[Tinks]

I will support and back anyone or any group that can help get us out of this utter mess and misery we are all in

 

[Shrimper]

Are the trust able to ask Tom or Ron why the 2019 accounts still haven't been published. They're over 17 months late. It's ridiculous

 

[palexander]

Yup, and I've spoken to the people I want to disclose information to on there.

Again, I can't simply share everything at this stage on public forums or people I don't know. It's not a power play, and it's not how I'd see the club should be run long term (you'll see before that I've spoken about the importance of three tenets for a football club - transparency, community and sustainability).

But as it stands, we need to get on with doing a commercial deal that will then allow us to live to the ideals that we'd wish the club to. And sharing warts and all simply isn't going to help that cause.

Without divulging details, is the (potential) deal any further progressed or have you hit a brick wall again.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

The new training ground is building up, it’s show process. But I won’t get involved with an protest at next home game at all.

Ron Martin won’t sell up, until he got his training ground & building new stadium up and running. Trying to force him out, won’t work, going into admins & lose 12 points, will finish the club off and I cannot see us staying up at all.

 

[CanveyCastle]

Anyone able to cast nasty spells ?