Supporters Group News New Group Statement 28/02/23

[Flinty]

They're suing Ron personally or the club? Reads they're suing Ron right?

If it was Ron directly wouldn’t they say this..by saying the owners of Southend it reads like a debt placed against the club

 

[Cricko]

If it was Ron directly wouldn’t they say this..by saying the owners of Southend it reads like a debt placed against the club

I think they mean RM.

 

[crangoner]

Kingsley Napley Sues Southend FC

Owner For Unpaid Fees

By Ashish Sareen

March 8, 2023, 3:41 PM GMT

Kingsley Napley LLP has filed a legal claim against the owner of Southend United Football Club, saying he owes almost £200,000 ($237,000) in unpaid legal fees

Article in full:

Law360, London (March 8, 2023, 3:41 PM GMT) -- Kingsley Napley LLP has filed a legal claim against the owner of Southend United Football Club, saying he owes almost £200,000 ($237,000) in unpaid legal fees as a client of the firm.

The London law firm said in a newly public Jan. 5 claim that Ronald Martin, the owner and chairman of Southend United, owes £197,530 plus interest and legal costs. He has yet to pay up despite admitting "on multiple occasions" that he needs to repay it, according to the claim.

"Despite repeated requests by the claimant to the defendant to settle the outstanding invoices, all the invoices remain outstanding and unpaid," the claim says. "The defendant has admitted liability for the debt on multiple occasions, including, most recently, by email on July 21, 2022 and by telephone call on Nov. 8, 2022 but payment has not been made."

The claim says that Kingsley Napley delivered five monthly invoices to Martin between March 2022 and July 2022 totaling £188,602. Martin also owes £8,928 in contractual interest that accrued from the date of delivery of each invoice to the date of the claim, plus further interest, it says.

Kingsley Napley claims that each invoice immediately became due for payment at the date that it was delivered to Martin. The firm says it wrote to Martin in October warning him that it could issue proceedings. It also made "a final effort" to avoid court action a month later by giving Martin a 30-day deadline to respond to an email or pay the debt, but the email was ignored, according to the claim.

Martin had signed a letter in 2016 that set out the law firm's terms of engagement, Kingsley Napley says.

"There has been continual dialogue with Kingsley Napley and payment is in hand," a Southend United spokesperson said Wednesday.

Southend United, which is based in Essex in southeast England, plays in the National League, the fifth and lowest tier of the country's professional football system.

Martin is the chief executive of a U.K. property development company known as Martin Dawn PLC. It joined forces with Delancey Estates — then a commercial real estate company — to buy Southend United from Vic Jobson in 1998. Martin became the club's chairman two years later.

According to information on the Companies House website, Southend United last published its full accounts in 2021, and those statements were for the financial year ending July 31, 2019. The club said at the time that the filing was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HM Revenue and Customs had previously threatened to wind Southend United up because the club owed the authority £1.4 million in unpaid taxes. But the club said in a Feb. 28 statement that it had paid the bill in full ahead of a winding-up hearing.

"We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we've exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers' money," a spokesperson from the tax authority said Wednesday.

Kingsley Napley declined to comment on the case against Martin.

Kingsley Napley is represented by its own Daniel Staunton.

Counsel information for Martin was not immediately available.

The case is Kingsley Napley LLP v. Ronald Martin, case number KB-2023-000044, in the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales.

Read more at: https://www.law360.com/articles/157...es-southend-fc-owner-for-unpaid-fees?copied=1

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

This is just crazy. There's literally a new low every day.
I can't imagine how many other individuals/ companies are still waiting for money from Ron/ the club. I bet the total figure is frightening.

 

[Smiffy]

Question is, will he pay the legal team that he will be using, for the case against the legal team he hasn't paid?

 

[Flinty]

I think they mean RM.

Having read the full article why would there be a quote from a SUFC representative? Still sounds like it’s a club related matter which RM has run a debt up on

 

[amsemp]

Sounds like they’re suing Ron directly.

“The case is Kingsley Napley LLP v. Ronald Martin”

On one hand it’s good that it doesn’t involve us on paper. But in reality you know it’s going to affect us.

Martin out.

 

[Cricko]

Having read the full article why would there be a quote from a SUFC representative? Still sounds like it’s a club related matter which RM has run a debt up on

He does not speak to people, especially those after money.

 

[hlane17]

This is just crazy. There's literally a new low every day.
I can't imagine how many other individuals/ companies are still waiting for money from Ron/ the club. I bet the total figure is frightening.

I think it's better for our collective health that we do not know.

 

[Cricko]

Sounds like they’re suing Ron directly.

“The case is Kingsley Napley LLP v. Ronald Martin”

On one hand it’s good that it doesn’t involve us on paper. But in reality you know it’s going to affect us.

Martin out.

It's all the same pot whichever way you look at it.

 

[Holy Joe]

Having read the full article why would there be a quote from a SUFC representative? Still sounds like it’s a club related matter which RM has run a debt up on

No the article is clear that its Ron that owes the debt not SUFC.

I agree it is a little odd that the club is mentioned so much.

 

[Blue Yonder]

He's drowning and there isn't a lifebuoy that will save him.

 

[CanveyCastle]

I would assume season ticket money will be used solely to fund the football club ---- or not.

I am not getting a seaso as I have no faith in Martin being able to keep the football club running into next season.
#martinout

 

[Sensei Phil]

I would assume season ticket money will be used solely to fund the football club ---- or not.

I am not getting a seaso as I have no faith in Martin being able to keep the football club running into next season.
#martinout

For half a season with no quality squad additions....

 

[danbowen]

Come on Ron sell up now you ****. Pay off your debts and live the rest of your days without a worry and let us move forward without you.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

For the love of god go now . We all absolutely despise you, you vile cretin

 

[WickfordShrimper]

Hate all this dragging the good Name of ''Southend United FC'' through the courts

Our Club was built by the Supporters for Christ sake

 

[NZamba Legend]

This is pointless! Ron will run the club the same way he has been doing for the last 20 years until Fossetts is developed! Nothing else to say and not worth the time worrying about it.

By that token there is also no point supporting either. Because if Ron isn’t going to change (and I agree he isnt) then all the money, hope and energy that supporters invest in the team will always be wasted, scuppered and thwarted by Ron’s mismanagement. Even when we go on a good run of results it feels like it doesn’t really mean anything because it’s only a matter of time before the next cash flow crisis.

 

[Strykr]

The 20k just giving money was given to the staff non returnable....When The Trust get their 40k money back it will return to their funds

Hookers and blow.

 

[Alexshrimper]

Blackpool's situation was very different. Their owner was allegedly pocketing the rich proceeds of the club's rise to the Premier League and leaving the team starved of investment.

We don't have any money and Ron isn't pocketing anything, the biggest issue is he doesn't have enough money to keep the club going.

Here lies the problem

Ron may not be pocketing any money now but certainly will be with the development

Their situation is exactly the same - their objective was to remove their owner

How many other national league clubs are in our situation?

The club is dying and there is still passive support

I never knew Ron had bot farms equivalent to the Russian state.

The withholding of season ticket money is quite possibly the best idea I have read on here. Either way the club is ****ed with Ron. We either do down fighting for something we live or passively continue to see it disintegrate.

The truck need to take some collective accountability to follow the Blackpool trusts actions. Dare we are hue that we are in this situation because of the tentative actions so far? Scared of upsetting Ron while he stamps all over us.

No season ticket from me and my family until substantial assurances are gained and someone the fans can trust are in control of this club.

Please all Ron bots bore me later with no one else will do it. Put the club up for sale publicly and let’s see.