I'm not even worried about relegation now, as far as I'm concerned we're down and I don't blame Tilson or the players one bit. How the hell can we expect the playing and coaching staff to be motivated when we're not paying them??? The way Ron Martin has shockingly mis-managed our beloved club - a club with 104 long years of history - is unforgiveable. He is the man to blame for this mess, I really cannot believe the situation we're in. And as usual it's the fans who suffer most, I'm worried sick that I won't have a club to support in a matter of days.
I'm not exactly well-versed when it comes to High Court scenarios of this nature, but perhaps someone with more knowledge can tell us:
(a) If we can't pay the HMRC what we owe at or before the hearing can the judge still give us the option to go into administration at the hearing or will we be immediately wound up?
(b) Is the club folding really the worst case scenario for Ron Martin financially (I hope to God it is, I really do for all our sakes)?
(c) Is it really in Sainsbury's best interests to ensure the club doesn't fold (ie. will there really be no Sainsbury's development if we cease to exist or is this yet more lies and spin from Ron)?
(d) What do you really think Tilly was referring to when he mentioned "other things going on behind the scenes?" What's the general consensus on here?
If we go under Ron Martin deserves everything he gets as he'll have destroyed the club, especially if his stubborness in not putting us into administration sooner and refusing to discuss a potential sale of SUFC in order to save the club proves fatal. I don't like fans protests and I think the last one post-Exeter didn't reflect particularly well but RM needs to realise just how strongly we feel about this club - it might just help him get off his a**e and find a way to save us before it's too late.
If Southend United dies thens so will my love for the game, that will be it for football for me because I certainly couldn't bring myself to support ANY other club. Twenty-two years a loyal Shrimper, I can't bear the thought of not making it to 23.
Heartbreaking. :'(
Great post, AD, and I think much of what you says sums up how a lot of fans are feeling right now.
As I mentioned on another post, the consortium made an offer (after the public one, when administration had been averted in November) that could have seen him walk away with a seven or eight figure sum a few months ago, but he didn't even negotiate over what was already a very good offer.
The current situation is not all Ron Martin's fault. We must remember that the club was not in the best of states when Martin Dawn first got involved. However, we also need to bear in mind it's much worse now and he has also been responsible for what's happened recently. Remember - they bought the stadium to supposedly clear the club's debts. At least we had assets then and people were paid, etc. We had "merely" made some big losses that hadn't accumulated to the level of net debt that the club's now in.
The mismanagement that has gone on recently is appalling. For example, a £2.4m annual loss on a turnover of £5m is unforgiveable.
I'll try to answer your questions:
(a) It is not a judge. It's a registrar. It's not a court case but a winding up hearing. Therefore, the registrar's options are restricted. The registrar can do one of three things - grant the petition, dismiss it or give the club longer time. I can't believe if it gets that far that the club would have more time or that the application would be dismissed. Therefore, the petition would almost certainly be granted - ie winding up would occur.
There are three other possibilities, though: (i) the club could pay all the money in full within the next 9 days; (ii) HMRC could opt for administration rather than liquidation; or (iii) Ron Martin could opt for administration rather than liquidation. I can't see (ii) or (iii) happening. HMRC seem to have had enough of the club and may well be willing to make an example of a league club to show the others that they can't mess around anymore. And there seems little in it for Ron Martin to go down the administration route - remember, the club was nearly wound up three and a half weeks ago and no one sought administration then. As for (i), only Ron knows what money is waiting to be used, but the news on Prospects doesn't raise hopes that Sainsbury's will put more money in again.
(b) You can rest assured that Ron Martin's family will have other assets that have been ringfenced from being tied in to the club's fortunes. He may well lose out if the club folded, but I can't believe he would (ie indirectly) lose everything.
(c) If Sainsbury's want to build at Roots Hall, they would not want the club to fold. However, they may well have run out of patience. They've already pumped in about £3m so far (if you include the ticket office money). OK - so the money is secured over property, but there comes a point where they may look to other sites in the Southend area or not bother if they think they're wasting time and money on something that they think is not going to happen.
(d) Unless anyone is willing to come out in the open and say what he meant, this could refer to over a thousand possible things. No point speculating unless someone actually says "this is what he meant".
Agreed - sad sad times. And still no acceptance of any blame from the man at the helm. No public apology for taking the club to the state it's in. Just blaming other people. And also the suggestion that getting rid of Brush was what was needed to continue the "upward spiral" and we're too good to go down.
