Only one Roots Hall

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 16 2004,10:19)]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Sep. 16 2004,10:15)]Bill Rubin's the real shyster here....he was the one who persuaded the supporters to literally hand over the ground to the club.

Why? Skimming through no-one seems to have mentioned why Roots Hall was sold. It was to save the club. The club was £4m+ in debt (and losing money). By selling the ground we bought ourselves time. Had SUFC not the stadium to sell, I doubt there would be a club now to support.

Hmmm. The club's owners (SEL) sold the ground to Roots Hall Limited, owned by SEL and Delancey. Hardly saving us, just moving cash around.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

But without that cash the club we love would probably not now exist.

And without receiving the ground in return, SEL and Delancey would not have put £4m into SUFC Ltd.

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 16 2004,11:35)]But without that cash the club we love would probably not now exist.

And without receiving the ground in return, SEL and Delancey would not have put £4m into SUFC Ltd.

Hmmm. Maybe.

 

[rabbloke]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 16 2004,12:35)]But without that cash the club we love would probably not now exist.

And without receiving the ground in return, SEL and Delancey would not have put £4m into SUFC Ltd.

Selling the ground to service our enormous debt was a foregone conclusion. If in the terms of the sale, a new ground was to be built ensuring the safety of The Blues and until such time the club enjoyed the facility of Roots Hall for gratis, then we would all agree the best was done. However, MartinDawn got their hands on the ground, at a snip, and then invented an artificially high rent for us to pay for a ground that could only be used by SUFC. People bandy about figures like 4 million as though its a fantastic sum. To the developers it is speculation money. Speculated in order to accumulate. They will reap it in big time when all goes through and the peanuts they have put the clubs way will seem like an insult. How much free advertising has MartinDawn received from this?. How would that come out in pounds, shillings and pence?. Out of every ten Blues fans, how many had even heard of MartinDawn or Delancey before they got their clutches into the club?. Now they are a high profile name in the county. Shrewd business really. At our expense.

 

[The Fitter]

Quote[/b] (rabbloke @ Sep. 16 2004,15:42)]Out of every ten Blues fans, how many had even heard of MartinDawn or Delancey before they got their clutches into the club?. Now they are a high profile name in the county. Shrewd business really. At our expense.

I shouldn't think 1 in every 1000 football fans across the country have ever heard of Martin Dawn or Delancy. Being associated with SUFC hardly raises your profile.

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (rabbloke @ Sep. 16 2004,15:42)]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 16 2004,12:35)]But without that cash the club we love would probably not now exist.

And without receiving the ground in return, SEL and Delancey would not have put £4m into SUFC Ltd.

Selling the ground to service our enormous debt was a foregone conclusion. If in the terms of the sale, a new ground was to be built ensuring the safety of The Blues and until such time the club enjoyed the facility of Roots Hall for gratis, then we would all agree the best was done. However, MartinDawn got their hands on the ground, at a snip, and then invented an artificially high rent for us to pay for a ground that could only be used by SUFC. People bandy about figures like 4 million as though its a fantastic sum. To the developers it is speculation money. Speculated in order to accumulate. They will reap it in big time when all goes through and the peanuts they have put the clubs way will seem like an insult. How much free advertising has MartinDawn received from this?. How would that come out in pounds, shillings and pence?. Out of every ten Blues fans, how many had even heard of MartinDawn or Delancey before they got their clutches into the club?. Now they are a high profile name in the county. Shrewd business really. At our expense.

My old man has been in the building industry for a very long time, running a successful business for around 20 years.

Even he hadn't heard of Martin Dawn when they first became involved in Southend United and I'm pretty sure that (having no more than a passing interest in The Shrimpers) he will only recognise their name as what's written on the front of my LDV Final shirt which I wore to his BBQ the other week!

I can't believe that they have really gained much useful exposure from being associated with us, there's is hardly a business where you need to be a household name to be successful.

 

[rabbloke]

Quote[/b] (The Fitter @ Sep. 16 2004,17:44)]

Quote[/b] (rabbloke @ Sep. 16 2004,15:42)]Out of every ten Blues fans, how many had even heard of MartinDawn or Delancey before they got their clutches into the club?. Now they are a high profile name in the county. Shrewd business really. At our expense.

I shouldn't think 1 in every 1000 football fans across the country have ever heard of Martin Dawn or Delancy. Being associated with SUFC hardly raises your profile.

I feel you have missed the obvious. You, me and every other fan have heard of them now, so have most readers of The Echo, businessmen at Roots Hall, other developers and land owners. Their name is now associated with a large project. They dont care if it means nothing to you or me, but they know it has raised their profile at the council and in the corporate world.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (rabbloke @ Sep. 16 2004,19:27)]

Quote[/b] (The Fitter @ Sep. 16 2004,17:44)]

Quote[/b] (rabbloke @ Sep. 16 2004,15:42)]Out of every ten Blues fans, how many had even heard of MartinDawn or Delancey before they got their clutches into the club?. Now they are a high profile name in the county. Shrewd business really. At our expense.

I shouldn't think 1 in every 1000 football fans across the country have ever heard of Martin Dawn or Delancy. Being associated with SUFC hardly raises your profile.

I feel you have missed the obvious. You, me and every other fan have heard of them now, so have most readers of The Echo, businessmen at Roots Hall, other developers and land owners. Their name is now associated with a large project. They dont care if it means nothing to you or me, but they know it has raised their profile at the council and in the corporate world.

surely highering a PR company would have been alot cheaper and less hassle?

I dont call buying a football club to build your brand "shrewd Business" as you put it.

 

[sealion]

The major problem with FF is that's in the middle of nowhere, whereas, Roots Hall is pretty much right in the middle of Southend with plenty of pubs & good access by public transport. For sure, the traffic ca be a bit of a nightmare but where aint?
How is everyone supposed to get there as the traffic around Eastern Ave is bad enough as it is without all the developments due to take place.
I know it's probably gonna happen but I for one will not enjoy going to FF. Roots Hall aint perfect but it's a 'proper' football ground unlike so many new plastic identikit grounds that are souless. I've been to 73 League grounds & although taken for granted, & like said aint perfect,the place knocks spots off the vast majority of other grounds!

 

[TrueBlue]

For a whole season we had Martin Dawn PLC on our shirts now Ron was looking for £100,000 for the season but as none was found that would pay that did Martin Dawn pay anything to the club??? or just get free advertising for the whole season!