Put us out of our misery

[Cricko]

I think all the answers to whatever questions may be asked are already to go...RM and co will just use their standard smoke screens and bull and "we cannot answer that because it is to sensitive to our business partners" blah blah blah.

 

[BrettieAngell]

I think all the answers to whatever questions may be asked are already to go...RM and co will just use their standard smoke screens and bull and "we cannot answer that because it is to sensitive to our business partners" blah blah blah.

We are on an upward spiral though John!

 

[canveyshrimper]

I think all the answers to whatever questions may be asked are already to go...RM and co will just use their standard smoke screens and bull and "we cannot answer that because it is to sensitive to our business partners" blah blah blah.

Business partners? :unsure:

 

[Cricko]

Business partners? :unsure:

Sainsbury's for one....and I was just saying they will have standard answers already formulated for whatever question is asked,

 

[canveyshrimper]

Sainsbury's for one....and I was just saying they will have standard answers already formulated for whatever question is asked,

Indeed that's almost certain mate.

Sainsbury's is obviously a given as a (reluctant) partner.

 

[ElstreeBlue]

From what was said at the time. It was clear the consortium were in no way interested in investing with Ron Martin in charge.

JM - I don't recall the consortium ever having said that. My recollection was that they said that if RM could look after the club, then good luck. However, they were prepared to step in if he couldn't. That was the first offer (made publicly) when it came out just how bad a state the club was in with the (eventual) very late settlement of the liquidation/administration hearings 18 months ago (only saved at the last minute when Sainsbury's stumped up £2m).

The second offer (that was not publicised in the Echo) not that long after that involved making RM a big offer that again would have seen RM walk away.

Regardless of whether a deal would eventually have been done, why weren't there negotiations? You sometimes don't know whether a deal is possible until you sit round the negotiation table to find out what the other side is happy with following on from an opening offer. The fact was that RM didn't want to involve them. Why? Was he so sure he could do it all himself? Or did he not want to dilute his share so was prepared to risk all?

JM - Unless you've seen something that I haven't, I don't recall the consortium ever saying it was either him or them. It may have been their offer that involved walking in and taking over completely that made you think that. But as I say that's entirely different from ruling out anything else. Or maybe you're getting confused with some of the stupid comments put on as facts that I read on this site at the time that had not a lot to do with reality from people who clearly didn't know the consortium but felt that they knew what they were doing and why.

However, you said something quite apt in your previous post. You said: "To be fair I wouldnt invest in the club with Ron Martin in charge either, not someone Id trust my millions with (if I had any)." To be honest, that's how I'd feel too. If I had millions (and I don't!!) I wouldn't want to go into business with RM. Whenever people do business together, you have to have trust in your business partners. Whether the consortium could have worked with RM or would have chosen to given the way they had seen the club run, I don't know. I personally have my doubts. What I do know is that there were no real negotiations as to whether that would work or whether there were any alternatives that would see everyone benefit, and RM did not embrace them (in public or private) and think "Great - a potential investor, and people with the club at heart too. This could be good for the club and for me so that we can get the project done and get the club a sustainable future."

I've said all along that if RM can make loads of money for himself, I have no problem with that as long as he looks after the club, runs the club as I'd want to see (ie not the way the players and management were treated last year) and gives the club a sustainable future. However, I don't see that as the position.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

I'm not sure how a boycott of say 5-10000 SUFC supporters would impact on retailers in a town with a population in the region of 150,000+ and not forgetting surrounding towns etc.

I would say quite a bit if you look at the demographic of Southend. It is a large part of the town especially when a large part of the population is made of families. No business can afford that kind of loss of business, especially if times a tight as they are now.

Its just a suggestion!

 

[ElstreeBlue]

Do you think the Consortium would have been interested in negotiating if those negotiations were ultimately going to lead to RM still being involved in some capacity? The impression I got was that they wanted him out of the picture.

Beefy - I think I've answered your question in my previous post.

However, to take it further, there were so many possible outcomes from a negotiation that could have involved anything from not doing any deal at all, to a complete takeover, to any host of solutions in between. A lot of people see things in black and white, but there are so many different facets to the club's move/any development such that even if it was concluded by RM and the consortium that they couldn't work together as partners as part of the same bit of the venture, another deal could be done to take things forward. So many possibilities. Think how much land, how many units are involved. And that's before you even consider the football club.

The point was there were no negotiations that could have explored that.

 

[Beefy]

Beefy - I think I've answered your question in my previous post.

However, to take it further, there were so many possible outcomes from a negotiation that could have involved anything from not doing any deal at all, to a complete takeover, to any host of solutions in between. A lot of people see things in black and white, but there are so many different facets to the club's move/any development such that even if it was concluded by RM and the consortium that they couldn't work together as partners as part of the same bit of the venture, another deal could be done to take things forward. So many possibilities. Think how much land, how many units are involved. And that's before you even consider the football club.

The point was there were no negotiations that could have explored that.

Well to be slightly fair, RM was clearly some way through negotiations with Sainsburys to clear debts and prop up cashflow so I'm not sure what negotiations with the Consortium could have achieved. Now those Sainsburys finds appear to have been spent things could be different.

 

[silentshrimper]

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