TrueBlue
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Afternoon all,
To keep you all updated here is what we sent to Ron Martin last weekend detailing our position and the important questions required proper answers to.
Mr Martin
As previously mentioned, it is our intention to provide you a selection or questions, that we (as fans of this great club) feel the need to be answered, not only answered, but answered factually and honestly. It will be of no great surprise to you, that since the arrival of Martin Dawn/Ron Martin/Delancey etc to this wonderful institution, there has been an air of scepticism. Rightly so, property developers and football clubs have always had a very fragile relationship. We write to you today, fully aware that some of the most historic, and some would say ‘best’ times of the club have fallen under your tenure. But as the Premiership needs to appreciate, football, the game, the love, the loyalty, the passion have all been around long long long before the current involvement, and for every good time under the modern ownership, there have been a 100 good times previously too. We do feel (as a collective voice) All the ‘good times’ we have had, are about to be undone, by a seriously worrying chain of events that has been so clear for the past 3-4 seasons, and we are now at the doorways to the football wieldiness.
This Club ‘Southend United’ is simply more than just a football club for so many people, so many families, lives, industry, local economy they all rely on having a league club to support within this borough of Essex. (that maybe surprising to you, just how deep this club runs through the people, although we hope it isn’t a surprise).
We are not a ‘Protest group’ we are a ‘lobbying group’ we will look to seek answer to the many, many genuine questions that worried Southend Supporters have been asking for a number of years, more so now, now that the club is perilously close to falling out of the football league for the first time in its history, more so now, due to your property deals that are now so, so close to becoming reality.
We have ‘one aim’ and one aim only, and that’s to protect and preserve the integrity and the name of OUR Club, a club that has over 110 years of history, a club that we simply will not allow to die…
With that, we ask the following to you. Due to the popularity of the SOS group (over 6000 current members) and in order to allow these integral questions to be visible for all, we will reach out to the media within 72 hours of this email. We ask that a period of 7 days is provide, prior to us reverting back to yourself Mr Martin, where we hope honest answers can be provided, answers that will go some way to appeasing our many, many followers, not only our followers, but Southend United fans around the world.
Please see our questions below, many thanks.
Currently, what assets do Southend United own, and if the club were put up for sale what price would you look for and would any sale involve the future ownership of the new ground.
What rent will you charge the club for the ground per season and will there be a long term tenancy agreement (or equivalent guaranteeing our use and fixed rent) in place confirming this to allow long term allowance and management of the clubs budget?
You mentioned back in 2019, and I quote, that SUFC will benefit from revenue streams that "other clubs could only dream of" once it moves into the new stadium. Do you still stand by this statement given the loss of the hotel from the plans, and the fact that stadium concerts of any decent scale now won't be permitted in the middle of a housing estate?
If there are no revenue streams for the club while renting the new ground under the revised plans, how will the move there benefit the club if we are still in the same financial position of paying staff/players and HMRC late and finding ourselves under embargos? Could you share the details of the projected budget/plan should this happen highlighting how the move to the new ground is still the best plan for SUFC.
One major revenue stream that you claim that the club will benefit from is conferencing and corporate event hire. How will the club actually benefit from this money when the facilities being hired are owned by you, and when you will therefore own that revenue stream? If you direct that money into the club, will it be building up more club debt owed to you?
If you stand to make a large amount of money from Fossetts housing development would you consider gifting the stadium back to the club?
You have in the past spoken of self-sustainability for SUFC. Can you guarantee that the additional non-matchday revenue that will be generated for SUFC at Fossett's Farm will turn it from a club losing £100k-per-month into one which can break even or make a profit, even when spending the money required to compete for promotion to the Championship?
Why are you only building three stands, especially as the fourth stand is the main stand with Boxes and function suites. When will the fourth stand be built as we are mindful of what has happened at other grounds, e.g. Oxford.
Post Covid, when all financial easements are ended, will you be able to pay the necessary tax requirements, thus avoiding winding up orders and embargos.
You said at the Zoom meeting on 25th, that you had not seen National League Football. On that basis how do you intend to plan for the coming season should we find ourselves in that division?
Given there will be a lack of income at that level what cutbacks do you envisage making? Will these include reducing backroom staff, cutting down on the highly successful youth programme or spending less on player wages.
When considering ticket prices, have you scoped the current costs in the National League, and have you planned for the potential of a significant drop in season ticket sales?
Do you have a succession plan for when you decide to retire? Are you looking to keep the club in the family or do you have plans to sell it on the market? What guarantees can you give to ensure that the link between the ground and the club remain?
To keep you all updated here is what we sent to Ron Martin last weekend detailing our position and the important questions required proper answers to.
Mr Martin
As previously mentioned, it is our intention to provide you a selection or questions, that we (as fans of this great club) feel the need to be answered, not only answered, but answered factually and honestly. It will be of no great surprise to you, that since the arrival of Martin Dawn/Ron Martin/Delancey etc to this wonderful institution, there has been an air of scepticism. Rightly so, property developers and football clubs have always had a very fragile relationship. We write to you today, fully aware that some of the most historic, and some would say ‘best’ times of the club have fallen under your tenure. But as the Premiership needs to appreciate, football, the game, the love, the loyalty, the passion have all been around long long long before the current involvement, and for every good time under the modern ownership, there have been a 100 good times previously too. We do feel (as a collective voice) All the ‘good times’ we have had, are about to be undone, by a seriously worrying chain of events that has been so clear for the past 3-4 seasons, and we are now at the doorways to the football wieldiness.
This Club ‘Southend United’ is simply more than just a football club for so many people, so many families, lives, industry, local economy they all rely on having a league club to support within this borough of Essex. (that maybe surprising to you, just how deep this club runs through the people, although we hope it isn’t a surprise).
We are not a ‘Protest group’ we are a ‘lobbying group’ we will look to seek answer to the many, many genuine questions that worried Southend Supporters have been asking for a number of years, more so now, now that the club is perilously close to falling out of the football league for the first time in its history, more so now, due to your property deals that are now so, so close to becoming reality.
We have ‘one aim’ and one aim only, and that’s to protect and preserve the integrity and the name of OUR Club, a club that has over 110 years of history, a club that we simply will not allow to die…
With that, we ask the following to you. Due to the popularity of the SOS group (over 6000 current members) and in order to allow these integral questions to be visible for all, we will reach out to the media within 72 hours of this email. We ask that a period of 7 days is provide, prior to us reverting back to yourself Mr Martin, where we hope honest answers can be provided, answers that will go some way to appeasing our many, many followers, not only our followers, but Southend United fans around the world.
Please see our questions below, many thanks.
Currently, what assets do Southend United own, and if the club were put up for sale what price would you look for and would any sale involve the future ownership of the new ground.
What rent will you charge the club for the ground per season and will there be a long term tenancy agreement (or equivalent guaranteeing our use and fixed rent) in place confirming this to allow long term allowance and management of the clubs budget?
You mentioned back in 2019, and I quote, that SUFC will benefit from revenue streams that "other clubs could only dream of" once it moves into the new stadium. Do you still stand by this statement given the loss of the hotel from the plans, and the fact that stadium concerts of any decent scale now won't be permitted in the middle of a housing estate?
If there are no revenue streams for the club while renting the new ground under the revised plans, how will the move there benefit the club if we are still in the same financial position of paying staff/players and HMRC late and finding ourselves under embargos? Could you share the details of the projected budget/plan should this happen highlighting how the move to the new ground is still the best plan for SUFC.
One major revenue stream that you claim that the club will benefit from is conferencing and corporate event hire. How will the club actually benefit from this money when the facilities being hired are owned by you, and when you will therefore own that revenue stream? If you direct that money into the club, will it be building up more club debt owed to you?
If you stand to make a large amount of money from Fossetts housing development would you consider gifting the stadium back to the club?
You have in the past spoken of self-sustainability for SUFC. Can you guarantee that the additional non-matchday revenue that will be generated for SUFC at Fossett's Farm will turn it from a club losing £100k-per-month into one which can break even or make a profit, even when spending the money required to compete for promotion to the Championship?
Why are you only building three stands, especially as the fourth stand is the main stand with Boxes and function suites. When will the fourth stand be built as we are mindful of what has happened at other grounds, e.g. Oxford.
Post Covid, when all financial easements are ended, will you be able to pay the necessary tax requirements, thus avoiding winding up orders and embargos.
You said at the Zoom meeting on 25th, that you had not seen National League Football. On that basis how do you intend to plan for the coming season should we find ourselves in that division?
Given there will be a lack of income at that level what cutbacks do you envisage making? Will these include reducing backroom staff, cutting down on the highly successful youth programme or spending less on player wages.
When considering ticket prices, have you scoped the current costs in the National League, and have you planned for the potential of a significant drop in season ticket sales?
Do you have a succession plan for when you decide to retire? Are you looking to keep the club in the family or do you have plans to sell it on the market? What guarantees can you give to ensure that the link between the ground and the club remain?
