Breaking News Ron Statement 21.03.21

[koiman]

A STATEMENT from Southend United chairman Ron Martin.

At the last meeting of all supporter groups we had a positive exchange.

At the end the club suggested we could hold weekly or fortnightly zoom calls.
The invisible virus has meant fans are invisible too and this is one way to stay in touch, including when normality returns.
Engaging with the supporters is one privilege of my position and they have been desperately missed.
I know I get it in the neck when we lose but nobody should ever think it isn’t hurting me.

Not just me but all at the club, including the players who are a tight group.

When Mark arrived I wanted to change the culture and we have made great strides towards that.

It is not something we can do overnight but the work ethic has returned.

We have had to rebuild and that will continue.

Mark has been able to sign 17 new players, with two loanees returning.

That is a lot, too many in truth, to bed in.

We have seen improvement but there is a long way to go.


Of course we are all desperately concerned with the league position and all fighting to prevent that.

Sharing those thoughts and actions with fans is welcome.

The first step is to meet the supporter groups again, hopefully Thursday this week, to discuss the structure.

However we envisage an hourly zoom call.

Supporters as well as supporter group representatives would be on the call and be given the floor to ask a variety of questions about the club and receive answers directly without interpretation from others.

We’ll take the lead from the supporter groups whether meetings should be held weekly or fortnightly and the club's representatives will include not just me but the first team manager, the head of recruitment and academy manager together with back room personnel (finance and commercial), all on a rotational basis, so there is ongoing transparency.

I do not know of any other club that runs a forum as we are planning.


Everybody has become so accustomed to using Zoom that it should prove a useful way to communicate the facts.

I accept everybody is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts.

Social media often distorts the position so supporters understanding their from the mouths of those running their club should, I hope, help.

Maybe a better understanding may assist to dilute the blame culture, we are after all on the same side.

is the tax bill due soon

 

[Chrisb]

I am wondering if the timing of this statement after a month of silence, and the arranging of a Zoom call this week, has anything to do with the fact there is a special meeting of the council's development control committee on the 30 March, with the agenda due to be published tomorrow.

We all know Ron does like to wait until he has some good news to share before he speaks out.

I'm not going to comment on his statement, but what is clear is that we need to be explicit about what we as a fan base actually want from him going forward.

Personally, I would want a promise of a CEO in place over the summer in order to run the club like a proper organisation, a detailed summary of how the club intends to survive in the National League (any rubbish about 'I don't believe we will be relegated' is surely not going to be tolerated when even the most generous statistical analysis suggests there is a 79% chance of us being relegated), and some reassurance, backed up by some evidence, that financially we are in a position to be able to compete going forward without being hamstrung by transfer embargoes, unpaid tax bills and failing to pay salaries on time.

An update on the position of physio and club secretary would also be appreciated, as would some clarity on what planning permission for the new stadium would actually mean for the football club going forward (would it make the parent company more able to sustain the club during a time of significant hardship from both the pandemic and the drop into non-league football).

Also a reassurance that we will not go part-time, although to be honest I don't see why we would.

Yes, I am sure you are right about Ron waiting to meet until he has some stadium news to share.

 

[Brett Angle]

I'm no fan of Ron's as you'll have noticed from a lot of my posts, but actually I do see a culture change at the club. What you're referring to is the results. That isn't anything to do with culture. What I see now is a team that works hard and tries its hardest, but just isn't good enough.

Previously we were a team that didn't seem to care, and was happy to blame anything and everyone, and generally feel sorry for themselves. That isn't the case anymore. Now, the team actually takes responsibility.

However, none of that has anything to do with Ron. The only thing Ron did was hire a manager. MM has done all of that. For the time being it hasn't resulted in better results (or at least not much better) but I do see a culture change at the club. I'm also sure a lot more has been done off the pitch and away from our eyes.

As for the rest of the statement...I can't be arsed anymore. Suffice it to say, if you go over previous statements and compare them, they make a telling story...

• Under Sol we were bringing in players in Jan. We didn't because Ron changed his mind
• With MM we were waiting until Jan because there'd be loads of players in need since Covid had left a load on the shelf
• We were told that we were working on a large squad so we could rotate when we were playing 2 matches a week for 3-4 weeks. That would see us in better shape than teams with less players. That worked well, didn't it?

The one thing he seems to have forgotten in all of this is that his poor running of the club over the last 10-odd years has left our reputation on the floor. MM simply can't get in the players he wants because no player will come here unless they have no other options. Given a similar contract, a player will always choose to go elsewhere.

The blame for the whole mess lies squarely with Ron. The only thing he's done well recently is hire a good manager. What he hasn't done is give him the tools to do the job properly.

I'm assuming what you are saying is if Ron had appointed a BAD manager we would have been down by Christmas?

MM appears to be a very genuine, hard-working, likeable guy. To say he is a good manager, I think, might be a bit premature. The jury is still out, I grant you, for many of the reasons you suggest. But good remains to be seen.

 

[Smudger]

I’d like our “Head of Recruitment” to be dragged into this - he seems to be completely **** at his job.

Gutted it’s come to this but will wholeheartedly support any protests/actions which are planned as long as they stay on the right side of the law. Mindless abuse and thuggery are not helpful.

 

[Smudger]

@pottster,

So yes, the squad is too large in numbers but short of quality.

Ain’t that the truth. We have some players in our first team who despite being professional footballers can’t cross a ball, make a pass over twenty yards or shoot straight and sadly that’s not a joke. These donkeys will get us relegated and if we take them to the National League we’ll get relegated for a third successive season. You can’t pull your socks up if you haven’t got any socks.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

They won’t be directors for very long if they disagree with the Chairman who is the majority shareholder though will they.

Isn't a little self-respect worth more than a place on the BOD'

 

[LBBlue]

Isn't a little self-respect worth more than a place on the BOD'

Van Wetzel and Markscheffel have been Directors for over 20 years now so are hardly going to rock the boat now especially given their age 80 and nearly 80. Van Der Waag is an employee, so that leaves Gary Lockett who is a supporter.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Van Wetzel and Markscheffel have been Directors for over 20 years now so are hardly going to rock the boat now especially given their age 80 and nearly 80. Van Der Waag is an employee, so that leaves Gary Lockett who is a supporter.

Yeah I saw your previous post.So we should look to Gary Lockett to speak out and then resign?

 

[Jai]

I am wondering if the timing of this statement after a month of silence, and the arranging of a Zoom call this week, has anything to do with the fact there is a special meeting of the council's development control committee on the 30 March, with the agenda due to be published tomorrow.

We all know Ron does like to wait until he has some good news to share before he speaks out.

I'm not going to comment on his statement, but what is clear is that we need to be explicit about what we as a fan base actually want from him going forward.

Personally, I would want a promise of a CEO in place over the summer in order to run the club like a proper organisation, a detailed summary of how the club intends to survive in the National League (any rubbish about 'I don't believe we will be relegated' is surely not going to be tolerated when even the most generous statistical analysis suggests there is a 79% chance of us being relegated), and some reassurance, backed up by some evidence, that financially we are in a position to be able to compete going forward without being hamstrung by transfer embargoes, unpaid tax bills and failing to pay salaries on time.

An update on the position of physio and club secretary would also be appreciated, as would some clarity on what planning permission for the new stadium would actually mean for the football club going forward (would it make the parent company more able to sustain the club during a time of significant hardship from both the pandemic and the drop into non-league football).

Also a reassurance that we will not go part-time, although to be honest I don't see why we would.

Just an update - unsurprisingly the special meeting relates to Queensway, not FF. So the wait goes on.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Just an update - unsurprisingly the special meeting relates to Queensway, not FF. So the wait goes on.

Do we know what is causing the delays or when it will go to council for a vote

 

[Jai]

Do we know what is causing the delays or when it will go to council for a vote

Ron mentioned April in his previous Zoom call but I believe he has failed to take into account the pre-election Purdah period, when most meetings do not take place.

My gut feeling is we're not going to see this go before council for a while.

 

[Jai]

Very much looking forward to seeing an incompetent leader with a shock of blond hair giving a rambling semi-incomprehensible video broadcast on why the last year has been so ****.

Question is, is it at 5pm tonight or 6pm on Thursday?

 

[Shrimper]

Do we know what is causing the delays or when it will go to council for a vote

Brown envelopes are too small

 

[Tommy2holes]

Ron mentioned April in his previous Zoom call but I believe he has failed to take into account the pre-election Purdah period, when most meetings do not take place.

My gut feeling is we're not going to see this go before council for a while.

This seems to drag on forever. Its almost as if SBC don't want the housing stock or the money. They must be one of the most inept councils in the country

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Just an update - unsurprisingly the special meeting relates to Queensway, not FF. So the wait goes on.

Could a change of plans be on the cards if this season ends with us in non league. Will the stadium plan stay the same or change to more housing?

 

[rayleighblue22]

Could a change of plans be on the cards if this season ends with us in non league. Will the stadium plan stay the same or change to more housing?

Said it before and ill say it again the reason its held up is that the plans wil probaly change again when we go national league, whats the point of a huge stadium in the national league? More houses means more of the golden nest egg for dear old ronny. Sorry this was obvious before the season even started (and no i dont own a crystal ball)

 

[WestStandBlue]

So have groups been invited to a Zoom call with Ron/Club for today?

 

[Jai]

Said it before and ill say it again the reason its held up is that the plans wil probaly change again when we go national league, whats the point of a huge stadium in the national league? More houses means more of the golden nest egg for dear old ronny. Sorry this was obvious before the season even started (and no i dont own a crystal ball)

Ron has said before the division we are in will not affect the stadium plans. I appreciate this is EXTREMELY unlikely but in two years time we could be back in League One - teams that come up from the NL tend to bounce back strongly and many have won double promotions. Why would Ron want to delay further? The current delay is down to the council - the plans are in and have been for a few months. It is waiting to go before committee.

 

[Shrimper]

Ron has said before the division we are in will not affect the stadium plans. I appreciate this is EXTREMELY unlikely but in two years time we could be back in League One - teams that come up from the NL tend to bounce back strongly and many have won double promotions. Why would Ron want to delay further? The current delay is down to the council - the plans are in and have been for a few months. It is waiting to go before committee.

With Purdah that will now be June at the earliest

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

Missed this first time round. Christ. Reads like some of the vacuous, rambling broken English that Mad Frank came out with before communication stopped altogether.

I mean well done on installing Zoom and all that, Ronald, but my five year old did that on her tablet on Boxing Day so don’t expect anyone to be impressed. How about addressing your tax evasion that put the club under an embargo or your abject failure to break ground on the new stadium you’ve been promising for 20 years?

You all deserve better. Someone needs to yeet this prick off the cliffs.