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[A Century United]

Absolutely correct. Any excuses we may have had for our failure to stay in the Championship all looked somewhat bogus when the Col Ewe scum managed it despite fewer fans, less money, inbred players etc etc. There is obviously a lot more to the NZamba Legend than his stellar one-liners.

No, they are currently being bankrolled by their chairman and have had more disposable income than us for ages.

 

[dloman]

Interesting read and in a way i am with Ron on this one. Yes Tilly is there to identify the players needed but only from a footballing point and not from a financial one. If we were to spend say £250,000 on one player i would fully expect due dilligence before we spent that type of money especially when wages have to be taken into account.

Put it this way you wouldn't buy an existing business for that price without checking and double checking every angle before going ahead with it.

 

[Pubey]

anyone still not actually had an email?

 

[Hotman]

It appears the graphics didn't copy over, sorry !!!

Chairman's Blog

Firstly let me apologise to all those readers who were anticipating my blog yesterday. It is important that the Club do things when they say they are going to and I am sorry I could not deliver yesterday but was reliant upon other people for information I wished to include and who were unavailable on Monday. I guess the weather was a good excuse to take the day off!
I will do my best to ensure that the blog is processed every Tuesday but also do try and understand that I have to fit this in amongst a very busy schedule which is, at times, unrelenting.

I do not want a draft written for me – these are my thoughts surrounding the facts and it is therefore important to me it is written in my language.

I plan to use on occasions a graphical analysis (prepared by others) because I think that demonstrates, at a glance, what a thousand words might take to say the same. Last week there were graphs available to emphasise the “taster” but the software did not allow the Club’s media department to publish them. So first of all as a recap I repeat that information below with the graphic information adjacent.

Some of the reasons behind demonstrating it in this way is, as a Club, we are trying to bring an increased science to the Club’s operation. This is more straightforward off the field but equally there is no reason why we cannot ensure that the appropriate systems are in place to try and avoid mistakes that are made in football at every level. Football is a very volatile industry. Do not misunderstand me, I do not expect to eradicate the purchase of a wayward player which can often be so disruptive to the team spirit and a financial nightmare. Nevertheless what we can do is eradicate panic purchases or knee jerk reactions to strengthening the squad at a moments notice.

These matters need to be carefully considered and planned and targets identified via a shadow squad following careful research. By “shadow squad” I mean identifying players in the key position which we need to strengthen and systematically working through a priority list to bring the individual(s) to the Club.

We not only need to understand the players’ physical attributes but also his mindset and history. This might even include whether he is likely to settle in to a new environment which might be distant from his home town, where there may be reluctance from his wife or partner. The player or his wife may also have reservations about moving any children or just simply being away from family. This is just an example of the careful research that we have to undertake at the Club to make sure that we achieve a close knit team spirit where all the players are working for each other which can often bring success even when the individual skills may not be as great as the opposition.

I believe one of Steve Tilson’s greatest assets is being able to motivate the players and create just that environment. However I do not want Steve having to push water up a hill because he has got bad apples in the camp, or simply the individual we have brought to the Club is not happy for reasons that should have been obvious if we had carried out more research and even a pre-contract signing interview.

I know some of these steps may be unusual in the industry – but why not?

We are investing millions of pounds in Southend United and I have a duty of care on behalf of supporters to get these judgements right. We do so many, many things correct at the Club and this is a further step in its development to ensure further efficiencies. With efficiency success will follow.

If you would like some examples of what I say above, let’s just focus for a moment on, say, Stevie Hammell. Stevie was a fantastic player for the Club and also a really good lad to have around. He was persuaded, I suspect, by the attraction of the Championship and a greatly improved salary to move from Motherwell – where he had been for many years. Indeed I think – but am not certain – he had not played anywhere else professionally.

His family followed and on the pitch Stevie, in my view, did brilliantly for us. However, off the field I am told his children were unable to settle and I suspect his wife was probably homesick which culminated in them wanting to return to their home town in Scotland. The Club assisted in finding appropriate schools and worked hard, on Stevie’s behalf, for the whole family to settle. But these yearnings can be very disruptive and if not managed result in the player losing focus or, as in Stevie’s case, him wishing to effectively terminate his contract and move back to Motherwell. Fortunately we got some compensation but I suspect Steve Tilson and I would have rather kept the player.

Another example of a decision that was perhaps not researched as well as we would have liked was the impromptu signing of Richie Foran on the last day of the transfer window in January 2007. I remember very clearly driving up to Birmingham (we won 3-1, a brilliant goal from Mark Gower!). The Richie Foran deal was agreed with his agent the night of the Birmingham game and sealed the next day. We had looked at MacDonald (at that time at Motherwell also) but it was thought he was not worth the £250k being asked. If only we could turn the clock back.

The capital cost was £150,000 and wages were commensurate with a “striker” in the Championship. Richie made some 22 appearances (10 starts) scoring 2 goals at a cost to the Club of over half a million pounds, less a relatively small sum received when he was on loan to Darlington. We even had to pay him severance pay!

I believe by more research and careful planning these situations can be avoided and I am absolutely sure that Steve now would think twice – but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I am not apportioning blame, just advocating more due diligence and careful planning it is just possible that we will then review things less often with hindsight.

Some of you may have read that there is an initiative by the Football League to introduce a salary cap in all three divisions but obviously with a higher cap in the Championship to that of League 1, and similarly a higher cap in League 1 to that of League 2. Lord Mawhinney recently held several meetings with small groups of Chairmen to canvas their views and I can tell you that personally I am vehemently opposed to wage capping.

It seems that League 2 would support it, and perhaps the majority of League 1 Chairmen. From my perspective it would stifle Southend United’s ability to compete making it even more difficult to fulfil our potential as the Club grows. That does not mean, at any stretch of the imagination, that we should be cavalier in fuelling a wage spiral. Simply, at least from Southend’s perspective, if we have carried out due diligence, research, and we believe the player that we have been tracking for some time is the right individual who would prove an asset to the Club and help our on field advancement, then we do not want to be prevented from signing that player because our wage cap would be exceeded.

At the forum I attended at the House of Commons a couple of weeks ago I spoke very strongly against such a proposal and I hope when it comes to a Football League vote in the summer my wishes will prevail. I can certainly see the argument that is often put forward that players’ wages consume everything but it must be up to individual clubs to control their finances and resist the temptation to jeopardise financial stability. This is easier said than done for many of you reading this will be saying

“spend more money, bring in new players”

Investing in players without proper research is a recipe for disaster and should be resisted on all accounts if we are to avoid history repeating itself. Also money alone certainly does not guarantee success. It may seem a quick fix at times – but planning and preparation are also key ingredients.

The graph below helps understand the relationship between our football income and the growth of SUFC’s salaries over the past five seasons. As I implied in last week’s blog, it is a delicate balance following relegation to maintain the upward spiral unless the sale of players can, to some degree, plug the financial hole that is inevitable.



From Southend’s perspective the loss of television income and other associated revenues on being relegated from the Championship meant that we had an immediate black hole of £2.3m which grew that year to around £2.7m. The sale of Freddy Eastwood for £1.5m and JCR meant that we were only a million pounds short!

Interestingly whilst it is my wish to bring more structure to the football club at all levels including player purchase there is, of course, a tendency for the heart to rule the head on occasions. For instance, following relegation I was definitely more reluctant to sell Freddy Eastwood than the management team for I recognised that Freddy contributed so much to our success in advancing from League 2 to League 1 and into the Championship. Yes, I also acknowledge that Freddy lost focus after the Man U game, but Steve’s relationship with Freddy was excellent and I hoped that he could have nurtured and rekindled that sparkle and keep Freddy as a Southend player. As no doubt many of you suspect, agents have a lot to answer for sometimes.

I do not know whether Freddy is happy having moved to Wolves and then onto Coventry, but certainly he is not anything like as prolific as he might have been had he remained at Southend and the Club stayed in the Championship. Maybe he doesn’t travel very well!

I am certainly not pretending we have all the answers and make all the right judgements – of course we can’t – but I am going to ensure that we develop a pool of players through our selection process who want to wear the shirt. It is for these reasons why our youth policy is so fundamental to the Club’s growth and where there is a continual upward spiral of investment. If we had three or four players who came through the system, then in those instances no research would be necessary as we would know the individual characteristics, both physiological and psychological, intimately.

I know it would never happen but I guess my ideal is that our conveyor belt is so strong and successful that we would be feeding the majority of the squad with those up and coming players. One thing I do feel confident of is that Southend United’s potential under the new stadium and academy status we will be able to tap into a large market with limited competition on our doorstep. West Ham – 40 miles and Colchester (if they can be described as future competition) also 40 miles. How different this is from the Clubs surrounding Manchester.

I travel to all the away matches and I am often amazed at just how close some of the competing clubs are, sometimes at a distance of only four or five miles. It must be so difficult for those clubs to have the vision that we enjoy here at Southend United.

Finally, football finances are a complex issue and therefore this subject will spill over into the next week or two when we can look at some of the behind the scenes activity including the involvement of agents which can often make or break a deal, regardless of whether a player wants to come to the Club or not.

Sorry if I have rambled a little, but I hope this provides a further insight to my thinking and future aspirations for your club.

See you next week.

Up the Blues!


Ron Martin
Chairman,
Southend United Football Club

is it me or is Ron Martin always trying to get a "Guiness World Record" length sentence?

 

[Mad Cyril]

Perhaps in the future instead of showing prospective players Roots Hall, Boots and Laces and trying to sell Ron's/Tilson's vision of the future it might be a better idea if they took them for a drink down Bellini's, Vie, etc. etc.

If the player sticks to soft drinks all night and asks if it is OK for him wear his SUFC tracksuit whilst he visits sick children is hospital after training we make him an offer.

If he drinks ten pints of lager, starts a fight in The Broadway Grill, urinates on the Diana memorial or is found collapsed in a pile of vomit with a traffic cone on his head Ron can exercise his 'duty of care' and tell him to **** right off.

 

[Hotman]

Mad Cyril is onto something.

Maybe we can arrange a SUFC wife swapping meeting on transfer deadline days, with players and potential singings chucking their car keys in a bowl. Any potential new signings who go home on the bus and hand back their johnnies (like Charlie's gobstopper in Willy Wonka) get the contract.

 

[NZamba Legend]

the Diana memorial

Slightly off-topic but I've always thought it strange that they chose to build the Diana memorial in Leigh-on-Sea, especially on a road crossing. Paris I could understand, London definitely, but why Leigh? Also, the memorial itself is quite small and probably only cost about fifty quid. I thought the Spencer family would have coughed up more than that, all things considered.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Slightly off-topic but I've always thought it strange that they chose to build the Diana memorial in Leigh-on-Sea, especially on a road crossing. Paris I could understand, London definitely, but why Leigh? Also, the memorial itself is quite small and probably only cost about fifty quid. I thought the Spencer family would have coughed up more than that, all things considered.

I think she used to drink in the Carlton before she married Charles.

 

[Pubey]

I think she used to drink in the Carlton before she married Charles.

and she had a saturday job in Leigh Print and Copy

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Absolutely correct. Any excuses we may have had for our failure to stay in the Championship all looked somewhat bogus when the Col Ewe scum managed it despite fewer fans, less money, inbred players etc etc. There is obviously a lot more to the NZamba Legend than his stellar one-liners.

Col Ewe only managed to stay up one season. They then got relegated.

You've got to hand it to Ron - he's extraordinarily adept at playing to the gallery. His PR skills are second to none, they really are.

I'm actually concerned about Ron's need to be loved. He needs to develop a thicker skin and stop pandering to the fans. We need the chairman to be making hard-edged business decisions, not trying to be loved.

I think his PR skills are also off here. Those criticising aren't interested in the details he goes into (they've continually failed to engage in detail) and will just say 'doesn't tell us anything.' The blog will be of more interest to those who care about what financial and practical constraints the club has to operate in. If you realise the club has to operate within these, you are already likely to be expecting less of Ron Martin and so are less likely to be so anti-Ron Martin.

anyone still not actually had an email?

I think they are using the same e-mail lists they used for the Chelsea tickets.

Perhaps in the future instead of showing prospective players Roots Hall, Boots and Laces and trying to sell Ron's/Tilson's vision of the future it might be a better idea if they took them for a drink down Bellini's, Vie, etc. etc.

If the player sticks to soft drinks all night and asks if it is OK for him wear his SUFC tracksuit whilst he visits sick children is hospital after training we make him an offer.

If he drinks ten pints of lager, starts a fight in The Broadway Grill, urinates on the Diana memorial or is found collapsed in a pile of vomit with a traffic cone on his head Ron can exercise his 'duty of care' and tell him to **** right off.

The latter sounds a fairly standard recruitment procedure.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

If he drinks ten pints of lager, starts a fight in The Broadway Grill, urinates on the Diana memorial or is found collapsed in a pile of vomit with a traffic cone on his head Ron can exercise his 'duty of care' and tell him to **** right off.

... or give him a 2 1/2 year contract on £2.5 > £3k a week (allegedly ;))

 

[BoyWonder2]

I still haven't had this, or Revell's column buy email dispite getting all of the previous ones.

Its a very interesting read. I do like how we pay attention to the players needs to settle into a new area, and also their families. I'd heard the rumour about Hammell's missus and kids being unhappy so I'm glad thats been confirmed.

 

[Rob1920]

Perhaps in the future instead of showing prospective players Roots Hall, Boots and Laces and trying to sell Ron's/Tilson's vision of the future it might be a better idea if they took them for a drink down Bellini's, Vie, etc. etc.

If the player sticks to soft drinks all night and asks if it is OK for him wear his SUFC tracksuit whilst he visits sick children is hospital after training we make him an offer.

If he drinks ten pints of lager, starts a fight in The Broadway Grill, urinates on the Diana memorial or is found collapsed in a pile of vomit with a traffic cone on his head Ron can exercise his 'duty of care' and tell him to **** right off.

There is actually mileage in this notion, a client of mine told me whenever he employs someone he goes through the usual interview stages & when he's narrowed it down to his no.1 candidate, he invites them down the pub for a 'final interview' with a few other people from work, gets them ****ed & see's how they get on with everyone, & how they behave in general. Cos lets face it we all show our true colours after a few!

 

[chapperzUK]

Great blog. Can't wait until the next one. I think we should be able to ask questions. Thoughts?

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Absolutely correct. Any excuses we may have had for our failure to stay in the Championship all looked somewhat bogus when the Col Ewe scum managed it despite fewer fans, less money, inbred players etc etc. There is obviously a lot more to the NZamba Legend than his stellar one-liners.

It seems to me that some are taking Ron's words about the inbreds out of context for the sake of having a pop. He clearly refers to future prospects, and who is honestly going to say that we are not making far bigger plans for our future? Their new stadium has just taken their attendances below the 4,000 mark. That'll be that winning team drawing the punters in that we were told about, I suppose. The overwhelming majority of their local populace don't give a toss about them and never will - it's Ipswich territory. Whether it happens in the near or medium term future, we're putting a structure in place which should allow us to resolve any notion of "rivalry" once and for all - which is what Ron is clearly referring to.

I don't buy into the idea that just because somebody else fleetingly manages to punch above their weight it's a failure if we don't do the same. What if we had a team capable of achieving a mid-table finish in our first season back in the Championship? Does anybody really believe that we'd have avoided the same kind of cherry picking of our Championship quality players that decimated Col Ewe to the point where they bombed out of the division even more spectacularly than we did? Any long term Championship ambitions that we might have rest upon developing an ability to compete on some semblance of a level playing field financially, which simply isn't going to happen at Roots Hall.

We may not have set the world alight, but there is simply no comparison between the overall achievements of the top two Essex clubs. My money is on that gulf growing in the future.

 

[Beefy]

I am still rather in the dark, however, as to (a) where on earth the money is coming from to build the stadium; and - if the answer is "bank loans", then (b) what the business plan looks like by which we are going to pay those loans off, given the pitifully small profits we've been turning in recent years.

a) The money isn't coming from anywhere, hence the lack of building.

b) I believe that the Club won't be paying the loan off as the loan, if and when it becomes possible to borrow the money, and the stadium will both be on the books of the Stadium Management Company rather than the Club itself (if I recall Ron's answers to Irate Ian correctly). Obviously the hope is that the loans will be paid by revenue from the retail outlets, hotel and flats with the money used to pay down the loans and the surplus being used partially to fund the Club.

 

[Colchester Shrimper]

I'd still like to know why we haven't signed a permanent left midfielder since Gower left. Maybe Tilson has identified targets but Ron has refused to write the cheque because using his new 'scientific methods' he has found out that they dont stock the prospective players favourite brand of milkshake in the local newsagent, leaving him with no other option but to say 'Sorry Steve, I'd love to bring him here, but I just dont think he will settle'.

Nice 'populist' dig at Colchester to win over the fans. This is the Colchester who, incidentally, have actually built and moved into their new stadium and stand a much greater chance of getting promoted this season than we do. Oh, and they also managed to stay in the championship while we got relegated.

Its not their stadium, it belongs to the council!

 

[The Big Shrimp]

He should have a say in where and to who the money goes surely?
Yep Tilly is manager but looking at Foran it seems a mistake was made by signing him so maybe they have now learnt from that not to make rash and hasty decisions so working as a team is better than I want from both sides.
You say he knows nothing about football and should stick to what he knows, well, alot of us here dont know about management of finances or football yet we seem to think money should be spent and who it should be spent on. Maybe we would be best doing what we do best and thats supporting.......:unsure:

You've missed the main point, he knows little about playing the professional game, just like most of us do. This why the like of th SZ exist at every club in the country. We all have opinions & we voice them on here. We all think that we could do a better job, but if RM carries on like he does, he may as well end up running the club from top to bottom. Look at what another Ron did at his club. Ron Noades ballsed it up & bailed out.

All I'm saying you don't ask the Captain of the ship to run the whole fleet, you get him to run one of the fleets ships out of stormy waters. In other words, If you pay Tilly to do a job, let him do it. If not, do a Ron Noades & balls it up!

FWIW, I always support the club & never slag a player off at a game. I might think Betsy is worse than Harrold, but whilst he wears a SUFC shirt, he will always get my support.

See you at Swindon!!

 

[bertiebigbanana]

Its not their stadium, it belongs to the council!

Same as 'Pie in the sky' arena wont be ours...it will no doubt belong to RM in one way or another.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Or what he's actually doing, is just giving you an "insight" Into what he does want you to know.


Perhaps next week, he can write about the details of his questioning by police, the conditions that he had whilst he was on bail, and what mistakes (if any) led to the police wanting to question him. That would be an interesting read.

J, if i wanted to know that i would pick the phone up and ask him, He is giving us ALL an insight into OUR football club, which as he owns it, he doesn't have to.

I suppose my point is that he doesnt have to tell us anything but he does, and i honestly dont beleive its just to play us like fools.