Echo News Sam Hart and Simeon Akinola can still not feature for Southend United due to embargo

[OldWilliam]

Surely it’s clear to everyone. RM can’t get the embargo lifted. It may be because HMRC have refused any time to pay agreement as our suggestion is simply unrealistic, it may be because we haven’t submitted our accounts as requested.
I’m sure RM doesn’t want to be paying the wages (if he even is) of two first team players who can’t get registered. The fact this has happened two seasons in a row now speaks volumes about the arrogance of RM.

 

[londonblue]

You've cleared the HMRC debt Ron, we've finally won a game in the league and the confidence in the players has risen beyond belief. Getting the embargo lifted would be the icing on the cake and it would give us, the Club's supporters, realistic hope that we have turned a corner after months of complete misery. Whoever reads the Zone for you, please, please, please get that embargo lifted.

I hate to depress you even further, but it's not months of complete misery, it's years. We've been under an embargo for around a year now, and things weren't that good before then.

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

I presume it’s a case of Ron getting the money in place as well as a phone call. Maybe that just takes time? Especially in these times. I know through my work, everything takes forever to get done. So many departments on furlough etc.

 

[Cricko]

I presume it’s a case of Ron getting the money in place as well as a phone call. Maybe that just takes time? Especially in these times. I know through my work, everything takes forever to get done. So many departments on furlough etc.

For sure, but then he should not have said,.."Its just a quick phone call and it will be sorted in the next few days" This is what annoys fans the most,...the blatant bullshitting.

 

[gatecrasher]

Please please Mr Hi-Tech can you just pay Ron off and buy the club...thanks in advance every southend United fan

 

[RHB]

I hate to depress you even further, but it's not months of complete misery, it's years. We've been under an embargo for around a year now, and things weren't that good before then.

True, but one of the beauties of reaching mature years is that I now have a very short memory

 

[Barling Magna]

True, but one of the beauties of reaching mature years is that I now have a very short memory

Ageing is a small price to pay for such wisdom gained.

 

[SUBBlue]

It is so frustrating to think we have players on the sidelines that could potentially makes us a better team, but their talents are just being wasted at the moment due to RMs apparent inaction to resolve the embargo.

We will be a non league club next season unless we recruit players & it is clearly in the chairman’s hands to steer us away from that fate.

If we are starting to turn the corners results wise then he is currently doing the manager, the club & its fans a disservice.
Yes, everyone knows he keeps the club solvent & pays our tax bill by whatever means each year, albeit late.

But at times I do genuinely wonder if he has an agenda to see us go part time Non League, although I can’t begin to imagine what the reasons would be.

I may be wrong & he simply cannot manoeuvre us out of the embargo at present.
However as each week goes by he just seems to be hoping or waiting for something to happen, meanwhile we are still scraping along the bottom with minimum playing resources.

 

[RHB]

Ageing is a small price to pay for such wisdom gained.

True, but only if you can remember it all.

 

[Flinty]

For sure, but then he should not have said,.."Its just a quick phone call and it will be sorted in the next few days" This is what annoys fans the most,...the blatant bullshitting.

This,...... and this is what is winding most fans up i would guess, just blatant lies in a fans forum, and not for the first time

 

[teabee1]

How far adrift at the bottom of the table to do you we need to be before Martin does what he needs to do to get the embargo lifted - or at that stage will he just cast us adrift like he did last season?

 

[ESG]

So why sign them? Are they getting paid? If not then surely if both of those are fit they would get a club that could register and pay them.

How did we manage to register Maccs?

 

[BriggBlue]

the problem is that whilst it is just a phone call to set up the payment plan it isn't a given that the HMRC will agree to it, in fact I've got a transcript of the call:

RM:Good Morning, Ronald Martin esquire calling to set up a payment plan as the saviour of Southend united.

HMRC: oh yes you again, your next court date is......oh hang on you've paid for once, how can we help you?

RM: I'd like to set up a payment plan for the outstanding PAYE for southend united.

HMRC: oh excellent, we've not had a football club do that for some time, how much would you like to pay each month.

RM: would 10% be acceptable?

HMRC: yes I guess it would, can you provide details of the clubs income?

RM: well about that, we don't really have any at the moment, there's a pandemic going on so no fans are allowed into the ground, we might get a loan from the government though.

HMRC: well we can't agree a payment plan without proof of income or evidence of money in your accounts.

RM: okay well I might have some money soon from some flats I'm building, can you just take my word for it so we can register Sam and Sim?

HMRC: I'm afraid we can't, it's quite simple, no money no deal.

RM: But what are other clubs doing?

HMRC: well they've found a bit of a loophole, they've got the EFL to pay the players wages but they have used their small income to pay the HMRC so they can buy more players in January.

RM: WHAT? we've got a suspended points deduction for not paying wages on time, how can the EFL do that?

HMRC: it's quite simple, the EFL don't like certain clubs that are a bit late paying so they do everything they can to get them out of the league, look at Maccelsfield.

RM: I don't believe that for a second.

HMRC: Look at Wigan compared to Sheff Wed.

RM: I see what you mean, best put out a statement to the fans, JUDITH GET THE CORNER FLAG READY

 

[Mad Cyril]

Surely it’s clear to everyone. RM can’t get the embargo lifted. It may be because HMRC have refused any time to pay agreement as our suggestion is simply unrealistic, it may be because we haven’t submitted our accounts as requested.
I’m sure RM doesn’t want to be paying the wages (if he even is) of two first team players who can’t get registered. The fact this has happened two seasons in a row now speaks volumes about the arrogance of RM.

I would be surprised if Hart or Akinola would be here if they weren't being paid.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Was tongue in cheek really. it's true that Covid has been a factor but as Nevereatwhitesnow says, Ron has had us under embargo's plenty of times due to late payment. You can't blame it on Covid

Quite so, and yet, so many businesses that pulled in loads of cash pre-covid, are now holding out the begging bowl. They made hay while the sun shone and never properly put by for the rainy day.
When did SUFC last have enough punters through the turnstiles to be solvent. This club has been bailed out for years but still has fought through with no help, almost the opposite, from the Government.

 

[Barry.C]

Have not anyone in the Trust asked Ron about his comments on the embargo?? That it was just a quick phone call etc. Legitimate for them to ask given what Ron has been saying and absolutely critical that someone seeks to get a clearer answer about the embargo, although it looks on the face of it as though our own journalist CP is carefully avoiding a full sleuthing job

 

[SUBBlue]

Have not anyone in the Trust asked Ron about his comments on the embargo?? That it was just a quick phone call etc. Legitimate for them to ask given what Ron has been saying and absolutely critical that someone seeks to get a clearer answer about the embargo, although it looks on the face of it as though our own journalist CP is carefully avoiding a full sleuthing job

Agreed ? %.
The rest of our season & league status absolutely depends on how quickly the embargo is lifted

 

[Tampa Blue]

Why he would approve the signing and the associated wages for players who can't play because of the embargo just seems like yet another example of financial mismanagement

 

[londonblue]

Why he would approve the signing and the associated wages for players who can't play because of the embargo just seems like yet another example of financial mismanagement

Not to mention messing around the these players' careers.

 

[ESG]

Why he would approve the signing and the associated wages for players who can't play because of the embargo just seems like yet another example of financial mismanagement

And not having a CEO