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Silence

Not sure why your talking him down. Earlier in the week the trust said it want to work with Ron - let that sink in
I am sure RM would love it if The Trust got off his back, i know that they contact RM near on daily to try to get this meeting sorted but it seems to fall on deaf ears every time. Of course they don't want to work with him but as he holds most of the cards atm what actual choice do they have than to try and negotiate?

The season ticket delay is just one way they are trying to put pressure on him and they are also talking to others including Anna Firth to bring some weight to this issue.

It isn't as if any of the supporters groups are sitting idly about, every avenue is being explored.

Now RM might not give a toss about any of us whilst he plays Nero, but if you or others have any other suggestions please let us know.
 
I cant find the trusts constitution on their website but this is how they are legally constituted as an "Industrial Provident Society" .. which might ir might not retsrict their activity.

I think the Trust has its own traditions and does great work and we need something different for our situation.

I know the united supporters group has been talking to the football supporters association and trying to get advice on the various ways to take over.... I have family connections to Portsmouth so have watched their supporters trust take over and run the club - and sell it on....

For at the moment it feels like a bit of a phoney war as there is a large part of me that wants to wake up tomorrow with the embargo lifted and major work started at FF and it all to be bad dream ... maybe its not as bad as it looks ...

Or maybe it is ....



The Shrimpers Trust is the trading name of the Southend United Supporters Society Limited.
Registered in England and Wales as an Industrial and Provident Society
with the Financial Conduct Authority, Registration Number: 7160.
Registered Office: Thames House, 1528 London Road, Leigh on Sea, Essex, SS9 2QQ

I think you are operating under some fairly considerable misapprehensions about what could (or should) be possible.

1) You are right that the Trust has a particular legal status, but as well as dictating in some ways how it does business, that does also mean that it cannot just be "taken over" by a third party. If you want to take control of a democratic group such as a Supporters Trust, you need to join it, stand for election, and win sufficient seats on the Board to bring in a new mandate. Alternatively, persuade the existing Board to adopt your preferred policies and win over the majority of Members. There are no short cuts.

2) I'm sure the FSA will tell you that ideally there should only be one such body at any club (look at the current mess at Bury for the reason why) and their preference will always be to deal with a democratically run group that is run along the lines that they recommend.

3) Part of the rationale for that is to try to have a body that is ethical, professional and acts in compliance with the law - that is the standard we want for club owners and Directors, so it should be the standard we set for ourselves. If you read the White Paper you will see that the FSA has lobbied for Supporters Trusts to have a significant role in new arrangements on fan engagement and corporate governance specifically BECAUSE they are democratic and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the standards and values I have listed above.

I'm not sure what point you are making about the Pompey Trust, or why you think it analogous. They have a huge fan base, so much so that when they had their Community Share Offer I think they managed to raise around £3m to buy their club. That is a massive undertaking that might be beyond many club fanbases, and as it happened they subsequently sold the club to help deliver the ongoing outside investment that they felt it needed.


A more useful example might be Exeter City - another club taken into fan ownership, and still owned by fans 20 or so years later. They are a very good example of how a club can flourish on relatively modest financial resources, but supplemented by extremely resourceful and well organised supporters. I think that you will find they try to follow the FSA blueprint as closely as they can too.

As said elsewhere, your Trust have shown real energy and sure-footedness in the last few months, and are bringing pressure to bear on the club owner from a range of different sources. Kieran Maguire was saying on The Price of Football Podcast today that he thought they were doing a very effective job. My opinion - for what it is worth - is you should take his views on board, and perhaps look for ways that you can work to support them, rather than looking to re-invent a wheel you already have.
 
I think you are operating under some fairly considerable misapprehensions about what could (or should) be possible.

1) You are right that the Trust has a particular legal status, but as well as dictating in some ways how it does business, that does also mean that it cannot just be "taken over" by a third party. If you want to take control of a democratic group such as a Supporters Trust, you need to join it, stand for election, and win sufficient seats on the Board to bring in a new mandate. Alternatively, persuade the existing Board to adopt your preferred policies and win over the majority of Members. There are no short cuts.

2) I'm sure the FSA will tell you that ideally there should only be one such body at any club (look at the current mess at Bury for the reason why) and their preference will always be to deal with a democratically run group that is run along the lines that they recommend.

3) Part of the rationale for that is to try to have a body that is ethical, professional and acts in compliance with the law - that is the standard we want for club owners and Directors, so it should be the standard we set for ourselves. If you read the White Paper you will see that the FSA has lobbied for Supporters Trusts to have a significant role in new arrangements on fan engagement and corporate governance specifically BECAUSE they are democratic and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the standards and values I have listed above.

I'm not sure what point you are making about the Pompey Trust, or why you think it analogous. They have a huge fan base, so much so that when they had their Community Share Offer I think they managed to raise around £3m to buy their club. That is a massive undertaking that might be beyond many club fanbases, and as it happened they subsequently sold the club to help deliver the ongoing outside investment that they felt it needed.


A more useful example might be Exeter City - another club taken into fan ownership, and still owned by fans 20 or so years later. They are a very good example of how a club can flourish on relatively modest financial resources, but supplemented by extremely resourceful and well organised supporters. I think that you will find they try to follow the FSA blueprint as closely as they can too.

As said elsewhere, your Trust have shown real energy and sure-footedness in the last few months, and are bringing pressure to bear on the club owner from a range of different sources. Kieran Maguire was saying on The Price of Football Podcast today that he thought they were doing a very effective job. My opinion - for what it is worth - is you should take his views on board, and perhaps look for ways that you can work to support them, rather than looking to re-invent a wheel you already have.

many thanks for this - it is re-assuring to get this sort of input and I thank you for the thought and effort you have put into this.

Hopefully it will also provide a direction for other interested supporters to consider .
 
I am sure RM would love it if The Trust got off his back, i know that they contact RM near on daily to try to get this meeting sorted but it seems to fall on deaf ears every time. Of course they don't want to work with him but as he holds most of the cards atm what actual choice do they have than to try and negotiate?

The season ticket delay is just one way they are trying to put pressure on him and they are also talking to others including Anna Firth to bring some weight to this issue.

It isn't as if any of the supporters groups are sitting idly about, every avenue is being explored.

Now RM might not give a toss about any of us whilst he plays Nero, but if you or others have any other suggestions please let us know.
@st
Afternoon all, hope everyone is well.

Silence versus verbal diahorrea versus regular communication. Which should I chose?

Well,lately it's been silence. Why? I'll tell you.

There's a lengthy zoom call from before I came to the club outlining what I wanted to do and acheive. Some obviously haven't watched it.

Media. Help Matt and the media team give excellent media content.

Commercial. Help Rhys and Rylee bring in £ and develop better partnerships.

Recruitment. Playing staff and football staff. To ensure ( along with Football Department) we get 80%+ of on pitch decisions right.

Supporters. Regular monthly meetings to keep supporters updated on on field decisions, why and any non sensitive off pitch ( commercial, media, et.) information.

I know the financial picture of the club, future plans , FF, training ground, general overview, but never once have I intimated that my role includes club finances,Chairman's decisions, or privy to legal information on any of his businesses, including Southend United. Not once.

I don't care about any abuse, I just feel sorry for them because like all of us, we crave information that will lead to a safe and healthy club. So if they have to take it out on me, so be it, as long as the staff and players are protected. I'll then remind them some sunny day what I've done and they can write an A4 page of lines "Stan, I apologise, I love you..🤣

So..

Media, the boys can only concentrate on the basics, we have no money to develop content as we'd want. Matt and Co are still doing a great job though, support them.

Supporters. After meeting 1, no more. I think it's fair to say the club have had a "there's no good news so why talk about on pitch or commercial positives ". They have a point although I'm personally disappointed. But I can't do something that the club feel is a bad idea. And I trust Tom Lawrence judgement 100%. When the situation improves, the the things the club can do will improve, including communication in person.

Commercial. Rylee and Rhys are working tirelessly to bring in much needed funds and are. I help where I can and have helped bring in some new business and will host a networking event to engage with more in March.

Football. Hednesford v Coalville for me last Saturday, turning down a lucrative trip to Paris( i'm going this weekend for Canal Plus France) to watch players. Kev, Daz, Benno and John all know I'm there to assist and facilitate anything they want, and I spoke at B&L 3 weeks ago to staff and players to tell them that I'm there for them, in whatever way I can help.

The financial situation I can do nothing about which means..

We can't move on targets.
I can't meet you regularly because of above reason.
Commercially I'll support the guys in any way I can.
Media will grow as we have resources to grow.

In short, everyone, and I mean everyone at the club are restricted by the financial situation. And that situation is dictated by the Chairman. I've met him several times, I speak candidly to him, try to nudge and persuade and to that end have had some success. But I cannot threaten Ron with my loud media voice. Why? As I've said before, I can help carry a banner up the road and realistically do nothing to change the club, or I can be inside to persuade, support, facilitate change. Without the patience ( i'm not the most patient person, so it's a skill I've had to learn) to stay inside the club and support everyone where I can, and to talk frankly to those who wield decision making power, I honestly believe the club would be in the NLS, without a CEO who is working 24/7 to fight fires, we wouldn't have a threesome of coaches who graft tirelessly and relentlessly to improve, and as a consequence of those people coming in, we would not have a team to be proud of, competing at this level despite being subject to envious looks from other clubs.

We literally kept a coaching team and football team together when at other clubs with significantly less issues than we have, not only who stayed but play with pride for our club. This happens when a culture changes, and I defy anyone to dare suggest this would have happened under the last football department.

I drive from Cannock and Bucks RH, approximately 2 to 3 hours each way, around £100+ in diesel. I have a contract and I told Tom very early on that when everyone else is paid, then pay me. October was my last payment.

Brentford today called to play a friendly, the third time in weeks they want a game. Steve Cooper and Sean Dyche offered real support when we can go into the market again, along with dozens of clubs who love what Kev, the boys, John are doing. We're building a lot of demolished bridges, so that in the future, the groundwork is set. Scouts are working for free, agents are being calmed, players reassured, all things that several people are doing, unnoticed, unheralded but which are crucial if this club is going to move forward.

The financial situation as we know is serious and nobody is shying away from it, but do not confuse silence with inactivity. I work for other companies elsewhere so that Southend United can have my services for free until the situation improves. Not bad for "Ron's bitch".

Tensions are high, but we all want one thing, a happy, settled club, staffed properly, staff appreciated and ownership that pays everything on time in a manner befitting the history of this club. So nobody is doing Chemical Ali and saying on behalf of Ron that everything is OK, he knows the score from staff and players, but realpolitik dictates that we have to work within a structure today where ordinarily incompatible bedfellows have to work together for the security of the club. That is guaranteed from me whoever owns this club.

Support the team.
Support the staff.

If silence is the price to help keep Southend United alive, then I'll stay silent.

Canal Plus, Qatar World Cup, talksport, Caughoffside, Mirror Football all pay me so that you don't have to right now, something the 16 year olds shouting "talksport ****er" at Maidenhead might do well to remember. Likewise respect to the man in the picture below that helped your club before and came good when needed.

Stan.View attachment 24891
I’m very content with all you do and your informed silence .. what I and others struggle with is the continuing silence from our chairman. Until he provides the answers requested by the various supporter groups then zero chance of me renewing my season ticket. Thank you for making a difference tho Stan.
 
I think a very large number of people didn’t vote in that poll (low turnout to put it mildly?) not surprisingly as what constitutes more robust action is completely undefined? More robust than what? More robust than picketing his house? More robust than pitch invasions? Within the law? No idea. I don’t think even those voting yes were giving a blank cheque…
 
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