Statement from Ron Martin (16/9/20)

[RetroBlue]

There is more in the OS after last paragraph:


Some reading this will be saying 4-0 against Harrogate new boys, he is kidding himself. The team, due to injuries and recruitment negotiations continuing, had an average age of 22.3 years. I am told that is the youngest squad in a League match Southend have ever played in its history and I have no doubt contributed to last Saturday’s result. Minor injuries simply conspired against us on the day.

Maybe I am wrong about competing to get back to League One… however if I didn’t have an optimistic outlook on life for sure I would not be Chairman of a football club!

We have to accept with relegation comes changes and the changes to management I am very pleased with. I had time on my side for once. As I say earlier, I took the scalpel to the squad and to a lesser extent the backroom to make sure we can get Southend United back where we all want it to be as quick as possible. There is no point the club being a religion to most of us, when some of the players are not joining the congregation.

As Mark said early on “Rome wasn’t built in a day” with the senior pros of John White, Jason Demetriou, Timothee Dieng and shortly Harry Lennon too coupled with the new signings (x6) it will be a very different team in the coming weeks in terms of experience to that which we were forced to play Saturday.

I realise it is important in these times to keep supporters informed and the club will now do just that week by week.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

28 professional players? We have 22 listed on the club website in the first team. I guess that also includes some u23s such as Klass, Acquah (even with the club?), Howard, Callum Taylor, Benton and Stewart.

GK: Oxley, Seaden
DEF: Bwomono, Ralph, Hobson, Clifford, Taylor, Demetriou, Lennon, Kyprianou, Mitchell-Nelson, White
MID: Green, Dieng, Egbri, Gard, Phillips, Hutchinson, Kinali
FWD: Goodship, Rush, Kelman

If it is as simple as the squad numbers being capped at 23 players, then can't we drop players/loan them out to make space? Mitchell-Nelson has been playing for the u23s. Rush and Kinali can go out on loan to gain experience.

Includes anyone who has made a league appearance

even if you leave them in the under 23’s they have still made an appearance e so league rules state in these circumstances (as in what we are in) the count towards the squad. Rule is to stop abuse of finances and make sure you pay your debts i guess

 

[Beefy]

So what's the deal with CardNet? Has someone placed an order on this money to be held?

Cardnet, as the card acquirer, are fully liable in the event that the club goes bust. Season ticket holders who have paid on card would be able to claim their money back through a chargeback and they (Cardnet) would have to honour the claim.

As such they'll be holding onto all funds I'd imagine until games have been played and their risk has dropped.

As someone who has worked in risk management in that sector I'd be staggered if they released anything to SUFC whilst the threat of being wound up exists.

 

[Blue Yonder]

The season ticket money being held up still doesn’t cover the bill. I’m sympathetic to Ron but there is no substantial illumination to how we get out of the short term cash flow crisis. He’s in a very tight spot I imagine which I guess means we are too.

 

[Ricey]

Dear god it’s the usual drivel! It’s getting boring now, sometimes it’s better when he doesn’t say anything.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Need to free up space as we only have one space right now, which means selling players, loaning players or releasing them as sue to SC playing th young guns that count towards the 23 squad.

So as I understand it, the debt is not going to be settled in this tranfer window and space is going to have to be made in the present squad number to allow the additional SIX signings!

"We have signed the initial two players that Mark has targeted and we are now in negotiations with four further players at this moment to strengthen the squad… six in total not the 3/4, perhaps 5, I discussed with Mark during the interview. This will mean that vacancies will have to be made within the squad numbers."

 

[Big Bad Barry Corr]

Ron wants promotion back to L1 this season does he? ?

I’d like to win the lottery and a date with Gal Gadot. Pretty sure my ambitions are equally unlikely to happen too ?

 

[tottenham541]

Well this statement is just not good enough, doesn’t even say if the money will get paid off in October, Ron Martin you give us very little as a chairman of our club, just do the right thing or just get out of our club now, we are no better off than we were 25 years ago.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

O

So as I understand it, the debt is not going to be settled in this tranfer window and space is going to have to be made in the present squad number to allow the additional SIX signings!

"We have signed the initial two players that Mark has targeted and we are now in negotiations with four further players at this moment to strengthen the squad… six in total not the 3/4, perhaps 5, I discussed with Mark during the interview. This will mean that vacancies will have to be made within the squad numbers."

only 4 more as 2 made i assume

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

so nothing about today then? what the fk is going on..

 

[Beefy]

Of all Ron Martin's bad statements over the years this might be the worst.

We wanted a statement reassuring us that he has a plan on how to find half a million pounds in the next six weeks. Not digs at the fanbase, the players, the former players, Sol Campbell or anyone else and certainly not pie in the sky stuff about promotion.

The fanbase are worried about whether we'll have a club in November and this joker is talking about League One next season. Talk about not being able to read the room.

 

[brigg blue]

Re the cardnet thing, my wife Runs a B&B and there are a lot of different providers for taking card payments that use different business models.

Normally they take a percentage of the transaction (if its over a certain amount) and pass the money on out of their account after a delay during which time the money earns interest in their account.

There's normally a bit of a trade off where a provider that holds onto the money the longest charges the least per transaction.

I believe Ron may have wanted to read the small print on the contract with Cardnet as this shouldn't be unexpected.

The really worrying thing is that the season ticket money is used to clear the debt, how will we peoples wages?

 

[blues exile]

A rambling, obviously hastily drafted statement concentrating on the playing side rather than the financial. No indication of how the £493k will be paid by the next hearing. Self justifying blather that will only add to the worries of supporters that the club is hanging on by a knife edge. In the circs, I think I would gladly settle for 'mediocracy' or more correctly mediocrity rather than extinction, which seems the more likely outcome.

 

[OllieSteph44]

Does sending players on long term (Jan or season long) loans (as opposed to work experience, which is how we deal with youth players) count towards releasing squad space?

If so I think we’d do well to look to send the following out on loan for good experience at Botstik Prem or Conf South :-

Mitchell Nelson
Kinali
Rush

With the following if possible going out to Conference National :-

Klass
Egbri
Gard (possibly)
Phillips (possibly)

Im not saying all of these, but if releasing space in the squad is needed to bring in 3/4 of MMs choice players then I’d aim at any combo of these

 

[Blue Yonder]

Just a note on the Macc winding up. One of the creditors was an ex manager owed £173K. Is that Sol ?

 

[euroshrimper]

Cardnet, as the card acquirer, are fully liable in the event that the club goes bust. Season ticket holders who have paid on card would be able to claim their money back through a chargeback and they (Cardnet) would have to honour the claim.

As such they'll be holding onto all funds I'd imagine until games have been played and their risk has dropped.

As someone who has worked in risk management in that sector I'd be staggered if they released anything to SUFC whilst the threat of being wound up exists.

Surely our Chairman or someone at the club must have read the small print with Cardnet before they agreed to use them? All very strange........why are the bank adopting this stance with Southend?

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Full of c rap as always.

 

[Richard Hearn]

Just a note on the Macc winding up. One of the creditors was an ex manager owed £173K. Is that Sol ?

Let's hope that Ron doesn't owe him any money.

 

[south247]

It is really like listening to Trump and Johnson - whatever they say is distraction, apportioning blame and absolutely not taking any responsibility. Didn't expect much. Was not disappointed.

 

[Ricey]

Just a note on the Macc winding up. One of the creditors was an ex manager owed £173K. Is that Sol ?

Yep!