Latest Rumours SUFC up for sale

[londonblue]

You'd think that but I genuinely think Ron will just **** everyone off so much that they just can't be arsed anymore. Don't underestimate Ron's ability to mess anything in the world up.

Agreed. From what I've heard about the way he negotiates the fact that he's desperate will make no difference.

However, the difference here is that he's got an agency brokering the deal and doing all the leg work, i.e., the negotiations for him. If they present one (or even two) proposals and advise him he simply won't get a better deal then maybe, just maybe, things will be different this time.

My belief, however, is that this will take far longer than the close season since it isn't a straight forward purchase. There is a lot of due diligence needed, especially as

• the accounts aren't up to date and haven't been published. This will probably mean that the buyer will need to get the accounts verified. I personally wouldn't trust a set of accounts that haven't been published.
• the stadium is in a state of flux. We have planning permission for a stadium Ron can't afford to build, and don't have planning permission for one he can. Any buyer will want assurances around all 4 sides being completed and Ron simply can't give a 100% guarantee, because (to be fair) no-one can. You have no idea what might happen in the future. The best solution would be for a very wealthy person to buy the club and stadium and decided to create a 4th side with no housing and no hotel, but with even more conference facilities. That might delay things even further, but I think it would be worth it. (The chances of that are very slim though.)

 

[Cricko]

Roots Hall is beyond refurbishment.

It would cost Millions to do and with modern regulations we would end up with a smaller stadium. Not to mention we would have nowhere to play while this work was taking place.

Fossets farm will be our next home, whenever that will be

Would it cost 42million though, the amount being quoted by RM for just 3 of the sides at FF?

 

[londonblue]

Would it cost 42million though, the amount being quoted by RM for just 3 of the sides at FF?

I would guess it would be more because you have to demolish the old stadium and make the ground level.

However, given that SUFC don't stand to benefit at all from the residential development I can see the sense in exploring...or I would have if we weren't so far down the line.

 

[Holy Joe]

Would it cost 42million though, the amount being quoted by RM for just 3 of the sides at FF?

But that 42m is recouped by then developing RH for housing.

If you refurb RH there is no money coming in from turning RH into housing.

 

[Cricko]

But that 42m is recouped by then developing RH for housing.

If you refurb RH there is no money coming in from turning RH into housing.

You could build the houses over at FF if the stadium wasn't there. It is as long as it is short.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

Would it cost 42million though, the amount being quoted by RM for just 3 of the sides at FF?

It is in interesting question. Wrexham's Racecourse ground wasn't exactly Wembley in previous years and they've managed to enhance it bit by bit (stand at a time). One does wonder if we could do that, especially while we are at a lower level and the chances of needing a 10k stadium are very slim indeed. Most games, we could have put the away fans in the east stand, like we have in cup games previously.

It's obviously all hypothetical because it's been discussed many times and we are always told it isn't viable. Maybe it wasn't viable because Ron didn't want it to be viable as he wants the Roots Hall site for flats.

There is plenty of space to knock into in the carpark to create a bigger east stand. This idea that you have to have car parking available doesn't make sense because there are many grounds with no car parks available at all. You have to park away from the ground and walk up.

 

[Holy Joe]

You could build the houses over at FF if the stadium wasn't there. It is as long as it is short.

If the owners are the same - I thought OP was if new owner bought RH, and presumably Ron retains FF.

 

[Cricko]

It is in interesting question. Wrexham's Racecourse ground wasn't exactly Wembley in previous years and they've managed to enhance it bit by bit (stand at a time). One does wonder if we could do that, especially while we are at a lower level and the chances of needing a 10k stadium are very slim indeed. Most games, we could have put the away fans in the east stand, like we have in cup games previously.

It's obviously all hypothetical because it's been discussed many times and we are always told it isn't viable. Maybe it wasn't viable because Ron didn't want it to be viable as he wants the Roots Hall site for flats.

There is plenty of space to knock into in the carpark to create a bigger east stand. This idea that you have to have car parking available doesn't make sense because there are many grounds with no car parks available at all. You have to park away from the ground and walk up.

I know it's hypothetical now but i would of changed the direction of the pitch out towards the current car park so you could make all 4 stands bigger.

 

[CanveyCastle]

"ron-martin-announces-process-aimed-at-selling-club-or-raising-investment"

It's all in the wording. He announces the process, that's all.

Personally I have a bag of hot air I am looking to sell for £20,000,000.

Any takers ?

 

[kentblues]

The RH bit is a distraction really. Its not going to happen. So the debate is really for "fun" only because we have nothing better to do (or more accurately we do but we are not doing it).

RH is an absolute mess. You would need to replace at least the West, East and North stands. And do that whilst the stadium was in use. Huge disruption adding to cost and the end product wouldn’t be as good as you could get at Fossets where you have the space to do what you want (or more accurately what you can also afford).

I remember having a debate with Sherif about stadium costs some time ago. He is way way more knowledgable than me. I was quoting reported build costs of stadiums, and he was telling me that wasn't the actual build cots and must have involved a load of other related costs.

So supposedly the Wimbledon stadium 9000+ capacity cost allegedly £30m
Brentford's 17,250 capacity stadium cost allegedly £70m
So on that basis £42m for 3 sides capacity 11,000 doesn't seem out of synch??? Especially as build costs have risen quite a lot...

But what do those costs include? It probably not just the build but the cost of acquiring the land, (which might be a big number) and other stuff people will know better than me.
So the actual build cost may be a lot less than £42m, and the cost of the land to Ron many years ago was probably not a lot. So maybe he is looking to just receive as much of the cost of the actual build as he can (Sherif might have a thought about how much that might be for the 3 sides at today's prices).

In summary without some professional input the numbers Ron is giving don't seem obviously wrong...

 

[kentblues]

I know it's hypothetical now but i would of changed the direction of the pitch out towards the current car park so you could make all 4 stands bigger.

That would definitely mean a couple of years of ground share as well?

 

[Rayleigh boy]

It is in interesting question. Wrexham's Racecourse ground wasn't exactly Wembley in previous years and they've managed to enhance it bit by bit (stand at a time). One does wonder if we could do that, especially while we are at a lower level and the chances of needing a 10k stadium are very slim indeed. Most games, we could have put the away fans in the east stand, like we have in cup games previously.

It's obviously all hypothetical because it's been discussed many times and we are always told it isn't viable. Maybe it wasn't viable because Ron didn't want it to be viable as he wants the Roots Hall site for flats.

There is plenty of space to knock into in the carpark to create a bigger east stand. This idea that you have to have car parking available doesn't make sense because there are many grounds with no car parks available at all. You have to park away from the ground and walk up.

Fratton Park another example --- new owners enhancing a traditional ground

 

[Chairman Trigg]

As said would not the whole FF being developed as housing give enough money to redevelop RH .If the pitch was swung round surely two of the stands could still function whilst a completely new main stand was erected and then upgrades to join it all together .On the pitch the likelihood of a quick return to the EFL looks a long way off.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

All hypothetical really, but I guess a bit of fun to speculate what we might do if we were the new owner.

I would have thought if a deal could be brokered to buy the club, the new training ground and the Roots Hall site then it’s mainly the East Stand that needs replacing in order to provide facilities for 365 days a year income (banqueting facilities etc.) and maybe increase capacity. The other stands just need a bit of immediate TLC to keep them going until we’re back in the league when maybe a new North Stand could be introduced.

There is also space in the car park to provide some housing for additional income too whilst retaining a smaller car park for players, directors and officials which could be used for other events as well during non-match days.

Pie in the sky really, but that’s what I’d like to see happen.

 

[Shrimper]

"ron-martin-announces-process-aimed-at-selling-club-or-raising-investment"

It's all in the wording. He announces the process, that's all.

Personally I have a bag of hot air I am looking to sell for £20,000,000.

Any takers ?

He's also entered into partnership with a firm to find a buyer

That's more than just announcing

 

[Chairman Trigg]

He's also entered into partnership with a firm to find a buyer

That's more than just announcing

Hope he can find the money to pay them......Season tickets anyone?

 

[Rayleigh boy]

It is in interesting question. Wrexham's Racecourse ground wasn't exactly Wembley in previous years and they've managed to enhance it bit by bit (stand at a time). One does wonder if we could do that, especially while we are at a lower level and the chances of needing a 10k stadium are very slim indeed. Most games, we could have put the away fans in the east stand, like we have in cup games previously.

It's obviously all hypothetical because it's been discussed many times and we are always told it isn't viable. Maybe it wasn't viable because Ron didn't want it to be viable as he wants the Roots Hall site for flats.

There is plenty of space to knock into in the carpark to create a bigger east stand. This idea that you have to have car parking available doesn't make sense because there are many grounds with no car parks available at all. You have to park away from the ground and walk up.

yep you could easily have a monster east stand - and keep some car parking ..

but I think the sensible way forward is to repair renovate and improve RH - offering a traditional football environment ,, organic growth and improvement year by year

 

[Kat_r]

It's the find the queen from the three card trick, Anyone buying Southend United FC, what exactly are they buying?
Nothing there are no assets. Mr Martin's company(ies) hold all the assets

At some point I wonder if he will offer planning permission of flats in the deal
That alone is worth tens and tens of millions. And he doesn’t have to bother building them.

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

I notice that Steve Nash is being followed by both Rio and Anton Ferdinand (as well as Stan and Chris Phillips). I'm not sure whether the Ferdinand brother are relatively new followers or not, but it could be significant given previous rumours of there being interest from a consortium involving them both.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Would it cost 42million though, the amount being quoted by RM for just 3 of the sides at FF?

It’s not going to cost £42m from where we are now. Ron’s companies have already spent millions on it. That will include the land acquisition costs, planning applications, environmental reports, archeological studies, legal fees, traffic studies (and probably the training ground too) which have already been done. My guess is from this position it’ll cost less than half of that, which is (coincidentally?) how much Ron is looking to get back.

Hope he can find the money to pay them......Season tickets anyone?

They’ll be paid from the proceeds of the sale.