The fans who meet with Ron and MM

[Medway Blue]

This worries me. A lot.

Me too. I'm not sure how much we can rely on conferencing facilities to provide the income lost from the loss of the hotel.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The biggest news in that is a new midfielder.

 

[GBJ]

Me too. I'm not sure how much we can rely on conferencing facilities to provide the income lost from the loss of the hotel.

I’m very sceptical... and that’s putting it politely.

I still remember Ron claiming that we could hold world title boxing events at the new stadium. I knew from that moment on, some of his ideas were delusional

 

[Mad Cyril]

Ron has stated that the debt with HMRC will be paid yet this seems

Me too. I'm not sure how much we can rely on conferencing facilities to provide the income lost from the loss of the hotel.

I suspect most conferences will be virtual for the next few years at least and employers will soon question the wisdom of sending staff half way across the country/world for a pi$$ up.

 

[rigsby]

.............and yet these protestors were given very short thrift by some members on here :0(

No they weren't. Most of of us said yelling abuse and waving silly cheap looking banners would not achieve anything at this point in time.

The protesters have found the same as i have with Ron. If you speak with some respect and like adults he is more than happy to engage.

Of course that wont stop the same few people (we could all name the top 5) from trying desperately to turn Ron's comments into something negative, or select one point they don't like.

 

[Barling Magna]

So there are now no plans for a hotel in the main stand. Presumably that means that there will be a hole and only 3 sides until someone fills it.

Not certain about that. How do you understand this bit:

"The fans stressed the importance to Ron of eventually having a four sided stadium as Oxford being a prime example with only three sides and the atmosphere being drained out of the stadium. Ron said this won't happen as there will be apartments built within the fourth stand so it will eventually be a four sided stadium. "

Does that mean that the fourth side will be built at the same time as the three stands, but without the stadium side i.e. the apartments will be there but not the completed stand, just space for it....?

 

[Mad Cyril]

If the stadium only has three sides what is to stop me watching matches for free with a couple of cans?

 

[Tampa Blue]

No they weren't. Most of of us said yelling abuse and waving silly cheap looking banners would not achieve anything at this point in time.

The protesters have found the same as i have with Ron. If you speak with some respect and like adults he if more than happy to engage.

Of course that wont stop the same few people (we could all name the top 5) from trying desperately to turn Ron's comments into something negative, or select one point they don't like.

........well I would suggest that comments such as the following qualify as short shrift :

"A minority of clowns are going to protest."

"We seem to have fair weather fans who protest against the owner when times are tough"

The phrase "silly cheap looking banners" hardly suggest anything to the contrary.

However, it is interesting to note that those 'fair weather fans' sat down in a civilized manner with RM and with MM who apparently is a fantastic individual though I have not had the privilege of meeting him. However MM was apparently desperate to actually meet some fans to understand how they felt which is why he stayed so late before having to drive home to his family in Bournemouth.

Without what transpired to be 'threat' of a protest then this wouldn't have happened at all.

I am also pleased to note that RM has continued to stay in touch with those same fans and is providing regular dialogue. So I agree with you regarding the opportunity to speak with RM and I 100% hope that he continues with the dialogue and also actually puts it in the public domain where the vast majority of fans get their news from - not from SZ, not from the Trust, not from a Protest Group on Facebook but in the public domain via the club web site and/or regular updates with the press whilst obviously being cognisant of the fact that some information is privileged and confidential.

Anyway, fair play RM and look forward to the updates in the next few weeks.

 

[Leo210856]

HMRC do start proceedings within 2 days of a debt being overdue.

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Just worried how many of us will still be alive to see FF ever start or finish.
Again major changes to the plan with the loss of the hotel in the main stand probably meaning the ground might struggle to be completed in a single build timetable.
Just when is the council planning approval meeting ? and I thought once given the green light build was to start almost immediately not many months later......have I read that right?
12 years and counting !.....noticed that Peterborough have a plan being fast tracked by a helpful council,and when you consider our original plan was at the same time as Brighton and one of our later ones matching Brentfords time line ....you can appreciate along with the clubs playing demise just why some fans are truly fed up

 

[wakes123]

"Overall the meeting lasted for 2 hours, for which we were very grateful, especially as MM had a long drive home to see his family in Bournemouth Saturday night, as he and his sta(ff) are still in a hotel at the moment and RM also had pre-arranged plans in the evening, so we did appreciate them giving us the proper time to talk."

That is a really generous time to give this ad hoc group of fans. Much respect to RM and MM for that, at least.

MM seems like a normal, down to earth, hard working guy which is a refreshing change from some of the recent managers we've had.

 

[jaffa1]

Just worried how many of us will still be alive to see FF ever start or finish.
Again major changes to the plan with the loss of the hotel in the main stand probably meaning the ground might struggle to be completed in a single build timetable.
Just when is the council planning approval meeting ? and I thought once given the green light build was to start almost immediately not many months later......have I read that right?
12 years and counting !.....noticed that Peterborough have a plan being fast tracked by a helpful council,and when you consider our original plan was at the same time as Brighton and one of our later ones matching Brentfords time line ....you can appreciate along with the clubs playing demise just why some fans are truly fed up

....and don't AFC Wimbledon move into their new stadium in a few weeks?

 

[kentblues]

As has been said the objection was to the protest not to these fans or indeed the Shrimpers Trust seeking more communication.

There are those that just want Ron out and to hell with the consequences. That would be until the consequences became clear...seems to be a national disease currently..

But ends and means as they say- the update is welcome and very good.

BTW regarding the hotel. It obviously fitted very well into the original plans and on first sight looks to be a disappointment....except perhaps not. The hotel would have been run and funded through Hilton Hotels. So what would our income actually have been? Most would flow to the hotel with maybe us getting a royalty or cut or such like, and maybe use/ownership of some facilities.

Now the whole starting use mix has changed to housing. So instead of the hotel their will be further apartments/flats built in, with some conferencing and other facilities that will form part of the stadium? Its entirely possible that the housing units will generate more revenue direct to the club than the hotel? And remember Housing England are funding the stadium build as a enabling project. So in short it would be dangerous to assume this is bad news.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United have reduced their wage bill by £1.7million since the start of last season.

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[Wise Head]

‘The stadium would be under club control when finished’.

Does that mean the club will own the new stadium or not?

Vitally important question to our long term future post RM. If not we could be in the Coventry situation. It is imperative that the club once again own their own stadium.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

As has been said the objection was to the protest not to these fans or indeed the Shrimpers Trust seeking more communication.

There are those that just want Ron out and to hell with the consequences. That would be until the consequences became clear...seems to be a national disease currently..

But ends and means as they say- the update is welcome and very good.

BTW regarding the hotel. It obviously fitted very well into the original plans and on first sight looks to be a disappointment....except perhaps not. The hotel would have been run and funded through Hilton Hotels. So what would our income actually have been? Most would flow to the hotel with maybe us getting a royalty or cut or such like, and maybe use/ownership of some facilities.

Now the whole starting use mix has changed to housing. So instead of the hotel their will be further apartments/flats built in, with some conferencing and other facilities that will form part of the stadium? Its entirely possible that the housing units will generate more revenue direct to the club than the hotel? And remember Housing England are funding the stadium build as a enabling project. So in short it would be dangerous to assume this is bad news.

Its entirely possible in the same way it is entirely possible that you may sprout wings.

The housing units will generate revenue direct to the landowner not to the club. The club won't even own the stadium.

 

[kentblues]

The important thing here is that it means we have £400k of headroom. Actually we have more as those on contracts from last year above the L2 cap average will only count as that average.

Additionally we are able to take people out of the squad at the "bottom" to add new players in. We just have to keep to the 23. This should be further evidence that the "mythical" 75% replacement cost regulation (that applies in fact to restrictions/embargoes under the fair play rules) does not apply here.

 

[kentblues]

Its entirely possible in the same way it is entirely possible that you may sprout wings.

The housing units will generate revenue direct to the landowner not to the club. The club won't even own the stadium.

The club wouldn't have owned the hotel? In the end you don't know and I don't know. My glass is half full, yours half empty. I guess we will wait with baited breadth...we don't know if the club will own the stadium either at this point?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

‘The stadium would be under club control when finished’.

Does that mean the club will own the new stadium or not?

Vitally important question to our long term future post RM. If not we could be in the Coventry situation. It is imperative that the club once again own their own stadium.

Under club control means that it will be leased to the club. The terms of that lease will determine what sort of future our club has. A peppercorn rent and we're in great shape; a rent subject to rent review and we're back where we started.

 

[londonblue]

Not certain about that. How do you understand this bit:

"The fans stressed the importance to Ron of eventually having a four sided stadium as Oxford being a prime example with only three sides and the atmosphere being drained out of the stadium. Ron said this won't happen as there will be apartments built within the fourth stand so it will eventually be a four sided stadium. "

Does that mean that the fourth side will be built at the same time as the three stands, but without the stadium side i.e. the apartments will be there but not the completed stand, just space for it....?

Looking at the original plans, the flats are built into the corners. The main stand was mostly a hotel, which doubled up as the executive boxes. If there's now no plan for a hotel and still a phased approach to building it follows that there must be a hole until it is filled.