The five year plan

[BaileytheQuitter]

There generally seems to be an air of pesimism surrounding the club at the moment. Losing our POY and lack of signings have fueled. But as Ron as said, this is a long process.

If we say that in 2 years we will have a new stadium, so 2 more years at Roots Hall (I don't know how far the new stadium is actually away), what would you consider our aims and targets for the next few years.

Basically, what would you consider a realistic and successful five year plan for the club.

Year one (next year): With the lack of signings and the strength of the league, another middle table finish. Between 8th-16th.

Year two: With the new stadium approaching, Ron could either invest and push for Championship football in the first year of Forsetts Farm. Or repeat year one's plan, which I think would be a far more intelligent option.

Year three: New stadium. If we're still in league one, hopefully the new stadium will signal ambition and draw in better players. Bigger crowds? Unlikely to be drastic at first. However do a similar to Huddersfield? Where fans can buy three years of season ticket in one go. If in League One- aim for the play offs.

Year four: If not achieved in year three, go for promotion from League One. Aiming for a top 5 finish.

Year five: Our target for a return to Championship football? Seems quite a long way away but it could be a slow process, with the new stadium as the catalyst for development.

Your thoughts?

 

[CC51DAS]

So if I got you correctly the 5 year plan is to play in League 1 ?

Personally, I will be disappointed if we are not challenging for a Europa league place by then :stunned:

 

[Smiffy]

I would hope (maybe expect) to be a mid-table Championship side in 5 years. Average gates of 12,000-14,000 in our new home.

 

[Beefy]

I doubt we'll be at the new ground in two years. Really, we need to maintain our position as a mid-table League One side for the next couple of years. Have we ever in our history established ourselves in this League? Most of our spells in the third tier have been brief. Relegation would be hard to imagine in terms of the depression that it would bring to the Club.

You'd never turn down a Promotion and I'd celebrate going up again as much as anyone, but I don't think that can be the objective. If it happens, then brilliant, but it's unfair to Tilly & Brush to say that's the goal as there quite clearly isn't the money around right now to launch a realistic promotion campaign.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Year three: New stadium. If we're still in league one, hopefully the new stadium will signal ambition and draw in better players. Bigger crowds? Unlikely to be drastic at first. However do a similar to Huddersfield? Where fans can buy three years of season ticket in one go.

QUOTE]

I thought the Huddersfield offer is for a £100 season ticket, I don't think they have to buy 3 years ticket in one go? I doubt Ron Martin would ever be able to offer £100 season tickets.

Are we not already 2 years into a 5 year plan?

Just checked Huddersfield web site they did not do the £100 season ticket deal this season but still have over 10,000 season ticket holders. Could not see anything about a 3 year deal, where did you see that offer?

 

[Pubey]

then plan is not to be any lower than League 1 when we move to FF.


Simples!

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Have we ever in our history established ourselves in this League? Most of our spells in the third tier have been brief.

What about 1920 to 1966 that was the third tier. Cant be bothered to work it out but we must have spent more season's in the 3rd tier than any other.

OK since you all asked here I think is our breakdown of the seasons played at each level:-

Tier 2 = 7 seasons
Tier 3 = 56 seasons
Tier 4 = 21 seasons
Non-League = 11 seasons

 

[Beefy]

What about 1920 to 1966 that was the third tier. Cant be bothered to work it out but we must have spent more season's in the 3rd tier than any other.

My History of the Blues book is at my Parent's place, but weren't those the Div Three (North/South) years? So we were effectively in the bottom tier in those years.

Just had a quick look at the SUFC database and the longest spell we've had in this division was eight years up to 65/66. If we stay in this league for two more seasons this will be our second longest ever run. In fact we've only had two runs, including that one, longer than our current three season stint in the third tier.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

My History of the Blues book is at my Parent's place, but weren't those the Div Three (North/South) years? So we were effectively in the bottom tier in those years.

Just had a quick look at the SUFC database and the longest spell we've had in this division was eight years up to 65/66. If we stay in this league for two more seasons this will be our second longest ever run. In fact we've only had two runs, including that one, longer than our current three season stint in the third tier.

It may have been Div 3 North and South but was still the 3rd tier. Is not the bottom tier something like Tier 7 any non-league ground hoppers out there know the answer? No it must go lower than tier 7 nowdays but not sure what the levels were in the 1950's.

Come on Peter Miles let us know if Div 3 North and South were the 3rd tier of English football?

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

My History of the Blues book is at my Parent's place, but weren't those the Div Three (North/South) years? So we were effectively in the bottom tier in those years.

Just had a quick look at the SUFC database and the longest spell we've had in this division was eight years up to 65/66. If we stay in this league for two more seasons this will be our second longest ever run. In fact we've only had two runs, including that one, longer than our current three season stint in the third tier.

OK forget 1920-1958.

Here is the breakdown since then:-

Tier 2 = 7 seasons
Tier 3 = 25 seasons (including 2009/10)
Tier 4 = 21 seasons

 

[TBV_Dan]

I would hope (maybe expect) to be a mid-table Championship side in 5 years. Average gates of 12,000-14,000 in our new home.

That would be great! Games with big teams will have massive attendances, possibly 20,000 or am I being a little bit ambitious with that figure?

Year 1: With the squad currently very small, Mid-table or Top-half would do for me, but obviously any better than that would be good.

Year 2: With the new stadium approaching fast, Top-Half or Play-Offs would be good, again, anything better than that would be good.

Year 3: With our new stadium built, I would think that it would attract decent, strong players, and hopefully we can build a strong squad that can mount a serious challenge for the title if we are in League 1, or if in Championship, maintain a solid mid-table position.

Years 4 & 5: Same as Year 3 tbh, Maintain a solid, mid-table position in the Championship or, if still in League 1 (Which I hope we aren't), mount a challenge for the title.


Thats what I really would like in the near future, in an ideal world, but who knows what will happen in the world of football!

 

[NZamba Legend]

Next summer any 'plan' will be f***ed as most of our current squad are out of contract. Somehow I cannot see negotiations for new deals starting early or players being interested in negotiating with us when we don't appear to have much financial clout. Also I am not convinced we will be able to offer our best players an advance on what they currently earn, hence they may choose to go elsewhere or at least leave it until very late in the day before signing. My fear is that, while the last two summers have been frustrating, next summer could be catastrophic and Tilson may almost have to start from scratch.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Surely we should approach every game with a view to winning it - and we should approach every league campaign with a view to winning the division that we're in. A few seasons ago, most of us would have been content with mid-table after reaching League One through the playoffs, but that's not what you plan for - you plan to win and that's what we did. It's utter lunacy to plan to be mediocre. I'm reminded of a coach (the name escapes me) who had inherited a terrible Buffalo Bills team in the 80s, which had won only two games the previous year. When asked if he would be happy with an 8-8 record in the upcoming season, he said 'No, because then I'm telling my guys that it's OK to lose eight times. It's never OK to lose'.

 

[Firestorm]

It may have been Div 3 North and South but was still the 3rd tier. Is not the bottom tier something like Tier 7 any non-league ground hoppers out there know the answer? No it must go lower than tier 7 nowdays but not sure what the levels were in the 1950's.

Come on Peter Miles let us know if Div 3 North and South were the 3rd tier of English football?

in 1922 it was the 3rd Division , although it was basically the old Southern league anyway, then from 23 to 58 the 3rd division was regionalised. As the pyramid system was not in place and there was no relegation from the football league it was the bottom tier

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

What would be the back up plan, if we get relegated in this time and fail to come up from Div 2 ?

Not a knock, just would have thought you should have a back up plan, especially if after year one and two it may fail to stay on course, working as an accountant we allway have a contingency plan, which if failing to met expectations normally means cost cutting exercises, this I add I hope willnot be the way.

 

[Firestorm]

I feel that there is a plan, but it is primarily a financial plan and the football side of it will be fairly straightforward, as in don't get relegated.
Financially i feel that the release of funds to the squad will be phased. Once the stadium has been started and the rental contracts on the retail units etc start to be completed , projected revenue streams will be known and therefore can be used in financing, Money will then be released to the manager , but probably gradually

Where there may be a difficulty is if the plans for RH falter and the income for that is delayed (Sainsbury's deposit possibly) which could mean that the projected revenue for the FF retail units may be needed to secure loans to finish FF, this would reduce the availability of funds to the footballing side until the RH development is in full swing.

I would happily take, 5 years from now, League 1 football (without any relegation battles) with FF and RH completed , and the income started to filter down to the Football club.

 

[fredheim_holm]

I would happily take, 5 years from now, League 1 football (without any relegation battles) with FF and RH completed , and the income started to filter down to the Football club.

Agreed.

Of course I want promotion every season, but I still think 10th this season will be a good achievement. Being in league one in the new stadium is realistic, as long as the new financial prospects at FF will be as good as is seemingly being made out then we should be in a decent position to move on towards the top end of league one/bottom end of the CCC.

 

[CocklesShrimps&Whiteweed]

League two with a new stadium would be a disaster. Going for promotion via playoffs or a automatic spot from league one with Fossetts Farm built much better, but not ideal. I would like to see us established as a lower middle half Championship side with the stadium built. Much like Ipswich. Reading got this spot on, I remember going to watch the Shrimpers at Readings old Elm Park. The ground was a shambles, ten times worse than Roots Hall with attendances to match. Look at them now.

Southend has massive potential, I think it was Uncle Ron himself that said that in a twenty mile radius of the town there were 750,000 people. We have all seen what what a little success can bring. Just look at our following to the two league trophy finals.

If at any point in our future we are challeging towards the top of the Championship we would easily fill FF. Lower half of the Championship with a spanking new stadium I think we could resonably expect to get 14-15,000. Near the top of League one? Anywhere between 12,000 - 14,000. League two - don't want to think about it.

 

[Smiffy]

League two with a new stadium would be a disaster. Going for promotion via playoffs or a automatic spot from league one with Fossetts Farm built much better, but not ideal. I would like to see us established as a lower middle half Championship side with the stadium built. Much like Ipswich. Reading got this spot on, I remember going to watch the Shrimpers at Readings old Elm Park. The ground was a shambles, ten times worse than Roots Hall with attendances to match. Look at them now.

Southend has massive potential, I think it was Uncle Ron himself that said that in a twenty mile radius of the town there were 750,000 people. We have all seen what what a little success can bring. Just look at our following to the two league trophy finals.

If at any point in our future we are challeging towards the top of the Championship we would easily fill FF. Lower half of the Championship with a spanking new stadium I think we could resonably expect to get 14-15,000. Near the top of League one? Anywhere between 12,000 - 14,000. League two - don't want to think about it.

The population of Essex is about 1.7 million.

Southend around 170,000 (more than Reading)

As has already been said. The potential fanbase is huge. If we could just tap into 1 or 2% of the population of Essex, we would be laughing...

 

[Shrimper]

Essex has a population of 1,688,400 million people. Now, if you take away Harlow (Leyton Orient stronghold & Tottenham) & Colchester (Colchester fan-base, not likely to be popular) then that's 253,800 people who are likely to be dis-interested, of course you have small pockets in Chelmsford, Billericay and Braintree but looking at it like that gives us 1,434,600 people that we could use as a fan-base.

Huge potential, and as Smiffy said tapping into just 1% or maybe 10% of that would give a steady fan-base to slowly add to our appeal, btw 1% is 14346 and 10% is 143460.