Save our Southend Thursdays meeting here!

[MisterStubbs]

Thanks for sharing, I haven’t been able to watch the whole thing yet but I will get round to it over the next few days. One thing to take from the short bits I have seen is that Ron is exactly the same condescending, patronising, “it’s my way or no way” bloke as he was when I worked at the club some 15 years ago. Back then he’s right hand goon, Geoff King didn’t want to hear any new ideas, any suggestions when put forward to them. I remember being involved in a meeting regarding ticket office and ways in which to improve customer interaction etc which included everyone involved with the ticket office then. Out of the 20/30 or so ideas, some better than others but out of all of them the only thing that came from that was to put some pictures up in the ticket office. You could tell very early on that neither Ron or King wanted to be there and as a young member of staff as I was back then, it left me with the impression of “why the **** should I try and work hard for this ****er”.

 

[SeaSideDoughnut]

54 minutes in so far. Criticism of loans is harsh. I think they've been decent on the whole and we're all hoping Olayinka will be our saviour.

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

Ive watched both videos and agree with stopwhispering. A lot of points raised are good ones and Ron has answered. Its clear that he too has passion for the club, i like to see him get prickly with people, it reveals his frustrations. Without a CEO it is going to be Ron that is held to account to fans.
If anything i was a little disappointed that it wasnt conveyed, the importance of unpaid players, tax demands not being met on time, going to court, being under a lengthy embargo, has affected what goes on pitchside, because it has devastated this club.
Ripped apart.
Depressed fans in a pandemic, as if that was bad enough worrying about our loved ones, our jobs and society.
Frustating situation every which way.

 

[Swiss Tony]

My conclusion after 2 hours was keep talking and working together has got to be the way forward,well done to everybody who was there.

 

[Medway Blue]

Hate the way we fans have to resort to saying the money we pay to watch our team, as if that’s the only thing that gives our right to have an opinion. This is our f*****g club and we love it dearly, that’s enough to have a sodding opinion and right to know why it’s being run into the ground. Makes me so angry.

But Ron Martin doesn't respond to emotional stuff. Money is the only angle he really understands. He says he cares deeply about the club but he has absolutely no clue what it means to be part of generational support for the club; to have it running in your veins; to feel like a relative is dying when the club is in this state. No clue at all. I told him once by email how worried I was about the financial issues. He told me "why are you worrying? It's my job to worry, not your's". As if the possibility of the club ceasing to exist shouldn't worry somebody who has such an emotional attachment. He just. doesn't. get it.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

it left me with the impression of “why the **** should I try and work hard for this ****er”.

I think the players have the same idea!

 

[dusterman]

But Ron Martin doesn't respond to emotional stuff. Money is the only angle he really understands. He says he cares deeply about the club but he has absolutely no clue what it means to be part of generational support for the club; to have it running in your veins; to feel like a relative is dying when the club is in this state. No clue at all. I told him once be email how worried I was about the financial issues. He told me "why are you worrying? It's my job to worry, not your's". As if the gear of the club ceasing to exist shouldn't worry somebody who has such an emotional attachment. He just. doesn't. get it.

Yeah appreciate that, but he just uses money to then say ‘I spend tens of thousands so be quiet’. He can’t be reasoned with I get that. Any businessman worth their salt knows a CEO is imperative to a football club but he doesn’t want to pay for one so we find ourselves constantly late to every party.

Feel sorry for anyone trying to deal with him as I’m sure it’s just the definition of frustrating.

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

I think the players have the same idea!

Ron admits to talking to the team, i bet he says perform or i'll dock your wages, rather than most chairmen that would offer more money !

 

[tottenham541]

Can anyone say if this is actually worth watching or not ? I don’t really want to waste Saturday time if I don’t need to.

 

[Ricey]

Who is the guy that was wearing a suit?

And Dan asks questions like Garth Crooks.

 

[Dubai]

Can anyone say if this is actually worth watching or not ? I don’t really want to waste Saturday time if I don’t need to.

Wouldn’t waste your time tbh.
Ron says a few things
Fans disagree on many things amongst themselves
Patrick (CFO?) backs up that Ron still pays a load of money in which he loses (obvs he will get this back when he gets his move, so it’s business and not for the love.
MM going no where
Feels the players are behind the manager.
Chris Powell gave up
Admits MM had a tough hand which was his fault
All want the same thing.
Support the team for the final 9 games as it’s the only thing that can help for now.

Side note, he gets a little ****ty at times but I don’t think completely unreasonable and actually says sorry for it. Fair play to him.

 

[Barling Magna]

Can't see too many problems with how Ron talks for the majority (Sorry Scott).

Obvs not ideal swearing, but if you ask the fella a question...you got to let him answer.

I always feel he comes across well, I actually think he makes sense a lot of the time.

He fcked it with the embargo, but he does put a lot of his own cash in a club that loses money every year.

Anyways, onwards and upwards.

We are staying up.

Well, I've watched it all now, pausing for coffees at intervals. Very interesting and I must say I agree with your comments Dubai. I'm not too worried about the swearing from Ron, although I don't condone it. I don't think it's useful (although I understand the emotion) to call MM "a weak, weak manager" or "tactically inept" immediately after Ron has praised him and made it crystal clear that he isn't going to be sacked. Neither statement is true and is purely a fan speaking from his heart rather than his head.

A couple of interesting points for me. Firstly, although some on here had assumed it was the case it was confirmed that Ron didn't want to see Chris Powell go but Chris said to Ron one Monday morning that he didn't know what else to do and had virtually decided to go himself. Secondly, Ron seems very realistic about the National League and will continue to pump money into the club if we are relegated. We won't go bankrupt.

I thought Ron was actually quite reasonable, was prepared to sit through the meeting for a full couple of hours and kept his temper fairly well considering some of the comments made by one or two of those at the Zoom meeting and interrupting him as he tried to answer. I also thought many more of the contributors were articulate and reasonable in their comments. Ron answered the questions about individual players (about 50 mins into the programme) very well I thought showing that he understood them well. Kiernan on £3750 per week.....a wage thief indeed. As he said, we're all passionate but there ain't no silver bullet.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

54 minutes in so far. Criticism of loans is harsh. I think they've been decent on the whole and we're all hoping Olayinka will be our saviour.

Hmm...
Green, Taylor, Sterling, Olayinka, Hackett-Fairchild, Cordner, Bass and Montgomery.

Of those, Olayinka, maybe, if he's recovered. Taylor, likewise.
The rest? Two emergency loans, of which one lasted 45 minutes.

2 March 2021

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Wouldn’t waste your time tbh.
Ron says a few things
Fans disagree on many things amongst themselves
Patrick (CFO?) backs up that Ron still pays a load of money in which he loses (obvs he will get this back when he gets his move, so it’s business and not for the love.
MM going no where
Feels the players are behind the manager.
Chris Powell gave up
Admits MM had a tough hand which was his fault
All want the same thing.
Support the team for the final 9 games as it’s the only thing that can help for now.

Side note, he gets a little ****ty at times but I don’t think completely unreasonable and actually says sorry for it. Fair play to him.

I'll be honest and say I haven't seen the recording, so maybe the interpretation that CP 'gave up' is just that, an interpretation.
Anyone else agree before I comment further?

 

[rigsby]

Ron admits to talking to the team, i bet he says perform or i'll dock your wages, rather than most chairmen that would offer more money !

Ron did threaten them with extra training under Bond. Which delighted the player I spoke to. He was thoroughly unimpressed with easy sessions and so called professional players skiving off when Bond was naive enough to trust them to go in the gym.

 

[SeaSideDoughnut]

Hmm...
Green, Taylor, Sterling, Olayinka, Hackett-Fairchild, Cordner, Bass and Montgomery.

Of those, Olayinka, maybe, if he's recovered. Taylor, likewise.
The rest? Two emergency loans, of which one lasted 45 minutes.

2 March 2021

When you make a list with Sterling in it, it's enough to make a person reconsider...

 

[NZamba Legend]

Thanks for sharing, I haven’t been able to watch the whole thing yet but I will get round to it over the next few days. One thing to take from the short bits I have seen is that Ron is exactly the same condescending, patronising, “it’s my way or no way” bloke as he was when I worked at the club some 15 years ago. Back then he’s right hand goon, Geoff King didn’t want to hear any new ideas, any suggestions when put forward to them. I remember being involved in a meeting regarding ticket office and ways in which to improve customer interaction etc which included everyone involved with the ticket office then. Out of the 20/30 or so ideas, some better than others but out of all of them the only thing that came from that was to put some pictures up in the ticket office. You could tell very early on that neither Ron or King wanted to be there and as a young member of staff as I was back then, it left me with the impression of “why the **** should I try and work hard for this ****er”.

RM doesn't want protest, but then he doesn't really want to work with anyone either. The situation is very frustrating. We are beholden to him. Until the housing developments come to fruition (let's not kid ourselves that the stadium is anything more than an afterthought now) and Ron sells the club nothing can or will change. At that point we will--probably best case scenario--be a non league team in a non league ground (all weather pitch, two small stands). Then the club can plot a different future, but of course it will also be very vulnerable since the club would only be renting the land they play on. I doubt there will be a new covenant.

Ron would have loved to leave club in the Championship with a 25 000 seater stadium, I do believe that, but I think that dream has long gone now. Ron will want his long term financial project to succeed, obviously, and he won't let the club die, but his care will probably extend to little more than that. What could change this trajectory, the only thing, is success on the pitch, starting this season with staying up.

 

[Pak Power]

Firstly, thanks to everyone involved for making this possible, and thanks to Ron for making himself available (health depending) to answer questions.

Secondly, I found it harped on a little bit too much about the past, when in all honesty most of us are worried about the future.

It is on this very point that part of his business model worries me. Quite near the end of the meeting a point was raised about the retail side of the future development, and the fact that Ron congratulated himself for ditching this for housing (citing the Royals failure etc)

But...

The whole purpose of this stadium was to give the Football Club (not RM) and income stream in addition to gate revenue, to help us succeed on the pitch..... now, take the retail income away
(and I understand the current economic climate) but where does the revenue come from?

The only way I can see is if Ron rents the houses out, and the income stream goes to the football club (this wont happen as he will obviously sell them)

Renting a room or two out of the main stand will make little difference to our revenue stream.
So..... the shiny new ground is therefore a waste of time for our Football Club. (not for Ron though)

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Blimey. Ron is human he’s also on the defensive here, in many ways he can’t win no matter what he says. As Kay and others have said this is typical Ron, it’s how he is.
I just wish someone hadn’t cut him off before he gave his views on Ridgewell! Loving the passion for SUFC on display from all. Worth a watch but nothing overly new or earth shattering from RM, he’s behind MM and the players and so should we all be now, a hell of a lot does hinge on clinging on to our L2 status. It’s in everyone’s interest.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Can't be many chairman who do these sort of meetings. I always think that he comes over well. Well chaired by Paul Fitzgerald as always. Paul would not let him off with patronising the youngster but let's not dwell on that. it was a small part of a very long meeting. Just 2 points. It would be great to have names on the squares as although I know a few participants I don't know them all. A general point. Never start a question with "the fans think". One thing SZ shows you is that there is only one things the fans think and that is different things.