• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Question Vic Jobson research

If Vic had managed to pull off the move to Garon Park, Southend would have been the first club to move into a state of the stadium at that time....but guess what Southend council didnt support or help the club. On the flip side didn't he mug off the contractor Sharps? who did the seats in the West... who was a really huge Blues fan amongst others .
Remember a couple of times writing to Vic about the treatment of fans only to to get a fairly dismissive reply from his side kick John Adams.Also remembered for protests including the Upton Park sit in.
Not the best at PR and instead of being recognised for his achievements is remembered for his falling out with Webby which resulted in a great chance of promotion to Division 1 being squandered .
Top of Division 2 after thrashing Newcastle 4 nil compared to dropping out the league for the first time ever to succeed in building i a joke 3 sided stadium .....Vic or Ron now that's a question
 
I have memories of two articles about Vic's relationship with David Webb.

The first was a full-page article with photos in Shoot magazine which outlined Webby's frustration with Vic's refusal to pay the likes of Paul Sansome, Chris Powell, Spencer Prior and so on wages that were commensurate with our Division Two (now Championship) status if we wanted to keep them and wanted to make a serious challenge for promotion to the top division. Vic stood his ground and Webby and some of those great players soon left the club.

The second was an article in The Daily Telegraph when Webby had become manager of Chelsea, whose chairman was the alleged infamous tyrant, Ken Bates. When asked how he would cope with working under Ken Bates, Webby replied that Ken Bates was like Mary Poppins in comparison with Vic Jobson.
 
If Vic had managed to pull off the move to Garon Park, Southend would have been the first club to move into a state of the stadium at that time....but guess what Southend council didnt support or help the club. On the flip side didn't he mug off the contractor Sharps? who did the seats in the West... who was a really huge Blues fan amongst others .
Remember a couple of times writing to Vic about the treatment of fans only to to get a fairly dismissive reply from his side kick John Adams.Also remembered for protests including the Upton Park sit in.
Not the best at PR and instead of being recognised for his achievements is remembered for his falling out with Webby which resulted in a great chance of promotion to Division 1 being squandered .
Top of Division 2 after thrashing Newcastle 4 nil compared to dropping out the league for the first time ever to succeed in building i a joke 3 sided stadium .....Vic or Ron now that's a question

We were punching above our financial weight during those Championship years.The problems, the debt, out of favour with the council, fans alienated and us not owning anything were all in place long before your most hated chairman arrived.

After the Italia 90 world cup and the start of sky. That decade priced all the small clubs out of any future glory. Worth remembering who we went up with, for our first time in second tier football...Cambridge and Grimsby. Look what has happened to them since.

Good luck with your research Chalky. It might well give people a better understanding of the long term problems that stlll loom over us all.

Wivs is a man you should speak to about uncle Vic
 
Worth including John Adam's, father of Chris Adam's the ex England cricketer, who was vice chairman? Always seemed a top bloke and v engaged with fans. Remember vividly phoning the club line, daily I think, for news; when Sussex (Andy) moved to Essex was one.
 
Vic's son (Robert Jobson) is an an award winning journalist and Royal Editor for the Evening Standard. He posted something on twitter a few months ago about Vic I seem to recall.
 
I don't remember the year (80's). I was working in London and made a late decision to go to an evening kick off pre season friendly away at Dartford. I arrived at the ground to find everything deserted. A jag pulled up next to me with John Adams behinf the wheel and Vic in the passenger seat. They said the the game was actually somewhere else (Kingstonian ? not sure) but they decided to pick up any misinformed stranded Shrimper fans and told me to hop in the back.
After a few excursions down dark country lanes Adams complained to Vic, who was map reading, he didn't have a clue. Vic stated he was as confident the ground was down this lane as he was of the new stadium being built. I piped up with "we'll end up in Dover". They both laughed and threatened to make me get out. As we approached the entrance they told me to stay in the car until inside so I would avoid having to pay. We parted on very friendly terms. That was great PR to one loyal but lost fan. I liked them a lot on that day
 
Vic's son (Robert Jobson) is an an award winning journalist and Royal Editor for the Evening Standard. He posted something on twitter a few months ago about Vic I seem to recall.

He even looks like his dad.

IIRC Vic had two sons and a daughter. Robert I think was the eldest and always came over as a decent bloke. I'm pretty sure he married the sister of a friend of mine who now lives in Australia. His daughter, Heather, had mild-ish learning difficulties, and spent a lot of time with her horse.

His other son (can't remember his name) was a bit wayward and you learned pretty early on to keep out of his way. I distinctly remember he once chewed up some paper, put it in an air pistol and shot a friend of mine in the leg. It might only have been chewed up paper, but it bloody hurt him and left a pretty nasty welt.

The day before Vic sold to Ron he had the cheek to buy himself a new Jag, and his wayward son a new sports car, both through SUFC. For the 1st 3-4 years of his ownership Ron was paying off the loans on those two cars.
 
Last edited:
The day before Vic sold to Ron he had the cheek to buy himself a new Jag, and his wayward son a new sports car though, both SUFC. For the 1st 3-4 years of his ownership Ron was paying off the loans on those two cars.
It was after this that Ron realised due diligence should be taken seriously and not seen as a tick-box exercise. However...!!
 
He even looks like his dad.

IIRC Vic had two sons and a daughter. Robert I think was the eldest and always came over as a decent bloke. I'm pretty sure he married the sister of a friend of mine who now lives in Australia. His daughter, Heather, had mild-ish learning difficulties, and spent a lot of time with her horse.

His other son (can't remember his name) was a bit wayward and you learned pretty early on to keep out of his way. I distinctly remember he once chewed up some paper, put it in an air pistol and shot a friend of mine in the leg. It might only have been chewed up paper, but it bloody hurt him and left a pretty nasty welt.

The day before Vic sold to Ron he had the cheek to buy himself a new Jag, and his wayward son a new sports car though, both SUFC. For the 1st 3-4 years of his ownership Ron was paying off the loans on those two cars.
I'm sure it was Vic's son who used to manage Boot's and Laces when they had events on a saturday night! I remember seeing both Lee Evans (Dad) and Robbie Williams (Dad) there.
I think his name was Andy? could be wrong.
 
We were punching above our financial weight during those Championship years.The problems, the debt, out of favour with the council, fans alienated and us not owning anything were all in place long before your most hated chairman arrived.

After the Italia 90 world cup and the start of sky. That decade priced all the small clubs out of any future glory. Worth remembering who we went up with, for our first time in second tier football...Cambridge and Grimsby. Look what has happened to them since.

Good luck with your research Chalky. It might well give people a better understanding of the long term problems that stlll loom over us all.

Wivs is a man you should speak to about uncle Vic
Practically every club is in, a financial mess, and being a Chairman of any club always raises the question why would you throw money at a loss making business if you have little interest in the sport or club in the first place .I don't see Ron or in the past Vic as the Fairy God Mother type, but a business man who must have had a plan at takeover which didn't involve them going bankrupt
 
I'm sure it was Vic's son who used to manage Boot's and Laces when they had events on a saturday night! I remember seeing both Lee Evans (Dad) and Robbie Williams (Dad) there.
I think his name was Andy? could be wrong.

Andy! That was his name.
 
Good Old Vic a property developer who borrowed money from Robert Maxwell and Ken Bates (judge a man by the company he keeps!) to buy our club and save it from extinction.

Never in it for the popularity vote. I remember he stopped youth prices in the North Bank, which forced many young fans to become members to pay concessions admittance in the West stand (and it was standing). Brandishing us fans as Hitler Youth.

This along with the proposed move to Basildon, a tactic to try and force SBC's hand. He also changed the club badge by including the Chelsea Lion in one of the quarters.

He did over see the conversation of Roots Hall into the all seater it is now. I seem to remember some if the chairs in the East stand were cast offs from Chelsea, but not sure Vic was the one who over saw that.

I remember meeting him one day when at the Roots Hall Market. He said the market was the extra 4,000 fans on the gate in terms of revenue.
Never proven, but there was many a time on a Friday night game the ground would be heaving, and yet the usual 4,000 odd would be announced as the attendance. I guess what the taxman doesn't know....
It’s a small world and it ain’t a very nice one
 
I must have been about 16/17 (1996) and my old mate John Campbell and I decided we were going to pop down to the stadium and give Uncle Vic a piece of our mind, and obvious advise on life due to our clear maturity and business sense.

So, we plotted up outside the east stand and requested to see the big man himself expected to be told to FO, or face a lifetime ban however security took us upstairs to his office whilst no doubt thinking to ourselves this wasn't in the plan whatsoever.

To be fair to him, he gave us the lowdown on the industry, bloodsuckers involved and how much he cares for the club and town as a whole giving us an hour plus of his time.

I can't remember if I was too wet behind the ears to question what he said to us but I do know that to this day, I respect the man for giving up his time to two young chancers who didn't expect to get anywhere near the man of his office.

My view is this, he was no doubt a bit of a lad but he had a good side, and would always front up the fans with his time and answers unlike the absolute wretch of an owner we have now.

Yes to Uncle Vic From myself and JC.
 
A picture paints a thousand words.
 

Attachments

  • D6538344-29A6-4453-908A-4AECC350088D.jpeg
    D6538344-29A6-4453-908A-4AECC350088D.jpeg
    220.7 KB · Views: 40
I must have been about 16/17 (1996) and my old mate John Campbell and I decided we were going to pop down to the stadium and give Uncle Vic a piece of our mind, and obvious advise on life due to our clear maturity and business sense.

So, we plotted up outside the east stand and requested to see the big man himself expected to be told to FO, or face a lifetime ban however security took us upstairs to his office whilst no doubt thinking to ourselves this wasn't in the plan whatsoever.

To be fair to him, he gave us the lowdown on the industry, bloodsuckers involved and how much he cares for the club and town as a whole giving us an hour plus of his time.

I can't remember if I was too wet behind the ears to question what he said to us but I do know that to this day, I respect the man for giving up his time to two young chancers who didn't expect to get anywhere near the man of his office.

My view is this, he was no doubt a bit of a lad but he had a good side, and would always front up the fans with his time and answers unlike the absolute wretch of an owner we have now.

Yes to Uncle Vic From myself and JC.
Now Vic really was someone that took money out of the club. Whilst his property business was failing he was taking around £100,000 a year from the club. That was back when £100,000 was considered a lot of money.

He designed the new badge, and was taking a royalty every time a piece of branded clothing was sold. He also charged the club a management fee for his time.

As I pointed out previously on this thread, the day before he sold to RM he bought himself a jag and his son a sports car (I think it was a Toyota) through the club. For the 1st 3/4 years of ownership, Ron was paying off for those cars.

When Vic took over, we needed him. He was a fighter and he quite simply saved the club from extinction. But by the end he had become a huge liability. (The same could probably be said of Ron too!)
 
Now Vic really was someone that took money out of the club. Whilst his property business was failing he was taking around £100,000 a year from the club. That was back when £100,000 was considered a lot of money.

He designed the new badge, and was taking a royalty every time a piece of branded clothing was sold. He also charged the club a management fee for his time.

As I pointed out previously on this thread, the day before he sold to RM he bought himself a jag and his son a sports car (I think it was a Toyota) through the club. For the 1st 3/4 years of ownership, Ron was paying off for those cars.

When Vic took over, we needed him. He was a fighter and he quite simply saved the club from extinction. But by the end he had become a huge liability. (The same could probably be said of Ron too!)
I get your point entirely however, Vics mis management never took the club out of the football league, in the papers on a regular basis for late payments and or not paying his staff.
 
I get your point entirely however, Vics mis management never took the club out of the football league, in the papers on a regular basis for late payments and or not paying his staff.
It probably would have done had he hung around.
 
Didn't Vic stop us using the nickname the Shrimpers? Round the time the badge changed and the shrimp was removed

Gets a lot of flack for the proposed Basildon move, but as Rigsby points out that threat was largely for the benefit of Southend Borough Council.

Met him once after we beat Derby at home in the Championship, probably 1991, and he was absolutely elated, talking about the huge potential of SUFC with a catchment area the same size as Merseyside.
 
I get your point entirely however, Vics mis management never took the club out of the football league, in the papers on a regular basis for late payments and or not paying his staff.
Read the links to his story just after he died in my post#22 and a later story in the Idependent in 2000 in post #25.

You could say if Vic had managed the finances better, Ron and Delancey would never have had to get involved.
In one set of accounts 95/96?, Vic was working on a turnover projection of £5.6m for the following year. It actually turned out at less than£3m - and there was the first 2.6m debt.

As I recall the facts in the Independent are correct, and that we were 2 days away from being wound up with no prospect of paying the taxman from any other source than Ron.
 
Back
Top