What do you feel is sufc's future?

[Tommy2holes]

I have been thinking about the club this week and all the things that used to attract me to it and it really saddens me to see the club being run so poorly and for the fans to be so disillusioned and distanced from the club they love.

I just think the club is quite literally on its knees and it infuriates me that the fate of a club with over a 100 years of history is in the hands of someone so incompetent.

Having been humbled by two recent non league sides and seeing the playing staff diminish in quality the last few seasons it feels like the club is slowly being stripped.

The only things that can be seen as a positive is the great work being done with the youth set up and also that there is still hope that a new stadium will materialize.

I just wondered what other zoners see for our immediate and short term future (in the next 5 seasons)

 

[buffalowolf]

5 seasons , i think RM would only be looking at getting through this season first ,then having the money to pay the players during the off season.get through both these periods first we will have done really well.And as things stand i think the only way that will happen is if we get a nice fat transfer fee for someone like Bentley or maybe Leonard.:sad:

 

[RHB]

The last 5 years have been a roller coaster ride for a variety of reasons, but we still exist, and we will for the next five years and further! Maybe our future lies with the youth set-up given some of the gems coming through now, only time will tell. I honestly don't now think we will get out of this division this season, sad to say, unless we find more consistency, but I don't think we are far off being a reasonable side. As for the new stadium, only Ron and Sainsburys know the answer to that one.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

I have been thinking about the club this week and all the things that used to attract me to it and it really saddens me to see the club being run so poorly and for the fans to be so disillusioned and distanced from the club they love.

I just think the club is quite literally on its knees and it infuriates me that the fate of a club with over a 100 years of history is in the hands of someone so incompetent.

Having been humbled by two recent non league sides and seeing the playing staff diminish in quality the last few seasons it feels like the club is slowly being stripped.

The only things that can be seen as a positive is the great work being done with the youth set up and also that there is still hope that a new stadium will materialize.

I just wondered what other zoners see for our immediate and short term future (in the next 5 seasons)

We are always humbled by the new non-league sides, we have a woeful record against most of the 'new' teams we come up against. The only new team we have a decent record against so far is Fleetwood. When I have got time I will check our record against the teams that come up.

As for the future I have no idea, the new ground seems like its still years away, even though Ron told us everything was 90% in place 2 years ago.

Still we have been waiting so long for the 3 sided thing to be built that Ron would have had plenty of time to sort out maybe building the main stand at the same time as the rest of the ground!

 

[chapperzUK]

Reckon we will have an idea by January. All our eggs are now in the Fossetts Farm basket, and work should be starting on it in December .... we hope :'(

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Reckon we will have an idea by January. All our eggs are now in the Fossetts Farm basket, and work should be starting on it in December .... we hope :'(

I doubt any work will start this December. I'm not so sure we even have any valid planning permission at the moment.

 

[LennySUFC]

As someone stated, paying the players during the off season when the club isn't receiving revenue will be key to our survival

 

[turkishm]

I think a lot depends on Sainsbury. No FF, then I think Sainsbury will move on Martin, for outstanding debts to them. then imo its over for him, and Southend. Will this happen in the next five years, well no FF, I cant see them waiting for ever.

 

[Jam_Man]

As someone stated, paying the players during the off season when the club isn't receiving revenue will be key to our survival

Not really, we always have trouble paying players in the summer, that has no bearing on whether we survive.

Its whether we can pay the taxman and the like that counts, players will come low down on the list during the summer, although they are protected more during the season.

 

[Romford Shrimper]

Time for AFC Southend with Tilson as manager..

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Time for AFC Southend with Tilson as manager..

.

Don't know whether I fancy EITHER of those, to be quite honest. There again, in a sense, they do go together......if we ever become AFC Southend, then Tilson would be all that we'd be likely to attract (or could indeed afford) as a manager

 

[MK Shrimper]

The whole AFC Southend relies on the team rapidly climbing the pyramid like AFC Wimbledon. What if that doesn't happen? The club will rely on the next generation of fans supporting the club - they're not going to do that if they're watching part-timers hoof a ball around.

 

[Jam_Man]

Id rather stick with a broke League Two team than support an AFC Southend.

IF SUFC were to die Id lose interest personally.

 

[chapperzUK]

The whole AFC Southend relies on the team rapidly climbing the pyramid like AFC Wimbledon. What if that doesn't happen? The club will rely on the next generation of fans supporting the club - they're not going to do that if they're watching part-timers hoof a ball around.

Exactly, they got 5 promotions in 9 seasons to get to League 2. Also noticed they are looking to get a new stadium, but that is only an example of what happens if it goes right.

Look at FC United of Manchester, won 3 promotions in their first 3 seasons but seem to have stalled in the league just below the Conference North. Play-off runners up 3 times in a row and have seen their average crowd fall from just over 3k in their first season to below 1.8k now.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

I am positive and hopeful that the teams fortunes can be turned around on the pitch but feel we might have to endure more or less what we have now for a lot longer than we expected. Off the pitch it is obvious Ron has been hanging on by the skin of his teeth waiting for cheap money so that he can pursue his retail and residential property dream that is Fossetts Farm. The state UK economy is not going to let that happen for a while yet.

 

[Jam_Man]

I am positive and hopeful that the teams fortunes can be turned around on the pitch but feel we might have to endure more or less what we have now for a lot longer than we expected. Off the pitch it is obvious Ron has been hanging on by the skin of his teeth waiting for cheap money so that he can pursue his retail and residential property dream that is Fossetts Farm. The state UK economy is not going to let that happen for a while yet.

Im no economist, and maybe Barna and Neil F can drag this into a 17 page argument, but we are in recovery now and if you go into the City there are buildings going up all over the place.

We even have Sainsbury's backing to build 75 % of the ground.

I would have thought for most developers that would be a fairly attractive position to be in.

 

[Shrimper]

Administration, sadly.

 

[chapperzUK]

Administration, sadly.

Who would force it though?

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Whats the latest on Fossetts ??? anyone ...If it doesn't start soon Ron must surely go under.

 

[Smiffy]

Whats the latest on Fossetts ??? anyone ...If it doesn't start soon Ron must surely go under.

The latest is there is no news.

Unless the Council are not reporting everything on their planning database, then it has all come to a halt. The extension for planning permission has now expired. According to a "source" on here, Prospects say any deal with them is dead in the water. No news on the purchase of the remaining shops and flats on Vic Ave. We still haven't heard if the new S106 agreement was signed off (regarding the phasing of payments to the Council) and there have been no discussions in any of the council meetings over the last several months regarding the project.

In short, unless something dramatic happens rather quickly. Then we are no nearer to work starting, than we have been in the last 5 years.