Question Would you delay renewing next season?

[in the know]

If Kev and management team quit or leave due to Ron then I am done…. The last few seasons with no hope has killed the passion. When goals go in now I applaud but that feeling of euphoria has been killed. What we do on the pitch simply doesn’t matter anymore.. the management team and players have brought life to this quivering corpse but all hope would be gone if they leave. Sad.. but like the death of an elderly relative I’ve been preparing for it for quite some time now.

it was quite close to happening not that long ago! and who would blame him.
fortunately they're still in place, but the mood change is noticeable after the last week's game and events.

 

[hlane17]

Please think before you boycott thousands of us all feel the same about things at roots hall but don’t give up on following the mighty blues ,it’s still our great club ,

Unfortunately this club just doesn't feel like the one I had such a great time following in years gone by.

To me, it feels like an old friend that you fell out with. You know how great it was to spend time with them, but you know you can't ever go back after the way they crossed you.

That's where I'm at with SUFC now thanks to Ron. Similar to @Magnum PI I just don't celebrate the goals the same way anymore.

We could bang in 10 goals in a game but RM could torpedo the whole operation through his sheer incompetence at any moment. Knowing this kills any enthusiasm I can muster for SUFC and its future.

The only one in recent memory that I've celebrated properly was Cav at Torquay and that's only because I thought we were ****ed on the 1st. I was just chuffed that we had won what I thought was going to be our last game for sure.

I just don't think I've got it in me anymore, at least not while our current owner is still in charge. Would rather invest my money in something that doesn't make me miserable.

 

[hlane17]

it was quite close to happening not that long ago! and who would blame him.
fortunately they're still in place, but the mood change is noticeable after the last week's game and events.

Wonder how they will feel if we don't clear the embargo before the final registration deadline for this season...

If things do not improve between now and the end of the season the management team will surely leave.

 

[in the know]

I would suspect that's quite likely.
Unless the next large wedge of cash turns up when previously scheduled in June I doubt the reduced current remaining funds are sufficient to last long. Especially through summer with no games.
We won't even make money out of decent players like Hobson if he leaves as likely at the end of the season when his contract ends.

 

[Blue43]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and choice on this matter, which I respect.

But for those saying they will renew, as they want to support the club, ask yourself where is that money really going?

We’re at National League club with an average home attendance of about 5,700 per game, which puts us fifth highest in the league.

This would put us 10th highest in League Two attendances and about 18th in League One.

Now ask yourself this, how is possible with our attendances that we can have a £2 million shortfall a year when 99% of teams well below our average attendances, survive absolutely fine, pay their players and staff on time, don’t have transfer embargo’s every season and aren’t facing winding up petitions more than once a year?

Yes I’m sure their owners might well have to financially support the club in some capacity throughout the year, but to the tune of £2 million a year with our gates?…..No way.

More importantly though, them owners do financially support their clubs and it’s not robbing Peter to pay Paul with borrowed money all the time and adding more debt onto their club, like Ron has done.

The reason we’re in this much debt and so called short fall a year is Ron chasing is personal fortune for his family. The fees that man spends each year on legal and planning fees must be frightening. That’s why we’re in the trouble we’re in. In fact there was a story on here earlier about a law firm taking Ron to court for £200,000 of legal fees he owes them, and this is probably just the tip of the iceberg with the amount of times Ron’s been in court.

Like it or not, your season card money isn’t helping the club anymore, all you’re doing is helping him achieve his personal fortune while he ruins the club in the mean time.

We could have 9,000 a game and there would still be financial issues under this man

Yes some of you might well say, yet another negative post by me. Well believe me, I don’t enjoy being this negative about the club I love so dearly, but what the hell is there to be positive about right now? If you think the last few months have been tough, wait till we get to the summer, as I have a feeling things will get much worse yet.

Our situation to me is similar to Blackpool’s, no matter what some on here might say. Two crooks owning football clubs who don’t have the clubs best interest at heart, just using the club for their own financial gain in the long run.

I ask, no sorry I plead with all our supporters groups to come together to discuss this in a serious way, just like the Blackpool Trust did.

Look at what they achieved and where they are now. Look at other clubs who we used to play on a regular basis, Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford for examples, all of which had similar attendances to ours when we played them. There’s no reason with our fan base and catchment area that can’t be us under the right ownership, it’s been proven in the past through these clubs.

None of us want to stop watching our beloved club, least of all me, but for the greater good of our club and the long term future I would make that tough decision to stay away and not renew mine and my kids season cards.

This circus needs to stop now and the only ones who can help stop this train wreck is us fans by all pulling together as one and saying to Ron, no more, we’ve had enough now!

Sorry for the long post guys

 

[GBJ]

I don’t think it did. If it didn’t, it surely could be considered as false advertisement?

I’m sure they’d get out of it, there’s probably something in the T&C’s.

You could understand if these prizes would cost the club vast sums of money - or even a significant sum of money - yet some of those listed wouldn’t cost the club a penny.

It feels like they’ve just taken us for granted and tipped us bollocks, which does very little to disprove the thought of Martin’s disdain for us loyal fans.

Edit: thanks to a few posters for clearing this up, the prize draw did indeed happen, but was never mentioned publicly.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I don’t think it did. If it didn’t, it surely could be considered as false advertisement?

Definitely happened, my friend won a signed shirt. However, the results for whatever reason were not published.

 

[Tommy2holes]

I hadn't really thought about it much before now but I'm not sure I will renew. I love the club but absolutely despair at how bad its run and how badly fans are treated.

I can only see a mass exodus in the summer of both players and management, unless the impossible happens and promotion is secured.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

If Kev and management team quit or leave due to Ron then I am done…. The last few seasons with no hope has killed the passion. When goals go in now I applaud but that feeling of euphoria has been killed. What we do on the pitch simply doesn’t matter anymore.. the management team and players have brought life to this quivering corpse but all hope would be gone if they leave. Sad.. but like the death of an elderly relative I’ve been preparing for it for quite some time now.

It’s close

 

[Target man]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and choice on this matter, which I respect.

But for those saying they will renew, as they want to support the club, ask yourself where is that money really going?

We’re at National League club with an average home attendance of about 5,700 per game, which puts us fifth highest in the league.

This would put us 10th highest in League Two attendances and about 18th in League One.

Now ask yourself this, how is possible with our attendances that we can have a £2 million shortfall a year when 99% of teams well below our average attendances, survive absolutely fine, pay their players and staff on time, don’t have transfer embargo’s every season and aren’t facing winding up petitions more than once a year?

Yes I’m sure their owners might well have to financially support the club in somewhere or the other throughout the year, but to the tune of £2 million a year with our gates?…..No way.

More importantly though, them owners do financially support their clubs and it’s not robbing Peter to pay Paul with borrowed money all the time and adding more debt onto their club, like Ron has done.

The reason we’re in this much debt and so called short fall a year is Ron chasing is personal fortune for his family. The fees that man spends each year on legal and planning fees must be frightening. That’s why we’re in the trouble we’re in. In fact there was a story on here earlier about a law firm taking Ron to court for £200,000 of legal fees he owes them, and this is probably just the tip of the iceberg with the amount of times Ron’s been in court.

Like it or not, your season card money isn’t helping the club anymore, all you’re doing is helping him achieve his personal fortune while he ruins the club in the mean time.

We could have 9,000 a game and there would still be financial issues under this man

Yes some of you might well say, yet another negative post by me. Well believe me, I don’t enjoy being this negative about the club I love so dearly, but what the hell is there to be positive about right now? If you think the last few months have been tough, wait till we get to the summer, as I have a feeling things will get much worse yet.

Our situation to me is similar to Blackpool’s, no matter what some on here might say. Two crooks owning football clubs who don’t have the clubs best interest at heart, just using the club for their own financial gain in the long run.

I ask, no sorry I plead with all our supporters groups to come together to discuss this in a serious way, just like the Blackpool Trust did.

Look at what they achieved and where they are now. Look at other clubs who we used to play on a regular basis, Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford for examples, all of which had similar attendances to ours when we played them. There’s no reason with our fan base and catchment area that can’t be us under the right ownership, it’s been proven in the past through these clubs.

None of us want to stop watching our beloved club, least of all me, but for the greater good of our club and the long term future I would make that tough decision to stay away and not renew mine and my kids season cards.

This circus needs to stop now and the only ones who can help stop this train wreck is us fans by all pulling together as one and saying to Ron, no more, we’ve had enough now!

Sorry for the long post guys

It's not negative. It's well written, with passion and shows a love for the club. Can't knock it at all.

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

Interesting thread. What's changed this season is the overall opinion of Ron Martin, where he is undoubtedly not got the support of the fanbase in the slightest and everyone wants him out it seems. So what happened at the march pre- Barnet, how many people attended, i only saw one photo
and was there many after the game for a protest on Fri night?
Reason i ask is if the feeling is so strong, why do fans not join in and join together? Can we not have the Trust supporting marches and other factions of supporters base?
Withdrawing funds to the club in the way of seasos wont exactly help IT SEEMS, but we know Ron hates bad publicity, hence the removal of anti Ron propoganda (for want of a better phrase) in the ground. Ron got very heated up during the protest in the car park in our L2 relegation season.

Fans are looking for a way to force change and i feel those frustrations. I've not been a seaso for a few years, getting down to the Hall when i can means i miss a few games and its not like tickets are in huge demand.

 

[stewart]

I voted not sure , im an exile so it really dosent apply to me , but if i wasnt i would still vote not sure , i would want to wait to be sure we have a SUFC next season before renewing it. As things stand now and without any assurances from within the club who can definitely say we will have , .Where is the money going to come from off season to pay th players and for the 3 Amigos if they stay to strengthen the squad . Worrying times ahead im afraid to say .

 

[Willis]

Last season the club said if you paid for your season card with cash, you’d be entered into some prize draws where you could have won several different things, ranging from watching a game in an Executive box to a signed shirt.

Did this ever happen?

Edit: I knew I hadn’t imagined it.

View attachment 25323

Yes it did happen, although I didn’t see any club announcement of the prize winners... Pal of mine won the hospitality box, which we watched the Eastleigh game from.

 

[GBJ]

Yes it did happen, although I didn’t see any club announcement of the prize winners... Pal of mine won the hospitality box, which we watched the Eastleigh game from.

Fair play, glad to hear the club did indeed follow through with it.

Strange nothing was ever published regarding either the draw itself or the winners though.

 

[defender05]

Now ask yourself this, how is possible with our attendances that we can have a £2 million shortfall a year when 99% of teams well below our average attendances, survive absolutely fine, pay their players and staff on time, don’t have transfer embargo’s every season and aren’t facing winding up petitions more than once a year?

I believe it has been mention elsewhere but we could cut that £2 million figure by at least half but it would mean not having an academy at all.

 

[Barry.C]

Whats being asked immediately isnt much . Any club in its right mind would address the issue . We want to know that all staff have been paid and we want to know how and when the Embargo will be lifted. Perfectly reasonable requests at this point in time

Great to see just how many loyal shrimpers are prepared to withhold their commitment to season cards until we get some basic information, Ron has totally lost the plot otherwise, but dont forget he loves the club you feckin idiots

Maybe someone will break ranks and tell us more

 

[Target man]

I believe it has been mention elsewhere but we could cut that £2 million figure by at least half but it would mean not having an academy at all.

Happy to support not having cheese in our burgers, but cutting the academy would be sending a terrible message out. Currently it is our only source of adding players to the squad.

Benton, Coker, Ndi, Sandat have all contributed this season and there are many other good players waiting to come through.

Loosing the academy should be an absolute last resort .. though it does feel we are almost there.

 

[Ricey]

As long as it didn't put losing my seats at risk, I would be happy to hold off until the last possible moment. I get my season ticket at a discounted rate so I don't get early bird discounts, would understand people not holding off as not to miss the cheaper rates. Money is tight and if they take away my discount I cannot justify the full price.

 

[RobM]

I suggest buying on a credit card - Section 75 and all that!

 

[JB Shrimper]

Don't agree with the theory of kill the club to spite the chairman sorry