Question Would you support a Phoenix Club?

[Target man]

This is pretty much how I feel. Now in my seventies, living an hour’s drive from Southend (on a good day) and with a partially disabled wife to care for, I am more of a follower than a supporter these days anyway.

I am lucky enough to just about pick up a signal from BBC Essex where I live, so I never miss commentary on the matches, watch all the highlights and keep up to date with everything here on the Zone. I hardly ever missed attending a home match during the 50s, 60s and 70s and travelled to away matches within reasonable striking distance. Southend United is still in my blood though and if it dies so too will my interest in football.

My great uncle used to take my father as a boy to matches at the Kursaal ground in the 1930’s so the club have played a part in my family’s life for almost 90 years and it will be very sad if this is the end. Personally, I don’t think this crisis will be the end but I foresee a lot more turmoil yet to come and I doubt I have enough years left to see the club flourishing back in the EFL. Like many of us on here though I live in hope.

This should be sent to Ron Martin.

Sir ... you are a credit to the club

@StanCollymore

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I honestly don’t know how I’d feel. I could be done with football but I could also be seduced by the dream of building something up from scratch.

It’d likely depend on where we play, who was involved etc. If it retains even some of the playing and coaching staff it would be that much easier to see it as a continuation of the club. If we played at a 3/4 condemned Roots Hall it would be easy to see it as a continuation. If we play on some field on the outskirts of Basildon or something much less so.

I could be done. I could double down.

 

[Shrimper57]

Fair.

Let’s say it’s the year 2038. The Phoenix club, owned by a consortium that is lead by Adam Barrett, Duncan Jupp and Matt Harrold, have assembled a talented, young, hungry squad, managed by the duo of Freddy Eastwood & Simon Royce, who have guided us up the divisions on incredible back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back promotions.

We’ve settled into our new 40,000 seater stadium at Priory Park, where the seats are all padded and free from bird droppings, the refreshment kiosks ask if you’d like a burger with your portion of onions, and the beers are crisp and fresh (and don’t taste like they’ve been distilled through a postman’s sock)

We’ve been on an incredible winning run in the league(s) and now we’re just one final win away from promotion to the Premier League* (which by that point is now called the Blood Money and Oil League). And that game just happens to be against Col U on a beautiful, warm Saturday afternoon in May, who if they lose will be expelled from not only world football, but will be forced to live on Leper Island, along with Ron Martin, Lee from Blue & Amanda Holden’s ghost.

And it’s kids for a quid.

Still not interested?

*I used promotion to the premier league as my example, because I thought If I made it winning the premier league, it’d be too far fetched.

NO!

 

[londonblue]

I voted no. Let me bore you with why.
I'm 46 years old and southend united has been a constant, a passion, my first love. Circa 1982 that was it, smitten. I've been to every part of this country supporting southend united. I've writhed in ecstasy, shed tears of joy, tears of sorrow, sat in roots Hall out of sheer duty, rushed there out of sheer excitement.
Southend united is literally part of my very being.
I don't see myself feeling that way about AFC southend, southend city....add any new name here. I don't actually like football enough anymore to drag myself through a phoenix club scenario. If southend united goes a part of me goes with it and I would have zero interest in replacing it.
I'd probably never set foot in a football ground again.

Same here.

 

[Lemon Lyman]

I honestly have no idea at this point. My heart says yes but my head says that being an exile it would be easier to just go and watch a team around here.
Got friends with season tickets for Accrington, afc fylde and Preston so probably end up watching Accrington from that lot

 

[OldWilliam]

I don’t watch any football other than Southend. I just can’t see myself ever being so invested in any other club. Like some others have said I think if the worst were to happen I would be done with football.

 

[Shrimperjohn]

I started supporting Southend United in 1972. I have supported them ever since. Highs and lows. I have come to the conclusion that the only acceptable way forward is for Ron Martin not to be involved. Whilst he is, even if we somehow get past the 1st March issue, nothing will ever change. So if it’s carrying on with Ron Martin involved or Phoenix Club if we fail then it’s Phoenix Club for me.

 

[BluesyShrimper]

I vote Yes. Because if Southend United as we know it ceased to exist I would want the community to unite under one banner and adopt the history. It would break my heart in truth and it would take time to adjust, but ultimately would be the only thing to do for the local area that I think long term could make a difference to people.
I understand those saying No, it isn't clear if the question is potentially ultimatum, and some do not wish to face that yet which I also understand. but ultimately football clubs at this level are about community, and in the event it all ends come March I would not want to see us do nothing. UTB.

 

[Kat_r]

I vote Yes. Because if Southend United as we know it ceased to exist I would want the community to unite under one banner and adopt the history. It would break my heart in truth and it would take time to adjust, but ultimately would be the only thing to do for the local area that I think long term could make a difference to people.
I understand those saying No, it isn't clear if the question is potentially ultimatum, and some do not wish to face that yet which I also understand. but ultimately football clubs at this level are about community, and in the event it all ends come March I would not want to see us do nothing. UTB.

I think it’s a good idea but would need all hands on deck. Plus younger supporters stepping up

 

[Rob1920]

I understand the feeling of some supporters who feel it just wouldn’t be the same club. It wouldn’t for a while, but once it gathers momentum, starts climbing the leagues, I think it would be hard not to form an attachment to it. At the end of the day, it would be Southend United, because it wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the old Southend United. It would just be a reset and new start. Ask older fans of the current Macclesfields, Halifax’s, Wimbledon’s, Hereford’s and the like. I bet they see the current version no differently to the previous version. It’s a scenario none of us want but I’d sooner there be a Southend United V.2 than nothing at all. And regarding the name, if the old Southend United ceased to exist, Is there any reason why the phoenix club can’t take the name?

 

[rigsby]

I think it’s a good idea but would need all hands on deck. Plus younger supporters stepping up

We don't need trolls that don't go to games and cant back up their false claims.

 

[CanveyCastle]

I am both of these. And I guess i won’t really know until it happens. I’d probably fall out of love with the game for a few years then start to rekindle my interest once the grieving process was over.

I have been told ShrimperZone had it's own football team run by someone called Andy.
It is a shame they folded or it would have been in the ideal place to become Southend United Mark 2.

 

[Boreham Blue]

For me it would be about how much SUFC DNA it felt the new club had. If a strong sense of it being my club then maybe but I’d probably feel more connection to my ‘big club’ (being Liverpool that I supported as a boy) and support them from afar or adopt Chelmsford as my local club.

 

[Strykr]

For me it would be about how much SUFC DNA it felt the new club had. If a strong sense of it being my club then maybe but I’d probably feel more connection to my ‘big club’ (being Liverpool that I supported as a boy) and support them from afar or adopt Chelmsford as my local club.

Well we could play in a condemned dump, lose a lot, and install a few conmen on the board to make it feel like home

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

This is one of those questions like: ‘if the love of your life died, would you ever love again?’

It’s really hard to be objective at the moment, while the first love is on life support… but thinking about it, yes I would definitely support the Phoenix Club. It should never come to this though.

The problems with our club are all caused by the financial incompetence of one man - a man who could mitigate his ineptitude today (IMO) by bringing in outside finance if he wasn’t so greedy in protecting his development payday and was prepared to share a bit of that financial gain.

If he was, we would surely have had finance in place last year sufficient to have not failed to pay our staff and suppliers at any point.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Well we could play in a condemned dump, lose a lot, and install a few conmen on the board to make it feel like home

We’d also need a monthly fixture against our rivals HMRC FC

 

[thenobster]

If the current SUFC was no more, who would you then support or would your love of football cease? I think the majority would support a phoenix club. Has anyone thought about a merger with an existing club? In a Dagenham and Redbridge or Solihull moors type thing. Southend Manor United for example?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

If the current SUFC was no more, who would you then support or would your love of football cease? I think the majority would support a phoenix club. Has anyone thought about a merger with an existing club? In a Dagenham and Redbridge or Solihull moors type thing. Southend Manor United for example?

There would have to be some really significant and tangible benefit to a merger with an existing club, otherwise I wouldn’t support it. For example, the ability to join a much higher league in the pyramid than the phoenix club could join alone. That rules out the likes of Manor, for me. I also wouldn’t support a merger which displaced an existing club from its current fan base (like MK Dons did). That would be a dirty club that I couldn’t support.

 

[thenobster]

There would have to be some really significant and tangible benefit to a merger with an existing club, otherwise I wouldn’t support it. For example, the ability to join a much higher league in the pyramid than the phoenix club could join alone. That rules out the likes of Manor, for me. I also wouldn’t support a merger which displaced an existing club from its current fan base (like MK Dons did). That would be a dirty club that I couldn’t support.

Of course.. these were just ideas being thrown out. It would never be the same... but having something is better than nothing? We may also face the 'other' potential club not wanting us anywhere near them

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Of course.. these were just ideas being thrown out. It would never be the same... but having something is better than nothing? We may also face the 'other' potential club not wanting us anywhere near them

Probably the best candidate (purely on close proximity to Southend and current league placing) would be Concord? Can’t see it myself though really.