Echo News 'You could make it £40 million and I still wouldn't sell' - Ron Martin again confirms he will not not quit Southend United

[Leigh_Seasider]

£400k in repairs to RH? I’d like to know where this money being spent?

To be honest I’m surprised it’s that low.

Regards Ron, do people really expect him just to walk away, with everything he’s got riding on this? Listen to fans he might (and has) .. but he isn’t just gonna say “**** this” and hand over the keys. No chance.

 

[Firestorm]

So,Basically Ron has said that if he sells , the loans from his group companies will need to be repaid (these are the loans he said will be written off at the end of the redevelopment projects)

He also believes that no one will by the club "whilst we are at Roots hall" , that is no one will by a club with 20M debts , who doesn't own the ground and/or training ground,
and is being charged 500k a year rental (The comment about the maintenance is purely there to justify the high rental cost, which would be charged and paid by any new owner)

40M is pure Bravado. I can not believe that if someone came in with an offer which clears his debt, gives him 15m+ profit, 500K a year in rent and means he keeps the RH,FF sites for development (and retains all of the profits of the development ) , he would turn it down . He appears to be publicly negotiating , with a potential buyer (which he says doesn't exist) .....

 

[onceknownasrab]

I absolutely despair at some of the comments. Some fans think they can tell RM to go. They can't. They seem to think he deserves no return on his enormous investment. WTF? Those fans, as great as our fans are, have not paid a fraction of what it costs to keep this club afloat. There just isn't enough fans to do it. Perhaps they think a team shirt and a burger contributes enough to the deficit?

Like it or not, Ron has stumped up a lot of cash to keep us going. He can rightly expect a return over and above the investment. That's business.

He acquired the club and the ground legally. His only crime, invented by certain fans, is the theft of the supporters legacy. It ain't real, it ain't enforceable and it ain't punishable and yet many fans make RM public enemy no. 1

Am I defending everything RM? No. He has made, in my opinion, some right royal ****-ups. Trying to keep this club going I expect any one of us would make some serious gaffs. Nature of the beast.

One thing I would like to see, however unlikely, is that the club and new ground be returned to the fans. That is just a dream and not even a moral obligation, let alone a legal one.

 

[onceknownasrab]

So,Basically Ron has said that if he sells , the loans from his group companies will need to be repaid (these are the loans he said will be written off at the end of the redevelopment projects)

He also believes that no one will by the club "whilst we are at Roots hall" , that is no one will by a club with 20M debts , who doesn't own the ground and/or training ground,
and is being charged 500k a year rental (The comment about the maintenance is purely there to justify the high rental cost, which would be charged and paid by any new owner)

40M is pure Bravado. I can not believe that if someone came in with an offer which clears his debt, gives him 15m+ profit, 500K a year in rent and means he keeps the RH,FF sites for development (and retains all of the profits of the development ) , he would turn it down . He appears to be publicly negotiating , with a potential buyer (which he says doesn't exist) .....

And if anyone offered him that amount and allowed RM to retain all the assets, they would need a check-up from the neck up.

 

[Mad Cyril]

£400k in repairs to RH? I’d like to know where this money being spent?

Thats a lot of insulation tape and no more nails.

 

[meerkat54]

Nothing new, it’s all predictable from Ron.

 

[BlueBore]

He will "not not quit"....so he will quit then hmmm?

 

[HUMBLEPIE]

So anyone on here got a spare 40 million to tempt Ron if not Rons in charge whether we like it or not I know this is stating the bleeding obvious but this is the reality.

 

[gatecrasher]

Ron, just pull the finger that's been lodged in your *** for almost 20 years over this stadium, get it done, get your money and fuuuuuuuuck off

 

[palexander]

Ron, just pull the finger that's been lodged in your *** for almost 20 years over this stadium, get it done, get your money and fuuuuuuuuck off

I would assume thats exactly what he's trying to do - so what do you want to happen?

I think a lot of our energies should be redirected toward the council and getting this sorted ASAP. Ron isnt going anywhere, the sooner and smoother he gets the stadium done the better it is for EVERYONE.

So I'd like to see focus switch to 2 things;

1) Getting the stadium pushed forward ASAP. Whatever that takes.
2) Ensuring we are competitive on the pitch. Be that new players, new manager etc.

What perhaps would have been another good question, is asking Ron to take a step back and focus on the stadium and let Tom and/or someone like Stan perhaps, run the football side.

Seems to make such obvious sense to me. Rons admitted before he's spread thin which isnt helping anyone.

 

[SUBBlue]

I would assume thats exactly what he's trying to do - so what do you want to happen?

I think a lot of our energies should be redirected toward the council and getting this sorted ASAP. Ron isnt going anywhere, the sooner and smoother he gets the stadium done the better it is for EVERYONE.

So I'd like to see focus switch to 2 things;

1) Getting the stadium pushed forward ASAP. Whatever that takes.
2) Ensuring we are competitive on the pitch. Be that new players, new manager etc.

What perhaps would have been another good question, is asking Ron to take a step back and focus on the stadium and let Tom and/or someone like Stan perhaps, run the football side.

Seems to make such obvious sense to me. Rons admitted before he's spread thin which isnt helping anyone.

Martin is a serial micro manager, he won’t take a back seat.
I long for the day he leaves the club, be it in a brand new Bentley or a wooden overcoat when he succumbs to old age with Fossetts Farm still waste ground & the SUFC hoarding long rotted away...

 

[WestyReturns]

I absolutely despair at some of the comments. Some fans think they can tell RM to go. They can't. They seem to think he deserves no return on his enormous investment. WTF? Those fans, as great as our fans are, have not paid a fraction of what it costs to keep this club afloat. There just isn't enough fans to do it. Perhaps they think a team shirt and a burger contributes enough to the deficit?

Like it or not, Ron has stumped up a lot of cash to keep us going. He can rightly expect a return over and above the investment. That's business.

He acquired the club and the ground legally. His only crime, invented by certain fans, is the theft of the supporters legacy. It ain't real, it ain't enforceable and it ain't punishable and yet many fans make RM public enemy no. 1

Am I defending everything RM? No. He has made, in my opinion, some right royal ****-ups. Trying to keep this club going I expect any one of us would make some serious gaffs. Nature of the beast.

One thing I would like to see, however unlikely, is that the club and new ground be returned to the fans. That is just a dream and not even a moral obligation, let alone a legal one.

No one should ever expect a return on an investment! Plenty of people lose on lots of investments.

One thing which can be certain is that its abysmal business to put all your eggs in one basket (gamble) and when it fails keep throwing money into an empty pit.

From what I understand the fans message is for him to sell up which actually is really good advice. Ron won't continue to lose if he does.

The fans are the clubs customers and the customers opinion is critical in every business!

 

[Whispering Bob]

I think Mohammed Al Fayed did at Fulham, just the plans he put into the club to pay off some debts when he took it over. Not day to day running expenses just the loans I think.

He converted a lot of debt to equity as well, in the end he got i think 100 million back.

Had forgotten that example, thank you sir.

 

[Whispering Bob]

What If you payed of your girlfriends £4.5m credit card debt before she moved in with you and she signed a legal agreement to pay rent?

What if you then gave her another £15m over the next 23 years because she had nothing to wear......Thas not paper money thats real debt.

What if you had the chance to move from your run down nearly condemned house into a new build on a piece of land you owned ?

What if by doing so you could clear all that debt and still make some profit ? ( yes i know what Ron said but thats another debate)

What if your girlfriends family turned up without knowing half of the story and demanded you leave the house and give it to them?

What If you invited them in for tea and explained the truth but they chose to ignore you because families are often blind to their own complete failings?

What if they claimed you have never cared about their daughter and you are only in it for what she is worth?

I don't know about any of you but I would have told them to F*** off a long time ago.

I think you've got the beginnings of a gritty drama there Rigsby. ITV would be all over that.

 

[40yearsafan]

Like it or not, Ron has stumped up a lot of cash to keep us going. He can rightly expect a return over and above the investment. That's business.

Getting a return on any investment depends on having a sustainable business model. Lot's of people expected a good return on their investments in energy supply companies but have been very disappointed by the recent turn of events. Stripping a company of all of it's assets, downgrading its commercial offering and still expecting it to generate enough profit to service its debts doesn't feel like a realistic business model.

 

[Tommy2holes]

So since being here:

Increased debt 10 fold from 4 million to 40 million.
Not been able to provide the new stadium, despite having planning many years ago and was not able to raise the funding. The club is currently still waiting to move homes.
He has let roots hall fall into a complete state of disrepair.
Numerous court appearances and winding up orders.
Numerous non payment of staff, both playing and non playing, impacting their wellbeing.
Allowed the club to be in an embargo for 18 months, which contributed to two relegations and subsequent fall into non league for the first time in our history.
Sold various players on the cheap at the detriment of the team.

Treats business, fans (the paying customers) with utter contempt.

I've probably missed several things but it's clear to see that as chairmans go, Ron Martin is truly one of the worst currently at any football club.

But it's OK because he isn't going and wants a new stadium or 40 million to leave.

What a complete parasite..

 

[RobM]

Getting a return on any investment depends on having a sustainable business model. Lot's of people expected a good return on their investments in energy supply companies but have been very disappointed by the recent turn of events. Stripping a company of all of it's assets, downgrading its commercial offering and still expecting it to generate enough profit to service its debts doesn't feel like a realistic business model.

...and this sums it all up.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Getting a return on any investment depends on having a sustainable business model. Lot's of people expected a good return on their investments in energy supply companies but have been very disappointed by the recent turn of events. Stripping a company of all of it's assets, downgrading its commercial offering and still expecting it to generate enough profit to service its debts doesn't feel like a realistic business model.

Unfortunately SUFC at RH has not been a sustainable business model for decades and that would be no different under alternative ownership. Ron has a dream. He could see the goose that lays the golden egg and, just about, kept feeding it until the payload drops. Despite the angst of many fans, the fears, the tears and frustration, he too has undoubtedly been up against it and battled through. I have no idea the price he has paid with his physical and mental well-being but I am sure he has not been unscathed. He, above all, has/had the most to lose. His investment may resemble a wager more but he placed the bet and has clung on to see the finish line. He, as any investor, has paid the price and will either win or lose. Just like people who invested in a home, some end up with negative equity whilst others feather their nest.

 

[Napster]

Unfortunately SUFC at RH has not been a sustainable business model for decades and that would be no different under alternative ownership. Ron has a dream. He could see the goose that lays the golden egg and, just about, kept feeding it until the payload drops. Despite the angst of many fans, the fears, the tears and frustration, he too has undoubtedly been up against it and battled through. I have no idea the price he has paid with his physical and mental well-being but I am sure he has not been unscathed. He, above all, has/had the most to lose. His investment may resemble a wager more but he placed the bet and has clung on to see the finish line. He, as any investor, has paid the price and will either win or lose. Just like people who invested in a home, some end up with negative equity whilst others feather their nest.

Ah poor little Ron

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

I would tell her family to put their tight hands in their pockets. After all its them that demand she has a new wardrobe every few moths.

Those moths can get through a few threads can't they? And no wardrobe is going to stop them! ?