Southend United

[Bessie1]

70% of the shares in the club for £1 according to this….

https://www.southendunited.co.uk/news/2023/july/club-statement/
 

I grew up in Essex - Southend was my day at the seaside.  My dad wouldn’t let me swim there because he’d had a human turd float past him once.

That aside, I loved Southend as a kid - a pier so long it had a proper train on it - I really hope the football club gets through this.

 

[BaaLocks]

6 minutes ago, Bessie1 said:

That aside, I loved Southend as a kid - a pier so long it had a proper train on it - I really hope the football club gets through this.

 

And this place - now a bowling alley apparently. With the sort of girl that used to frequent Tots I can assure you less men get three fingers in the hole now than did when it was a nightclub.

[FKANorwichExile]

3 hours ago, StaffsRam said:

I wouldn't wish the heartache or the stress on anyone, but the sense of humility and dose of realism that came from that experience I think 99% of football fans could do with. 

Last season, and this pre-season, have been a breath of fresh air for me, even despite missing out on the playoffs on the final game of the season. I'm just happy that the club exists and that I can still go and watch a game of football on a Saturday (or any other day) that I'm emotionally invested in. Had Derby gone bust then that would have been the end of football for me. so I'm relieved that I still care about the game (through Derby). 

Football, these days, in general, is predominantly a rat race. Everyone desperately chasing the dream of untold riches from the next league up and often going way beyond their means to try and get there. 

Hand in hand, it's the general distribution of wealth across the league pyramid, and a (extremely) poor governance model that purports to "protect" clubs that both drives extremely bad behaviours and tolerates them (perhaps even encouraging them). 

Football in many ways is better than it was in yesteryear, but in others, it's a million miles away from where it should (and needs) to be. 

I largely agree. My appreciation, enthusiasm and love for the club grew exponentially with the takeover. I'm more invested now than I have been since the late 90's because, like you, I was so close to losing football as a whole. There was literally no way I'd ever follow another team, it's part of who I am.

There's a part of me that'd love to see all the clubs who stuck the boot in feel the stomach churning nausea of nearly losing something as important as your club (especially Wycombe. f*** Wycombe.), and realising how precarious every side outside of the top flight is a real eye opener. There has to be an revolution of how finances in football are handled, else people will always gamble on hitting the premier league jackpot and fans and small business creditors will always be the ones to suffer. Capitalism sucks.

[angieram]

 

[Van der MoodHoover]

What's Ron Martin done that's "unforgivable"?

 

[May Contain Nuts]

On 15/07/2023 at 09:39, Van der MoodHoover said:

What's Ron Martin done that's "unforgivable"?

 

Not paying players (to the point they had to cancel a pre-season friendly due to not having enough fit contracted players), not paying staff (they currently don't have a medical team), not paying commercial partners or suppliers, not performing the necessary upkeep on their existing stadium while he plans a new one, putting the club up for sale yet seemingly moving goalposts over the sale.

...but worst of all employing Stan Collymore... oh wait no, they love him over there! 

Think they've generally disliked him for years (he's been there for 25) and he has a habit of paying people late leading to winding up orders. Although they've always been sorted eventually he seems to have all but checked out now, but doesn't want to walk away without keeping his hand in the til.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Kokosnuss