fbpx
Connect with us

Non League

Southend discover their fate at High Court over latest winding up petition – what it means now?

National League club Southend United discover their fate at High Court over their latest winding up petition – what does it mean now?

Echosport reports that HMRC has filed a second winding-up petition against the Shrimpers. The amount is believed to be around £250,000.

This is 18th winding-up petition in 25 years, and 15th under chairman, Ron Martin. Staff have gone unpaid, fans have lent money that remains unreturned, the club is up for sale and in 2021 the Shrimpers were relegated from the EFL for the first time in 100 years.

Following the incredible effort from the Southend players, their staff and manager Kevin Maher, they managed to stay in the National League and only just miss out on a playoff place by two points despite everything going on off the pitch.

Blues survived a winding-up order, over a sum of close to £2million, back in March, but have remained quiet this time around.

SEE MORE: Southend protest group display key questions they want answered on chairman’s garden wall

“Previous experience suggests there will likely be enough evidence submitted for an adjournment of the petition,” says Robert Craven of the Shrimpers Trust, as per The Guardian.

“But it’s also easy to be blase and personally I am quite fearful. There’s only so long you can keep treating people like Ron Martin does.”

“I think the fact that Ron Martin has put the club up for sale means he has recognised that we need to move on,” says Martin Terry, an independent councillor of Southend-on-Sea, and season-ticket holder at Roots Hall.

“We now need to find someone who wants to grow the club and who has the resources to do so. Like a lot of businesses in the country, there’s a cash flow problem. The fundamentals of the business are correct but we need someone to come in and resource it properly.”

“I’ve had moments at Roots Hall that were so exciting I can’t properly describe them,” Terry goes on.

“The night we beat Manchester United here with Freddy Eastwood’s free-kick [in 2006], the entire nation was supporting us. Southend has a 100% record against Manchester United and that sort of thing gives the city something to think and dream about. Over the years we’ve had many glory days like that. It hasn’t all been bad, and some people have a short memory about it.”

“I respect Ron Martin, but the reality is that he needs to let go and let someone else in.”

“In 25 years we’ve had good times,” Robert Craven says.

“We had a season in the Championship and won the League One title [in 2006], one of only two championships in our history. But now for whatever reason if feels like he doesn’t have either the means or the inclination to run a football club. Some people would say he’s a villain, but I have concern over who the next owner might be.”

“Nothing sticks with him,” says a representative of a recently formed Southend Fan Protest Group.

“He’s really good at making out like he’s a nice guy and every time something comes up he manages to wriggle his way out of it, but we don’t think even he is sure he’s got the money to bridge the finances this time.

“The original assumption was that we were just Stone Island-wearing, Kopparberg-drinking teenagers throwing abuse at Ron Martin,” the SFPG says, “And, yes, there was a bit of that. But we are on a hearts and minds campaign now; we want to raise awareness.”

Supporter Dave Brabbing said: “Everyone always says we’ll get out of it because we have in the past, but there will come a time when we won’t and that’s my worry.

“It has to be the most worried I’ve ever been, that’s the truth.

“I gave up on Ron Martin years ago, and I don’t think he realises how much the club actually means to people.

“I can never grasp any of it and why he’s allowed to keep on getting away with it all.

“I can take losing 20 games in a row but this is something else.”

All At Sea fanzine co-editor Liam Ager, said: “The club was presented with a winding up petition on April 3 and on Wednesday we may be liquidated,” said Ager.

“There have been no statements or communications from the club about this.

“They have had six weeks to say something.

“The whole thing absolutely stinks, there is zero regard paid to fans.

“Everybody in the club’s hierarchy should be totally embarrassed.

“This is our 15th petition under Ron Martin.

“It is a staggering record of arrogance and incompetence.”

This is what fans said as Southend discover their fate at High Court over the latest winding up petition…

@stevedeltasix: Will NL AGM end of June sanction sanction the licence as under embargo until 12th July and will not be able to fulfil the fixtures at that point, worrying

@Dazzarogers: Think it’s safe to say they won’t be in the greatest of shakes come start of the season. Will lose their out of contract players worth keeping.

@KristofShrimper: So we live to fight another day but this fiasco is damaging the club by the day. If and do mean if Ron pulls off the sale and we get back out of embargo what kind of squad are we going to have left when we’re weeks behind everyone in retention and recruitment #shrimpers

@AlecHitchSUFC: As expected. Although still under an embargo, so looking likely to lose any out of contract players

@Joniboy1976: Looking for any positives here prior to any further updates but if that got a sale over the line and that new beginning, amazing…. despite not seeing quite what any potential buyer would get out of Ron’s shocking offer

@acameron78: The saga drags on, all out of contract players (Bridge etc) go and Christ knows if we’ll ever be able to sign anyone

@Stevenson21luke: So 56 day adjournment so that’s all the out of contract players gone then there contracts are up on the 30th of June great start Evan if he does sell we lose big players

@Davewyatt19: Won’t have a team by then embargo still in force unable to negotiate contracts be no one left to play. Mind u shouldn’t be a problem paying the wages then

@JamesWhiff_: We’re so fucked…

@danfairless97: Another 56 days in limbo. fuck off ron you crook.

@saintsman2320:
So my question is
Will Ron pay it before the 30th.
And resign the players….
As he keeps on saying he loves Southend united
Only more time will tell

Related Topics
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in Non League