Lincoln City
Are Southend this season's Darlington?
By Nathan Jackson
July 13 2010
Every year there's a crisis club in the division, two years ago it was Luton, last year it was Darlington and this year it could easily be Southend United. The Shrimpers have horrendous financial troubles and could easily enter the season with a points deductions. All's looking grim for a side who were in the Championship three years ago.
fTHE HISTORY OF SOUTHEND UNITED
SOUTHEND'S ROOTS HALL GROUND GUIDE PROFILE
I'm going to start this preview on a personal note. Just over 5 years ago, on
May 28th 2005, my life changed. It was City's Playoff Final against Southend and the Imps had a much more realistic chance of winning this one than the one against Bournemouth two year's previously. City had dominated the two League games, only to fail to win both due to Southend gaining two very soft penalties, one of them being especially controversial.
At the time City had a decent record against Southend. City had won 3 of the seven games during Keith's spell before the Playoff Final, with only a 3-0 defeat in the FA Cup in December 2003 blemishing the record. So I was personally pretty confident of winning and didn't actually manage to sleep the night before.
90 minutes later and it was 0-0 but I was still pretty confident as City had been the better team in the game. Infact, City were unlucky with a wrong offside decision when Simon Yeo was played through, he was three/four yards onside before slotting it into the net. City then fell for a sucker punch right on the brink of extra-time's half time when Freddy Eastwood struck from about 2 inches out with what was effectively Southend's first realistic chance on goal. It became 2-0 before the end of the game and Southend went on to win promotion.
To say I was annoyed was a bit of an understatement and for two years I became exceedingly bitter about Southend. If there's one thing I hate, it's teams that battle the drop for several years, only to then have one good season and get promotion because of it. My bitterness towards Southend lasted until the Bristol Rovers games, in which the term "one season wonders" took the piss even more than Southend did. At that point I thought to myself "Well at least Southend were fighting for promotion in the majority of their promotion season" and my bitterness turned into a mild resentment.
In my eyes there was one man responsible for Southend's raise in the Football League and that was Steve Tilson (left). It amazes me that Southend have gotten rid of the only manager since the 90s to do a good job at Roots Hall. Ok, I'll grant them that they're technically now no better off in terms of league position than when he took over, but considering what he gave that club, it's almost an insult to him that they got rid of him after pretty much his only bad season (I don't think many Southend fans would consider their Championship season as a bad season as they were realistically punching well above their weight).
Tilson took over in the 2003/4 season from Steve Wignall, initially in a caretaker role. He brought in Leon Constantine and he proved the difference as Southend gradually pulled clear of the relegation zone. The difference that Tilson brought was most evident when they beat City 3-0 at Roots Hall in the FA Cup, just ten or so weeks after the Imps had won 2-0 at Roots Hall in the League.
2004/5 didn't start brilliantly but the inspired signing of Freddy Eastwood from Grays Athletic changed everything. Eastwood scored within 8 seconds of his debut against Swansea, one of his three goals that day. Southend suddenly became a side that were decent challengers for promotion and went into the final day with a great chance of automatic promotion, possibly even the title. Results went against them however and they finished in the Playoffs......we all know what happened then.
The Shrimpers followed this up by winning League One before a inevitably failed, but brave battle against relegation from the Championship. A failed Playoff campaign followed before a midtable season and last year's relegation.
As I said earlier, getting rid of Tilson is a mistake in my eyes. Don't get me wrong, Sturrock is a good manager, but chances are Sturrock won't have the same impact as Tilson had.
The financial issues have been mounting at Roots Hall throughout the summer and despite all my previous bitterness about Southend, I wouldn't wish what they're going through on any other club. The failure to be paid meant that the players could legally walk out of their contracts at 2 weeks notice, something that quite a few of their major players, including arguably their best (Adam Barrett), took up that option to move to pastures new.
As it stands, Southend have less than ten professional players and according to a report in the Daily Mail, all of those players are now considering leaving the club in the near future. It is believed that many are waiting for the results of the club's August 2nd court date that will decide whether the club will go into administration or not.
Many fans blame the Ron Martin, the Chairman of Southend. According to reports, over 90% of Southend fans (source www.southendunited-mad.co.uk) want Martin to leave and one fan even confronted him in the car park outside of the ground. He remains confident that Southend's financial situation will be bailed out by Sainsburys. It does make you wonder at what point Sainsburys are going to turn around and just pull out of any deal.
It's all just one big mess at Southend at the moment and it is looking exceedingly likely that the club will go into administration. Without enough players to be able to fill a team, a transfer embargo blocking incoming players, all their best players leaving and the amount of negativity surrounding the club at the moment, it seems almost inevitable that the club will struggle this season.
With this being the third time in the space of 12 months that insolvency applications have been issues against the club, the HMRC has stated that they are not satisfied that Southend were a club capable of being solvent for an extended amount of period. There have been rumours that due to the 3 insolvency applications against the club, that the club would be deducted points of a similar amount that Rotherham and Bournemouth were deducted two seasons ago.
A member of the HMRC told the courts "We would make this application even if this sum had all been fully discharged today in cleared funds. This is a company which is demonstrably insolvent, both on a cash flow and balance sheet basis. This is in effect the third set of insolvency proceedings in the space of 12 months. Even if it was all paid today in cleared funds we would be back again in two or three months"
In the same court case, Southend didn't take in a lawyer, instead taking in their financial director and boasting that Sainsburys, who have brought the site of Roots Hall and have agreed to pay for the new Fossetts Farm stadium, would continue to bail them out. That sounds like a very dangerous tactic indeed.
Even if that embargo is lifted on August 2nd and they can bring in players, it leaves only five days before the start of the new season, giving the players very little time to play together and a bad start to the season could be disastrous for the club. Could they be this year's Darlington?
I think that Sturrock has a mammoth task on his hands. He's done well with Plymouth and Swindon in this division, but both were established teams with players that are far better than what Southend have.
It's hard to look beyond Southend struggling against the drop this season and when looking at it realistically, are there at least two teams worse than them? I don't think so and as much as I hate to say it, I can't picture Southend not preparing for non-League football this time next year.
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13/07/2010 09:36
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Some of what you have said is near the mark , but most is rubbish.
Yes the likes of Adam Barrett and Alan Mcormack have left the club aswell as Simon francis (unfortunatley)
I doubt you will find a southend supporter that would have kept any of the three of them given that between them they were earning like 8k pw!
Im sure that all of them would have been a cut above most players at this level.
Going back to the play-offs i seem to remember that it was a tight game and a game that i was dissapointed we were even in as we looked set for automatic promotion only to faulter at the final hurdle. We proved that the right team went up as we won the league the next season something i think you will agree is beyond lincoln city.
I would be bitter if i were you. How many play-offs have you lost trying to get out of this league now?
None of us southend fans are happy with the current regime , but if we to relocate then we must suffer short term.
I dont know why you think southend were punching so far above there weight ? We are not the biggest of clubs but we are a progressive club . When was the last time you had 10k + a few times in a season? We have averaged around 8k per game over the last 5 season including last season which was disasterous.
I would imagine we will be the second or third biggest club in league 2 next year and bradford practically give there tickets away.
As for the embargo. It will be lifted shortly and i certainly dont see us going down. I think mid-table would be considered failure.
I finance problems are short term , but i would be lying if i said they weren't a concern.
Come next season we will see if "We are punching above our weight again"
But we are certainly no darlington
Realistically you were facing teams on a weekly basis that you'd have done well to beat, hence why only 10 wins in the 46 League games.
You can argue all you want but that season you lost by three or more goals on six occasions and kept just ten clean sheets (four of which were 0-0 draws).
Infact, the very definition of "Punching above your weight" is (source www.phrases.org - obviously this refers to boxing but you get the idea) "The different classes of contestants in boxing matches are distinguish by the weight of the competing boxers - heavyweight, middleweight, lightweight, flyweight etc. The sport is regulated so that only boxers of the same weight fight each other. Someone from a lighter weight wouldn't be expected to have much chance if 'punching above his weight' against a heavier fighter."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:13:11:50:48 by Nathan Jackson.
What exactly is the point in posting this kind of story other than to wind us up? Some of your facts are correct if you listen only to the media and write the most pessimistic editorial slant on the situation.
Some of your comments regarding our players are just plain ridiculous. Yes, they are players better than League Two and would no doubt stroll into your side, but as Shrimperama points out, they are on unrealistic wages. What do you suggest we do? Pay 10 decent league two players' wages to just 3 players?
We may have reached the CCC, and fallen out again....but we will be back there one day, in stark contrast to your club who still hail the "golden years" as the season of "98" when you briefly rose to the dizzy heights of the third tier. Beyond that period, I can only see brief periods of success during at the turn of the nineteenth century (1901).
Before you start scoffing at our fortunes, why not put yourselves under the microscope?
Quote:superblue24
Pretty much in agreement with Shrimperama.
What exactly is the point in posting this kind of story other than to wind us up? Some of your facts are correct if you listen only to the media and write the most pessimistic editorial slant on the situation.
Before you start scoffing at our fortunes, why not put yourselves under the microscope?
On the first point, every pre-season I do pre-season predictions (check the relevant sections on the menu if you don't believe that) and I work my way from bottom up. I happen to think that Southend will finish bottom, hence why I've done Southend first. Tomorrow or the day off I'll do 23rd, then 22nd and so on. It's nothing personal against the club as I say in the article that I got over the Playoff defeat a long time ago.
You can ask several members of this message board that I had initially put you down for around 15th before all the financial stuff popped it's head up. The FACT you don't have enough professional players to fill a team at the minute and the FACT you could easily be given a massive points deduction is what I've based your position on.
With regards to the players leaving, I just happened to say that you'd lost your best players, but at not one point did I say that Southend fans would be disappointed to lose them. What I specifically said was "The failure to be paid meant that the players could legally walk out of their contracts at 2 weeks notice, something that quite a few of their major players, including arguably their best (Adam Barrett), took up that option to move to pastures new."
At not one point did I mention how the fans felt about losing the better players. I just happen to mention that losing your best players is, putting it nicely, not ideal.
And as for us, don't worry, when I get to where I think Lincoln will finish (which as it stands, I can assure you is nowhere near the top half), then I will do an article similar to this.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:13:12:01:26 by Nathan Jackson.
As for moussa and grant both are class and will finally get a chance to partner each other in midfield. I would go as far as to say that both would walk into your team and will more than likely be the best of midefields in this division.
We may have only 10 odd players but atleast five of them would walk into your squad.
The embargo as ive said will be lifted in the next week or two and we will welcome new additions.
Temporary admin would me a 10 point deduction no doubt , but with the blue knights consortium waiting in the wings for that to happen with a combined wealth of 150 million im not to worried either way.
I guarantee we will finish higher than the imps
As for punching above our weight . Its called ambition and is why we are going to build a 22k all seater. I would say swansea city are an example of which we should follow.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:13:12:10:55 by shrimperama.
I have to admit that we may not get off to a flyer as our chairman has run everything way too close to the wire, and yes, many of our fans (myself included) hate him for dragging our club through the mire. That said, I do not see him taking the club into administration for an amount that is a fraction of what he paid off last October (2.1M) when he could have rolled over then.
You're entitled to your opinion, but I can't see why you have assumed that administration is a forgone conclusion for us, and that we will finish below the likes of the Accringtons, Aldershots, and Morecambes of the league!?
Even reading one of your own forums, one of your own fans has said "I personally think that staying up will be a major success. We have by far the poorest squad I have ever seen us start a football season with at this moment in time." If one of your own fans thinks you'll be lucky to stay up, it tells it's own story.
By the way, I wouldn't count on just getting 10 points deducted. Bournemouth and Rotherham thought that going into administration would just get them a 10 point deduction, but because their recent financial history they were deducted 17, and not to forget that Luton had 30 taken off them.
Quote:superblue24
You're entitled to your opinion, but I can't see why you have assumed that administration is a forgone conclusion for us, and that we will finish below the likes of the Accringtons, Aldershots, and Morecambes of the league!?
Would those be the same Aldershot and Morecambe that both reached the Playoffs last season? Accrington, fair enough I'll give you that one (funnily enough they're the other team who I think will go down), but writing off teams such as Aldershot and Morecambe is very dangerous.
Morecambe are probably the most under-rated side in the division as they aren't spectacular, but get the essential basics right, something a lot of other clubs seem to struggle with. Playing Morecambe is effectively death by passing and crossing.
As for Aldershot, very exciting team and brilliant in terms of attack. Their fans get behind their team like no other and it's little surprise that they have the brilliant home record that they do.
Obviously Stevenage could go either way as no-one seems to know a lot about them, but in general the division has changed a lot since you left. Teams that are coming up (other than the odd exception) do fairly well and they thrive on being underestimated. Look at last season's Playoffs for example, three of the four were teams that had come up from non-league within the previous three years.
Whether you finish top of whether you finish bottom doesn't make a blind bit of difference to me, but based on what I've observed from your own websites and the media, I think you will struggle. If in May it turns out I was wrong then I'll hold my hand up and say "Fair enough, I was wrong", but as it stands, I think (the key word) you have a good chance of going down.
Yes some fans are saying that but we havent started the season yet. If we start the season with just ten players then i will be in total agreement with you, but the fact is we wont.
The embargo will be lifted and we will start the season with a full sqaud that will be more than capable.
I see your using the old " we just need a goalscorer".
Well we have one in scott spencer and i reckon he will score 15+
The reason I'm using the goalscorer excuse is because out of all of the players left at the club, the highest scorer out of them last season was a right defensive midfielder with four goals (and we still have some of the same strikers). We have signed a bloke from Hereford who I think will get 10, but we need someone else.
No only joking you the only problem i see is that the club has been living beyond it's means and digging into the Sainsburys cash too much.
The monies Southend could expect for Gary Hooper is conjuecture at the moment. There are unsubstantiated claims that could be £150,000+ but I haven't read anything yet that a transfer has been agreed.
I've got family that live in Rochford, and none of them give two hoots about your problems, and neither do I!
The first time we went we took 20,000
The secomd time 17,000
The 3rd 8,500 maybe games against the imps arent attractive or maybe family's can only afford 1 trip a season to cardiff.
Im sure there are plenty of people in and around southend that dont give a @#$%& about southend your family included , but im sure there are a lot more in and around Lincoln who equally dont care. So whats your point?
In all honesty i dont give a toss about lincoln city i have visited sincil bank once about 10 years ago. Do you still have 11 6ft 7inch players and a ridiculous air rade siren?
No wonder you have very few fans and are rooted in league 2 if thats the kind of dross they have to put up with.
We spent most of the 50s in the old 2nd divsion and a good chunk of the 70s and 80s in the third tier too.
End of the day you guys all really want to follow spam
Here we go again!
Will we ever get the right man?
Last season you averaged 7,718, so in other words, until you started doing well in League Two, well over 3,000 of your fans didn't go to your games, meaning that you only actually have (minusing what would be an average guess of around 400 away fans a game), you only actually have a rough average of 3,500 loyal supporters.
And then we get onto Cardiff. Firstly, there were not 8,500 of you there. The crowd was 19,653, now if you had taken 8,500 then that would mean we only had 11,100, now, looking at the two pictures below, can you honestly tell me the difference between us about 20 minutes before kick off, and you five minutes before, is only 2,500 fans?
There was no chance in hell there was 8,500 of you there.
Southend's following five minutes before kick off
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:13:19:33:18 by Nathan Jackson.
We took a similiar number both times 14000 the first and 13000 the 2nd?
Not that matters but reading your fans on TFF they seem quite worries about next season especially with Tilson going.
I thought Sturrock was quite ill and the main he left Plymouth was due to this?
Anyway good luck as I think we could be scrapping it out in the bottom half.
Then again what would I know me being a northern monkey!!!
Here we go again!
Will we ever get the right man?
The pictures indicate we had more fans in that strange second tier bit alone than they did behind the goal in all three tiers combined. If I had a clearer camera at the time then you'd be able to see just how sparse that bottom tier bit is for Southend, although the highlights do show it.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:13:19:51:46 by Nathan Jackson.
It was quite possible Southend fans were outnumbered two to one or whatever 10 minutes before kick off on that day. It's also quite possible Lincoln supporters were outnumbered five or six thousand to one 10 minutes after the final whistle.
Neither had any bearing in that the only relevant fact was the score.
What is clear is that the opening thread post is not a preview. A preview is objective, constructive, balanced and not marred by personal "I became exceedingly bitter about Southend" rants. It's a shame that factual comment has been distorted to the point that it undermines what could have been a well reseached and thought provoking article. All that has been achieved is for the previewer in their own words to take "the **** even more than Southend did"
Before the next 'preview' perhaps consider looking at Yeovil Town FC's ciderspace site for an insight into how it should be done properly.
Quote:Derbyshire_Shrimper
A preview is objective, constructive, balanced and not marred by personal "I became exceedingly bitter about Southend" rants
My only response to that would be...what rant exactly? I happen to mention that I used to have a grudge against Southend, something which I clearly state later on in the article had disappeared.
Rants, as in proper rants, tend not to list as many FACTS as I wrote in the article. I can assure you that what I wrote wasn't me ranting. ">This is me ranting
Plus, the taking the @#$%& comment was in reference to the "One season wonders" thing. It really winds me up because the amount of teams that struggle against the drop for years and years on end, only to then have one good season and win promotion is a bit of a @#$%& take.
In recent years yourselves, Bristol Rovers, Notts County, Stockport and Leyton Orient have all gone up in recent seasons on the back of their first half decent season in ages. It almost happened with Bury as well.
Like i already said we were the better team right the way through that season and the following season were crowned champions. Does that not prove that fact?
You keep harping on about how we only took x amount to the final , but you taking 11,000 is hardly awe inspiring is it.
As i have already said just 5 weeks prior to that we took 17,000 for the ldv final. Southend is a family club and as such we cannot afford to go to the milllenium stadium just over a month after the last visit.
Had we not got to the LDV and just had the play offs i guarantee we would have had nearly 20,000.
Lots of people just couldnt afford 2 trips in quick succession, myself included.
As for our attendances , yes you are right our attendances have risen and yes were relatively low during the 80,s-90,s infact i remember league games against preston infront of just 2,200 but we have had a succession of very very unpopular chairman. Anton the crook johnson in the 80,s and vic jobson in the 90,s the latter famously barring his neighbour for trying to chat to him about the club and telling the fans there are 91 other clubs to support, go and support them and also robbed the christmas charity box.
Prior to those we have had good attendances. The 50's 60's 70's we were well supported and crowds of 20,000+ were common place and that in the lower leagues.
Unlike lincoln , southend has a massive catchment area with 500,000 population all within 15 miles of the club.
I have know doubt that a large percentage of those are spammers , but if we get the stadium then i would like to see 10k+ per game.
Your right we may well fall and drop out of the league , but atleast we are showing the ambition to build a 22k stadium so that we have a future. What have lincoln go to look foward to? A future of lower league dross with league 1 seen as the holy grail.
Southend maybe experiancing big trouble at the mo, but being at southend supporter is never dull with ldv finals play-off wins beating united drawing at stamford bridge , promotions and relegations its been fun.
In that same time period lincoln have done what?
But your right we just had one lucky season in league 2
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:14:09:45:06 by shrimperama.
Firstly, let me just remove myself off the floor having fallen off it laughing at your "Glory Hunter" claims....I mean, come on! If any of our fans are glory hunters, do you not think they might set their sights just a little higher? It's true to say that with relative success comes a bigger following, but to label 50% of our fans as glory hunters is a bit strong!
Secondly, I can't believe we are even having a comparison here! I have gone back many years to try and find your team even close to second tier football, and could only find your season of 81-82 where you came fourth in the third tier, narrowly missing out on promotion. In comparison, we spent 6 years in the second tier between 1990 and 1996, and have enjoyed second tier football on more than that one period.
Thirdly, whichever way you dress it up, our attendances in the past 10 years average 7,687 in a ground that holds around 12,000. Yours is 4,526 in a 10,500 capacity ground.
With regards to our finances and player shortages.....Watch this space (literally)
WE KNOW WE ARE@#$%&OK!
We were last in the 2nd tier in 1961, there happy?
We have had successive boards that have lacked both ambition and cash so have never been up in the higher leagues.
Since I have been an Imp (1982) we have had the odd big day/night out West Ham, Spurs, Everton and Man City all spring to mind.
I think what Nathan said given your current plight is fair.
Think you're a bit touchy!
Its only footy guys.
Bigger things to worry about surely?
Here we go again!
Will we ever get the right man?
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:14:22:08:03 by davidimp.
If I understand transfer embargos, they can't be removed until the court proceedings against that club are also removed.....meaning that between now and the beginning of the season, Southend won't actually be able to sign anyone. I could be wrong on this but I think that's how they work.
On a side note, found this lovely thread on a Darlington forum, the original poster's comments made me laugh given what is pointed out to him afterwards.....here
I think Barnet are a good bet for the play offs this season, but the bookies make them favourites to go down with Macc.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:14:19:50:55 by NAPOLImp.
Here we go again!
Will we ever get the right man?
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