Source: FOOTYMAD
Southend council leader: 'Supporters are now losing faith and confidence that anything can be done'
Nigel Holdcroft, Tory leader of the town council, is the latest name to be found in today's Echo report to share his concern about the future of Southend United FC. Nigel Holdcroft: 'Survive latest challenge or it's a question of whether the club continues to exist' We'll stop here, well until we hear from Ron again, but here's more quotes about the present sad circumstances Southend United find themselves in. Conservative Nigel Holdcroft is the present leader of Southend Borough Council, and he's got no doubts that new ground Fossetts Farm has to be built if the club is to survive.However, having already given chairman Ron Martin permission to build the stadium and sell him the land, which was followed by the approval of the secretary of state in 2008, there's not much else they can do. Holdcroft told the Echo: "I don't think there is anything we can do to assist. Certainly with the financial problems it would be inappropriate to use public funds to shore up a private company. We will have to see what happens and if they survive the latest challenge. If they don't it's a question of whether the club continues to exist. Until we know what's happening it's difficult to help."The Echo told us last month that the council bypassed the usual financial checks on Ron Martin's companies before councillors agreed to sell land to one of them and help obtain land for the development of the new stadium.They have always believed that the Fossetts Farm development, that includes 127 homes, 114 bed hotel, and 20,000sq metres of retail space, would bring a massive boost to the local economy, but now Uncle Ron might be struggling to retain that support! Mr. Holdcroft continued: "Supporters are now losing faith and confidence that anything can be done. We have worked very closely with the club in respect of redevelopment of Roots Hall and the proposed new stadium. We have responded quickly and positively to approaches made to us, but we can't respond to something we are not directly in control of. If Fossetts Farm doesn't go ahead it would be disastrous. I would be concerned what security the football club has so far as Roots Hall is concerned. It's always been my major concern that if they don't get the new stadium they would be unable to continue to occupy their current site."Well, the club should be OK as we are told that Roots Hall cannot be built on until FF is up and running, however if the club falls into administration or worse, who knows, Sainsbury's might be able to call in their markers, £7m and rising is a good card to have up their sleeve, and the fears of the council boss, along with the Shrimpers fans, might be realised.
