Southend fans told protests would be 'unhelpful'

Southend United were formed in May 1906

Southend United fans are being urged not to take any protest action with the future of a takeover deal for the club in the balance.

A related property development project has failed due diligence checks carried out by Southend-On-Sea Council.

They have submitted revised proposals to club chairman Ron Martin and his family with a deadline for acceptance of 21 June.

A statement from the Shrimpers' Trust said the current situation is of "too delicate a nature" for any protest action to be "helpful".

Martin exchanged contracts with the COSU (Custodians Of Southend United) consortium, led by Australian businessman Justin Rees, in December.

They have effectively been running the club since then and Rees told BBC Essex last month that they had already spent £3.5m on infrastructure projects.

But COSU have been frustrated by the length of time the due diligence process was taking and he added: "We can't be expected to keep funding a club for another X months with a disrupted pre-season, so we really do need this process to close."

The process concluded last week with the council deciding that the current plan for up to 1,300 homes in the Fossetts Farm area was not in taxpayers' interest and should not go ahead.

Developers Citizen Housing have until Friday to respond to the council's revised proposals and, in a public letter, leader Daniel Cowan said: "We have also made it clear our involvement is contingent on COSU acquiring the club.

"In short, if COSU walk, so will we and we will not return for future negotiations."

If Citizen Housing reject the proposals, it would put the 118-year-old club, which has been mired in financial problems for several years and will again face the latest in a series of winding up petitions on 26 June, in jeopardy.

Southend West & Leigh parliamentary candidate Anna Firth has offered to chair a meeting between the council and Citizen Housing before Friday's deadline.

"It would be my intention that no one should leave the room until an acceptable deal had been agreed," she said in a statement.

"This situation is to nobody's benefit, but to everybody's detriment."

In their statement, the Shrimpers Trust said: "In short, the position is clear, the Martins must agree to this deal, or it is off. We concur with the position outlined by the council and appreciate the work that had gone on into setting it out."

The Trust also thanked COSU for their "patience and commitment" and that their future involvement "offers the prospect of a brighter future".

The statement added: "The latest council update recognises the frustration of supporters but urges restraint, and in our discussions with COSU, they have also disclosed that protests are counter-productive to the process being undertaken".

The Trust say their priority is to ensure the club's survival.

"It is now down to the Martins to do the right thing, the only thing," they said.

In February 2023, various supporters' groups said they were beginning "exploratory work" with a view to establishing a so-called phoenix club should Southend United go out of business.