FURIOUS Southend United fans are planning to protest at tomorrow night’s local derby with Leyton Orient.

Hundreds of Shrimpers supporters have been expressing their anger to the Echo as well as on internet message boards after further details of the club’s poor financial situation were revealed.

Fans have been campaigning for the dismissal of chief executive Geoffrey King after his public criticism of popular striker Alex Revell, who was sent out on loan to Swindon Town.

Followers of the Blues are also concerned by the club’s small 16-man squad, the lack of permanent signings and their failure to pay former defender Spencer Prior for his benefit match in May.

And their feelings will be aired publicly at tomorrow’s game, according to one of the protest organisers Gareth Pummery.

“There are some things planned for the protest at the game,” confirmed 26-year-old Pummery, who has followed Southend for the past 16 years.

“All I will say is that if you feel angry and want to join in then please join us in block V of the West Stand.

“We are very unhappy with the way the club is being run.

“We are also unhappy with Geoffrey King. He does not serve the club well. He misleads fans into thinking everything is ok.

“He bad-mouthed our supporters after the game with Leicester last season and players who are putting in a lot of effort in like Alex Revell.

“Plus on top of that there’s Prior not being paid and a few other things too.”

Banners have been printed up as part of the protests and a group demanding King to resign on popular social networking website Facebook now has more than 200 members.

A poll on the club’s most popular fans website — www.shrimperzone.com — also suggested that 87 per cent of supporters wanted King to move on.

And a spokesman for the website backed up those findings.

“I can fully understand the protests,” he said.

“Mr King seems to be upsetting everyone and maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea if he was replaced.

“He does not give a good image for the football club and the fans are clearly upset because over the last few days we’ve had an unprecedented number of hits.

“We can understand the club having to make cut-backs at this time but to criticise Alex Revell in the way he did was wrong and it will be interesting to see what happens at the game tomorrow.”

Shareholders will have a chance to quiz King and the club’s management before then though at the club’s annual general meeting which takes place tonight.