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David Webb is new Southend United assistant manager

1:44pm Tuesday 9th March 2010 in


SOUTHEND United have moved swiftly to replace sacked assistant manager Paul Brush with David Webb.

Just over 24 hours after Brush was relieved of his duties at Roots Hall, Webb, 63, returned to the Shrimpers for a fifth stint.

Webb has enjoyed four previous spells in charge of the Blues and will now work alongside manager Steve Tilson.

In a statement released on the club's website, chairman Ron Martin said: "I have long learnt that whatever decision one makes in football, it will never receive universal approval. Equally making no decision gives rise to criticism.

"Releasing Paul of his coaching responsibilities gave me no pleasure whatsoever. However, the decision had to be made and was carried out in the most compassionate way.

"The club is not contractually obliged to maintain Paul's salary for the entire period of his unexpired contract and I doubt there are many employers that would take this view.

"We treat people fairly at Southend United Football Club and that should be recognised.

"For a long period we have had a continuity of management, but I repeat change is/was essential to help us stay in League One.

"For the rest of the season Steve Tilson will be assisted by David Webb."

London-born Webb played for a number of clubs, including Chelsea, as a defender before moving into management.

His first stint at Southend came in June 1986 after he left Torquay to join the Blues.

Webb stayed until Match 1987, leaving before the club won promotion to the old Third Division.

He returned in November 1988 but was unable to prevent the Shrimpers being relegated back to the old Fourth Division the following year.

But Webb helped Southend to promotion into the Third Division in 1990 and into the Second Division the following season.

Despite briefly topping the table in January 1992, the Blues finished the season in mid-table with Webb resigning in March of that year and leaving the club.

Webb resigned as manager of Yeovil Town in September 2000 to return to Southend and stayed in charge until October 2001.

His fourth stint in charge at Roots Hall came in November 2003 when he was caretaker manager between Steve Wignall and current boss Steve Tilson.

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Comments(9)

GerrySpain says...
2:25pm Tue 9 Mar 10

So Ron Martin has brought David Webb back again. Does he honestly think that Webby is better than Paul who has just been sacked. I fear that Ron Martin is cooking something up behind closed doors to force Tilly out. Because how on earth can we now trust Ron Martin now that he has put Southend into dire straights and it will take years for them to regain a firm footing unless Ron Martin has the guts to do the decent thing and sell his shares and move on. As far away from Roots Hall as he can possibly go

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the baldman says...
2:40pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Agree GerrySpain...an extraordinary choice this looks like another Martin plot to get rid of Tilly cheap. The club is in a financial mess..have the wages been paid yet for February? Martin should walk away.

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evo_lution says...
2:50pm Tue 9 Mar 10

I find the two above comments extraordinary. I am a shareholder, are you? If you are I can only guess your understanding of the financial side of the running of SUFC is limited. Unless you have someone of the resources of Alan Sugar or Richard Branson please back this board. The recent consortium did NOT have anywhere near this backing.
If Ron Martin had not stepped in there would have been no SUFC. The mismanagement of the previous ownership is truely epic.
We have been severely hampered by 1 - the global recession and 2 - the sec. of state being passed the decision instead of allowing the local councils to back the new ground.
Trust in SUFC
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

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woodsman says...
4:49pm Tue 9 Mar 10

I am a shareholder and a season ticket holder so I feel I can respond. The sacking was dispicable, Webb has been tried before and failed, he was agood player, but Brush was a better assistant. I to agree it is an attempt to get Tilly to walk so they do not have to pay him off. Some lucky club will snap him up. It is Martin and the board that should walk, they are taking the club down the wrong road. When in trouble consistency is needed not chopping and changing. I just hope the players can keep going.
PS. Can we play a proper left back on Saturday please and put Barratt back in the middle!!!

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SARFENDMAN says...
5:06pm Tue 9 Mar 10

A strange unexpected decision but dont think Webby is another Bobby Robson especially as he'll have to work with a team that hardly know each other from week to week. Will he get paid on time like the players? Dont think even Ferggy could do any better than Tilly & Brush. I wait to pleasantly proved utterly wrong. I'd be delighted.

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southend_Dave says...
5:21pm Tue 9 Mar 10

GerrySpain wrote:
So Ron Martin has brought David Webb back again. Does he honestly think that Webby is better than Paul who has just been sacked. I fear that Ron Martin is cooking something up behind closed doors to force Tilly out. Because how on earth can we now trust Ron Martin now that he has put Southend into dire straights and it will take years for them to regain a firm footing unless Ron Martin has the guts to do the decent thing and sell his shares and move on. As far away from Roots Hall as he can possibly go
Firstly if rumour has it that Paul Brush was a negative influence on the team then bringing in David Webb will give the team a positive boost at a time it needs it. Now Brush may well have a right to feel agrieved and to be sacked for not being happy is understandable but I do see the reasoning behind this if thats the case.

As for the club getting a firm footing, it hasnt had one for many years and Ron Martin etc have kept the money afloat whilst trying to secure the new stadium, for the club and of course his own benefit.

Him selling his shares wont turn the club into a profitable business, we need to move to Fossetts Farm and he wont move on until then at earliest.

Who would pay the 5 million pound debt he has serviced to take control of a football club that loses money each year?

He isnt without blame, the wages not being paid is disgraceful but people are in cloud cuckoo land if they think he will just sell up an move on when he is so close to realising the dream of the new stadium...

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dan1981 says...
9:01am Wed 10 Mar 10

I find every report on this subject very confussing. As a lifelong long supporter of the blues it seems the whole club is in complete meltdown & the whole lack of trust towards Ron Martin gathers more pace with each day that goes by. We were all told on Monday on the blues website in Rons statement that Tilly would be making a new appointment when he was ready & when the right person came along, yet by tuesday afternoon Webb is in the assistant hotseat (as a consultant!!!). When reading further into his interview again on the website he quotes that he was contacted by Ron Martin on monday evening to see if he could help Tilson! So whos decision was it to bring Webb in cause as far as I can make out it seems Mr Martin had more say then Tilly.

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roots4ever says...
9:50am Wed 10 Mar 10

Woodsman Benfleet has answerd himself in why Brush had to go in his PS.
Playing players out of position is why we keep losing, keep losing managers go and i think Tilson is lucky he still has a job. The pair got us in this position were they going to get us out of it NO!

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shrimpertel says...
1:49pm Wed 10 Mar 10

lets hope Webby has come with his magic wand and a rabbit to pull out of a hat, but I am not holding my breath. Webby quite rightly has high standing amongst lifelong blues supporters, but where will he succeed where brushy supporting tilly didn't? With respect he has been out the game for so long how can you realstically expect him to paper over the cracks of players not being paid, loan players coming in and out with no particular loyalty to the club and players playing out of positions due the threadbare squad. It breaks my heart to see the club in such a mess and we all know you can't lay at the door of one assistant manager. I beleive Ron Martin when he talks about his love for the club, but so do we lifelong supporters and we beleive it is time Mr Martin to take responsiblity for the mess we now find ourselves in. No more flowery words and avoidance tactics, Steve Tilson to stay, Ron please just go

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