THE Save our Southend supporter group have welcomed Phil Brown’s dismissal – but still feel chairman Ron Martin is responsible for the club’s plight.

The Shrimpers sit 20th in the National League standings after a poor start to the season.

And, in a statement released on Wednesday, Save our Southend felt a change was needed.

“Things clearly needed to change on the football side of things, and we therefore welcome the sacking of Phil Brown and Craig Fagan, and the removal of Ricky Duncan from first team affairs,” said the statement.

“With that being said, we still consider the biggest impediment to our club’s full recovery to be Ron Martin himself.

“Mr. Martin made a weak attempt in his talkSPORT interview to take some blame by citing his mistakes with managerial appointments, but this is diversionary and disingenuous at best.

“He seems to conveniently forget the difficult environment that he has afforded his managers through his late payments of wages and through the transfer sanctions that he has caused.

“Try as he might to deny it, Ron Martin alone is ultimately responsible for the shocking decline of our football club and we do not believe that it will ever fully recover with him at the helm.

“Nor, it seems, do 95 per cent of the fans who have voted “no confidence” in his leadership on the recent poll.”

And the supporter group continue to question whether or not a new ground will benefit Blues.

“Our questions about the new stadium are borne out of the fact that we only have SUFC’s interests at heart, not those of Mr. Martin or of Southend Borough Council,” said the statement.

“Ahead of decision day on 25th October, we are still awaiting figures and projections to demonstrate how and to what extent the club will benefit financially from the move.

“If Fossetts really is SUFC’s only route out of Ron Martin’s ownership then so be it, but in the meantime the serious structural and reputational deficiencies that exist in and around the football club need to be addressed.”

But SOS are pleased to have Stan Collymore back involved with Blues and would like to see the ex Shrimpers striker remain involved at Roots Hall.

“We would like to declare our committee’s full support for Stan Collymore’s proposals to move the club forward,” said the statement.

“We listened intently to Stan’s passionate words in his Zoom meeting with supporters’ groups and his ideas sounded logical and exciting.

“We would like to see him given the chance to back his words up.”

And the group are also backing Collymore’s plea to call a halt to the protests against chairman Martin.

“We also note Stan’s request for a moratorium on protests in order to create a less toxic environment for a new management team,” said the statement.

“Out of respect for Stan and a desire to help the club escape a third successive relegation, we have agreed alongside the other fan groups to give that time and would like to see others follow.

“However, we are aware that this will divide opinion and we cannot and will not stop individuals protesting, as is their right to do.

“If things do not appear to be improving on and off the pitch once the changes have bedded in, then protests and action will come back onto the agenda.

“We will never stop fighting for the future of our football club.”