TWO Southend MPs are pushing to help secure the future of Southend United following the High Court hearing last week.

Anna Firth, MP for Southend West, and Sir James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, say “no stone will be left unturned” in order to secure the football club’s future.

On Wednesday, Southend United were given another 42 days to pay off their HMRC tax debt after a hearing at the High Court.

However, the Shrimpers' future remains in serious doubt with the National League yet to decide whether or not the crisis club can kick off their campaign at the start of August.

On Saturday, hundreds of Southend United supporters held a protest outside the house of the club’s under-fire chairman Ron Martin.

Today, Ms Firth has released a statement updating fans on the current situation – and the work she is doing to help secure the club’s future.

She said she has had various calls and meetings with the National League, Ron Martin, financial specialists, and potential investors.

Ms Firth added: “Both Sir James Duddridge and myself have been working every day since the High Court hearing last Wednesday to try and secure the Club's future.

“This has taken the form of calls and meetings with the National League, Ron Martin, financial specialists and potential investors.

“I am completely satisfied that the National League wish to do everything that they can to ensure the Club is compliant with the League's licensing requirements, and I am very grateful to Mark Ives, the General Manager of the National League, for the amount of time he has already given to trying to help the Club.

“However, the League requires certain information to be forthcoming and action to be taken. To remain compliant with the League's requirements the club needs to provide a complete list of football creditors, all players, and staff need to be paid and a full safety certificate for Root's Hall must be obtained before the new season begins.

“Ron is aware of these requirements and has given Sir James and me, an assurance that he is working on getting this information to the National League in short order.

“The bigger issue is finding a new buyer for the club and obviously with interest rates rising and asset prices falling, this is particularly challenging. Both buyers, players and staff need a deal which is simple, attractive, competitive and National League compliant, to give them the confidence that they are buying a professional football Club which will ‘make it’ all the way through the next season.

“Work on this side of things has also been on-going all weekend and I am hopeful that a simpler deal will attract more investors. I am sorry not to be able to say more at this stage but with so many moving parts, to do so would risk hindering rather than helping the Club move forward.

“I hope that this short post assures you that we remain fully committed to doing all we can to secure the Club's future. The many matches that I have attended both as the candidate and then as MP for Southend West have been fantastic times. Win or lose, the players and fans, transform an ordinary Saturday afternoon or Friday evening into something really special.

“I have said many times that Southend United Football Club is a jewel in our new cities crown and a vital community asset that must be protected.

“Again, we will not leave any stone unturned in order to secure the club's future.”