Your views on the Blues

Revs has been a loyal and committed servant of Southend United. He’s been here just over 18 months and yes, he’s had some injury time — but, hey, a hernia operation that he needed when he came and then a broken leg?

They’re hardly your run of the mill injuries that footballers pick up and I’m quite sure he’d have preferred not to have had them.

Whenever he’s had a decent run in the side he’s proved his value, his pace, his ability to unsettle opposition defences and goalkeepers and to generally make a nuisance of himself.

No, he was never going to be a 20-goal a season man, but we knew that when we signed him from Brighton.

It was the other attributes he brings to the side which made him important. We also know now about his contribution off the field, to team morale.

The weekly blogs which gave us insight into the dressing room and the antics of the players, plus also recognised frequently how the players felt about the support of the fans particularly at away games, as he mentioned last week about the Hull game.

So Revell is pushed out, and I’m sorry but I don’t buy the excuses given by Mr King, when both the Echo and Swindon’s own site are running the financial situation as the real reason.

I also don’t buy the story put out about a substantial offer being turned down for Macca, if we’re in as much trouble financially as it would seem, then surely we’d have snapped off the arm of anyone coming in with a decent offer for any of our players.

No, to me, this is a bit of spin from the PR department at SUFC put out to “appease” the fans a little. I fear it’s backfired somewhat.

Which brings us on to Betsy, poor old Kevin Betsy has never had much luck at Southend, but is another who’s always been professional and committed, and has scored some good goals.

At a time when we have no width on the field, I struggle to understand why we are getting rid of one of our genuine wing players.

I say good luck to both Revs and Betsy; you’ve not deserved the treatment you’ve had here, hope it works out for you both.

As to the club, well, the AGM on Thursday is going to be very interesting and I’m sure there are now a lot of shareholders who were not going, who now will be. There seems likely to be some quite difficult questions from the floor. We also still have the matter of the deferred payment to HMRC due now next month.

I’m one of the most rose-tinted of all supporters, but I’m getting a very uncomfortable feeling about what’s going on, particularly as during all the hoohaa over transfers it’s been Mr King doing the speaking — where was Tilly, where was Ron?

Supporters do not like Mr King; he upset them hugely over accusations at the Leicester game last year. It is not him we want to hear from.

We’re concerned that Revs, certainly, has been sold on over Tilly’s head, and for the manager to have no apparent say in signings, especially when he’s been here as long as Tilly is very worrying.

This is going to be a long and difficult season for us, I hope we manage to survive it... in more ways than one.

Kay Searle Benfleet, via e-mail

ON Tuesday Southend United chief executive Geoff King said on the Blues’ website that “Alex Revell has not lived up to expectations” and that “he was signed by the club to deliver and he has not done”.

This was the reason given for Revell’s shock and unrequested loan move to Swindon.

What a cheek coming from a man and a board who in my, and many fans’ opinions, has also not performed or lived up to expectation recently.

I wonder how Geoff would like it if he and his family were uprooted and told they had no choice but to find employment 150 miles away.

Actually, send him closer to home — Colchester — he can help unsettle their team.

Chris Nice Thorpe Bay, via e-mail

SOUTHEND United supporters are not stupid and not unreasonable.

We accept that the club does not have a rich backer and are grateful for the fine job Ron Martin and co have done in building this club up from League Two strugglers to a club with realistic ambitions of challenging for promotion to the Championship.

When we were promoted to the Championship three years ago we gambled on strengthening the squad and increasing the wage bill.

It was a gamble that didn’t pay off — unfortunately, we were relegated straight away and, coupled with the recession, this has left us in financial trouble. Southend fans may not be happy about it but we can accept it. In this day and age, that is football.

What is difficult to accept is what appears to have been a large “spin” operation from the club over the summer.

Geoffrey King’s “answers” in Wednesday’s EchoSport will not fool anybody — his claims that the cash flow crisis does not exist and there are no problems reminded me of Comical Ali, the infamous Iraqi Information Minister.

We have had national newspapers claiming players have not been paid, a club legend alluding to the same thing and not receiving a penny of his benefit match monies, a significant winding up order by HMRC, first team players being loaned out for financial reasons and a total lack of permanent signings. To claim nothing is wrong is insulting to our intelligence.

We have been told that money is available for permanent signings — but clearly that is not the case and to say it is just puts more pressure on Steve Tilson to deliver.

If it wasn’t for the Echo, the fans would probably know very little about what is going on behind the scenes, and even now, we believe that there is still a lot under the surface which has not yet come to light.

Us fans can accept difficult times, it’s why we support our local team and not become like all the other sheep in south Essex who support the London Premier League clubs.

But we cannot accept the club taking us for fools.

The AGM is tonight and there will be a lot of shareholders who will demand answers. They will not be fobbed off by cleverly-spun blogs or conveniently well-timed stories about alleged bids being turned down for our star players.

The Echo needs to keep asking questions of the hierarchy.

Supporters, many of whom have paid out £400 for a season ticket, have a right to know what is going on.

All At Sea has the best interests of the club at heart, and while we are grateful for the job Ron Martin and others have done, nobody is above constructive critism and we will continue to monitor the situation ourselves.

All At Sea (Southend United fanzine)

AS a fan of more than 23 years, this current season is beginning to rank amongst the darkest times I’ve had following the club.

Almost wound up in the summer, no permanent transfer deals (despite promises from the club’s hierarchy) and a club in a downward spiral with no league victories so far.

This week though sums up the current state of the club. An already small squad was further reduced with two loanee defenders returning to their parent club and to top it off, a transfer deadline day to forget.

Kevin Betsy and more importantly, Alex Revell forced out on loan — the reasons? Depends who you believe. The official line from the club is Revell was “under-performing”; the word from Revell himself is that he was forced to move for “financial reasons”.

The phrase “under-performing” used by the club’s chief exec Geoffrey King and posted as a headline article on Southend’s official website for all to see, has left many fans aghast.

Alex will never score 20 goals a season — I’m sure he would admit it himself — but his 110 per cent effort and commitment to the club was never in doubt and in losing him, we will be a weaker side for it.

Angry fans sent King emails complaining of the decision and his handling of the official club statement, but I believe all got the same copy/paste reply as I did, stating that Revell was not performing to the level what was expected (bearing in mind he has just returned from a broken leg).

Yet he had been chosen in Steve Tilson’s last two starting line-ups and would surely have played against Leyton Orient.

So if he wasn’t performing, how has he forced his way back into the side — and what does that say about his fellow strikers sitting on the bench? Surely this undermines Steve Tilson’s team selection policy too? Selecting under performing players?

I’m sorry Mr King, you have lost what little confidence remained in the eyes of many supporters I have spoken to.

Why is Geoff King (or for that matter Ron Martin) commenting on the performance of players?

That is the job of Steve Tilson who has remained ominously quiet throughout the past 48 hours and surely could not have sanctioned the loan move of both Revell and Betsy.

The final piece of the puzzle was made clear after the Revell announcement, in what seemed a cynical ploy to curry favour back from the fans, it was announced that Southend had “turned down a substantial bid for Alan McCormack” — how convenient!

Notice also how it was Ron Martin’s turn to announce this supposed “good” news; it was classic good cop/bad cop and it doesn’t wash with me. With the stadium looking a distant dream now (for which I do not necessarily blame Martin), reliance on loan players, rumours of financial problems that will not go away and players being forced out of the club — it looks like it is going to be not only a bleak winter, but a long road to recovery.

Paul Boreham Colchester

I ONCE again find the need to write to express my feelings about Southend United.

My wife and I are both season ticket holders, and renewed this season on the strength of the words of the chairman that money would be available to build up the squad.

Well have I got news for the chairman, because I do not see any money being made available. Indeed, all we have are loan signings, two of which we have already lost. Now we allow our workhorse Alex Revell to go on loan pending a permanent deal, and Mr King says he has not delivered.

He may have only scored a few goals but the fans all agree he is a workhorse and is always running to bring others in to play.

I am seriously worried about the club; we hear about unpaid tax bills now we are told players are leaving to lower the wage bill, what is next?

Will we still have a team at Christmas? It is about time the fans were told the truth, after all we fund the club by buying tickets.

Will the club refund my money on the basis they have not kept the contract with me to buy players as stated? I doubt it, it seems they take the money quick enough, but where does it go?

Come on Mr Martin and the board, be honest with us. Tell us what is going on before you get a mass fan demonstration. Perhaps now is the time to come out on the pitch and explain to us what is happening. You are quick enough to grab the microphone and walk around when we have big games but we do not see you in public when we need explanations!

Neal Warren Rayleigh Road, Benfleet

Dear Geoffrey, It’s becoming increasingly obvious when trouble is brewing at the Hall; it’s when you are wheeled out to provide comment and answers on footballing matters at the club instead of the club’s management and chairman.

It’s not as though you have a good rapport with the fans or can be considered a PR guru now is it?

So, who are we offloading next seeing as you seem to be the one providing this information?

Freedman perhaps? Bet he’s on a few quid, isn’t he. And what does it matter anyway, Tilly still has another 14 players left to choose from!

Just one final thing, Geoff. I presume from reading Lee Barnard’s interview earlier today that Alex Revell’s days at Southend are numbered and I guess we’ll be looking to sell him on come January.

Do you think your comment stating that he’s not very good are going to help with that sale and increase what we get for him?

Seb Thwapps via email

I AM dismayed at the stories I am reading at the departure of Alex Revell and Kevin Betsy.

Yet another season without any new players and again dependant on loanees.

Me and my family have been season ticket holders for the past three seasons. We were disappointed at the start of last season at the club’s inactivity to bring players in. It’s even worst now and our squad is getting smaller.

How does Ron Martin/Geoffrey King expect the club to get promoted back into the Championship and thereby fill the super-duper new stadium (if it ever happens). We won’t need it in League Two.

Also its amazing to read denials by Geoffrey King that there are no financial problems at the club. Who’s he trying to kid. Fans are not idiots. I for one will not part with any more money for my family’s season tickets as we feel let down.

Ron Martin should make a public announcement before the Orient game this Friday and come clean.

Barry Houghton Via email

Mr King’s comments in the Echo are nothing short of disgraceful.

First, our chief executive informs us that Alex Revell hasn’t “lived up to expectations” during his time at the club and therefore was allowed to go to Swindon.

He then follows up on his football wisdom by answering questions about Spencer Prior’s outstanding benefit match money with total and utter contempt for the fans with such dismissive and vague responses.

Revell’s departure is not something I agree with at all, regardless of his performances.

The player himself has come out and said that he was told he would be leaving the Blues for financial reasons, totally contradicting King.

If that is the case then it’s clear this wasn’t a decision made by Tilly, but it’s come from elsewhere. It doesn’t matter if it’s Revell, Barrett or O’Keefe, if the board, and not the manager, decide who’s on the way out then it’s totally unnacceptable. At the minute, Tilson’s silence on the matter speaks volumes!

As for Prior’s money, King doesn’t “understand the fans’ concern”. Of course he doesn’t because he is so out of touch with the football fan that he thinks it’s all a storm in a tea cup. He has shown the fans a total lack of respect and underestimated the love that people have for Southend United.

King’s comments have really deflected any criticism Ron was receiving (and that’s growing, by the way) towards himself.

I wonder what Ron is thinking? All we’ve heard from the great man is that we turned down a “substantial offer” for Alan McCormack. Still trying to win favour with statements that I simply just do not believe!

Ron Martin and Geoffrey King, please take note: It is not Alex Revell that has “failed to live up to expectation” it is the pair of you and it seems to be getting worse by the day.

Fancy a lap of honour with the mic in one hand and your blue scarf in the other on Friday night, fellas? No, didn’t think so.

Mark Wellington A Blue for 28 years, via e-mail