Southend United have been handed a final stay of execution by the High Court, a judge allowing them 42 days to clear their debts — but only because they are a football club with an ‘attachment of fans’.
The Shrimpers have been docked 10 points by the National League after the court granted them until October 4 to write off debts of £275,000. The club are expected to appeal against the deduction.
Judge Sebastian Prentis told the court in a nail-biting, 11-minute sitting: ‘If this was not a football club with the attachment of its fans, I would be winding you up today. You will be wound up on the next date if it’s not sorted.’
This is Southend’s 18th winding-up petition since 2009, with the current case being adjourned three times since its first date in May. The court on Wednesday heard of debts of more than £1.3million. Energy suppliers and electrical contractors are owed money.
Fans have voiced anger at long-standing owner Ron Martin, who bought the club in 1998.
‘Martin has once again done the bare minimum to keep his dream alive without any care about the club, fans or staff,’ a statement from the Shrimpers Trust said.
Martin has long believed his way out is to sell Roots Hall — a stadium rich with memories but now a decaying mess — and relocate to a new ground at Fossetts Farm. But work there is yet to start and a club with a 101-year history faces extinction.
The 70-year-old property developer said he asked for the adjournment so he could sell the club to an ‘Australian chap’. Martin is ‘confident’ a sale will be completed by October and that money will be available to pay creditors, adding that players and staff are being paid.
But fans accuse him of failing to keep his promises in the past and are pessimistic over the sale. This year, Southend fell behind on payments to St John Ambulance and the Shrimpers Trust provided a £40,000 loan to pay staff.
Conservative MP for Southend West, Anna Firth, said she shared fans’ ‘immense disappointment that this saga has again been extended for 42 days’ but said she was treating Martin’s confidence over the sale ‘with optimism’.
On the pitch, boss Kevin Maher’s team are doing well despite the adversity. Last season they missed out on the play-offs by just two points and they have won two matches this campaign, although they are now bottom of the table after the points deduction.