Trust Statement – 5th April 2024

The Shrimpers Trust board remains disappointed by the circumstances surrounding the Winding-Up Petition recently lodged against Southend United FC by Stewarts Law LLP.

We have reached out to partners at Stewarts over the past 48 hours in an attempt to understand their reasoning, but have not received an adequate response. You can see some of our correspondence by clicking here.

We do not wish to downplay any company’s right to be paid monies owed for their services, and ultimately, the fault for this historic debt lies with Ron Martin.

However, Stewarts is well aware that the current owner cannot and/or will not pay any more bills. Furthermore, the consortium should not be expected to do anything beyond keeping the club operational and paying football/existential debts until the sale completes. They have already committed an unsecured £3million to rescue and run a football club that they do not legally own, and their goodwill should not be taken for granted.

Stewarts’ actions seem to us to be a cynical ploy to move themselves to the front of the queue of creditors. Several others continue to wait patiently for repayment, and we see little reason why Stewarts cannot do the same. It is difficult to see what this course of action will achieve, because if the club is indeed wound up, Stewarts get nothing. Whether or not it’s just a game of chicken designed to push someone to blink and pay them, the fact remains that they’re asking a judge to wind up a 118-year-old community asset with thousands of supporters.

The irony of Stewarts taking this action against a community asset that it fought to preserve against previous winding-up attempts, is not lost on us. Against the backdrop of the publicity around the upcoming Independent Football Regulator, and of the dire situations at other football clubs such as Reading and Torquay United, this is not a good look for them and seems to be at odds with their strategic and moral goals.

This is a distraction and a waste of money in legal fees, at a time when all focus must be on completing the sale of Southend United FC. We urge Stewarts Law LLP to think carefully about the optics of their actions, to withdraw their petition, and to engage properly with the people who are trying to save Southend United and who provide the best opportunity of repayment of this debt.

The Shrimpers Trust Board

Previously issued Statements can be found below.

Trust Statements
Trust Statement – 5th April 2024 Trust Statement – 2nd April 2024 SUFC / Southend Council FAQ’s – 20th February 2024 Trust Statement – 17th January 2024
Trust Statement – 23rd December 2023 Trust Statement – 11th November 2023 Trust Statement – 8th November 2023 Trust Statement – 3rd October 2023
Shrimpers Trust & Irons Trust Joint Statement – 2nd October 2023 Trust Statement – 2nd October 2023 – Dereliction & Decline Supporters Group Statement – 21st September 2023 Membership Drive – 20th September 2023
Trust Statement – 19th September 2023 Trust Statement – 8th September 2023 Trust Statement – 4th September 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 1st September 2023
Trust Statement – 30th August 2023 Trust Statement – 23rd August 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 4th August 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 26th July 2023
Supporters Group Statement – 25th July 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 22nd July 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 18th July 2023 Trust Statement – 14th July 2023
Supporters Group Statement – 14th July 2023 Trust Statement – Letter to the National League – 13th July 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 12th July 2023 Trust Statement – 10th July 23
Supporters Group Statement – 5th July 2023 Supporters Group Statement – 6th June 2023 End of Season Report 22/23 Supporters Group Statement – 17th May 2023
Supporters Group Statement – 4th May 2023 Open Letter to Southend Council Planning Officer – 02/05/23 Supporters Group Statement – 28/03/23 Ron Martin & Tom Lawrence Answer Your Questions – 28/03/23
Open Letter to the Leadership, Executive, Councillors and MPs of Southend on Sea – 20/03/23 Trust Statement – 17/03/23 Supporters Group – SUFC 2022/23 ST Survey – Update – 16/03/23 Supporters Group Statement – 13/03/23
Supporters Group – SUFC 2022/23 ST Survey – 13/03/23 Trust Update – 08/03/22 Supporters Group Statement – 28/02/23 Trust Statement – 24/02/23
Letter To The APPG – 18/02/23 Anna Firth, MP Answers Your Questions – 17/02/23 Trust General Statement – Feb 2023 Trust Statement – Anna Firth, MP Meeting – 10/02/23
Supporters Group Statement – 31/01/23 Supporters Group Statement – 27/01/23 Trust Statement – HMRC Adjournment – 22/01/23 Trust Statement – HMRC Adjournment – 18/01/23
Supporters Group Statements – Nov 2022 Shrimpers Trust Confirm Loan – 15/11/12 Trust Statement – Winding-up Petition – 09/11/22 Trust Statement – Transfer Embargo – 01/10/22
Trust Statement – Non-Playing Staff Wages – 22/09/22 End Of Season Report – 21/22 Trust Statement – Work Starts On Fossetts – 08/07/22 Trust Statement – We Love The Club You Idiot! – 08/12/21
Trust Statement – Time For Reflection! – 12/10/21 Trust Statement – When Is Enough Enough? – 03/10/21 Trust Statement – Tom Lawrence – 21/05/21 Trust Statement – SOS Rally – 29/04/21
Trust Statement – 24/04/21 Trust Statement – 20/03/21 Trust Statement – SUFC Finances – Sept/Oct 2020 Trust Statement – 05/03/20
Trust Statement – 31/01/20 Trust & SZ Meeting with Ron Martin – 12/10/12 Trust Statement – 24/09/12 Darlington – Back From The Brink – Jan 2012
Aldershot Town FC – 12/01/12 HMRC Winding-up Petition – 03/08/11 Barry The Parrot Does East Fife – 18/07/11 Supporters Direct Public Statement – 13/06/11
Season Tickets – Price Increase – 29/03/11 Club Pay Back Trust Loan – 28/08/10 High Court Hearing / Club Loan – 04/08/10 Letter To Sainsbury’s – 02/07/10
Club Loan – 01/07/10 Winding-up Petition – 03/06/10 Paul & Rob’s Big Day Out – 21/04/10 High Court Hearing – 15/04/10
Loan Extension – 02/03/10 Ron Martin’s Blog – 31/12/09 Help The Trust End Polio Now – 10/12/09 Trust Statements – Oct/Nov 2009