New signing controversy latest

Southend's latest signing, Matt Paterson, found himself plunged into a controversy that could very well threaten his new club's future.

Paterson, was signed today on a free transfer from Southampton, to replace Lee Barnard who moved in the opposite direction for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £175,000.

The 20 year old forward was then quoted on the official site as saying "Tilly sold me the club".

However this remark has produced a furious response from Sainsburys, who claim that Steve Tilson couldn't possibly have sold him the club.

Sainsburys spokesman Jamie Oliver cited the November loan from the supermarket chain to a Martin Dawn group company, that was secured by Martin Dawn plc's shareholding in Southend United. The thick-lipped face of Sainsburys, went onto explain that this meant that the club wasn't Steve Tilson's to sell, because it was already mortgaged to the supermarket giant and Steve Tilson would have to "try something new today" to entice that centre-half that the club are supposedly also after.

CLUB STATEMENT: REVELL

Following the signing in January 2008 of Alex Revell for £150,000, the Club has since been unable to agree whether the sum paid is correct.

Southend were given just 36 hours notice of the transfer fee (which rose significantly from previous valuations, like when he signed for Brighton from Braintree). The Club (well, at least Geoff King) now believe they have overpaid by over £200,000 and have accordingly cancelled his contract by mutual consent. Wycombe were advised of this intention.

The Club offered to meet with Revell and his advisors to try and resolve the differences. This was at first rejected, but since then the parties have sat down and agreed to cancel his contract.

The Club solicitor wrote setting out the Club's position and so that supporters fully understand, the Club's solicitors wrote the following:

"We understand that Geoff King has written to supporters highlighting differences between the valuation for Alex Revell that Steve Tilson and the club originally had for Revell and the valuation the Geoff King now has for Revell. We now seek your cooperation with a review to trying to somehow reconcile these differences so that we don't keep paying a player* that we can't now play without Geoff King looking like a tit, even though the last time Revs was available Steve Tilson selected him.

(*assuming we of course are actually paying the players)

Our clients have also specifically drawn your attention in their letter a misallocation of £150,000 rising to £200,000. On the basis of this misallocation we are instructed that Alex Revell has no future at the club. Given that our clients have provided clear evidence of one misallocation on the part of Southend with respect to Kevin Betsy (who is to be allowed to join Wycombe on a free) we repeat our clients' request that Revell cooperates with SUFC with a view to reconciling their respective differences in what the remainder of his contract is worth. Our clients' Finance Director, Nigel Brunning, is willing to meet you or any other member of Team Revell in the first week of January 2010 for that purpose. Our client has specifically asked us to stress that they will pay any monies found to be due to Revell following the proposed meeting."

The Club's Chairman, Ron Martin, said:

"Southend United appear to be shedding squad players like confetti; clearly the club's relationship with its fringe players on large wages is not, in some quarters, a marriage made in heaven."

The Club will keep supporters informed and more particularly advise when the matter is finally closed.

http://www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1932006,00.html

http://www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1930173,00.html

Martin's Ambitious (Tax) Return

Southend United Chairman Ron Martin has urged Blues fans to boycott their taxes as he tries try to bring about his dream of a shiny new stadium.

All but a few of the final building blocks (although sadly still no literal ones) are in place for Southend to begin work on their new stadium this year.

However, it appears Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is trying to stall the whole development and Martin is urging them to be less taxing on the league one side's cash-flow.

"Everybody has been working so hard to try and get the new development going it's frustrating that its being held up by the tax man expecting us to pay our tax" said Uncle Ron.

"As soon as the stadium gets going I will have the funds to really improve the squad and authorise the signings of more Alex Revells and Kevin Betsys (as maybe even pay our tax bill!) and then the future will start to look really bright.

"A real PAYE tax system would be one that I actually pay!" quipped Martin.


NEXT WEEK: Ron Martin calls for fans to boycott winter, as fixture cancellations stretch the Blues' cash-flow even further and threaten to delay the new stadium.

http://www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1927211,00.html
http://www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1932006,00.html

Team concerned with Freedman's fitness

Southend players say Dougie Freedman has been unable to train for nearly a year because of injury.

The team, who have scored six times this season, added that the enforced lay-offs could badly affect his performance.

The players told BBC London 94.9: "He's been without training for ages and that's a long time.

"Unless you're at a big club with a lot of facilities, like a time-machine, he can lose a lot of fitness."

They added: "He'll enjoy the first couple of days back but then he'll be itching to get back to bed.

"For one or two days of training, it's good, but then he'll start pulling his hamstring."

The younger players added that the lack of training could cause disruption to the former Crystal Palace's player form.

"When that routine gets broken, that's when his old man lifestyle takes over," they said.

"There are a lot of distractions out there. To keep a routine for an old man is very important."

But Freedman is in two minds when it comes to an enforced retirement, adding: "I think it would be welcomed by the players, but the fans are used seeing me out there, and I'm no different [other than being older and slower]. In that respect, I have to stay."

Source: BBC Sport

Revell-ed: the reason behind striker's return

Striker Alex Revell's Roots Hall return, has raised more than a few eye-brows, however the Southend Afternoon Echo can exclusively reveal the reasoning behind the home-coming of the man footballing super-pundit, Geoff King branded as having "failed to live up to expectations".

Whilst critics point to the fact that Revell's loan spell was up anyway and Swindon did not want to extend the loan of a player who had been an unused sub for their previous five matches, the Southend Afternoon Echo has learnt that the real reason was as part of an on-going dirty tricks battle.

Recent weeks have seen the escalation of the pizza war as Southend United supremo Ron Martin has sought to force out Super Pizza from their Victoria Avenue premises. The pizzeria is said to be the only thing standing between Southend United's way and Championship football in a state of the art stadium, and Ron Martin has appeared to be ever more desperate to force the issue.

This has necessitated the return of blogging striker Alex Revell, whose trademark finish involved culinary tips rather than a bulging net. Revell's recipes are now seen as a key ingredient in this on-going battle. By encouraging fans to cook for themselves instead of ordering take-away pizza it is hoped that Martin can drive the local business out of business, allowing Sainsburys to build a new supermarket on the Roots Hall site, which will in turn fund that tax bill just paid.

However Roots Hall insiders say the real test of the pudding for the Southend hierarchy's resolve will be whether onions are restored to the burgers in Roots Hall.

Revelling in it: "Geoff King has failed to live up to expectations"

Southend Chief Executive Geoffrey King should join the dole queue.

"Geoff King has failed to live up to expectations," Southend forward Alex Revell told the Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk on his return from a loan spell with Swindon.

"He was appointed by the Football Club to deliver which he has not done and that is why he should be moving on.

"Others may fall into the same catagory (sic) as we move forwards and rebuild the finances and supposedly a new ground."

The controversial executive, who moved from Martin Dawn plc to South Eastern Leisure plc in 1998, has presided over a loss of nearly £2.5m in the last financial year.

Most damningly, he has still failed to resolve the onions in the burgers issues.

Dish of the week: King-sized humble pie

Rev's tip - Humble pie, is a form of revenge, so it's best served cold. Simply take a big bite and then keep your mouth shut, King.

Revell returns and Betsy's back as Blues' bosses back down

Kevin Betsy and Alex Revell are back at Roots Hall, in a move that will cause acute embarrassment to the Southend hierarchy.

The duo were controversially shipped out on loan in September to league one rivals Wycombe and Swindon respectively in a move that definitely wasn't about wages and Southend's impending financial crisis/winding up order, and was purely because they had underperformed. The move, first reported in All at Sea by Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk's Phil Christophers, was dubbed Southend's Night of the Long Knives for the way it controversially wiped out all competition.

That lack of competition was to prove costly and helped contribute towards some particularly lacklustre showings over the festive period. The return of Revell and the competition he brings however, is hoped to sharpen Chairman Ron Martin's blogging efforts after those rambling efforts that offered little in the way of new information and bizarrely blamed the pizza man.

Meanwhile the Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk can confirm that it will be publishing an Alex Revell exclusive: his first blog back; so watch this space!

2009 Christmas present review

Here at the Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk we're nothing if not topical, so here's our run-down of last year's hottest Christmas stocking fillers:


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The Southend United Sat-Nav system

Tired of heading down blind allies like Damien Scannell? Looking as lost and out of place as Johnny Herd? Is your positioning all over the place like Simon Francis?

Then you need the celebratory endorsed Southend United Sat-Nav system with instructions barked out by Southend United Assistant Manager Paul Brush!

Says Southend United manager Steve Tilson about the Southend United Sat-Nav system: "like"!

RRP: £3,000
Our price: £2,999

Features include:

* The Alan McCormack pub finder
* The Ron Martin blog mode, for when you need a period of silence

Don't know where you want to go: simply choose the Francis Laurent random function!

Going abroad? Then simply upgrade to the Southend United Sat-Nav DELUXE model featuring Franck Moussa which will provide directions in French, Belgian Waffle and English.


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The Dougie Freedman Mobility Scooter

Tired of having trouble reaching that Alan McCormack misplaced pass?

Then you need the Dougie Freedman Mobility Scooter. This obsolete museum piece is guaranteed* to leave defenders in their wake. The Dougie Freedman Mobility Scooter comes with three speeds as standard: slow, slower and dummy it.

RRP: around £3,000 a week
Our price: FREE! (buyer must collect)

Says Southend United manager Steve Tilson: "like" and "I use it as much as I can."

Batteries not included.
Colours: Tommy Black or John White.


*Warning: Does not work in cold weather


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Southend United Novelty Calendar

Tired of not getting round to stuff and posting Christmas related pieces up in early January?

Then you need a Southend United themed squad calendar, featuring the entire squad and a different player for each month!

The perfect gift for any Southend United fan who wants to keep themselves organised from January (Adam Barrett) all the way through to October (Steve Parmenter)!

Featuring Ian Joyce as Mr February!!!

The perfect way for any fan to countdown the number of days left in the transfer window before Mr September (Lee Barnard) completes his move elsewhere!

Comes complete with tax return dates helpfully marked on to avoid those unnecessary train journeys up to the High Court.

RRP: £4.99
Our price: £7.99

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Sanfoka-Sudoku

Entertain the entire family with this new craze that is sweeping the country!

Simply try to figure out where Osei Sankofa fits into Steve Tilson's defence. The rules are straight forward as contestants simply have to perm the available defenders into a back four remembering that you can't play the same back four more than once! It's a lot harder than it looks, particularly when you've only got three fit defenders!!!

RRP: £200,000
Our price: free or on loan!!!

Comes complete with superfluous exclamation marks!!!


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All gifts are available from the Southend United gift shop on a buy now pay three years later basis. Ask inside for details.

Prices are either inclusive or exclusive of VAT, or at least would be if we if we paid any.
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

First, and - continuing our commitment to put the late into latest news - the Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk would like to thank both its readers for their continued support and wishes all Southend United fans a Happy New Year.

May your Christmas stockings have been as bulging as Ian Joyce's net was over the festive period.

Secondly, after a somewhat longer than intended Christmas break we're back, so watch this space......