Police close case on missing man James Walker

A year on from the last positive sighting of missing man James Walker, police yesterday announced they were closing the case.

The Eddie Murphy look-a-like had been missing since January 2009, when he scored a stunning equaliser against rivals Leyton Orient.

Police however have now concluded that he'll wash up at Gillingham because all ex-Southend players seem to end up there or Wycombe - and Wycombe is further inland and they already have Harrold and Revell up front, with Betsy on the wing.

Police are however still looking for missing Essex business-man Geoff King, who was expected to deliver the eulogy, although no-one seems to be in a particular rush to find him.

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

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!

Police link missing man cases

Police are growing concerned about the where-abouts of missing Essex business- man Geoff King.

The Southend United Chief Executive has not been seen since he caused controversy earlier this month by undermining his manager and a player still under contract. He was expected to have commented on the departure of yet another player today, but was not available for comment.

Essex Police are linking his disappearance to that of Alex Revell's earlier this month and of Jimmy Walker who has been missing for months.

Police are looking into a suspected sighting of Walker in Hereford and think that Geoff King might now be locked in a cupboard instead of Walker. Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is advised to keep quiet for everyone's sake.