Brady: 'Had 25 per cent more fans at Hereford than the opening game last year'
Shrimpers chief executive Tara Brady didn't really tell us anything we didn't know, we shouldn't have expected he would do, but one can't be too churlish that along with Luggy he made the effort to arrange it in the first place to answer questions in front of a specially selected audience.
Brady said: “I called the forum because I regularly get sent emails from supporters and it’s difficult to always reply to every one of them. Just recently the number of emails have increased and I have been getting plenty of stick, which I accept is part of my job. But I just wanted the chance to discuss with the fans any issues they may have and I hope I was able to do that giving them a clearer picture of where we are at the moment.”
Brady informed the Shrimpers faithful that due to the Football League's salary cap which keeps wages at at 55% of revenue the club cannot sign any new signings someone leaves.
A situation that seeing striker Matt Paterson move to Scottish First Division club Hamilton Academical on a six-month loan helps the club.
Brady continued: "Matt’s a big earner for us and he isn’t rated by the manager so we’ve wanted him to move him on for quite some time. He’s been reluctant to go though, despite commitments from at least two clubs to pay up his contract and one even more than his contract. I just don’t understand footballers who don’t want to be playing games. Maybe he has a strong love for this club, who knows.”
After the Revell saga of last year that we've brought up again before the Orient game I wish Southend CEO's would stop talking about former players, especially as the transfer is only temporary for now.
Anyway ,we are still losing between £80,000 and £90,000 a month, well that's better than the 100k!
He's disappointed that Prospects College had delayed the move to Fossetts Farm and that they have openly discussed the matter in public.
As for teenager Lyle Della Verde, speculation that he's off to Premiership Fulham, or possibily Wolves, every player has his price.
In admitting that the club have only paid an agent once in the Shrimpers last 10 signings, that's good certainly good news!
There were more words re the clubs tour of Scotland and how the Shrimpers Trust helped fund it, and a further defence of why the decision not to give life-long attendee Ray Sorrell a free season ticket.
Protesting too much on that one Tara.
Then there came Brady's why we all support a club; one, two, three.
He said: “In my mind there are three levels of Southend followers. Fans who are fanatics like most of the people in the meeting, supporters who are people who support financially by their regular attendance to the games and thirdly people who claim to be fans but are just choosing a side as their favourite team. We don't give free tickets to the third category; his was certainly not a free season ticket for life and its disappointing many have abused that gift.”
That's telling you Ray; 83.
Anyway for us in the second group: “We had 25 per cent more fans at Hereford than the opening game last year, and a larger crowd than Portsmouth for the cup game. Let’s hope this continues.”
Blues boss Paul Sturrock also answered questions but asked for his views not to reported in the media.
(Thanks to www.echo-news.co.uk for the quotes.)