Roots Hall; just in case you've forgotten what it looks like
Well, the New Year fixtures should be on, but what about after that?
The weather isn't looking too good long term, and for now we still have to find a home for Roots Hall games against Wycombe and Barnet, and the away game at Crewe.
It was the Cup replay loss on penalties against Macclesfield on Tuesday, November 16th that we last saw Luggy's lot at the home of football, and it's ironic that the next game on the hallowed turf could be Cheltenham Town on Bank Holiday Monday January 3rd, the last match we played a couple of weeks ago, a glorious 2-0 victory!
Hopefully, the weather will relent for us to visit Oxford United on Saurday, January 1st.
www.echo-news.co.uk reported a 'Southend insider' as saying: "The last three home games have now been called off and that will hit the club hard. Gate receipts are a large part of any club's income so for that to be suddenly taken away is a concern because it will have been budgeted for. Any club in League Two would be hit hard by not playing at home for such a long time and Southend are no different."
The loss of the Boxing Day game against Barnet was a particular blow, it's doubtful we'll get a 7,000-plus gate on a Tuesday night in February, or whenever they fit it in.
So anymore problems could see two games a week until May, very tough in this present financial climate, leading to more worries for Shrimpers supremo Ron Martin who could find the taxman knocking on his door, and Ron on the phone to Sainsbury's, again.
And bear a thought for other clubs in the basement divisions, including Tilly's new club Lincoln City, this is just want he wants to hear after last season, who could lose up to £25,000 in revenue if their New Year's Day fixture with Spud taylor's Bradford gets called off, and the weather's worse up north.
The Imps have already seen eight fixtures postponed in recent weeks, and chief executive Dave Roberts has admitted the club will be hit very hard if the match, expected to attract a bumper crowd, joins the list.
He told www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/: "Obviously we are expecting a large crowd on Saturday and the fact we haven't played in the whole of December may prompt even more fans to turn out. I would love to see a crowd of between 5,000 and 6,000 which if it happens would be worth £50,000 to us in gate money alone and that's not including catering. But if it is postponed then I would anticipate that we would lose half of that because there is no question if it is played in midweek then the gate would be much smaller. So in that respect we are very keen to play on Saturday and I am confident that, after looking at the forecast, we will have a great chance of going ahead as planned."
We are not alone!
Check out the weather for the remaining holiday games
Oxford: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/25
Southend: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/4280
New Year Travel News
Keep your eyes on the trains here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/feat/edw5/
happy_holidays_watching_the_shrimpers_over_christmas__new_year_
574527/index.shtml
And the roads:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/
But let's spare a thought for Peter Gilbert:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/
update_poor_peter_gilbert_sits_out_more_time_for_southend_united_613531/
index.shtml