National League clash suspended as fuming Southend fans throw tennis balls on pitch after ten-point deduction
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pstrongSOUTHEND#8217;S non-league clash with Eastleigh was delayed./strong/p
pThat#8217;s after furious a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/2215803/southend-united/Shrimpers/a hurled tennis balls onto the pitch as they protested their ownership following this week#8217;s ten-point deduction./p
figure id=attachment_23662194 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155460.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662194 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureSouthend#8217;s game against Eastleigh was delayed after fans hurled tennis balls onto the pitch[/caption]
figure id=attachment_23662182 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155580.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662182 width=960 height=584 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureShrimpers fans were protesting owner Ron Martin after seeing the club hit by a points deduction[/caption]
div class=oembed-container oembed-twitterblockquote class=twitter-tweet data-width=550 data-dnt=truep lang=en dir=ltrPlay is halted as angry Southend United fans throw tennis balls onto the pitch a href=https://t.co/pcFRuP5CIrpic.twitter.com/pcFRuP5CIr/a/pmdash; Chris Phillips (@CJPhillips1982) a href=https://twitter.com/CJPhillips1982/status/1695148695719641441?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAugust 25, 2023/a/blockquotescript async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset=utf-8/script/div
figure id=attachment_23662199 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155597.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662199 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureSupporters fear for Southend#8217;s future after an 18th winding-up order in the last 14 years[/caption]
pSouthend were punished by National League chiefs after the High Court set them an October deadline to pay off debts worth £275,000 to energy suppliers and electrical contractors./p
pIt#8217;s the club#8217;s 18th winding-up petition in the last 14 years./p
pSupporters have long been calling for owner Ron Martin to leave, with many fearing for the club#8217;s long-term future./p
pAnd in the 10th minute of Friday#8217;s home clash with Eastleigh, they let their feelings be known in style./p
pA barrage of tennis balls were launched onto the pitch as fans called on Martin to go./p
pThe disruption caused the match to be suspended as staff cleared the field./p
pBut it eventually continued as Southend raced into a 2-0 lead before half-time./p
pThe protest came two days after Southend#8217;s latest High Court drama./p
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figure id=attachment_23662186 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155565.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662186 width=960 height=614 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureStaff moved quickly to get the game back underway[/caption]
pGranting the Shrimpers an October 4 deadline to pay off their £275k debt, Judge Sebastian Prentis said: #8220;If this was not a football club with the attachment of its fans, I would be winding you up today. You will be wound up on the next date if it’s not sorted.#8221;/p
pIt#8217;s reckoned Southend#8217;s total debts amount to £1.3million./p
pThe Shrimpers Trust said in a statement: #8220;Martin has once again done the bare minimum to keep his dream alive without any care about the club, fans or staff.#8221;/p
pThe protest against Eastleigh was organised on social media yesterday, with a message reading #8220;On 10 minutes, to signify each of the points we have yesterday been deducted, there will be a unified protest./p
p#8220;We ask that all fellow fans who wish to see Ron Martin out of our club support and participate as directed at the time./p
p#8220;If you are boycotting, which many individuals in our groups are, there is still an opportunity to participate, please get in touch./p
p#8220;We will not be silenced and we will not tolerate his wilful negligence./p
p#8220;Southend United is now once again reaching new depths and at its lowest point in living memory./p
p#8220;For all the loyalty, good will and effort shown by players, fans and staff alike, the present owner rides roughshod over it without an ounce of decency./p
p#8220;Last night’s Shrimpers Trust statement calls for greater fan participation in club ownership and governance. This is an aim and goal of all of the supporters groups./p
p#8220;With this in mind, we cannot wait and hope that the tax, judicial or football authorities alone will resolve this./p
p#8220;As combined fans we will be bringing a visible demonstration to the gamenbsp;from all three sides on Friday night.#8221;/p
pLast month, angry supporters staged a protest outside Martin#8217;s house, demanding he #8220;sell up and get out.#8221;/p
pMartin has owned Southend since 1998./p
p class=has-text-align-centerstronga href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23456419/transfer-news-live-harry-kane-bayern-moises-caicedo-updates/TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and confirmed switches/a from the world of football /strong/p
pThat#8217;s after furious a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/2215803/southend-united/Shrimpers/a hurled tennis balls onto the pitch as they protested their ownership following this week#8217;s ten-point deduction./p
figure id=attachment_23662194 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155460.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662194 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureSouthend#8217;s game against Eastleigh was delayed after fans hurled tennis balls onto the pitch[/caption]
figure id=attachment_23662182 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155580.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662182 width=960 height=584 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureShrimpers fans were protesting owner Ron Martin after seeing the club hit by a points deduction[/caption]
div class=oembed-container oembed-twitterblockquote class=twitter-tweet data-width=550 data-dnt=truep lang=en dir=ltrPlay is halted as angry Southend United fans throw tennis balls onto the pitch a href=https://t.co/pcFRuP5CIrpic.twitter.com/pcFRuP5CIr/a/pmdash; Chris Phillips (@CJPhillips1982) a href=https://twitter.com/CJPhillips1982/status/1695148695719641441?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAugust 25, 2023/a/blockquotescript async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset=utf-8/script/div
figure id=attachment_23662199 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155597.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662199 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureSupporters fear for Southend#8217;s future after an 18th winding-up order in the last 14 years[/caption]
pSouthend were punished by National League chiefs after the High Court set them an October deadline to pay off debts worth £275,000 to energy suppliers and electrical contractors./p
pIt#8217;s the club#8217;s 18th winding-up petition in the last 14 years./p
pSupporters have long been calling for owner Ron Martin to leave, with many fearing for the club#8217;s long-term future./p
pAnd in the 10th minute of Friday#8217;s home clash with Eastleigh, they let their feelings be known in style./p
pA barrage of tennis balls were launched onto the pitch as fans called on Martin to go./p
pThe disruption caused the match to be suspended as staff cleared the field./p
pBut it eventually continued as Southend raced into a 2-0 lead before half-time./p
pThe protest came two days after Southend#8217;s latest High Court drama./p
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figure id=attachment_23662186 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/southend-united-fans-protest-chairman-840155565.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt= class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23662186 width=960 height=614 /figcaption class=wp-caption-text/figcaptionfigcreditFocus Images/figcredit/figureStaff moved quickly to get the game back underway[/caption]
pGranting the Shrimpers an October 4 deadline to pay off their £275k debt, Judge Sebastian Prentis said: #8220;If this was not a football club with the attachment of its fans, I would be winding you up today. You will be wound up on the next date if it’s not sorted.#8221;/p
pIt#8217;s reckoned Southend#8217;s total debts amount to £1.3million./p
pThe Shrimpers Trust said in a statement: #8220;Martin has once again done the bare minimum to keep his dream alive without any care about the club, fans or staff.#8221;/p
pThe protest against Eastleigh was organised on social media yesterday, with a message reading #8220;On 10 minutes, to signify each of the points we have yesterday been deducted, there will be a unified protest./p
p#8220;We ask that all fellow fans who wish to see Ron Martin out of our club support and participate as directed at the time./p
p#8220;If you are boycotting, which many individuals in our groups are, there is still an opportunity to participate, please get in touch./p
p#8220;We will not be silenced and we will not tolerate his wilful negligence./p
p#8220;Southend United is now once again reaching new depths and at its lowest point in living memory./p
p#8220;For all the loyalty, good will and effort shown by players, fans and staff alike, the present owner rides roughshod over it without an ounce of decency./p
p#8220;Last night’s Shrimpers Trust statement calls for greater fan participation in club ownership and governance. This is an aim and goal of all of the supporters groups./p
p#8220;With this in mind, we cannot wait and hope that the tax, judicial or football authorities alone will resolve this./p
p#8220;As combined fans we will be bringing a visible demonstration to the gamenbsp;from all three sides on Friday night.#8221;/p
pLast month, angry supporters staged a protest outside Martin#8217;s house, demanding he #8220;sell up and get out.#8221;/p
pMartin has owned Southend since 1998./p
p class=has-text-align-centerstronga href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23456419/transfer-news-live-harry-kane-bayern-moises-caicedo-updates/TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and confirmed switches/a from the world of football /strong/p