IT'S THE END OF THE LINE, RON!

The story of Southend United's demise bears many familiar hallmarks. Unpaid bills. Late wages. Transfer embargoes. Winding-up petitions. Protesting fans. A spiral through the leagues.

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Yet at the same time, Southend's story is also pretty unique. How many clubs facing liquidation sit at the heart of a £500 million pound development scheme, involving plans for a shiny new stadium and 1,400 new homes? Plans to leave the decaying yet atmospheric Roots Hall, the club's home since 1955, for a new stadium at Fossetts Farm, north of the city, have been 25 years in the making.

They are the reason why the reviled Ron Martin, a property developer, bought the club in 1998. And the sums now at stake is why, as Southend plummeted from League One to the foot of the National League, Martin continued to ignore desperate pleas to sell the club.

Dictators have proved easier to shift. Nearly 200 days have passed since he finally relented and agreed to sell-up. At the time of writing, Justin Rees, an Australian equities trader, is trying to do a deal to buy the club. There is growing hope that an agreement will be struck.

But if not, on Wednesday, Southend could be placed in administration, or wound-up at the High Court, because of debts to HMRC.

Limbo

Southend have been here far too many times over the years. As the club suffered backto-back relegations, bringing 101 years of Football League status to an end in 2021, winding-up petitions were more common than wins. Martin always came up with the money in the end. But when you keep on kicking the can down the road, one day you'll run out of tarmac.