Glossop Shrimper

... and we have an Essex Derby next season. Happy days.

Our supporters are complaining the same on our forums for the game against Rochdale

16 month embargo until January this year. As soon as that was lifted, the Consortium were announcing, almost on a daily basis, contracts renewed or new signings. I think it was 9 or 10 contracts renewed but also 3 new players. £60,999 spent. By comparison, the Derbyshire Times recently reported that Chesterfield spent £52,722 on 6 new player contracts, and 6 signings. Skint, yes, until the owner goes. However, the Consortium and new owners elect, have been effectively running the club and paying the bills since last September. Considering contracts weren't exchanged until December last that was quite a risk but they showed their commitment to the club. Then it gets complicated, way over my head. There are threads on our forums explaining it but too many big words for me. When the latest winding up order was announced, the Consortium disclosed they had invested £2.5 - £3million in sorting debts, wages etc thus far. Provisionally sale date set for 15 May.

Gateshead win tomorrow. You win on Thursday. And ... It's 4 Cup finals on Saturday. I know we're very late to the party, but after this season, just staying up was our hope, anything else is the icing on the cake

For a day at least, now Gateshead need to beat Aldershot tomorrow night.

Agree. Ebbsfleet tonight, whom I think will give them a game and a half. Their last game is against Boreham Wood who are just below them in the relegation zone so tonight is crucial. We played Ebbsfleet away last month (1-1). At the time they were top of the form table, and were a good solid team. On that performance hard to fathom their league position. If Dominic Poleon can play like he did against us, they're in with a chance.

There's still yourselves, us and Aldershot as well as Halifax for that last spot. The only advantage we have is that we have one game left, Rochdale at the Hall. Halifax have 3 games in 5 days, you have 2 in 3 (and will have to beat Halifax at the Shay) whereas Aldershot have 2 games in 4 days. I think they have the hardest season end with a long away trip to Gateshead and then Dagenham. Tiredness will creep in. I watched us at Fylde last Saturday who had played Gatehead 2 days earlier. Second half Fylde were knackered, and their pitch was pretty badly cut up from said game. That said I thought we play extremely well.

The irony behind that winding up order beggars belief. It was raised by the lawyers representing the owner in previous winding up petitions. They argued then that SUFC were a community asset, should be given time to pay, etc. They won repeatedly and secured multiple adjournments. Now, they're the plantiffs for monies owed to them by the owner! That debt, £450k, will pass to the new consortium, who will pay once they become the legal owners of the club. Since contracts were exchanged last December, the consortium have invested £2 - £3m in the club, agreements made with creditors to defer debts until it's sold, especially to keep the electricity on, and water flowing. This law firm can't wait. Understandable if hey were skint, but our supporters looked at their accounts at Compnies House: profit £47m last accounts received. Court case next week. Adjournment expected, 'club is a community asset' and should be given time to pay, er ... I hope.

**** yeah! Now we're safe, all eyes on whether C*lchester get relegated. That would be the icing on the cake.

No chance. One of their games in hand will be against us ! That gives Wealdstone eleven games until season end in April. They are a part-time team (no disrespect intended), and they're going to be knackered. Long journeys to Altrincham and your BP in that too, and three games only 48 hours apart for each. That's harsh with neither leeway nor contingency to extend the season by a week or so. Raises the question again over player safety in the National League, where games are more likely to be cancelled when the weather is bad causing a fixture backlog.

Southend defender Gus Scott-Morris got called up. If anyone remembers from last Saturdays game - first half, he was the one who shot from outside the box forcing a bloody good save from your keeper Hudson.

It'll take more than a worldie to get past Collin

mmmm. . . If we win, or if we lose, the result is the same, I'll be drinking Wetherspoons in Glossop dry ... One day I might succeed too.

The Southend faithfull are staring to arrive Currently boosting beer profits in the Clayton Green

Barry Fry (Peterborough), Nigel Clough (Mansfield), and Andy Thassenhaler (Gillingham) were at the Hall for Tuesdays win against Altrincham. We're all hoping it was for their striker Conn-Clarke, and neither Bridgy nor Crowther. They both recently signed contracts so would cost a bit in transfer fees.

Ha ha! This is my 'local' derby. Not missed a game at BP for nigh on thirty years. Win, lose, or draw I've seen all three. All the joys, what if's, and the pain. At 3 o'clock I get to sing for team and county, at 5 o'clock it will be whatever. At the beginning of the season it was a miracle our game against you was on. Come Saturday, we have a brighter future, it's all about football again, and 3 points. Bring it on !

Geek fact but true, Bill Shankly's brother, Jimmy, played for Southend United. 97 goals in 150 odd appearances wearing the modest but iconic Shrimper badge Despite all our off field problems we've just beaten Aldershot 4-1 last Saturday, and Alty 2-1 tonight. Gauntlet thrown down, roll on Saturday

Phil Brown working wonders at Kidderminster. He took us to league one 10 years ago. At least Aldershot are losing. 9 minutes extra at the Hall. Squeaky bum time.

Thanks. Something is wrong. Yesterday 0-0 away at Oxford. Some say it was our worst performance of the season. 1200 Shrimpers surprisingly subdued. We had more than enough chances to win but Oxford had the best, including one that hit our cross bar, and had it gone in would have been a worldy. They lost 7-1 the week before. We have a decent team, legend for a manager, yet can't score. Murphy's law too. We released a defender last week, he signed for Oxford this, and played an absolute blinder. Maidenhead away on Tuesday so your result yesterday will be a benchmark. Then we have Aldershot and Altrincham at home. Improvement needed for oursakes, and ironically yours.

Yes. Originally we were allocated 800. That sold last week. Then another 400 and Oxford made it all ticket. Sold out on Thursday. Just to add a bit of spice, tickets for our game at Boundary Park next month have just come online

Sorted, nearly. Still waiting to get rid of the owner. Contracts exchanged and the consortium have effectively taken over the running of the club, new contracts sorted, new players in. The local paper this morning said completion of the sale is likely to be another 6-8 weeks. Today, Oxford way. 1200 Shrimpers going. Will be noisy

At least no chance of Halifax leapfrogging you now

Unlikely. Kevin Maher gave an interview in the local paper yesterday saying how difficult it is to get players over Christmas. That is despite having a couple of lower league veterans in John Still and Darren Currie scouting for us. With 3 games in 7 days, teams want to maintain their own squads without loaning out. Under the embargo we're allowed 16 players. With midfielder Dan Mooney leaving, and loanee Daniel Kanu recalled back to Charlton we have 14. 3 injured with 1 coming in as cover we have 12. Thanks to the owner we've had an embargo for 15 months, I get that, rules are there for a reason, but it's coming to a point where players safety and actual well-being are being compromised through no fault of their own. Still they're bloody legends one and all, and we beat Chesterfield with 13 players last month.

Second that. Hopes were raised at the weekend when he sneaked into Roots Hall for the Bromley game. Justin Rees, who is leading the consortium was also there, however, it's gone quiet again. With Christmas only a few days away. It's hard to see any more progress until the new year.

There was a protest at last nights game in the Essex Cup. Update given. Due dilligence done which unsurprisingly threw up some sneaky skeletons from the owner. 95% there. So close now, champagne on ice ...