Southend United Are Nearly Dead. What Happened? 

Thank You Vizeh, this means a lot to all of us who support Southend

Scunthorpe were a club who almost saw the same fate, although thankfully the club was sold a couple weeks ago. They had financial troubles, a winding up order from HMRC, unpaid staff + players, and were incredibly close to entering administration. I'm a grimsby fan and even though we are very close rivals, it would have been devastating to see them go because of what it would have meant for their community and what it meant for the town.

It’s really really sad. I went to Southend away in September and their fans do not deserve this. They were really welcoming and had really good support. This could be a dark day in English football

Colchester supporter here, and while yes Southend may be our rivals, I hate to see this happen to any small club. Things are not the best for us now either although looks like we will probably just barely stay up in the EFL. Best of luck to Southend and the supporters and here's to hoping things get better, even if the outlook is bleak right now.

I feel so sorry for the Southend United fans getting no media coverage is a disgrace. I think Southend will not be the last club to suffer like this lucky the government white papers has gone through on the football fan led review. Keep fighting hard to save Southend United never give up.

Glad people like you are covering this. It's ridiculous that this isn't mainstream news. I'm a Maidstone United fan so have been very aware of the Scunthorpe and Southend situations as a result. Hope it gets resolved as nobody wants a club to go bust

Thank you Liam, us Southend fans have been wanting and needing coverage on this for so long 🙏

This was a great video Liam, but sadly as long as teams like Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and possibly Manchester United keep raking in the big bucks, no one else stands a chance. In the early 2010s, I remember watching Sky Sports News every day after school to see what was happening with my team Portsmouth. Thankfully in 2013 the Supporters' Trust were able to buy the club, pay off the debts, and get us promoted to League One. My heart breaks for teams like Bury, Macclesfield, Luton, Bolton, Rangers, Crawley, Portsmouth, and Southend (to name a few) who either have been liquidated or have been close to liquidation due to poor management.

As a notts county fan who has seen this several times I sincerely hope you get through this. You have superb fans who deserve better. I remember last season, midweek at our place, over 800 of your fans turned up (4 hour journey) to watch your mid table team. The potential support for a successful club is amazing! Good luck and hopefully good times aren’t far away.

Says a lot about the media that this is the first Ive seen of this

Thank you so much for doing this, for covering a story that mainstream media just ignore (sadly)

Thank you so much Liam for outlining how bad things are at Southend Utd right now

Hi Viz! I just want to thank you for bringing this up to my attention. I follow my local top tier club in Norway (Sandefjord), and i have since the new year startet my very own podcast with my mate about the club and Norwegian football in general. This story has touched my heart, and i have fully determined myself to investigate on this dark story. Yesterday we recorded a bonus-episode talking about lower League football in England despite our podcast mainly talk about everything Norwegian. I gave that episode 27 whole minutes talking only about Southend United and all the crisis happening. Ive also trough my platform given other larger fotballing podcasts who i know directly the word about this. This will be brought up to attention to footbal fans within my community, and a lot of other communities within Norway now, and all of this is because of this video! Our podcast are named Blå Ball if you were curious I just want to let you know, that even if you didnt think so, you are making impact mate❤️

I was at the Southend vs Man United game. Daryl Flahavon had the game of his life, Eastwood then bending it in the top corner, great atmosphere. The seasiders will forever be my FM road to glory save ♡

Love the video man, Southend is my local club. Hopefully things will look up again. Those bloody blue signs of the new training ground and stuff been up doing nothing for so long. It's amazing at the crash of our club from where we was some years ago. Sad to see and hear of the players being constantly not paid on time and the backroom staff. It's surprising anybody wants to work there. Wishing and hoping to see them back in the football league one day but those things you speak about has to change.

Damn Southend are my local club, sad what is happening but mainstream media isn’t reporting it

Amazing vid. Would love to see more videos of clubs downfalls and potential rise again? Such as Sunderland, Bolton, Stoke.

I am loving these new documentary style videos I love the longer ones aswell good job vizeh wish you the best

It feels like Vizeh uploads every day with high quality videos. Man, I hope he’s treating himself alright

I very much appreciate you taking the time to put this video together. I have been supporting Southend since I was a schoolboy, with my first game in August 1966. I have seen so many games at Roots Hall (as well as away games) and have had some wonderful years watching them. I have taken my son and daughter to games and now take my two grandsons. We have a third grandson due any day, but I fear I will never be able to take him as I am so afraid that March 1 will be the day my club dies. The owner will not entertain outside investment, and we do not have the money to go on. Even though work took me to locate my home to other counties, my grandsons have the love for the club that I do. I fear that our last game (a last-minute win 2-1 Vs Darlington in the FA Trophy last month) will be the last we can see. I hope I am wrong. Thanks again for highlighting our plight. Just a thought. A couple of month's worth of a Premiership player's wages would see us saved..........

Thank you for making this video! Any attention we can get into the media the better! The disconnect between fans and owner is very worrying, broken promise and awful decisions have cost us way to much! Our only hope is an investor can come in but having heard stories of the owner rejecting offers just makes him so delusional! Once again on behalf of all us shrimpers, thank you!

Im glad that you started to produce content like this. Keep it up. Cheers from Croatia

Glad to see someone covering this. I’m a Pompey fan, and I’ve been trying to talk about this on social media. But everyone responds to me with sarcastic `what do you want us to do about it’ Everyone stood there when Bury went out of business and said that it could never happen again. And now Southend are on the brink and nobody cares, but they’ll come out with their declarative empty statements and tweets if Southend go out of business. Southend have one of the best fan-bases I’ve ever come across and they deserve so much better.

I really feel for Southend. I'm a Notts County fan. This nearly happen to us. Southend are a close club to me as it was my first away day. They are a great club and do not deserve this. #savesouthend

Played our local team last night and their fans were brilliant, scored last minute and won. It's really a shame what happened to a club with that big of a fanbase.

Fair dos for doing this. As a Leeds fan (we were bad with money for a while) I hate seeing clubs get shafted. I used to work with a Southend fan who travelled to games from Yorkshire. A lot. Top lad. Regulator won’t solve everything but crikey it’s a start.

This means so much to me as I live in Southend and I can't see this club go bust with all the history we had over the years and is it okay to share this video

If you drop into the national league, it is almost impossible to get out

3:14 Black Ops online menu theme! Wasn't expecting to hear that on a video on Southend United. Thank you Liam- great video as always 👍

this feels like the derby county (my club) situation it was a dark time in the club’s history but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel let’s get southend out there to business owners to help them get out this situation

Great video. Thanks for highlighting the plight of the club. You did kind of miss the elephant in the room which was fossetts Farm, the new stadium and recently installed training pitches. These are a massive part of the story. I've subscribed and will definitely share.. All the best

The bill has been paid off🎉

As a man utd fan no club deserves this so sad to see 😥😥 football is our life it's our escape from the struggles of real life. We live for match days and the weekend praying for all you Southend fans 🙏🙏

Supporter for 19 years. Dad's been a supporter for about 60. It breaks my heart when we talk about the playoff hopes that this lingers over everything. It's frustrating that it's not even the first time this flared up, and terrifying that I don't see how this ends outside the club dying. But as much as I hope against hope that the club survives, what I hope for more is that the serious reform to the lopsided finances of UK professional football get addressed.

Thank you for covering us. Feel like we just a small echo no one would hear about

Really sad this, went southend a few years ago with Wigan, lost but it was still a good day! Best of luck to southend.

Same thing happened to my club darlington fc, such a shame how owners ruin football clubs, we were literally at southend for the FA Trophy 3 weeks ago. Would be a cruel shame to see them go

10 months later we are safe!

Didn't know this. Heartbreaking stuff. Hopefully they can sort it out. Feels quite random that me and my friend are traveling to the UK 2.march with the plan on going to roots hall 3rd of March for Southend - Barnet..

A lot of support from Italy, don't give up my friend for all who love football❤

Great vid buddy , we need all the exposure we can get , as a fan of 40 yrs , im gravely worried for the club , keep the faith you blues fans

Not even a Southend fan but one memory of the club that will always be with me was that cup match against Manchester United and that free kick

Nice work, Vizeh. Keep up these excellent, informative videos. I never knew that Southend United were in such a perilous position. I really hope that they can find a way to get the club back on its' feet. It doesn't matter who you support, or what sport you follow - to paraphrase the Manic Street Preachers, if we (the fans) tolerate this, our club (or even the sport itself) could be next... Cheers from a new subscriber from Victoria, Australia.

this reminds me of my club Macclesfield Town. as it is we are reborn with a new owner who supports the club along with Robbie Savage. good luck for the future

As a Southend fan I am heartbroken by the selfishness of our owner Ron Martin there's so much more happening behind the scenes with this crook. Glad someone has made a video about our beloved club. Let's hope we are still here after march 1st

As a Rochdale fan I fear my boyhood club might soon face this same fate as we are really struggling ourselves

As someone who spent a lot of the ir childhood in Southend, especially adventure Island, this makes me very sad

This is my boyhood club. I hope they pull through. Thank you Vizeh

Thank you Liam for taking the time to put this together. It's much appreciated. I can't see light at the end of the tunnel In this situation. Ron has destroyed this club. A club that has ran in my family since the 1930s!

things that need to change, like, yesterday we need the 50+1 rule fit and proper owners test needs a massive overhaul, to include more sport based questions (like, what good is an owner who knows nothing of the sport?) whilst prolly not the PL or Championship unless FIFA impose the rules, maybe lower down, League 1/2 or National league, needs some kind of transfer and wage cap, not only keep competition but also as a way to help prevent theses situations the 3rd is the least likely to help, but the first 2 *NEED* to happen, like, now

Thanks for making this video, im a Pompey fan and i feel for south end supporters, as do im sure fans from clubs all over the country, this video was the first i seen or heard about south ends troubles and that is really wrong, the media should be on this now not wait to pick the bones of a news story that has a tragic ending. Good luck South End, hope for a happy ending.

Got onto the subject even before HITC Sevens. Loving your content, keep it up man.

Was close to the situation at Northampton a few years back in 2015, thankfully we got out of it and won the league by 13 points in the same season, so a happy ending I guess

Hope Southend stay alive from a Charlton fan Southend was always a good away day we are and were experiencing the same thing #SaveSUFC #SaveCAFC

It’s absolutely scandalous that the plight of Southend United isn’t given any coverage by the media. I’d known that you’d fallen on hard times recently, but didn’t realise things were that bad and were facing extinction. I really hope you don’t fall away like bury did. I’m a Swansea fan from the mid 80s, and we enjoyed some good games with you Shrimpers. Wishing you all the best.

Went from watching your vids for fun to watching it for the deep dives, still consistently good shit, keep it up

Thanks for making this video, this hasn’t been seen much on the news and Southend is my local so good to see someone covering their situation 👍

As a Gillingham supporter it makes me so angry see see this happening to southend United. We went through a similar period were we were hours from oblivion and nobody in the media gave a crap. When Brighton went through a bad period the media gave them loads of coverage. It seems to me that your club has to be fashionable for any proper coverage. To see Scunthorpe in dire straights is heartbreaking too. Nearly got into the championship a few years back. I remember playing Scarborough who no longer exist. So much money in English football it needs to be escalated down the league’s. 😢

As an Oldham Athletic fan, I’m happy we were able to find a new owner, hope Southend can too.

Arsenal fan here....as a local Islington lad seeng my club play every weekend is always a pinnacle and there isn't much that can drive that emotional feeling. Its sad to see the state of football in the lower leagues and certainly for clubs like Bury and Southend and of course something needs to be done when it comes to how clubs are run, funded and saved. EPL has made clubs tons of money and it is a model thats made us the richest league in footy but how nothing is really being done to help lower league clubs is mind boggling....the EPL should be investing money into a pot every year to distribute or invest into lower leagues....I hope Southend are able to be saved....Freddy Eastwood's goal against MU won't ever be forgotten.

These Documentaries are honestly Elite level videos, going from fifa and occasional football talks/rants to these documentaries

Great video Vizeh, sad to hear

Leyton Orient Supporter Here,, It saddens Me To See Southend In This Situation,, A Great Club With Fantastic Supporters,, A Club That is Vital To The Local Community.. We Faced a Similar situation With a certain Italian Owner (I Hate To Even mention His Name). Who Took Us To the Brink Of Liquidation. I Said At the Time That The EFL was useless in their help for our club,, The decision to deduct 10 points from Southend is a disgrace by the EFL, at a time when they should be helping the club and its supporters. Bolton Were Also Let Down by The ELF and as you mentioned We Sadly Lost Bury Too.. he EFL need to up their game in who they allow to own clubs and they should monitor their behavior while they in ownership Otherwise we will start seeing more clubs in peril..I sincerely wish The Staff, Players and Most of All the Supporters of Southend Success in Saving their Proud Club.. Good Luck.

This is so sad. We better hope for a miracle 🙏 I’m worried this will happen to my local team Crawley because of our clueless owners.

Thank u I felt like we have no support we will survive the fans won’t let it die

i attend southend united college. and the atmosphere has been completely different as none of us know if we will be able to attend after march 1st. it’s horrible

Southend United was a team me and my brother have a memory of having one of our first career mode on fifa what we made them to the Premiership and was happy and all that seeing this hurts me after i known this club in all my childhood tbh and i don't wanna see them wanishing from football like Bury and now Scunthorpe i hope they will be saved somehow it's a football club that have the hearts of many and no one wanna see their supporting club wanish from football ever. Love from Norway

As a hereford fan we went through the same thing but we were really unlucky and lots of players including jarrod bowen were not paid for months and we survived the conference but beacause our owners Tommy agombar and Andy Lonsdale didn't pay off the debt Chester got deprived of relagation and we were relagated to the southern prem but after half a Millon in debt we got wound up I just hope that Southend or any club go through what we went through and this is a story that needs talking about!

Thanks for this video about the club from my hometown

I’m a Tottenham fan but I was born and raised in southend I went to the game against Gateshead Thx for explaining to other football fans about the situation

Thanks man for listening to my suggestion

Amazing video Vizeh, I had no idea the full extent of the issues at Southend... I wonder if they got an ex team mate of Neville in as manager to get him and Sky to care 🤔... Think that there needs to be a more vigorous background check of owners upon purchase and yearly checks to see if they still meet the requirements as some long term owenrs won't have undertaken the checks when they first took over or in other cases owners step down and hand the reigns to someone in the family who won't understand the ins and outs of running a football club. The only bad side to this is that it may increase the league gaps even more with less people eligable to run a club meaning a lot of the lower teams will be fan owned and watching "This is Wrexham" the difference investment makes cannot be understated not just signing players but the improvements to the ground. A lot of things like this makes me think that the enitre structure of the English game needs to be looked at with Chelsea spending £100 million on 1 player whilst half a percent of that could go remove the loan at Southend and cover the expenses for another season (don't quote me on that I also can't run a football club 🤣)

I am so sorry to hear of Southends currently plight. I remember Southend being in Div 2/2nd Tier and to see the club steadily going downhill thanks to a 'chairman' who obviously had no time for the fans or the club itself is sickening. Over the years I've seen many of the 'smaller' clubs suffer a similar fate and I do hope somehow, for the fans and football in general, Southend can survive this. Mick, Exeter fan. Up the Shrimpers.

Luton fan here, really understand what you are dealing with, the reality of teams like yours, can happen to anyone in the “real “ football world, Bury and Rushden & Diamonds, are examples of what can happen, if a Chairman turns out to have non football motives, or no money, or both. Luton has a succession of these, almost disappeared, but thanks to people like you, we didn’t. A phoenix club is a way forward, AFC Wimbledon is a good example, Macclesfield another, don’t give up. Last thing, the lack of publicity with your plight demonstrates the “ football family “ is obsessed with the elite, as long as money, is at the centre of the game, this will never change... GOOD LUCK 🤞🤞🤞

Can't Wait To See HITC Sevens' Video On Southend United

Wishing Southend fans the best always had a great following down at plainmoor

Great video. There should be more done, from the top-down with revenue sharing via the Prem and Championship. However, any monies shared from the Prem and Champs should be used only for paying the non-playing employees and should be extremely well regulated to make sure this is done. Afterwards, it can be used for tax settlement. This will leave more money (in theory) to pay the players.

SUFC supporter here. Having worked for the club over 20 years ago and now my son plays in their academy set up. Sadly even so.e of the academy coaches have started to leave. Not paid in months and the best coaches have departed. The struggle is real, my son loves Southend. I fear a phoenix club is coming. Southend City FC will be good but it will never be Southend United.

We went through it at Nuneaton a year prior to Bury’s liquidation. HMRC bills, players (past and present) going to court over unpaid wages, electric bills not being paid and having to rely on a generator to power everything, bailiffs. You name the problem, we had it. We had a freaking turf war with the rugby club over whose land is whose and they ended up blocking the turnstiles because they believed the turnstiles belonged to them and didn’t want us using their land. All because of an owner that did not care. It was horrible and I really hope Southend get out of it because no fans deserve that. Fans shouldn’t have to worry about saying the sentence “I don’t have a football club to support anymore.”

I feel sorry for Southend because they’re a great club with great fans and I’ve been to Roots Hall with AFCB numerous times over the years. We have also had Simon Francis, Lee Bradbury, and Kevin both play or manage eachother. We’ve even been in situations numerous times at Dean Court where the club very went into liquidation with 2008 being the closest as we were 15 minutes away from liquidation.

This almost happened with my club Gateshead we got related and promoted last season dont think I saw a single artice or person except for us fans talking about it we raised money so we could survive so the fans saved out club

I feel for them. I know it’s not the same but when Chelsea had no owner I was terrified what that I love was just gonna be taken away from me and all I can do is watch. I hope they somehow survive. 😢

My team Monarcas Morelia was taken from us fans in Mexico it would be cool if you covered something like that … hope these fans get to keep their club

Gazélec Ajaccio who are in the fifth tier of France were in Ligue 1 as Recently as 2016 are facing a similar fate too.

🙏 Praying for the Southend Supporters

No football fan should have to go through this, hope something resolves this issue soon for Southend. Things need to change, and soon

Thanks for bringing awareness to this fella

Going tomorrow to Southend v York, fear it may be my last game seeing my local club as I don't get a chance to go as much as I once could

So sad that the reality is my club have got a video like this, but I must say. This is great publicity and a good explanation for what is going on

This video hit alot harder than I thought it would 😢 it’s utterly devastating. I was at the re-scheduled Halifax game on Tuesday night, the atmosphere was electric once we got to 1-1. I genuinely hope we find a way of keeping afloat, we don’t deserve this. I’ve started to remind myself of the 2000-2010 day’s with Tilly, Maher, Eastwood, Clarke, Barrett, Gower, Constantaine, Flahavan etc when we were a force. I’ve got so much time for Kev though how he’s turned the spirit around in the dressing room, especially after so many dud managers beforehand (Brown aside possibly). You can tell the players idolise him, especially if they grew up watching him as a player. All we can do is hope Ron pulls his finger out and accepts help from outside the Gates of Roots Hall…

This club, these fans deserve so much better. I really hope Southend United is saved. I'm not a supporter but a few years ago got to see them hammer the MK Dons 0-3 at Stadium MK, superb performance.

Painful seeing the demise of Southend, grandad played for them in the 1970s and I live down the road. The Shrimpers will rise again.

Oh Gus Scott-Morris; you are the love of life oh Gus Scott-Morris… I’m a Hemel fan and I Hope Southend survive. It broke my heart seeing Bury die and watching sky sports treating Bury’s death and Bolton’s near death as like a transfer deadline day. Football clubs are the hub of the community for 100s of years, you kill a club you kill the community. I hope Southend survive as get back to the football league where the belong💪🔴

I had no idea about Southends situation till this video. Football is globalising at a terrifying rate and many clubs such as Southend, Bury (who are now in the 9th tier) and many more will be left in the dust unless something changes (Barrow AFC Fan).

I am a big southend fan and it is really sad to see protests near enough every week because the atmosphere at roots hall is unbelievable, hopefully it can be sorted out

Go on Collymore! Good on you son, nice that you remember your roots.

Love the black ops 3 background music

watching this a year in the future. How are we still breathing!

As a Liverpool fan, but also Followed Macclesfield town from my teens years, ive see his hand the 2 ends of the football pyramid and 1 team die because of another poor ownership of a club

I am from southend its really sad to see it come down to this :(