Blues stadium could be ready in 2014

7:30am Tuesday 13th November 2012 in Southend

SOUTHEND United say it hopes its new stadium will be built and complete in 2014.

The Echo can reveal the 14,700 seat stadium at Fossetts Farm can be ready in under two years, according to the club.

However devoted fans remain sceptical after years of broken promises.

SUFC together with Sainsbury’s issued a statement which is the most clear indication of a timescale than has been announced for a couple of years.

Originally the plan was for the stadium to be ready for the 2010 season and then more definitive plans suggested a finish date for the 2013/14 season.

Set backs, financial difficulties and problems securing properties at Roots Hall for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket to enable the stadium building works have all contributed to the delays.

SUFC and Sainsbury’s said in a joint statement: “Work on the new store is continuing behind the scenes to secure the necessary technical approvals from Southend Council. At the same time we are progressing the contracts and programming of the project.

“We hope we have all necessary approvals in the very near future which would enable us to complete the stadium in 2014.”

Fans are pleased by the news but describe themselves as cautiously optimistic.

As recently as last summer (2011) the Blues said work could start in October 2011 and then again this January.

Ken Jarvis, from fan site Shrimperzone, said: “It’s positive news but unfortunately we have been here before - we’ve been given various dates in the past and work hasn’t happened.

“Speaking to fans we’d prefer to see a spade go in the ground then we’d really have reason to celebrate.”

He added fans are all behind the new stadium but feel let down previously and are keen to see action.

Ken said: ”It’s been such a long time coming. We feel before now why bother saying things will happen if it’s not going to happen, so this time we are cautiously optimistic.”

The stadium will eventually have 22,000 seats.

Comments(24)

pudsey says...
8:11am Tue 13 Nov 12

Make a note of the date. The Stadium will not be ready in 2014.
Remember I said it.

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Leighdweller says...
8:21am Tue 13 Nov 12

Seeing this is effectively a joint statement between the club and Sainsburys, I feel this has some credibility. Were it just a statement from Ron Martin, I would be less inclined to believe it. Sainsburys aren't going to put out misleading statements like this, they're too professional and organised.

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j-w says...
8:32am Tue 13 Nov 12

HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HAHA Stop it ha haha hahahahaha

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SARFENDMAN says...
8:37am Tue 13 Nov 12

Believing is seeing the JCBs at Fossetts not continual drip, drip messages in the media.

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southendshrimper says...
8:51am Tue 13 Nov 12

it's not April 1st is it?
I will belive it when it starts & more importantly when its FINISHED!!!!!!
Up the Shrimpers

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bongking says...
11:12am Tue 13 Nov 12

It does not matter what comments are made, one way or another it will be built!!
we have waited all this time, it will not matter if takes a bit longer, the team are still playing football, and hopefully we will go up, and play in this new stadium, people need to stop moaning!!!

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Eric Whim says...
11:13am Tue 13 Nov 12

it's going to be on that island at the end of the pier, next to the airport

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JoeBlogs2 says...
1:20pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Attn Ronny Martin

Let’s not give the Farmhands up the A12 the opportunity to poke fun at us from their Community Care Stadium

Please make sure we build 4 sides.

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Nebs says...
1:20pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Blues stadium could be ready in 2014.
More chance of Max Impact agreeing with Jayman.

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Max Impact says...
2:29pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Nebs wrote:
Blues stadium could be ready in 2014.
More chance of Max Impact agreeing with Jayman.
HeHe

Thats funny and might just happen when jayman reads this!

it is funny isn't it Jayman...

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sosad 1 says...
2:34pm Tue 13 Nov 12

if the stadiam opens in 2014 iwill run naked down the high street with a lump of celery up my bum you read it here "celery celery"nite nite

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perini says...
2:41pm Tue 13 Nov 12

I don't really expect there to be a Southend United by then - RM will have asset stript it and be long gone!

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Keptquiettillnow says...
4:20pm Tue 13 Nov 12

j-w wrote:
HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HAHA Stop it ha haha hahahahaha
April the 1st came early this year hahahahah

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southendshrimper says...
6:41pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Max Impact wrote:
Nebs wrote: Blues stadium could be ready in 2014. More chance of Max Impact agreeing with Jayman.
HeHe Thats funny and might just happen when jayman reads this! it is funny isn't it Jayman...
I have more of a chance to winning the lottery.

Sorry Max but its true.

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Seasider90 says...
6:51pm Tue 13 Nov 12

As its Sainsburys that have stated this there must be more credibility in it. We need 4 sides to the stadium - Oxfords ground is rubbish with 3 sides - no atmosphere and it looks odd.

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SUFC1906 says...
7:29pm Tue 13 Nov 12

A joint statement but read between the lines the parts that seem to refer to each party's aims. "Work on the new store is continuing behind the scenes to secure the necessary technical approvals from Southend Council". That is likely to be the Sainsbury part of the statement. "We hope we have all the necessary approvals in the very near future to enable us to complete the stadium in 2014". That is likely to be the club's part of the statement. Key word is "hope" in relation to any stadium. The Sainsbury's store part of the statement seems not to need to rely on hope. Must be costing a fortune for endless renewals of planning applications & red tape. A more likely outcome is a store at Roots Hall with either club closure or a few years groundsharing somewhere waiting for something to turn up like RM winning the lottery.

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holman says...
10:36pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Can anybody explain why they are planning to have so many seats ?

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Chap says...
9:02am Wed 14 Nov 12

I'd be surprised if they have even STARTED building it by 2014, let alone completed it.

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bongking says...
11:11am Wed 14 Nov 12

there is an agreement with sainsburys that it has to be built by then 2014, or you can forget the stadium!, but the supermarket will go ahead, so i think with all these negitive comments, they might think its not worth building it after all'!!!

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Southend Andy says...
1:00pm Wed 14 Nov 12

It will be great to have a new stadium, but needs to be four sides even if they don't put seats in. Why not make one side standing?

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Southend65 says...
12:07am Thu 15 Nov 12

Remember the Field of Dreams tagline... "If you build it, he will come".

Then he will realise that the quality of football is rubbish and drive down the local B&Q instead.

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bongking says...
4:00pm Fri 23 Nov 12

i think southend council is going to take over the stadium and it will be called the community stadium number 2, another sh-t hole!!

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supershrimper says...
7:54pm Wed 5 Dec 12

pudsey wrote:
Make a note of the date. The Stadium will not be ready in 2014.
Remember I said it.
Agreed. It said in the article the first plan was 2010, but on the 2005/6 season review, Martin said it will be ready for Kevin Maher's testimonial in 2008. Why do we need a bigger stadium anyway? We rarely fill half of what we have already.

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supershrimper says...
7:58pm Wed 5 Dec 12

pudsey wrote:
Make a note of the date. The Stadium will not be ready in 2014.
Remember I said it.
Agreed. It said in the article the first plan was 2010, but on the 2005/6 season review, Martin said it will be ready for Kevin Maher's testimonial in 2008. Why do we need a bigger stadium anyway? We rarely fill half of what we have already.

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