Uncle Urchin - Enlighten us....

[Guv]

Unc, I know you must still be shell-shocked with events, like the rest of us, but one question that surely Hilly/ Calder must have asked, and one I hope you can answer at some stage, is why the hell did the spend,spend,spend policy be allowed to continue over the summer and into the new season, when surely Coldseal as a company must have known how serious their financial position was back in July /August?

If its true what Hilly said earlier "re we were told to go ahead and bring in more players before Christmas if required", its a farce and totally unreal to believe.

I for one would have rather have got off the rollercoaster in the summer, take stock and see what could be rectified from a desperate situation then, not in Nov,when the club are on course for a great season. I would assume there is a great deal more info you can hopefully give us at some stage.

[Hasbeen]

Probably something to do with playing your cards close to your chest to be able to wind up a company. From Bryco came Coldseal who it turn have given birth to Warmseal.

[Uncle Urchin]

you are absolutely correct Guv...there is many a tale to be told....and I will tell such tale in due course....

 

in the meantime Gary Calder and the club need all the support that they can get and recriminations will serve no end....

 

we've done our bit to the tune of 2 million quid and now been slagged off for it.....

 

perhaps makes our decision to draw the line in the sand more palatable....

 

we'll see what happens next shall we....

[Guv]

U certainly won't b slagged off by me, just gutted the ride has ended in such a sad & devastating way for the club & its staff.

Look forward to hearing the full story in due course. Info you have always provided here has been top draw.

[Eastside Urchin]

cheers for the good times unc,alot of people are feeling a bit bitter at the moment,we have just seen our dream die,but being down the club last night made me realise that all the facilities we have down there were provided since you boys came to the club,if we can all keep the club going,this whole adventure would have been worth it,we know deep down that people only wanted the best for hornchurch and that you have suffered as well as us,just let things die down for a while and once people have time to reflect they will see how this club has changed.

best regards for your future and no doubt we will hear from you again

once again thanks

[Uncle Urchin]

oi hasbeen....its people like you that make me feel better....bryco bought coldseal...a mistake on my part...

 

warmseal has fck all to do with the whole issue...its a stand alone company that had no dealings with any of it....

 

you concerned about Hx...?

 

put some money in ...same as I did when I was concerned about it....

 

if you lot think I'm gonna sit back and take a load of abuse after what I did for the club then you're very much mistaken....

 

put your money where you're mouth is...same as I did......

 

here's a thought...all those free coaches....pay up and refloat the club....

 

even after all this I'll probably help that club more than you will in the future so fck off and if you've got anything to say to me say it on saturday at arlsely...we'll be there.....

 

will you....

[Hornchurchmag O30crew]

UU.... Ditto realy to what Eastside has just said.... In my eyes mate you are always going get get people that are going to slag you off, but HEY! we`ve all been down that road and have still come out the otherside.

I suppose you are the only one at the momment who realy knows the ins and outs of the last 48 hours. I`m sure when the time is right & your able to give yor side of what has happened you will do so.

I myself have always found you a Top Bloke regardless of what other people might say.

Like all rollercoasters, this ride has come to an unfortunate end. I for one will now cue up for the next ride, wherever it may take us......

 

Thanks UU for all that you have done for HFC & i hope that we will cross paths at some time so i will be able to buy you a beer.

 

All the best to yourself & Jen in whatever road you go down.

[Uncle Urchin]

thanx mags....seems at the mo that people are writing us off a bit too soon...we drew a line and stood firm...don't mean that we are walking away Mags...we still own the club....

 

get behind calder....he's been fckn superb in supporting this....

[Hornchurchmag O30crew]

Dont worry about us geting behind GC Unc. He like your self is in my eyes a Top Bloke.

Got a funny feeling this will make us the fans stronger & more determined to see it through.

 

 

Just a quick message to fans of clubs who we vist or vist it us & fancy having a cheap dig at us over our current situation......

 

BRING IT ON LADS.

 

People from other clubs dont seem to realise or understand why we go & watch HFC.....

 

We LUV where we live.

We LUV our footballball club.

We LUV watching our team, home & away & all the banter that goes with it.

YES we like it when we are winning & things are going well (who doesn`t?)

But most important is that we are all UNITED & we will stick together & see this through.

[YELLOW]

Quite right, don't let the bastards get you down!

 

Unc, keep the faith mate and the best of luck to you in the future.

[urchinboys]

I agree with Mags and personally wish to thank you Unc and wish you all the best...I just think some people are a bitter that the dream appears to have ended and they arenot thinking straight at the moment.

[Hasbeen]

Presumptions that by putting money into the club puts you all on the moral high ground are misfounded. I Really hope you prove me wrong UU. I suffered with a few others in physically digging out footings for the existing clubhouse and so have an affinity with the club. If I'm wrong I'll stand up in the clubhouse and anywhere else you name to hold my hands up and say I was wrong. I presume the purchased house next to the ground is part of a company asset that can be realised and piped back into the football club. If you have nothing to do with Warmseal in any way shape or form I'll apologise. Yes I'll accept you have done alot for the Club which would have ceased to exist if it hadn't been for your intervention but I'm scared for the club and it's history in that it could be erased forever with this fiasco.

[Alice]

It's clear that little or none of your money will go into the Club in the future, and that is understandable given the situation with your companies.

However, the burning question now is..."What is the debt situation of the Club? " You say you still own the Club. Is it you personally, or do you own it through a limited Company? Either way, if there is little or no outstanding debt, then the future is brighter.

I presume the ground is owned by a third party, hopefully the Council. If that is so, it can't be taken away to repay debts.However if you own the ground and it has been used as security for loans then the situation is more dire.

I recall you giving freely of your opinions when Billericay Town was in the throes of getting rid of the previous Chairman. Surely in the same spirit of openness you could enlighten your fans on the questions I raise here?

[Keemo]

the ground is indeed owned by the council

[Alice]

Well that's good news. Now you need to understand the debt situation. If there is little or no debt to pay off, restarting will be comparatively easy. The difference is that in future you would have to match expenditure to income, something many clubs have to do. However yo wouldn't have to go into administration and possibly start again from the bottom. You might get relegated this season but ion the meantime you will have breathing space to get yourselves organised for next season.

As I sai before, it all depends on debt and I would have thought UU could answer this quickly.

[Keemo]

Its not a totally clean slate as i am aware, the fans are doing what we can to raise sufficient funds to clear any debts, URCHIN - AID has been organised and tickets will go on sale next week.

 

More will be done by the fans to help the club.

 

Some serious sponsorship will be needed and the Supporters GRoup will be speaking with the management / committee to see what is needed to go forward.

[Red 'N' White Army]

UU, you must expect some criticism! We will never get the full story - admit it! And you will be just as well off with your future/current endeavours.

 

Yes you have done loads for the club - but it could well now be in a worse situation because of your financial input. No one asked you to put your money in - although everyone at the time was i'm sure very grateful that you chose us. It therefore set its sights very high and now is in tatters. It seems like we've been your plaything and now you've got bored. You you walk away relatively unscathed and unable to take the critisism that comes your way.

 

The fact you offered money to GC and GH earlier THIS WEEK is beyond comrehension as you MUST have known what was going to happen. These things do not just happen over night.

 

Had any warning been given to the club, it could have had time to formulate plan B. Staff may have been able to make provisions for the fact they have worked for 5 weeks and would not be paid. Who knows when they will. These people inevitably have mortgages, families etc. The timing has been perfect to avoid the months wage bill.

 

I think you would be very brave going to the game today as i estimate over a 1000 employers would love to have a word. However, you will still get the ones on here that naively still think you're the messiah and will be your best mate when they see you.

 

Don't worry about UU folks - he'll be fine.

 

As i said above, some kind of warning for the club would have been a lot kinder, as it seems Hornchurch FC were the last to know.

[mala_D]

Sorry...a bit late getting on here, but I just want to add my thrupence into the hat...

 

Unc: I want to thank you and Jen for all the hard work and dedication you have put into this club.

 

People often mistake your forum persona as being "the real guy", but nothing could be further from the truth. You are indeed a real gent.

 

I can't imagining you walking away from the Urchins voluntarily...and as you have read from us regular posters, we don't want you and Jen to be strangers here. Ideally it would be great if you both continue to have input into the club. [****!!****] the money...we like you as people.

 

You helped transform the club, off the pitch as well as on, and although myself and a few others were critical of a couple of the changes [like the beer <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />] we all knew that you had a vision for the club and that we would remain 100% behind your vision.

 

Others slagged us off for not being a "proper club", and that our stadium was "Telly Tubby Land", and one memorable quote was that 'The Urchins all seem to be in on some bizarre twisted joke'...in reference to the weekend when the jazz band made its appearance. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Superb! Gave us a unique character far different from every other club.

 

One thing for sure, you and Jen's tenure as guardians of the club was a breath of fresh air...and the increase in crowd sizes was as much due to the club's hospitality and excellent supporters' facilities for a club at our level.

 

Our opponents who actually bothered to venture down to Bridge Avenue and stop and have a beer with us were usually complimentary to us afterwards and understood that we were part of the Non-League football Fraternity...and I believe you and Jen had an influential hand in creating that hospitable atmosphere. You know what it's like to be a supporter, and how supporters should be treated and had the balls to implement it.

 

We're all behind the club at this dificult stage, and your Forum buddies aint gonna let you down. The non-forum users I know have all expressed similar intentions.

 

Perhaps, if you're ever forced to leave the club completely, we could have a pair of your moonboots mounted in a cabinet behind the bar. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

 

Whatever the future holds for us all I just wanna wish you and Jen and your family well and, again, say Thank You for the good times and the laughs we all shared.

 

Mal.

[Uncle Urchin]

alice...I should think long and hard before relating to my comments re ricays difficulties....you may well find that the salvation of that club was closer to me than you think...

 

as for red and white army...

 

I never offered money to anyone last week so I don't know where you get that from...as for not being asked to help Hx....are you sure....the then chairman tony wallace sat in front of me in January 2002 pleading with me to take over the debts and the club or else it would fold on the following monday...

 

like I said...I put my money where my mouth was....you just mouth it off on here...go work at the club for nowt or something and help them...then I might listen to you....

 

the club will survive and still have its nice facilities...GC and others alongside him will rebuild the team within new budgets and in time this will be a memory....it was an exciting adventure but its ended....

 

nothing can change that and as for not being able to take critisism....well I've had plenty and I'm still here...

 

in due course the story about coldseal will be public but for the time being I cannot comment for legal reasons....

 

spurious suggestions about DTI investigations are just gossip from sleazy newspapers and serve no purpose...

[Alice]

UU

Not trying to heap any more aggro on to your shoulders. Rather trying to get the necessary info so your supporters understand the magnitude of the problem. Seems that there isn't any danger of losing the ground so there will be somewhere to play. Would seem fairly straightforward to provide ball park info about the Club's debts so people can understand just what needs to be done. Indeed, if the debts are not insurmountable you will have left the club better off than you found it, regardless of what happens during the rest of this season.