WILL THE CLUB CHANGE ITS NAME TO "SOUTHEND CITY"?

 

Prince Charles has presented letters patent to the town of Southend the Essex town city status. It was announced that Southend would become a city after the death of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who had campaigned for the status for decades.

Addressing the council, the Prince said "how we all wish we could celebrate the occasion without the shadow of the dreadful event that took the life of such a devoted public servant."

Southend, population nearly 300,000, has a motto  'Per Mare Per Ecclesiam' meaning: By Sea, Church, is the 52nd city in England. Road signs will be changed and replaced around Southend tomorrow to reflect the change in status from town to city.

Sir David, who had served as Conservative MP for Southend West since 1997, was stabbed to death during a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on 15 October.

Prince Charles, who was accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, said Sir David's death was an attack on democracy and compared it to the violent scenes in Ukraine. He said: "What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself. We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression."

The Prince also recalled a visit to Westcliffe on Sea in 2014 where he and his wife met Sir David (below) and remembered his passion for making the town a city.

Charles said: "During that visit we recall our conversation with Sir David Amess. I knew him of course as a renowned and respected parliamentarian and effective campaigner on many national and local issues. Among them was his passionate determination to secure city status for Southend. "Today we mark the culmination of that dedicated campaign."

Southend United is a professional football club formed in 1906 and based in Southend on Sea. Initially playing in the Southern League, the club joined the Football League in 1920 and has competed in the third tier for most of its league history for subsequent seasons. By 2009 the club had major financial difficulties but avoided administration on several occasions. 

Financial difficulties, including a winding-up petition set to be heard on 22 January 2020, resulted in non-payment of players' and other employees' wages in December 2019, after which players consulted with the Professional Footballers' Association.  At this point (9 January 2020), Southend were 22nd in League One, 15 points from safety after winning only one of 24 league games.

However, on 28 October 2020, it was reported that the club had finally settled their tax debts of £493,931 with HMRC. This resulted in the winding-up petition against them being dismissed by the High Court.

By the way, today of course is the "Uppers and Downers" "Football Match" in the historic village of Ashbourne, Derbyshire ........more of that tomorrow, when we know the result.......