SW11_Saint

I make no apology for congratulating a young english manager. Well done Nigel. Well done Leicester for appointing him - just where do you find this sort of grounded, sensible, knowledgeable, professional (and now successful) manager?

Why is it reasonable to assume that? Both have amassed a personal fortune, Wilde certainly. Interesting angle 19/Guided - trying to pin blame on Crouch now for Administration for not making this loan. Really fella, time to give it up and move on. He's gone. Have a cry if that helps, but he's gone.

He's not, but we all are...!

No, it's Dickie Attenborough my daaahling...

Who's the inscrutable looking chap on the left, inbetween the blonde and the guy in the scarf. My money's on him...

Or like inviting Rupert Lowe back to "help us out" of our current predicament!!

The other underlying issue in all of this is that we've known for years that without significant investment we were royally f00ked. So after Hone, Hoos, Crouch etc. openly kept the search going for new investors, why did Lowe, Wilde and co not do any proactive work in finding new investors? I remember remarking to friends, and posting on here, that Lowe's initial statement on coming back into power made no reference whatsoever to "looking for investment" - it was all about him (surprise surprise!) and his revolutionary new coaching set-up. I got the distinct feeling that he felt his bizarre plan could get us out of trouble, and no doubt he was looking forward to "proving us all wrong". I felt then that the die was cast and it was just a matter of time before the inevitable happened. And it did. So again, all of this could have been avoided if Lowe had put is ego to one side for once and openly stated that the club were still looking for investment, and had delegated someone to follow-up. We are now paying the price for this short-sighted failure.

Hey GM/19C - you know they say it's the first sign of madness don't you...?

I don't think anyone has been "campaigning" for administration - even if they were, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference, it's down to the incompetence of successive boards that we have arrived at this event. Implicitly you seem to be turning the spotlight/blame on the fans for "wishing" it to happen, which is nonesense. Most just understood it would happen at some point in time and merely pointed that out. To my mind the appointment of the duddly Dutch duo made poor performance and the resulting economic fallout inevitable: appoint clowns to run the team; farm out experience players, play kids; get bad results; players demoralised; management clueless; customers/fans p*ssed off; less money. Simple, and sadly another classic example of Lowe's ego getting in the way of common sense.

Stoke City did this - the ground was part financed by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council and S-o-T Regeneration when it was built, and they then sold their shares back to the club for about £6m at the end of 2007. Basically, if the council stepping in to support the club helps us stabilise in the short-term, then it would be a good thing in my opinion. It will also help ensure that the club remains at the heart of the community. Of course any potential buyer will need to be comfortable with this arrangement, but there is clearly precedent for this working.

Think you mean David Sullivan, the other sordid little man at Brum. There was talk of him trying to get involved in West Ham or someone a while back - he's an Essex boy I think. The fraud police are still sniffing around Birmingham so not sure he'd be able to make a move, or right for us (oh for a rich, hard-working chairman who doesn't (want to) get his face in the paper every other day!).

He likes "Sailing" (boom! boom!)

Even though there seems to be a lot of interest - which is good news for once! - I suspect 90% of them will be ruled out immediately as lacking the wherewithall to be considered serious bidders. I believe the administrators role is twofold - certainly he has to represent the creditors and try to get them as much of their money back as possible, but he is also representing the entity going into administration, and has a duty to make a decision that will give that company the best chance of flourishing on an ongoing basis. Although clearly money will "talk" to some extent, we have to trust Mr. Fry's professionalism to make the most sound decision to satisfy both requirements. Frankly we're in a "beggars can't be choosers" situation, so regardless we have to trust Fry & Co. but I think they will weigh up all aspects before coming to any conclusions. I guess we'll find out mid next week how many 'real contenders' there are...

Glass half empty (or should that be fully empty?) - we were pitiful, clueless, abysmal. A shambles with no fight or spirit. They ought to carry the poor fans who made the journey up there back home on their shoulders as penance (they could do with some training by the look of it). Glass half full - since the Football League are determined to see us relegated regardless, maybe it's better to slip pathetically away without a fight, rather than fight to safety then have Mawhinney's boys slap the 10 point deduction on us and relegate us anyway? That would just be too heartbreaking. Everyone involved with getting this club to this lowest of lowe (sic) points should hang their heads in shame. You know who you are. There may be a brighter future out there, but I suspect it will be a long time coming...

Problem with this is timing. Even if this forensic report is carried out "as a matter of urgency", there is still going to be an impact on potential buyers? We're being told we have to find funds/a buyer before the end of the season, but surely no one is going to step in until the results of this report are published. Time is something we do not have...

There endeth the sermon (we hope!). For the record I think most on this board agree with all of what you say, it's those (in power) who refuse to accept ANY responsibilty who rile people.

It is similar to a vicious circle, but just more transparent. That is, the appointment of JP was clearly ridiculous, as all could see (bar our 'revolutionary board' of course).

GM - he's gone. Get over it. Have a good cry if that helps, but he's gone. Time to move on...

You might deem it "better", but it's still pointless. Horse, barn door and all that...

Why is he bothering? No one is listening or interested. His chapter if firmly closed, and others are now left picking up the pieces...

Agreed, but Lowe was on the board for 80%+ of the time so only fair that the spotlight is 80%+ on him at the moment... (regardless of how much he's trying to deflect it!).

Agree, that bit was somewhat contradictory - but the Matt's a footballer (and a genius at that), not on the board. I think the latter point is the most important - why didn't we push on after the Cup Final when we had the chance? Thing is with Lowe, he did neither!

Iain Dowie

Can I respectfully suggest you **** off, unless you have something constructive to say? Your hero Lowe has failed - spectacularly - and has left us on the brink of League 1 and in Adminstration. Stop trying to to take your frustration out on those trying to help the club and go have a little cry... you'll feel better for it, believe me.

A must win game that we lost. To a team with virtually nothing left to play for bar pride. Sums up the dispirited ramshackle vestiges of a club that Lowe has left us with. Just a shame that he wasn't there himself to see what 26k odd think of him and his legacy. Unless we win at Watford this week we are down (and even if we do we probably are anyway), but the focus now has to be on the survival of the club - take the pain, and live for a better, brighter future.