Fitzhugh Fella

Mark - you may have missed a reply I posted a week or two back when I apologised to you for getting it wrong re Wilde. I admitted I had been far too quick to welcome Wilde (and I am sure Mary would too have some regrets as hindsight is a wonderful thing) but you have to remember who created the climate that, at the time made us feel like drowning men clutching at straws. When you're fighting to keep your head above water a drowning man does not check the seaworthiness of the lifeboat. I am pretty sure Mary no longer has aspirations to once again serve as a director of SFC so we need not judge her competence on that score. What she has proved today is unlike some who continue to slither and hide behind the nearest stone (Askham and Wilde) she is at least prepared to put her head above the parapet. She does this because she is a fan who is concerned at the directiion the club is going. If you met her you would soon see that. She did not ask to inherit her father's shares and I have never heard her claim to have any rights because of it. If you and I had inherited a similar windfall you and I would have been as keen as her to have had the chance to get involved and I daresay we would have made mistakes - but they would have been genuinely made.

well Nick I was told by the horse's mouth so to speak and short of calling Mary a liar - which I am sure you wouldn't do - I think we had better take her version of events.

No this mutual friend has a holiday home near the French south coast but Mary did not go there. They had the conversation at a wedding they both intended. Mary is pretty upset by this misapprehension. It is awkward for her too because she does not want to compromise her friend. I hope this clears things up.

I have spoken personally to Mary re the whole Paul Allen scenario. In a nutshell Tom McLaughlin ™ approached the club and said PA was interested in investing in Southampton and was acting on his behalf. Checks were made and it was established that TM had in the past acted for PA (aircraft leasing) and therefore he was considered to be legit. Before long the execs went cold on the idea once they found out there was nothing in it for them. That meant TM was shunned - even to the point the execs refused him hospitality and he and another had to pay to enter SMS through the turnstiles. Mary, Leon and Co still believed TM could deliver but were frustrated by the facts the execs wanted to scupper the deal. As time went on suspicions grew that TM was not exactly kosher but contrary to reports Mary did not get on any aircraft or make any approaches to PA. She did have a friend however who knew PA slightly and she asked this friend to keep his ear out to see if PA's interest was genuine. Leon and Pat Trant called a meeting with TM who assured them he was still intent on delivering PA. Leon and Pat then paid him a sum of money by way of commission from their own accounts, but within a fortnight TM had reneged on promises and they lost their money. In the end things got nasty with TM which a lot on here can understand. The only thing you could possible level at Leon, Mary and Co is they were sucked in but there again so were most of the fans.

If you are going to slag Mary off Mark - at least get your facts correct. Indeed Mary did approach Wilde with her concerns over Dulieu and Hone shortly after she had proxied her shares to him but Wilde dismissed her concerns with "I have every faith in them". How do I know this? She told me and I don't have her down as the sort to lie to save her bacon. Unlike the puppet who now props up the man who in your eyes can do no wrong. If you are going to get into the heat of the kitchen Mark check your facts first - if you can.

Someone - FC - probably ,said they compared Wilde and Crouch similarly. Let me point out one small difference. Over the last 3 years Crouch has spent around a million pounds on various aspects of Southampton FC ie sponsorship, boxes, statue etc etc (that is not his figure but one given to me by another ex-director). Michael Wilde has not put one penny in over that same period - in fact the exact opposite. So you can see there is a small difference in the two men's rhetoric - one puts his hand in his pocket the other doesn't. Doesn't make Crouch the bees knees but it does give an indication of what each man thinks about this club.

So - have the Echo got balls - over to you Adam/Simon?

I think the word they used Rich was tantalisingly

How about....... we have held talks with a potential Hungarian investor last week? I've been told it and I believe it. Of course those talks may not lead anywhere but at least it gives us something to cling to in these dark days.

Just had an interesting text (no, not from LC) that indeed talks have been held last week with a potential Hungarian investor. Know no more than that but believe my source 100%. Hope is worse than despair mind!

I wouldn't raise my hopes too much but I have to admit I feel so low at present any news of a potential investor is something to cling to.

LC has not said anything to me but I have just learned there IS some dialogue with a potential European investor and it had something to do with Friday's match.

My first one would be So, does JP's departure herald the end of the Dutch "total football" plan? My second Why was one minute JP talking about redoubling his future efforts only to walk out a day later. My third Does JP's departure have anything to do with this mystery advisor and when is he going to be introduced officially. My fourth Are you sure Mr Wotte has the full respect of all the players and staff My fifth Why is David Hockaday on garden leave I am sure there are plenty of others - just hope the Echo has the cojones to ask them.

To see if there was a way out of our current predicament. Unfortunately no agreement or concensus was forthcoming and that now means Wotte is there on a permanent basis until Lowe decides otherwise. Tbh - I feel sick and numb now. The amount of really good fans who have told me over the last few days they have had enough is frightening. And for the first time in my life time, my Dad and I could not even discuss it this morning. Appointing Wotte for me is the straw that breaks the camels back.

No I don't. LC has not mentioned any mystery buyer to me and I don't know anything about whether it is true or not. I doubt it myself.

Didn't "act the way one should" in a board room .......allegedly.

No, you are adding 2+2 and probably coming up with 5, Jan. Can't say I blame you. I know LC wanted rid of JP as part of the deal but he would have to really dislike him to pay £2m solely for his removal.

Has anyone said why Hockaday is on gardening leave? and this new advisor to Lowe (who's behaviour has upset the Charlton and Palace boardrooms) has he been unveiled officially - or is he to remain the mystery man?

Good question - and I am still struggling to understand the relevance. All I can find out that Crouch Lowe and Wilde DID meet up on Friday. One of Crouch's original demands as a condition to his £2m investment was the removal of JP. That happened following the meeting and it seems he wanted that known. It also appears however that the meeting ended with no positive solution or agreement being reached between the 3 and so we are where we were except we have a different permanent Dutch head coach who it appears has a rather unpleasant reputation. The conference tomorrow is to introduce Wotte and Svensson. We have another coach on gardening leave for unclear reasons and we also have an advisor to the Chairman who it seems no one wants to talk about. So the deck chairs on the Titanic have been rearranged once more, the ship's captain has replaced one of the officers with another and its full steam ahead. If I was on board I would not stray too far from a lifeboat because the disaster that is about to befall us is even more imminent than it was a week ago. I could weep I really could.

See your point but that doesn't mean you can't use the PM and word of mouth method. Plus you hope people read between the lines.

Surman's missus just had a baby this week.

I agree, I always cringe when I hear the he was popular with the players type of quote but what I hear about Wotte is way beyond him being "unpopular" with the players. In fact the word being used is he is "despised" by the players. And there is other horrible stuff which I would go as far to say is positively toxic (heard it from three good sources and I also know where it originated.) I am worried that we have lept from frying pan into the fire. For me it was never a case of getting rid of JP but more the man who appointed him. But you know that don't you Steve.

I think you will find I posted quite a bit about Wilde today that was factual. I appreciate your scepticism and there is loads I want to say but I can't because I have promised confidentiality. That is frustrating for me too you know. Sometimes I try to be subtle so as not to reveal my source but it is hard. I spent 2 hours with someone yesterday and learnt some shocking things, but I just can't post because the person who told me would be known to who the story involved while I would probably be litigated against. It will all come out as soon as I am in a position to do so. The bit about LC being at SMS yesterday was leaked to me - when I had it confirmed I asked if I could make that knowledge public. Answer YES so on it went. Significant information? - I dunno, I was told so but if not at least you know something that had I not posted you wouldn't have. Plus you can make your own deductions. I never indulge in that wink wink thing that LLS and St David specialised in. We live in secretive times and with the club lying, spinning and misleading the fans so much we need to use this forum as sensibly as we can. One thing I know is this forum is widely read by all sides. Apparently, in his office Jim Hone had nothing apart from a chair, a desk and a laptop permantly logged onto the Saints forum. Unfortunately WSS I am not anonymous so I have to be a little careful.

Someone at SMS told me Lowe's salary and expenses are paid through a holding company. Now I am not sure if that is legit or not - presumably they would have to be declared in the yearly accounts or does the holding company aspect hide them.