Fitzhugh Fella

Just occasionally, information comes my way from impeccable sources, so what I am going to divulge tonight, “nutjobs” can take as 100% verbatim. I would not post if I wasn’t convinced it was the truth. This is not idle gossip take it from me. There is, apparently, massive tension between Andy Awford and McInnes, in fact the relationship is so bad it is fair to say they both hate each other. Not healthy I would say. “Champagne Ian” never rated “Andy Awful” in the first place (you might remember Awford was not considered up to the task when they instead went for Richie Barker) and I gather the chairman has since been interfering on football matters and even setting up potential transfers without AA’s knowledge. The story gets more intriguing, as it appears everyone’s favourite journo, Neil (Paragraph) Allen has now been dragged into the crossfire as Awford suspected a story The News ran was planted by McInnes. He, not surprisingly, was furious. Awford hasn’t the clout (yet) to ban The News himself, but took revenge by curtly and pointedly only answering "yes" or "no" to any of their questions at press conferences pre and post-match. The bottom line is Awford and McInnes have no mutual trust whatsoever and the relationship between the two is at breaking point and will only end in tears. You heard it here first.

Yes we did and we had no option but to, legally but I think we saw that loyalty in football is a fickle beast which works both ways.

I agree with most of your sentiments except the bit about the club sticking by him etc etc. Let's face it if they didn't think he was good enough they would have shipped him out him quick enough, especially if Cortese was in charge. Look at how Bernard, Sharp and Lee were quickly put out to pasture once we had no further need of them.

To be fair Ron has acknowledged that AL is in a mess and bad PR has contributed to that. Deep down Adam probably is a nice lad it's just that fame and fortune has turned his head and his judgement is no longer sound. It is a great shame as he could have gone done in our history as one of the best but his behaviour and words during the summer antagonised the masses myself included.

Should have kept his mouth firmly shut, this article just fans the flames. I never minded him leaving it was just the manner in which he conducted himself during the transfer which sticks in the craw and won't be forgotten.

Don't get me wrong when Saints score or win no one jumps higher and no one is happier in the pub than me (which I think makes me different to my big mate Alpine not) but I just don't like getting carried away. Incidentally apart from a wobble on this thread I have been very supportive of this new regime and even more so since they were kind enough to endorse Hagiology and the history. I don't relish attacking the club but I agree I am no shrinking violet when I see things I don't like. I was anti Lowe in his final years and grew to thoroughly dislike Cortese, but I like to think I give people a chance. Incidentally I still drink in the Ave prior to games so next time say hello. I am sure our arguments would be less robust face to face.

Does anyone remember this goal that never was v Leeds scored by Mark Hughes? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1207101/The-goals-Sportsmails-time-favourite-Phantom-goals.html

Seeing you wish to stick to your guns (by the way have you ever posted something that with hindsight was not quite nail on head?), I still stand by the main thrust of that post. We remain at the whim of Our owner. At present she seems keen to run the club in a fan friendly way (that was far from being evident when I started that thread) but nothing is guaranteed it will stay that way and, if she has a change of heart, there is bugger all we can do about it. Having now met her and seen what has happened this summer my view has changed. That's good. I go with the flow and I base my opinions not on doctrines, blind faith, or a desire to be the loyalist fan in the world. Nor do I try to be the forum guru smugly never putting a foot wrong. I will leave that to you.

. You have a lot of time on your hands but searching for that post does nothing to prove your point. The club was being run by Cortese then and it seems even Katharina even came around to my way thinking. Never had you down as a smart arise Turkish but maybe I got that wrong too

Well it is all down to character and personality. I am one of those who comes from the "too good to be true" brigade. Probably because I am older than you. My son who is 20 can see no wrong in Saints but I try to keep his feet on the ground, that way the fall when it comes is not so painful. That philosophy might be alien to you and fair enough but it is how I deal with life.....and Saints

Think that is unfair - I did slag the club off when it was being run by Cortese because his methods were far from fan friendly but I can't remember being too critical of the present set-up. Apart from my little wobble when the players were being sold I have very much supported the board and continue to be impressed.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but people now bringing up old posts of people's opinions AT THE TIME, to point score are pretty pathetic. No one (apart from uber fan Nick G) is right 100% of the time and this place would be really boring without good honest criticism when it appears deserved. There was a time during the summer when it looked like the club was self-destructing. Happily that proved not be true and I for one am not in the least bit ashamed that for a brief period of time I doubted the Board. AT THE TIME I had good reason. And if everyone on here is completely honest I bet they aren't many (Nick G excepted of course) who when we sold our best players didn't have a flicker of doubt?

Woooa mate, I know "Pancake's" news is not good news and I for one, hope it is not genuine, but if he is posting it here in good faith then there is no need to accuse him of not being a true Saints fan. Why do people always insist on shooting the messenger if the news they carry is not to their liking? It's up to you whether you believe it or not, no one is forcing you.

An insightful article full of new information which all adds up. For my part I still have two nagging concerns. I still don't understand why the club have said there is no rush to offer Cork a new contract and I am concerned that Jay Rod in not signing a new contract intends to see out his present one and move on. But from where we were at the beginning of the summer we have progressed way beyond my expectations and those responsible Reed, Krueger, Koeman etc deserve a big pat on the back.

Schneiderlin was the first foreign player to win his first cap while on the books of Southampton, let's hope Fonte becomes the 2nd.

I think it wrong to let a day go by without someone saying something on this thread and so in 1985 I not only hit 30 but also got divorced. My ex wife came to hate Saints but the irony is her second husband is a big Saints fan and ST holder!!! How unlucky can one girl get and she has no connection with the City.

Bit of name dropping here but I met up with Lawrie Mac yesterday and he said how today he finds it remarkable that in our squad for the Final we only had one goalie ie Ian Turner. Had he got ill on the day of the final then we would not have had a goalkeeper to hand. Our reserve goalie then was Steve Middleton and Lawrie says he was not happy at being left behind but finances back then only a certain amount of players travelled.

Bit harsh on Craig Maskell Minty - he had a decent career and we signed him twice. Not in the same league as Forecast or Dia.

Blackburn Rovers? I think that may be a family though so KL is probably unique.

Exactamundo Ron, why Cortese thought it fit to aggressively alienate virtually everbody god only knows. I agree there was some dead wood that needed cutting like too many freebies etc but he seemed to go out of his way to antagonise, bully and upset. I remember about 6 weeks after he arrived I was in the stadium at the invite of Andy Oldknow who was asking me about historical designs for the kit for our 125th season. I brought a photo of the sash strip and he was really made up. As I left the meeting I literally bumped into Cortese coming the other way (the only time I ever met him face to face) and he gave me the filthiest look as if I was walking dog crap through his best carpet. Never forgot that. He didn't know me from Adam...at the time. I knew it would end in tears and it did, but thank God, it was not he that owned us but the Liebherr family, without whose money he would have been where he was in the first place. We are very lucky to have a good honest owner who seemingly has integrity and who cares about the fans first and foremost. Plus she has picked a chairman who may not know a lot about football but he sure knows his PR when it comes to making popular gestures.

let's put it this way her English is a 100 times better than my German.

Very unlucky player Lovett, he had two serious road accidents incurring a dislocated back and multiple fractures from which he never recovered. He came to Saints on loan in an effort to rejuvenate his career but only played three games before returning to the Hawthorns.

Can't imagine what they are going to announce but one thing I am sure off it will not withstand proper scrutiny. Trousers and rallyboy will be on the case!!!!

Yes, when we actually gave her the book, she wanted to see what was written about Matt and the photographer picked up on it.

Before the game on Saturday the three of us that make up Hagiology were introduced to our owner, Katharina Liebherr, when presenting her with a specially bound copy of "All the Saints" and I got the chance to have a little chat while sitting on the sofa in the Le Tissier suite. She was charming, very unassuming and friendly and confessed she had never watched football before 2009 but was now gradually picking up on what the game was all about. She also said she didn't understand all the chants from the Northam but she certainly recognised the one about her father. She really was very pleasant and chatty. Gary also brought her up to speed why Harry was going to get booed during the match. He also asked her who her favourite current player was but she skipped the question with a smile. For us it has been very gratifying how she and Ralph Krueger have embraced the history of the club by attaching such importance to our work. To be fair to Rupert Lowe he did too although the last time I was invited to the board room to meet the club's directors following a book's publication was in 1987 with Alan Woodward. The same year we last beat Arsenal. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/11500910.Katharina_Liebherr_keen_to_read_more_about_Saints_legend_Matt_Le_Tissier_/?ref=fbshr