um pahars

Failure on the pitch will certainly see us really suffer, but even allowing for a modicum of success, it will still be very, very difficult to run this club on a self sustaining basis. Only a few months back one of the duo in charge posted as much as that on the predecssor to this forum. I don't think talking to the bank and not being in a bid situation (or someone sniffing around) are at all related. We came out of a bid situation, because there were no bidders, not because the bank preferred Lowe and co in charge, but because there were no alteratives (with regards external investment). The bank would have spoken to Lowe/Wilde in just the same way they spoke to Crouch, i.e. we need to see your concrete proposals for running this Club, with projected cshflows, target etc. They would have thrown in their requirements, an then said happy or not happy. If a bid appears on the horizon then the bank will take stock of that if and when it arises and will then judge whether the bid is in their best interests. The bank are most definitely calling the shots nowadays (at least regarding the major decisions).

The giving us the all clear is a but OTT. At best, they have agreed to support us in the short term in an attempt to get everything in order. However, the problem with this is that it is very possible that we will never be able to cut our cloth down here and so this support is not open ended. There may well come a time when they cut us adrift. Indeed, if a consortium came along with a potential cash injection, I would not be at all surprised for the bank to be telling Wilde/Lowe that they must accept it (i.e. they get their overdraft paid off and if Lowe/Wilde dissented they would threaten to pull the plug).

Does anyone know what our season ticket take up was for those three seasons?????? I would suggest the three seasons attendances were to do with: 2005-06 Pemiership hangover, with quite a few season tickets already bought when in Prem 2006-7 A bit of optimism at the start, and a relatively successful season on the pitch. 2007-8 Decent level of season tickets (our best since relegation???) , but shi7e on the pitch. What this shows is that IMHO it is success or failure on the pitch that has the biggest effect on attendances. Some will stay away on principle, some will come afresh, but getting up the table is the best way of filling SMS.

Wait until Friday!!!!!!!!! (which one and in which year, **** knows!!!!). After helping reveal the Dubai/Barry Beardall deal as a farce, I am of the view that it is better to sit back and see what happens. Nothing will be gained one way or the other from tittle tattle on here, and nothing wil be able to be weighed up (one way or the other) until something concrete starts to happen.

Pretty decent synopsis fella and I have to say I agree with most of the top part. For me, too many teams are way out there due to parachute payments and generous owners. Think we're too good to go down, and will be somewhere in the middle. Thanks for the effort.

I honestly very much doubt we would have stayed up had Dodd and Gorman stayed in charge any longer and supporters would have been calling for their heads (along with Crouch and McMenemy). Even if somehow we had stayed up under them, I doubt Gorman would have taken it on (considering he stepped down at Northampton due to stress/personal reasons), and Dodd probably hasn't got the relevant UEFA badges. They were nothing more than stopgaps.

They were indeed an appointment, but certainly not an appointment in the same shape or form as the appointment of Sturrock, the appointment of Wigley or the appointment of Redknapp. Those three appointments were permanent appointments, not "hold the fort until we get our ar5es in gear" appointments until we make a long term manager appointment. Substance over form.

As opposed to someone who did take us down to the second division for the first time in nearly 30 years.

As in they are caretakers, just as Gray was caretaker until the end of the season when Hoddle walked, just as Wigley was caretaker until the end of the season when WGS went, etc, etc, etc. They were caretakers holding the reigns after a manager walked out, they were never full time, long term appointments. I thought Lawrie and Crouch got it wrong putting them in place for any length of time (certainly until the end of the season as I was up for an appointment much sooner) and we have gone for Billy Davies or someone of that ilk to push on. But to try and compare their stint as though they were full time appointed managers/Head Coaches in the same way that Sturrock, Wigley and Redknapp were in that fateful season is clutching at straws

And maybe that's what they went for. It's happened here before and it has happened elsewhere as well. Perhaps the board should have been tough enough to do it. Even though players get the mega salaries and the fame, I still think the manager is the single most important person at any club and be should be backed 100%. To undermine the manager, or not support him, just creates troble somewhere down the line. If we had not ended up with Wigley, but instead got someone else who then went on to keep us up, then I would say it would be deemed a good appointment. The board get paid good money to make these decisions. As I said at the start, that is a fair enough assumption (although it doesn't automatically mean we had to settle for Wigley when it went pear shaped). When things really started to come to a head, there was still time to ship some disruptive influences out, or alternatively get someone better than Wigley in!!!! Sorry, but we, as fans, might be to blame for some things, but to try and blame us for the managerial appointments (and the length of them) is taking the **** somewhat.

Said after they had been at the helm for two league games, i.e. until we get the appoinment sorted out, then these two guys will still hold the reigns. They weren't appointed as full time managers, given the appropriate contract and wheeled out in front of the media as the new gaffers (nor were they sacked when Pearson came in), they were just caretakers. I personally thought we dillied and dallied too long in appointing Pearson, and even then I was unsure that he was the right man and I said at the time that the end of the season wold be the time to judge whether Crouch and Pearson had made the righ decision.

The problem was rumbling all during the close season (it first came to light not long after he took over when many of the 'superstars' took umbrage with him). I can remember the rumours, stories and muck spreading all through the summer. Personally, I think the Chairman and board should have shipped out all the negative influences and supported the manager (as had happened with Lawrie and Nicholl). Alternatively, they should have cut it short earlier before Luggy had spent the transfer budet and wasted the vital pre season build up. What followed (i.e. Wigley) was the real disaster.

You've just changed it you crafty ****er!!!!!!!!!!! I can now get the full edit box and text (was just geting a grey box with no text). Any chance of now popping round to set my food blender up (the instructions are in Mandarin)????

05/06 season: Redknapp, Lowe, Clifford, Quashie, Woodward, Coles, the draws. 06/07 season: Best, Pele, Idiakez, Howard, other Derby players 07/08 season: Burley, Hone, Hoos, Crouch, Dodd, Gorman, Wilde

Good work all round fellas. From personal experience, ignore the whingers and moaners. £5 for a site that provides so much information, so many giggles and laughs (as well as making a few friends) is feck all in the scheme of things. Looking forward to seeing all the extra bits as well. PS how the **** do you edit your own posts (I clicked on edit and there was just a blak screen)?????

Is the "class act" tag bigging up his confidence, or will it be a millstone around his neck????? No idea, he may be someone who needs to be told how good he is and therefore it could be a good call. However, I do think the OS, whilst understandably being positive, has been a tad OTT and if anything is adding to the expectation and therefore pressure. Let's just make sure we don't turn on these youngsters if it starts off poorly. On a personal level, I have never really rated him, but have to say he played very well on Friday. I was also unsure about Gillett and James, but I thought they both played really well too. On a similar vein I have to say that I was not enamoured by Holmes, Scheiderlin, Lallana and Thomson. The biggest surprise was Scheiderlin because others rated him in the match.

Of course it's not a conscious decision, you would have thought you should always be looking for a degree of stability, but that just makes the fact that it did happen under Lowe's stewardship even more damning. It just highlights that in 2004, he (and his associates) got the managerial/Head Coach appointments very wrong.

Should have read 2004 (not 2005). PS How do you edit on this new fandangle machine?

We had two managers last season, and changed when the first one walked out on us. If you come back with , it was four, what about Dodd and Gorman, nah, nah, nah?, then it shows what a fool you are. They were caretakers, in much the same way that Chatterley, Wigley et al were in the past. Normally, when someone walks out on you you have to fill the gap pretty quickly (if you're sacking someone, then it is much easier to plan ahead). Going by your dumb logic in 2005 we had FIVE:rolleyes:: WGS Wigley Sturrock Wigley Redknapp And then in 2006 we had FOUR:rolleyes: Redknapp Bassett Wise Burley In fact, if you were looking at this you would claim we had NINE in two years;)

One can only assume that you have never been to a Radio Solent fans forum, nor a Supporters Group Meeting at the Club, because in recent years they have been nothing like you claim them to be. In fact, it would appear to be that your ignorance and obsessiveness is being clearly demonstrated here!!!!!!!!!

He is going fishing in Canada (think it's pleasure as opposed to business).