dubai_phil

Upset the applecart after a good weekend for Saints fans. Fits well with your sour grapes theory. On another angle though that I can see (ie IMHO), Cortese is at Southampton for one reason only - He is here to MAKE MONEY. His business background shows that he is highly successful in a world of multi-million dollar bonuses. He and Markus have seen very clearly that turning Saints around and moving them up the league will turn in a very good return on their investment (They paid 14mil and a prem club with no debt and facilities could be worth 100 mil once the recession ends) He will know that this is a sound and solid project. However you will also recall he made specific statements about "transition teams" 6 months and extending the Board of Directors (the old Sporting Director arguement) With the club being stable and well on track for automatic promotion NEXT year (as per their plan) and a chance this year then there is no reason whatsoever that we shouldn't expect solid sensible conservative Board appointments to manage us with NC taking a continued supervisory role but less full time. It's all about leverage in their world, I'm pretty sure we'll continue to be run as we are, he'll be around, just he'll build up the middle/senior management team to ease the strain and look to make a lot more money out of what he has achieved and learnt here

Excel is the route of all evil All Excel should be destroyed. Since Excel was invented Accountants and p1ss poor managers have hidden behind it to take over the world All excel should be destroyed All excel users should be forced to watch the skates every week standing naked with Red & White body painted shirts on while buckets of ice cold water are poured over them every 10 minutes. Rant over

I have no idea if the rumours linking Jnr to the skates are true. Will dig around when the real world wakes up. All I know is that of the names given so far as I said before he has been looking for some time. As far as the rumours so far Sheikh Mo. Definite public knowledge that he has interest in English Football Dubai "Inc" has a team who work on this - sponsor of Arsenal public bids for Liverpool and Charlton. Was very active in the public domain on this last year. Driven for building a long term sustainable business that would have value add. Since February when the economy turned, there is simply no way politically that Dubai inc could be seen investing money in foreign "brand building projects". While he has personal wealth, if you read the old articles you will see it was always an interest via Dubai Inc related organisations. With the debt and bond situation, buying a club now is so far off the radar - How much does Dubai Inc owe? - US$80 billion +++ so to allocate 100mil would cause a massive unrest amongst the creditors. Rumour strength Stupid made up drivel Jnr Known to be interested in football, I recall he played for a Serie A team in a friendly in Tripoli once. Successful businessman. (All Arabic countries business is done on a relationship basis. The more important the people you know the more successful you wil be) That may seem an anathema to Brits but in reality it's just like the old school tie & the Civil Service. He will have the money, he will have the motivation. Rumour strength - he has been trying. Skates are one of the few clubs available now that West Ham have been sold to Sullivan and Gold. Could be some milage BUT it is also likely to be 2+2 making 5. Just because he fits those criteria somebody could have made the link up. Would have a REALLY REALLY big issue in talking to anybody from Israel about anything Jnr DOES know his football, he will know the history and the mess. he will also know that for an extra 100 mil (peanuts) he could pick up half of Liverpool.

That's the same module that BA use in Biz class. No good for anyone with more than a 42" waist! Emirates are 8850NZD on-line find their pics yourself:-) Who needs a flat bed Whitenred when you're in first with Dom Perignon? :-)

His family as you will well know are one of the most successful and powerful business conglomerates in Saudi. They have contracts in all markets in all business verticals across the whole world. Construction, Telecoms, Defence, Oil & Gas. They built the world's largest single building complex, capable of housing 36,000 people (ie one building holding the population of Salisbury) http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://highriseconstruction.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/250px-abraj_al_bait_towers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://highriseconstruction.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/abraj-al-bait-mecca/&usg=__05BpC1xsY7ddRzWd7B7DpbGoSZg=&h=329&w=250&sz=28&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=dTZgSTxCaapBlM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmecca%2Btowers%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1 They are keen football fans and have investigated the benefits of expanding their investment portfolios into other areas. They are also as you will recall good friends of Dubya and **** Cheney

On the Gaddafi rumour. As Nickh noted I was extremely careful in how I worded my comments yesterday. There are very few people in the world who have the resources and the motivation to buy English Football clubs. Jnr IS an undoubted football nut with a lot of money. Again, that money has been good enough for Italian Football. While the family name is clearly stained by association, compared to many in the PL Jnr's money and his name is a lot cleaner, so the Laundry type allegations will not work. More damaging however will be the ability to call Jnr a wannabe. He wannabe an owner. He wannabe a manager, he wannabe a striker, he wannabe the only person who decides anything. If you wish to explore angles to worry our few friends, then think of him as someone who makes Rupert look humble. Think of him taking training and insisting on playing up front in Carling Cup matches (not just testimonials). Think of the few having to tour Gaza to raise funds for lost causes. They may get saved he has the money but they will become even bigger puppets on a string. Oh, and he would pass the FAPP test with flying colours Again, he has been looking at a LOT of clubs for a long time

A number of airlines have held inventor competitions to find a way of designing flatbeds in economy. Those used to European travel will think such stories are plain stupid, but for those who have to travel for business or to see their friends and families regularly who are 6ft tall that spend 10 or more hours squashed into seats designed for the average build global human at about 5ft 9in will understand why this is an issue. But SiP they ain't economy, they small print says standard fare - so that will be the full IATA cost x2.5 = you'll get first class on a second line carrier with one stop-over for the price they describe..... Best lie-flat biz class seats Emirates A380, then Etihad, Then BA, Then Emirates normal 777 flights. Be a long time though until they fit a massage seat in economy, The Emirates one has a massager in just the right spot for the GF. (allegedly)

Hmmmm On second thoughts, maybe if Eric & I buy about 300 sets we could flog them off near the ground and make enough to pay for the tickets over.... hmmmm I feel a trip to Karama coming on... Eric??

Just to keep it real peeps. Al Faraj is a Saudi National. They wear the Red & White checked headress. (So it works from a team colour perspective) The proper way to wear it (in simple terms) is with a white skull cap below and then the black "Camel Hobbling" rope on the outside. just sticking a tea towel on your head looks stupid and should be resereved for the school nativity play. Sultan Bin Trump being an Emirati however wears a plain white one. Thing is IF you are going to do this then PLEASE remember to wear sunglasses and preferably be unshaven for a couple of days (Don't need the full Saddam moustaches) Of course, if either bother to turn up to watch they are likely to be pretending to be Homie's and wearing da baseball cap wid da bling (For the PC police that is a cultural observation, not a stereotyping) Oh and FFS don't buy one of those Hollywood style fancy dress sets with the gold colours on the camel ropes they just look STUPID HTH

After the hell they went through after Hurricane Katrina and what happened in their stadium with all those refugees, they deserve all the time in the limelght they can get. Strange how the two Saints sides have had rough times over the past few years (through totally unrelated causes of course) but now both are on the March. Nice that they think of us Who are their version of the skates I wonder? Did they beat them on the way?

He (is believed) to have been looking at clubs for a considerable time at PL & CCC level. He played at a semi-pro level and is tied in to a club in Italy. Bad news is that he is a realistic buyer of an English Football club. Good news is he is a bright guy and has a very professional team of advisors around him.

Westwood's latest cunning plan to attract investment was always doomed to failure

So, this is a really tough decision. The FA Cup is only shown on an Arabic channel over here. Eric, Goodfellasjay & I don't have that satellite service. The game will be shown in a pub. Everytime we've been to watch a Saints game with other Saints fans we've been 1-0 down within about 10 seconds and gone on to be wallopped. BUT was that the OLD Sky curse? We watched games home alone back then and we still lost. Was it the Old Regime Curse? We've watched games on-line and won. But watched games in the pub on-line and lost Dare we risk it? Should we go and watch the game in the Poopey pub instead of our regular haunt? Damn - a tough call, as we say down here - What to do? Accept it is fate and go give the poopey's stick or stay home alone?

One worry I have on the "what if they go bust" scenario. Who was the last club to go pop in the middle of a season? I can't remember it was either Maidstone or Aldershot I think, but I am sure that all their League results were then "expunged". Is there a chance that if they do go, then Sunderland could be re-instated? Jeez that would be a let-down.

Totally agree with you. The problem is of course, that fate doesn't work that way. I think it is great, (sure I think we are odds on to lose it), but for a while we will be really back in the national spotlight, those other muppet fans or poor journos around the place who keep saying "cash strapped Southampton" will finally get to see what we have been keeping to ourselves for the past months - namely that we really are rebuidling and on our way back. As others have said, it's a win : win game for us. We lose, we'll have had a lot of laughs, we win...... Straws, Camels and Backs spring to mind for the embattled remaining few

Hypo... One idea - try for Hospitality. Costs a bucket but you do the game in style and should be able to jump ahead of the ST holders. Not sure it will work but good way to get in early and guarantee a ticket.

lol Not unless he likes wearing a white dress, let's say more local than David

Karma is a wonderful thing. Does anyone out there really think that this draw was ever in doubt? We all knew it, and BOY is it great. I've had mates down here, all supporting other teams texting me saying OMG what a draw. Eric - any chance of nicking a spare plane out a hangar?

Shock News from Portsmuff. Mark Jacobs is accused of actually stating something factual at a press conference this weekend

:smt041 Well said. Holmes is a better technical player. With Antonio or Waigo on the right we have the pace. For the balance of the side we need both sets of skills. We ain't going to sign Ronaldo any time soon so the team needs one of each. Personally I'm glad he has come back. We will need him and others like Gillett over the next few weeks with so many games coming up and injuries/sickness/tiredness taking a toll. Even with the problems last year we looked a better team until he got crocked at QPR. Who knows, IF he had stayed fit he could have been worth an extra few points last season

Ah, good to get back home to this thread after working at the golf in Abu Dhabi all weekend. First one - two Toon Army types in their shirts walking round all day (must have been 50+ and WTF wearing those at golf) anyway they are in the Hospitality slugging beers as Kaymer is presented with his cheque for winning... And one of them shouts out - hey quick - better get security down there, some Portsmuff Director may try and beat aahsley to nick that big cheque.... (sweet) Secondly, met a local contact of mine who is "high up" in the local FA and a board member of "The main man's" local football club. (He's a Gooner in a dish dash BTW) First thing he said - I see your boys are having a really good season, well done. Second thing - I bet you are all laughing like mad about your rivals. We all thought it was really funny when we saw the rumours we were going to buy them. "Hahaha don't they know there's only one team in Hampshire" Now THAT was funny.

Oh come on chaps, this isn't very fair. Everybody knows that once you reach the promised land of the PL, then everything else (apart from the CL) is a Mickey Mouse Cup....... Unless of course you are a die hard dedicated fan of your club who wants to make sure that they get the cash to survive to play another year in the PL..... If it wasn't so funny, it would actually be sad. They must be the world's first total Social Security Mentality watched club. "We should not have to help ourselves, it's everyone else's fault so they must help us out" Continuing to LMFAO

Phew, bring em on. Turned the Tractor Boys into manure... WTF we playing the mancs again then? Oh and who forgot to put 50p in the meter for Solent on Saints Player

I do believe pay-back time was really really sweet this afternoon.

Yahhhaaayyyyy