trousers

Would the same logic hold true if Lowe had stepped down on 'day 1' of the stay-away 'protests' rather than stand his ground for 6+ months?

Your typical conspiracy theorist would probably hypothesize whether there was any behind the scenes coordination of these two announcements in order to bury the SLH news. Well, if it works for 'new' Labour.....

It wouldn't surprise me if we go out and win the remaining 7 games now.....typical Saints....

Perhaps the Club were already in preliminary discussion with the Administrators (etc) and as such weren't 'allowed' to sell off assets cheaply and the only offers they got were below this threshold?

And the chairman of the Saints Trust, Nick Illingsworth, told BBC Radio Solent: "I think everyone will be shocked. People I speak to just don't believe a club the size of Southampton would do this. "Attendances have dropped below the 15,000 mark at one stage and many supporters have said 'I'm not putting my money into Rupert Lowe etc' on the basis that they don't realise how desperate this is. "Now we know how desperate it is. No Saints supporter can turn round and say 'I didn't realise the club was in trouble'." Is it me or does that read that Nick Illingsworth is blaming the 'stay away' fans for this turn of events?

"Last October, SLH's bank Barclays significantly reduced the company's overdraft facility." So, despite people saying that Barclays wouldn't pull the rug for fear of bad publicity....that's exactly what they've done effectively, isn't it...?

Southampton FC is priority - Lowe Southampton plc chairman Rupert Lowe has said the holding company's priority is to keep the football club alive. The club face the prospect of going into administration and being docked points after trading in shares in their parent company was suspended. Lowe told BBC Radio Solent: "It's now about keeping Southampton Football Club alive. This is the only way it could have been done." Southampton Leisure Holdings plc says it needs extra money to have a future. While talks with a number of parties are ongoing, the company said it was required to suspend its shares because the uncertainty had prevented it from posting half-year results before Tuesday's three-month deadline. Last October, SLH's bank Barclays significantly reduced the company's overdraft facility. And it means the Saints are now threatened by liquidation and could drop out of the Football League, if SLH fails to attract new investment by the end of the summer. Southampton's financial plight is largely the consequence of the club's decision to build a new 30,000-seat stadium, St Mary's, eight years ago. Lowe resigned as the club's chairman in February 2006 before returning to St Mary's just over a year ago in a takeover with majority shareholder Michael Wilde, who is the current chairman of the football club. And he knows the objective for the football club is clear if the parent company enters administration. "If we can stay in the Championship this club has a good chance of finding new investment. We have young players who are committed and will flourish in the future," he said. Saints have seven matches left to avoid relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time in nearly half a century. Southampton fans have reacted angrily to the latest setback. And the chairman of the Saints Trust, Nick Illingsworth, told BBC Radio Solent: "I think everyone will be shocked. People I speak to just don't believe a club the size of Southampton would do this. "Attendances have dropped below the 15,000 mark at one stage and many supporters have said 'I'm not putting my money into Rupert Lowe etc' on the basis that they don't realise how desperate this is. "Now we know how desperate it is. No Saints supporter can turn round and say 'I didn't realise the club was in trouble'." Former Southampton manager Dave Merrington, who steered Saints to Premier League survival 14 years ago, said his biggest concern was for the fans. The BBC Radio Solent summariser said: "There's been falling out and name blaming right across the board. They've had different boards in and they've finished up blaming each other, which is tragic for the fans. "It's the fans that I really feel sorry for. Not only that we're coming up to a big, big game, a home game on Saturday and you just don't know what effect this is going to have on the players." The SLH board will hold emergency talks at St Mary's on Wednesday afternoon.

Too late....it's 13:36

Here, here

The plot thickens! :confused:

Hi FF....any idea what time we can expect to hear about the next 'major development' today? Any idea what time is the board meeting is for example? Cheers edit: ignore me, just seen the SSN update about the various meetings/press conferences posted in the sticky thread

Aren't all socialists out demonstrating today hence BBC running skeleton staffing levels?

The BBC are questioning the 'no points penalty' stance I see... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/7976473.stm It is possible that moves to put the club's parent company, rather than the club itself, into administration will save it from triggering the automatic 10-point deduction imposed by the Football League. However, BBC Sport understands that if a significant proportion of the club's debt is wiped out by such a move, it could still be at the discretion of the League whether a points penalty is imposed.

Bugger

Hardy Bullace?

How do we know for sure that the Derby "loophole" hasn't been closed at some stage during the last 5 years. I doubt it's something the Football League would have shouted from the rooftops.

I hereby claim the referral commission

I know this will get shot down as a pie-in-the-sky notion but wouldn't it make logical sense for Hoddle to buy SFC out of the SLH collapse? A finishing school in the football league....what better fit for his business model? Surely he could leverage the middle-east investment deal he secured last year?

Made me chuckle

Just got in there before the noon deadline....nice try

Tongues?

No, it just gets shifted to the Saturday as the forum team will have to take the place of the current first team....

MLT hasn't but Hoddle's Academy has....

http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=402&fid=17&sty=2&act=1&mid=2126435263 One suggestion on there that we hand back David McGoldrick...