SaintBobby

So, I guess the press conference has now been "pushed back" to 4pm...

He said 12.30pm - but that this had now been "pushed back" to 2.30pm. There's a big difference between some of the rumours that may be speculative (e.g. "a friend works at St. Mary's and has just seen Mark Fry- bearing a pearl-handed revolver and a bottle of whiskey - walk into his office and lock the door behind him") and other supposed pieces of information that are verifiably wrong (e.g. "I hear we are playing Leyton Orient on the first day of the season" when the fixture list says otherwise or "I hear there is a press conference scheduled for noon" when the press office know absolutely nothing about it). An annoying thing about posts of the latter type is there is usually a determination to insist the original info was in some way accurate. So we get something like "Well, it isn't Leyton Orient we are playing, but my source was right that it was a team from the east side of London" or, whenever a press conference finally happens, insisting that the originally "planned" press conference had been "pushed back" to this time.

There was NEVER a press conference planned for 12.30pm. I honestly have no idea where people like you get this nonsense from. It's hardly a nudge, nudge, wink, wink about a highly secret matter. Your source, if he exists, is so unreliable he even gets these sort of straight forward organisational matters wrong. It's as fantastical as him having an alternative view of the fixture list. I really wish people wouldn't post such total garbage. Or would at least have the courtesy to explain how their "information" turned out to be so completely 100% wrong afterwards.

Assuming confirmation equals a major media outlet stating it as fact (and being right), then - if it happens - 11.01am today.

No adult membership scheme at all this season: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Membership/0,,10280,00.html

I guess all will be revealed at the press conference at 12.30pm, right?

Recent national newspaper coverage of Keegan and Saints. All of this is from yesterday. excpet the top Times article and the Express article. Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article6532100.ece http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article6527277.ece Express http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/108572/Saints-eye-return-of-Keegan Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jun/18/southampton-matt-le-tissier-kevin-keegan Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/leagueone/southampton/5567078/Kevin-Keegan-linked-with-Southampton-return.html Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/keegan-linked-with-southampton-takeover-1708327.html Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1193883/Keegan-tipped-shock-return-Le-Tissier-crisis-club-Southampton.html Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/06/18/kevin-keegan-to-return-to-football-as-southampton-manager-115875-21451087/

I hope he is the new manager, but would say it's only about 50-50 ish. Maybe slightly more likely than not. I'd have imagined that Keegan and/or Pinnacle would have issued a denial by now if there wasn't some truth in it. My optimistic side says you're totally right that this shows serious finance and ambition by the new ownership, even if KK isn't appointed. My pessimistic side says that if this all turns up to be horsesh*t then we have a total farce on our hands (again).

I don't think we really need membership anymore - at least not for this season. 1. Virtually no home games (if any) will sell out, so just buy on general sale if you want a ticket. 2. Away allocations are so incredibly restrictive for most games that ST holders will snap them all up ahead of members anyway, with the exception of Leeds, Norwich and Charlton (in which cases you will be able to buy on general sale). 3. Any special preferential treatment can be based on loyalty (measured by purchases of tickets on the database) or through the various Saints regional fans groups.

You may be right. Given your certainty, I'm guessing you've put every penny you've got on him not coming. http://bettingnews.skybet.com/2009/06/keegan-118-to-join-southampton.html A good return (of more than 150% of your stake) in 24 hours....

I think that's a good bet. I'd say he's probably better than 50-50 to be manager now, so anything longer than evens is a sensible wager.

Maybe they will announce everything tomorrow (takeover, new owner, new manager etc), but the full press conference and Q&A will be next week. I also imagien that some of our new signings, such as Lionel Messi, will find it hard to attend a press conference at such short notice :-)

I have nothing against Tisdale, and wouldn't be too disappointed if he became manager, but I would prefer a big name appointment. Although he has done well at Exeter, he isn't the sort of manager who could yet be expected to recruit or retain (relatively) big name players. I'm sure he'd be more than adequate for a reasonable L1 campaign, but if the new board wants to show real ambition, they should aim for a more established manager.

I'm not sure it's true, but I'm pretty sure that Sky Sports News would not run the story merely based on rumours on this forum. If they covered every internet based football rumour, they'd need to be on air more than 24/7

http://bettingnews.skybet.com/2009/06/keegan-118-to-join-southampton.html

Sorry, if already been posted.... SSN says Keegan was at St. Mary's yesterday, so we're no longer reliant on a grainy photo of him outside Matty's house to establish a connection.

Does anyone actually have any links to any odds on the KK-Saints connection?

Cool, how do I get a season ticket to get my two quid discount?

There's every reason to believe the deal coudl be completed by tomorrow - early next week at the latest. If they need the weekend to tie up some loose ends, so be it. I think the Keegan thing is about 50-50, but Pinnacle completing the takeover is about a 95% shot now. Not quite in the bag, but every reason to be supremely confident.

Looking at your previous posts, I'd hardly say you've been upbeat about the Pinnacle takeover....

Yes, I did. They will basically tell random people phoning up, have done so a few times before. Sometimes I say, "I want to write somethign about it on a Saints website". The usual protocol is that a calling notice or operational note is sent out, usually about 24 hours in advance. Sometimes later in uncertain and fast-moving situations (like this one), but if you're trying to get e.g. live coverage on SSN, you don't want to give too short notice. No such notice has been issued (at least yet).

Press conference at 12.30pm? Not according to the Saints press office. Assume, if it turns out to be false, we can block the muppet who posted this from the list, mods? Even if true, it will just have been a good guess.

Basically, SKY bet think he's about 40% to be the next manager. It's not particularly about being "in the know", those odds will shift enormnously if someone put some money down (and I think you'll find the maximum bet they will take is probably quite samll)

I can't believe there is anyone who is negative about the Keegan possibility. The worst that can be said is that he has occasionally been temperamental. But - look - he is a manager of great quality, and has probably only been omitted from the "who do you want?" polls because it was considered impossible to get him.

I'm frustrated, but not panicking. As others has said, even if 90% of everything was agreed within the first hour, all available time is likely to be used up to sort out the last 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.001% etc. If they only get to 99.999% agreement with minutes to go (because...e.g....they are in dispute about whether the new owners have to honour the £2,000 per annum photocopying contract with Rank Xerox), then I'd imagine they'd just split the difference right at the end rather than call off the whole deal.