SaintRobbie

Is this on Wilde's bookshelf or Lowe's, with Wilde as a member do you think?

True. But the fans were great and at least there was a little hope when Camara scored and the Skates went quiet! Worst player that day for me was Niemi - he was ****ting himself.

lol!

Would you rather be **** ground - non plc - Premier League or Lowe's plc - nice ground - League 1?

Best bit that day was the inflatable skates we got and the row of fans who had one letter per inflatable with: 'Y O U S K A T E B A S T A R D S !' Brilliant! The other one was the banner we unveiled behind the goal with 'Pompey full of sailors and *****rs in the streets!' Whenever the highlights were on afterwards (well lowlights!) the camera panned around it so you couldnt see it! Song of the day was 'Oh Matthew Taylor - he used to **** the sailors but its Will Young now' Bad loss - good day!

That's the pipe that runs from the boardroom at SMS isnt it?

LOL fair point Nick! I think IF it happened Pompey would fair better and perhaps even promote immediately.

Just found this, not seen it since the actual day - brilliant!

Firstly I think Pompey may survive. Secondly I think we will relegate... so what year does this question refer to?

Good point.

Absolutely.

Not really - WH I think are paying £30m to Sheffield Utd are they not? I am not so sure that they have got away scot-free. Honesty and integrity are very important - particularly at Chairmanship level (as we know Lowe's integrity has been in doubt for several years - MC recently exposed him as a liar over the NP farce and what exactly does Kim van de man do again?). Without integrity at the top the club loses potential investment, support and credibility. I think ours has been undermined a lot in recent years. What we do need is a manager who understands the league and the people in it. If that means we attract finer players by bending the rules through such a manager then so be it - and I think most British Football managers give you that, shall we say, 'flexibility'. But, it is up to the manager and not the chairman - as it is at the highest level where integrity is preserved. That is why none of us trust Lowe. We simply dont. He stays quiet knowing whatever he says will be ripped apart, analysed and studied ... the reason we do it? Lack of trust in the Chairman.

lol!

Brilliant Avatar! I want one SW11

Blimey has it really been that bad? God. 22nd is our lowest position for 49 years Mr Lowe.

No you are wrong IMHO. Because at the top of all teams is a decision-making leader. If that leader loses credibility due to inept decision-making he is usually removed by either those below him or those above him. This is not about personalities its about failed leadership. That happens to be Lowe. Loser and failure... and that is a concrete fact. The fact we are having this discussion about Lowe and we are divided shows that it is a personality that is dividing us as fans - Lowe. A CEO would be a better option than nil confidence and nil integrity Mr Lowe - a proven failure and the centre of the disunity of this club. I will reiterate that I share Steve grant's view that we need to sweep out the lot of our boardroom, but its time we made a start with the one who is currently leading this club to League 2. That is I'm afraid - as it always is for a leader - personality driven. A major leap forward would be the removal of Lowe forever.

But it would be irrelevant as its water under the bridge. Lowe is killing this club at the moment not Wilde or Crouch. Any unemployed CEO would be better than Lowe I'm afraid Nick.

There's a problem here Nick. I don't agree with you on the bold bit for one reason - if we appointed a CEO and sacked Lowe there is no reason why financially things would change. In fact, appointing a man perceived as being 'neutral ' to run the club (err plc I mean) finances may actually improve the situation as Lowe's removal will attract some fans back even if Lowe's 3 year plan continues! Its about confidence and optimism - there is generally neither in Lowe. Lowe's 3 year plan I assume was: Year 1. Stabilise. Remain in CCC, reduce wage bill by using super home bred talented cheap youth and reinforce in the summer. Year 2. Consolidate towards mid table, using now experienced youth and add reinforcement. Year 3. Reinforce and push for playoffs and promotion. YEAR 1 has FAILED. Youth plan has failed - and even if we stay up we can expect alot of our best men to leave in the summer. We are unlikely to therefore consolidate. Plan is therefore, at best, back to Year 1 again anyway. However, if (when) we relegate, what next? - his plan is not just delayed a year but destroyed and with a stripped team of kids and exodus of decent players in the summer will have to become: Year 1 (09/10): Stabilise in League 1, Year 2: Consolidate in League 1 Year 3: Push for promotion to CCC. So Lowe's decision-making has already put us back one year and possibly a further 3-4 on top of his PL push plan if we relegate. Oh dear. 3 year plan? Failed already - at best its now a 4 year plan, at worse a 7 year plan. Can you see now why Lowe is a disaster?

I love your sentiment - very idealistic. Realism has generally driven my decision-making and risk taking over the years - seems to work, certainly seem to be doing ok! The realist view of this is that it will be a dead duck unless it is representative of the fans views - and that means bringing in the Chorleys for example - and it gains some major wins - e.g. a declaration that the club is for sale as a start point. If Mike is considering stacking his fans parliament with allies I would warn him that it is often better to keep your enemies close at hand than to isolate and ignore them. So, to be honest - until we see the makeup and impact of the parliament it is difficult to comment - but given the very real position of confidence and respect for Lowe and Wilde amongst the fanbase at the moment and post relegation I do not see it being regarded as anything as a club sham. If the - to be fair - well organised, chartered and day to day run Saints Trust is toothless, what will Mike Wilde's bunch really achieve? And honestly? What CAN they achieve working for the football chairman and not the plc chairman who has power of what colour socks the team should wear and not the day to day running of the club? Remember - this is Southampton Leisure Holdings plc FC not Southampton FC (which went into suspended animation until the plc delists due to Askham). I suggest we wait until the make up is announced before judging this probable folly. But, in the meantime - keep protesting as hard as you can to remove Lowe.

I have been saying this for a while. I've watched a couple of League 1 games this season - strugglers Swindon Town - and I can tell you honestly that their performance looked better than 75% of that I have witnessed from Saints - and was certainly better than the last game against QPR. I am genuinely worried. If (when) we relegate we are not equipped to mount a promotion challenge with the youth that will stay and have not got the money to rebuild a team of men to battle out of the league back to the CCC. Also, we most certainly do not have the manager who can do it - from respect from fans to knowledge of the league he faces. I'll say it again. Under Lowe and Wotte we are as likely go down to League 2 by the end of the season as a mid-table finish. We will not promote given our current stripped out team and the exodus that will follow in the summer.

Did they ask you to stop smoking before throwing you out? Frankly you shouldnt smoke - but the stewards/Lowestapo should have at least requested politely that you stopped. If they did and you delivered choice words then I can understand why they made you leave, but if not... tut tut 'family-oriented' and 'fan-oriented' club.

Ironically I for one would like us to be run as a dictatorship and the plc disgarded forever. However, a dictatorship only works in football if the Chairman has the resources to pump in himself as well as ambition and personality. That means in order to achieve that we need to find a buyer - which we cannot start to do until Lowe and Wilde declare the club as being for sale.

Might be an element of truth in that but I think it was because we simply had changed the team - playing more competent men - and surprised the opposition for a few weeks. We're back to square one again now - the opposition have realised we're better and are playing us for draws or defensive errors from breaks.

Last summer I was put on a global ignore list - meant I thought I was posting but wasnt. My crimes? Pushing strongly my agenda of looking for a buyer, selling the club and delisting the plc. Saying Lowe's return would be a disaster and youth total football would not work. Fans asked where I was and I was clicked off the global ignore list. So, it can happen on this forum if you strike a raw nerve at the wrong time, or bore everyone with your agenda! [if you dont see me post for a few days can you start a 'Where's Robbie' thread?] (mind you I did go on and on about it! ) But the main point - as far as I am concerned Duncan is quite courageous. He has had enough of the appalling running of the Club we love and has decided to post home truths occassionally and being the Club historian has both credibility through a better inside view than most. Some though is his (calculated) opinion - some is probably fact. If he is being withdrawn from posting (although I may have misunderstood his term 'admonished') I suggest we look at the reason 'why', indeed lets check his post, perhaps make it a thread in itself. And then ask 'who?' it was that stopped him posting. Such detective work I have found is often more revealing than you would imagine. This forum is for opinion. I am not overly informed from within the club, yet I have shaped my opinions over years of studying this forum and posters. You can find everything Duncan posts pretty much amongst the postings of several posters, which is probably why I tend to share Duncan's views. I believe he has hit the nail on the head and I admire his courage to attempt to tell the remainder of the forum. There are more truths on this messageboard than you may think. The trick is working out who is reliable and who isnt. The fact is, that my opinion over Lowe shifted dramatically from supporting his chairmanship quite strongly in the Premiership years to a major turn around when he was exposed as a failure through relegation and daft ideas, let alone other stories of his poor leadership and divisive nature. My opinion has been shaped by careful study of posts and internal snippets. I have a good feel for the soap opera at SMS. Regardless, if Duncan stops posting... ask 'why?'. Then - as with me - ask for him back.

And we both agree on that. As you know I have stated that time and time again too. But, I'm afraid you cant keep on a leader who has lost the confidence of everyone. Doesnt work, as you have pointed out all it does is give him the opportunity to consolidate his position. We can lose Lowe now and appoint a CEO and we see many immediate benefits for this club. Dont get me wrong Steve I have alot of time for you. I mean it - you should stand but there needs to be a representative spread or it will be toothless, ignored and ridiculed.