Rebel

and what did it actually achieve - sweet FA! its easy to spout of on here - or shout out like SISA, Chorley and McMillan - but what does it actually achieve plus his photo in the Echo made all the Skates at work go on an on about inbreeding for some reason! I don't think people on here or Saints fans at large actually realise what the original committe of the Saints Trust actually achieved in setting up an organisation that could be used as a vehicle or mechanism for giving Saints fans a real say in running their club in the long run - and possibly something that could one day save it from extinction it simply due to circumstances tried to do to much far too soon

but that's the point - he's not is he he's a local wealthy businessman who wants to be the saviour - he may have some of the same objectives - but not always the cult of Leon would be high on the agenda - along with thye cult of Big Mac

I still don't understand why some people are so against the Trust when they put forward the exact same ideas under a different banner is it because they didn't think of it first - or because they are not in charge there is an easy answer to the second one if that's the problem - get involved in the Trust as for who represents fans on the board at SFC- Crouch thought he was the fans representative on the board Lawrie Mac thought fans were there just to support the club and its managers/directors/players (and worship)

the Saints Trust was trying to negotiate something along those lines with the club - but still giving non-season ticket holders the option to join as members and have a voice at the club also giving a mechanism for the small shareholders to have a larger collective voice and all fans a chance to own shares in the club through the Trust as a Saints fans of 30 years who apart from joining the Branfoot protests and shouting a bit too loudly at games never got actively involved in supporter stuff until I joined the Saints Trust working group it looked (and still does) like a great idea to me which club do I aspire Saints to be like - Barcelona for all its stands for - and because its owned and run by its membership (although that's not always worked either!) I was never involved in SISA or the TSA although I passively joined both I have to say I now think most Saints fans have got the directors and the club they deserve - and I've learnt that through bitter experience - of egos, of vitriol, of not invented here syndrome, and of messageboards!

GK: Darryl Flahavan, Paul Smith, Alan Blayney, Andre McNeil RB : Chris Baird, Martin Cranie CB's : Gary Monk, Martin Cranie, Mathew Mills, Mike Williamson, Baird LB : Bridge, Bale RM : Dyer, Walcott CM's : Brian Howard, Jay Lucas, Tim Sparv, Yoan Folly LM : Bridge, Bale, Leandre Griffit CF's : Best, Blackstock, Walcott, Scott McDonald, Cedric Baseya

Um Pahars, Steve Grant, Exit2, Ladysaint, and fos1 were all on the Saints Trust working group, committee and then the board - all have since stepped down along with myself for a number of reasons Nick Illingsworth is the only original committee/board members still on the Trust Board many others have come and gone since then there has long been an argument over whether the Trust should be a social organisation setting up quizes etc and organising away coaches, an organisation focussed on big issues affecting Saints - or both personally I think we wasted too much time on things like the Saints Trust bar and tried to do too much at once one of the main reasons the Trust has failed to fly is because hardly anyone else wanted to get involved in helping - the idea was to have sub-committees or whatever looking after the Trust Bar, Away day travel, regional supporters groups and things like that - but no one else stepped forward some people also failed to step up and deliver on what they promised - or what they took ownership off - but not the responsibilty that goes with it

Maybe the Saints Trust should invite them to an open meeting to discuss the past, present and more importantly the future or Southampton FC with its supporters!

In short no - certainly not a right back as a midfielder maybe have to say playing at right back in destroying him

I never really understood why we brought in Stern John and Jason Euell when we should have been cutting our costs (and wage bill) insted of adding expensive players to the squad Euell has turned out to be an expensive free transfer that's for sure and we probably got Stern John instead of a sell on clause in the Kenwyne Jones deal Lee Hoos and Jim Hone really were cr*p at buying players - and managing a football club I'd have played Saga over John every time - a far better passer, much better striker and a player who actually moves off the ball and defends from the front - a much better team player by far

I agree with you about the Trust trying to run before it could walk - unfortunately it was cause of the times! Similarly the Trust wasn't the only one fooled by Wilde - a lot of people were and like Crouch the Trust preached caution and called for Crouch and Wilde to work together Other clubs have supporters representatives on the board - and in Germany I think it is - clubs are 51% owned by their members - and Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain are 100% owned by the members A significant supporter shareholding or supporter representative on the board would ensure that decisions are made in the favour of the club and not its major shareholders or directors, it would also make the operating of the club more open and honest things that would have made a real difference to to the way things have turned out for SFC over the last few years

that's exactly what the Saints Trust is - and if it had enough members and bought enough shares in SLH as a result - that is in effect what the club would be!

That's exactly what the Saints Trust set out to do - but Saints fans didn't want to know The Trust was registered as an Industrial and Provident Society with the Registrar of Friendly Societies. As such all its actions and conduct are regulated by the Financial Services Authority under the provisions of the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1965 - 1978. The Trust therefore has to be run democratically by an elected committee - with all major decisions put to its members to vote on the Trust has failed so far simply because Saints fans didn't want to get involved and put their money or their time where there mouths are The Trust was set up to use its memberships fees to buy shares in the club - giving its members collective ownership of shares in the club similarly the Trust was also set up so that exisiting supporter shareholders could proxy their shares to club - giving a stonger collective voice for fans about 40% of the Shares in SLH were owned by small shareholders - for the most part fans I would guess Unfortunately SLH chose not recognised the proxy forms on an ongoing basis as other clubs have done but required a proxy formn for each vote or AGM (severely weakening the Trust) the Trust found a solution to this but it would have cost c. £15,000 a year to administer - money the Trust simply didn't have

we never really recoverd from selling Bridge and not rebuilding our left side Marsden on the left of midfield without Bridge at leftback was simply not going to work Le Saux was a reserve at best long past his sell by date Van Damme was a £2.5 million gamble that didn't work Perhaps Van Damme and left back and Le Saux at Left midfield might have worked if they'd ever been fit enough at the same time McCann was a last resort as we couldn't or wouldn't buy Malbranque and/or De Pedro Phillips was a last resort - and he didn't really want to come to Saints anway - plus he was too similar to Beattie in position if not in playing style - both wanted to be the main man so it never worked! We also needed a right sided midfielder with a bit more end product than Fernandes who seemed to have reached a plateau! would we have taken the next step forward if we'd spent the Bridge money on Konchesky, Van Damme and De Pedro, used Le Saux as a reserve and pushed the boat out for Malbranque - possibly - and in my opinion probably

I have to say I agree with you completely on this - the reason the Trust failed in the past is because saints fans just wanted to criticize the Trust but not get involved or help in anyway there was an open invitation to saints fans to get involved - to shareholders to proxy their shares to the Trust to give Saints fans a voice - for people to join or donate money so the Trust could buy shares in the club to give saints fans a bigger voice I joined, got involved in the committee, bought £500 of shares, proxied them to the Trust, gave out leaflets at games (mostly to hostile abuse from saints fans) - at least I tried - the reasons it failed were mostly due to the apathy of Saints fans for some reason at other clubs like Reading and Derby the supporters Trusts have worked well - why not Saints - ask yourselves that! I would also like to point out that fos1, ladysaint, exit2, and stevegrant were all members of the the Saints Trust committee in the past along with Um Pahars - and all of us stepped down for various reasons - so I am not totally sure why some of them are criticising it now

Isn't Stephen Hunt more famous for doing Peter Cech - so to speak - than actually being a good footballer? a slightly ugly - dirtly little player - with a big ego! As for his replacement - that's why they bought Tabb isn't it! I think we face more danger of losing Surman (and Lallana) if Bullard leaves Fulham!

Lee Hoos thought he was a great wheeler dealer at buying players - I mean we did great to bring in Euell, John, BWP, Skacel, Thomas, Rasiak and Saganowski on inflated fees and wages! But according to Jim Hone the only way of getting a takeover was to spend money on these sorts of players! Anyone know where Jim Hone and Andy Oldknow are now?

not as good as I'd hoped a bit headless and certainly hasn't gelled with Kelvin! I don't think they like each other!

I've accepted will be relegated I just take the mickey out of the guy at work who supports Charlton and Pompey! It makes me laugh anyway!

Stu you'd say the same thing about the True Saints Association if it still existed, SISA if it was actually doing anything and the Saints Trust whatever it did your just one of lifes irritations who like to have a go at anyone and everything - your the Piers Morgan of Saints fans - and a Daily Mail columnist in the making! 20 years from know you will be the new Richard Chorley or Perry McMillan - only they actually put there money where their mouths are and did something if you are going to constantly have a go - at least do something yourself - otherwise you got nothing to shout about and nothing to stand on

24-28 without a doubt old enough have the experience, but still young enough to have the legs apart form those prodigys like Owen, Fowler, Rooney who seem to peak at 17-21 and then fade away due to injuries and burn out if they are good enough they may be old enough at 19 or 20 - but the only problem is they burn out before they can be truly great at 24-28 none of our players are good enough to be old enough or old enough to be good enough! we don't actually have any players in their prime in the squad. Pulis is 24 (although in terms of games played he's about 20!) and BWP is 23 (again probably 21!) then its a great leap to Saganowski and Saejis at 30!

24-28 without a doubt old enough have the experience, but still young enough to have the legs apart form those prodigys like Owen, Fowler, Rooney who seem to peak at 17-21 and then fade away due to injuries and burn out if they are good enough they may be old enough at 19 or 20 - but the only problem is they burn out before they can be truly great at 24-28 none of our players are good enough to be old enough or old enough to be good enough!

Wilde's PR people were doing exactly the same thing at the same time!

his shares are only worth £300K though now aren't they!?! the problem together with his old school friends and the Askham set they own about 30%of the club between them and then there's Wilde and that Asian guy who bought a chunk of shares to make a profit!

its simple really - both Surman and Schneiderlin are creative midfielders - surman is slightly more attacking and Schneiderlin a bit more of a playmaker we need to play a hodling or defensive midfielder in the middle with one of them - it should be Gillett/Wotton/Pulis and Surman or Spiderman I'd play Gillet and Spiderman in the middle with Surman on the left of a 4-4-2 or Gillet, Surman and Spiderman as a midfield 3 in a 4-3-3

they are also certain people who post on here who sat on the Saints Trust committee - and who call for action now - who always turned up to meet the Chairman and directors of SFC but strangely were always busy somewhere else when there was actual work to be done Funnily these same people always took ownership of actions or areas but never the responsibility and failed to deliver time after time