Saint 76er

Perhaps AP is going to swop Thomas for Trotters, after all Preston is suitably 'oop north'...

And the official answer is... Markus Liebherr HTH ** Merry Christmas Markus**

If you look at the architect's doodlings on the pdf presentation they appear to allude to the windows being reinforced to enable footballs to bounce off. Wouldn't be our boys being so wildly inaccurate with their kicks of course. Also the architects say existing buildings are too dark and dingy and their brief was to flood the interior with natural light to make it a welcoming environment. Maybe a recovery/lap pool perhaps? Seems to be all that is really missing from these proposals, however can the builders amongst us please advise if it is feasible for a project of this magnitude to actually be finished by next July, as they are quoting? Strictly as a layman it seems a bit tight to me, I mean knocking down the existing structures and putting up the new edifice, complete with complex fit outs and allowing for inevitable bad weather..

If that's the way the cookie crumbles, then we need to take advantage of the situation. These failing CCC clubs will have to sell players in January, pretty much just to survive. Scott Loach at Watford has been mentioned for example. Since we do have money available and no debts to worry about, perhaps we could seek to relieve the debt laden of a few of their better players, all at bargain prices of course! Even dropping down a division, said players may prefer a club on the rise and where the monthly wage is guaranteed rather than face admin and uncertain wages. There was a recent rumour (admittedly on 606) that Pardew is looking at Freddie Sears who is currently on loan at Palace. Allegedly WHU will let him go but it seems pretty certain that Palace won't be buying him any time soon. Another thought is that if any CCC clubs happened to fold (probably not, but you never know) then might it create a situation for more clubs to be promoted from L1 this season (says he hopefully)... ?

Thanks for your support Badger and I agree with you that the ball and scarf does look rather juvenile, it simply does not look professional and neither does the rest of the badge TBH. I've tried hard to like that badge, and it has it's moments with me, but on the whole there is a certain feeling of cringe worthiness that just won't go away. Consequently, I'm backing a professional design for a completely new badge. Something simple but classy (current one def not that) and representative of the club and it's image, not of the Hampshire tourist bureau! Don't worry about the graphic artist, someone who knows how to draw has to do it and surely several designs would be submitted for the club to choose from (or indeed reject and start again if they wish).

Good luck in finding them, whoever they are this week...

Nice try, but sorry this badge is a bit naff. The shield design looks like a military badge to me, a bit like the SAS badge maybe. It also has the YMCA name under it, a bit outdated now. By almost 125 years to be exact! Also the ball and scarf on top is, well, just plain ridiculous. I agree the current badge could do with updating and this is an ideal time to do so with a move forwards to the future not back to the past. The badge was designed by a fan in the 1970's and, quite frankly, looks it. Whilst it has served us well, it is time to move on and the upcoming milestone seems an appropriate time. This time, though, the badge should be professionally designed and should be modern but timeless (so we don't have to keep changing it). The best corporate logos are timeless and become associated with that company and are instantly recognizable. Consequently, simplicity is usually the best way. Football clubs often try to pack too much onto their badge and it just becomes a mish mash. Ours looks like a travelogue of southern Hampshire and is not really representative of the FOOTBALL CLUB. What is our club identity that we would want to portray to the world? I guess it can only be "The Saints". Therefore I would favour a stylized image of a saint, presumably with a football. No doubt a graphic artist could produce something unique that could henceforth be associated by all and sundry as the corporate image for Southampton Football Club. Unfortunately our present logo looks a bit like something from a boy's own comic. Maybe Gecko Saint could offer some advice in this regard? Perhaps the club do have something in mind as the away shirt does have a large embossed shield surrounded by laurel leaves underneath the current badge. The shield appears to contain wording to the effect of Southampton 125 years, I think. Maybe this will be more prominent next year? Also, a good idea to have a charity on the shirt front, will show our caring side and you don't get much for sponsorship at this level anyway. However, I would imagine you can forget the "Peru" shirts or whatever. Presumably we will be stuck with an Umbro template shirt like everyone else. I doubt they will make a one off kit just for us, especially as we only sell in our own few shops and they won't make a killing with us. Sadly, we're just not the Man U of the shirt selling world...

I don't think it's been mentioned on here but I did notice that the resident Saints ITK'er on the 606 board has claimed that Pardew has his eyes on Freddie Sears for a Jan swoop. I am guessing that Sears was an up and coming young player when Pards was at WH and might therefore be happy to join him down here. Good signing if so and better quality than we should really expect in L1. On loan at Palace at present but they won't be signing him if a fee is involved as they are battling admin by all accounts. West Ham see him as surplus to requirements apparently, although they may possibly come to regret that as he was always touted as one of their star youngsters...

FF, is this appointment due to a financial situation between Storrie and that Israeli agent (not Mossad) who claims they owe him a fortune, do you think? Madness to get rid of Hart who, at least, had them playing with spirit and giving hope that results may follow. This has now given a fragile playing group just the excuse they may need to self implode. Happy days! I feel sure there is some personal connection between the two Israelis and you wonder who may really be running things down at Krap Nottarf. Perhaps I was wrong and it really is Mossad...

Doesn't really matter what he could have been, it's now just a matter of what we can get for him. The more the better, obviously, but what sort of value might Saga have on the open market these days? Alternatively, perhaps we could engineer a part exchange for a player Pards would like to bring in. Wonder if Preston might fancy him, or Cardiff for Feeney? However, if no takers maybe we'll let him go somewhere for nothing, just to get him off the pay roll and free up some space for newbies. One way or the other it's adios Saga and thanks for the (occasional) memories...

You're a charitable chap DM... Do you really give them THAT long?

Now we've got Markus, well it's probably Las Vegas I should think. Or maybe a nice cruise through the West Indies. Then again there's always St Tropez or Val D'Isere...

With 451 we had Wotton positioned in front of the defence exactly to prevent opposition strikers exposing our slow central defenders the way Brighton did. Wotton is not quick but reads the play well and can lay a few hefty tackles before they reach the penalty area and we know he's going to stay in position as he can't run anyway! Much has been made of the midfield assets in 451, but it also makes our defence more solid and was working real well until we all clambered for Connelly to start...

Yes, but do we have a sell on clause? If someone else is stupid enough to sign him up we might make some more money here! Come on skates, you know you want to...

Some positives to come out of the game (or should that be shame?)... Any L1 opponents watching will have scaled back their assessment of us, thinking we are not as good as they thought we were. We may have lulled them into a false sense of security! Any watching managers from higher league teams who had designs on some of our better players may now be reassessing any prospective bids, thinking those players are not as good as they thought they were! Also Pardew may (and indeed should) have seen areas for improvement that may require Mr Liebherr's cheque book to be pressed into action in January! Now, who says only bad things happen to us when Sky cameras are around... ?

Barney, I would have expected you, of all people, to come up with one of TV's all time classics... "The Flintstones"

Z Cars Hawaii 5-0 Both classics...

Very good points Phil and probably sums up the rather "delicate" situation that they find themselves in (and only got themselves to blame!). Clearly then, someone would have to stump up big bucks just to get the golden share back, let alone all other costs and putting a competitive team on the park. Of course, exactly which park that would be is another issue altogether. As things stand a council pitch at Hilsea Rec seems a likely option! With all their "creative" loans you must assume that someone will have a lien over the cowshed and the surrounding land and these will need to be handed over as part of any settlement. What would that leave for any new (genuine) owner to actually purchase? It's really hard to see them coming out of this at all, I mean we nearly didn't make it and as Phil says our situation was actually quite good for a buyer to exit from admin. It's just my opinion, but I don't perceive much enthusiasm from those that count for the long term viability of the club. Certainly there may still be monies to be made out of all this by any interested parties, but what then will be left behind at the end of the day and would that have any value to yet another prospective new owner ...?

That's when things will really get interesting. When they get relegated next May they are financially wiped out. The endless stream of loans and debts will be overwhelming and a mad scramble will doubtless ensue from creditors for funds that simply don't exist. No one on the planet (this or any other one) would buy into that mess. They are starting to make Rupert Lowe look like a financial wizard. Even the parachute payments will no doubt be grabbed by someone. Under this scenario a winding up order seems highly likely, and thus goodbye skates. However, if they go into admin can their mountain of debt simply be wiped with some small payment and then they carry on (for what passes for them) as normal? Is this what Storrie and/or others are waiting for? Pointless to take on the debt, but someone (probably Harry.. well it is his spiritual home!) will be in for it as a debt free enterprise, picked up for a pittance. Can't see the creditors being too happy at that, but critically it may all depend on what all those loans are secured against. If they lose the cowshed and the land around it then it's pretty much all over for them, unless they do a deal to ground share with H+W, of course. At least West Leigh Park will easily be able to accommodate their expected crowds...

Okay, but I was always hoping for the "Rupert Lowe Memorial Stadium" myself. Sadly that never appeared, however metaphorically speaking, he did end up cutting his own throat though...

Quite agree Nick, I find them an embarrassment for "south coast football" They are such a low rent outfit, what sort of image do they project of an otherwise pristine area and they make local football infrastructure look totally ramshackle to outsiders. Okay, they have got themselves up there using highly doubtful financing and those chickens are now coming home to roost big time, something they should have foreseen all along. TBH it is cringe worthy to watch all this unfolding and very upsetting that it is constantly equated with our part of the world. It would be better for us if skatesmuff was actually a suburb of, let's say, Middlesbrough. That would appear to suit their image far more realistically, although I suspect Teesiders would be mortified at the thought! The point at issue is that they are BAD for Saints, as to the uninitiated it looks like we must be something the cat dragged in if they are so laughably abject and yet we are a couple of divisions below them. Having them as the "south coast's premier team" does us no favours at all in the eyes of others. What a charade it is having a series of fake or non existent new "owners" wheeled out presumably, IMO, to buy time whilst yet more deals are thrashed out behind the scenes. At least Rupert Lowe was just incompetent, but from down the road comes a very bad odour indeed and the smell is not just of fish. I really do wish that someone could transplant that lot a very long way from the south coast and leave us all in peace...

Doddsy's somewhat mysterious appointment seems to have engendered considerable confusion about the Academy's operations. However, to try and put a couple of things into perspective, firstly, surely Matt Crocker is in overall charge of the academy, not Dodd? It is difficult to gauge exactly what role Jason will perform, as details are in short supply. However, as Dave Puckett is effectively the head coach and in charge of the u18's, I presume Doddsy will not be doing that. It sounds like he has an operational role which may somewhat equate to chief scout as restructuring and identifying better talent was intimated at the time of his appointment. This is presumably a new position, not replacing anyone in particular, just a start in plugging the holes Lowe left behind in a once thriving set up. FWIW, I believe Georges Prost was head coach (same role as Puckett) not in charge of the academy. He made such an impact because he was a damn good coach and skilled in the French way of youth development. Lowe did a good job in identifying him. However, the academy director then may well have been Huw Jennings, with Malcolm Elias bringing in the talent? Clearly Cortese is looking to emulate the level of success the academy had in those days and the regeneration process appears to have begun. All Saints fans will wish this venture the greatest success...

Yeah, I know Wayman and Paine and Davies and Channon were good, but let's get serious here guys and gals. Surely, someone out there must remember Harry Penk... ?

I agree with posters who say our improved status and a winning team are reward enough. What more do any fans want? Actually, though, I think it would be a really nice gesture if the fans were in some way able to give a gift of some description to Markus as a token of our appreciation for what he has done in saving the club and making it exactly the club we had all wanted to have for so long. Saint Markus has given us our club back, that is his gift to us. It would be nice to be able to do something tangible to make him feel welcome and appreciated. The last fool hated the fans, but ML seems a genuinely nice guy and we should all bond with him and make sure he does indeed stay for the long haul...