cambsaint

Can we really blame the players? The senior ones have been inside throughout the disastrous Lowe experiment, seen a very good manager got rid of, two Dutch clowns brought in, seen Lowe make every attempt to get rid of them, not play them to avoid paying them appearance and win bonuses. Seen the backbone of a good team lost. What motivation can they have left? The youngsters probably thougt in their naivety that they could succeed, but grim reality will have finally dawned, they were far too inexperienced, although individually talented. Their confidence will have been shattered, but hopefully not beyond repair. It is some of these who may bear the brunt of the experiment's failure, reputations ruined, confidence shattered; somemay have their careers finished. Will any of these retain the enthusiasm and morale left to avoid relegation? Would any of us on the inside of a company mismanaged by a fool, and in its death throes, really be able to muster any enthusiasm to provide our best work. I think not. We would be concentrating on finding new jobs and getting out intact! Saints will be relegated. We must hope that we survive, get good new owners,and that the club comes good again.

I have often wondered why some type of rights issue was never effected. All the shareholders who have lost everything would have rescued something, and for those who didn't wish to subscribe then fans may have taken up a substantial number. I have to conclude that some major shareholders either wouldn't or couldn't invest any more, or perhaps there was so much mutual loathing between them that they couldn't/wouldn't cooperate. Perhaps N/C with his direct line to the duck-murderer could enlighten us further?

I suppose that Southampton's spaciousness is partly the result of being blitzed flat in 1940 and being rebuilt from a clean slate. I can still remember large parts of central Southampton being a bomb site and some of the major stores I believe temporarily moved to Winchester. As did one of the grammar schools-Peter Symonds in the morning, Southampton in the afternoon. I am not old enough to remember that but was once listening to friend who went to PS in the war telling me that at D-Day the tanks arrived at Winchester, drove down North Walls (where until recently you could see the marks on the kerbs from the tracks to Winchester bypass thence to the docks and military port. The boys watched them in the afternoon after the Southampton boys had arrived! How did we get there, on a Saints board!

Remember a lot of people have many competing committments in the Easter holidays, from visiting family, going on holiday and taking the family out. For many family comes before football. I consider the attendance very good all things considered.

I sat next to Mahwhinney at a dinner once. I have never met a ruder, surlier or more unpleasant man in supposedly polite society. I was extremely pleased when as soon as he had finished eating our food and wine he stood up and said "I'm going , I've got business in the House." All he brings to football is a knowledge of the trough (HoC) and contacts. He is really a rugby man, was VP of one of my rugby clubs. (I played as a forward-was too big for football-my first love)

How much did we get for the live disaster against Wolves, or have we p####d tha away already? I personally don't really approve of asking for donations from those who may not be able to afford it unless a great deal more information was forthcoming. Unfortunately I am committed to keeping the village cricket club going; we need a new pavillion, a new roller, sight screens- the lsit goes on.

It is pretty obvious that the current shareholders who stand to lose a great deal consider The Club to be a basket case unless they attract another investor. It beggars belief that a consortium of directors couldn't have lent the club a million for short-term working capital. The only hope is that either the shareholders are so divided as to be irreconcilable, or that they realise that new investment won't come in while they are in place and they hope to rescue something by getting out.

Let us hope that we rise like a phoenix from the ashes, and there isn't a ruddy faced duck hunter poised with a 12 bore to shoot us down again!.

Goal difference is usually an extremely reliable predictor at the end of the season. Ours which was dreadful is steadily improving while Plymouth's is steadily worsening. Ours is better than Forest. On this basis TDDs prediction may well be correct. I certainly hope so. However the issue could be easily decided by injuries or suspensions to key players. It's squeaky bum time for sure. Cambsaint

The one thing that seems certain is that to survive we need at least 50 points, but 55 should be completely safe. If we remain playing as we are then both are possible. The thing that worries me are key injuries or bans. It is essential for all our players to be very self-disciplined and not pick up needless cards.

Many years ago as a student, I shall never forget Southsea to Sunderland and back in my mates Reliant three wheeler, (he only had a motorbike licence). The weather was awful on the A1, high winds and driving rain, every large lorry nearly made us take off. His parents lived in Derbyshire thank God so we stayed overnight there. Never again.

ESB Don't mention Windsor Castle and electrics to Beetroot Bonce. It may be highlly inflammatory!

I regret you have misunderstood my final comments. I would hardly have described Lowe as a buffoon if I wasn't of the opinion he is a disaster area, and as far as football management is concerned a total incompetent. What I meant is that the most important issues are financial survival and avoiding relegation. While I realise we are still in dire straits I fervently hope that we can remain solvent and in the CCC. With that in mind I see no future in discussing the affairs of the shareholders, and the ownership of the club ad nauseum, as we have been. I doubt that any rescue or bid or even administration proceeding would be forthcoming until relegation is decided. Therefore we should concentrate on supporting our team until the end of the season, with the caveat that Wotte continues to pick and start our experienced players. The campaign to rid us of Lowe and his cabal can begin again then. If I was local and a season-ticket holder I would not rebook until Lowe et al had gone; but I would go to SMS for the remaining matches now. I think even a sociopathic narcissist like Lowest knows the majority of the supporters loathe him and want him gone.

To paraphrase Churchill it certainly isn't the beginning of the end but may be the end of the beginning. Hopefully Lowe's disastrous masterplan that many of us derided from the outset has now been discarded and we are going forward with a sensible mix of talented youth and experience. How lucky we may turn out to,be that Saga and Euell didn't go; despite the best efforts of the lowest of the Lowe. For the time beginning I am prepared to stop negativity and hope that we can continue successfully as we should have from the start with a mix of experience and youth. It appears that Wotte doesn't mince his words and hopefully can continue gain enough points to escape what looked certain relegation. If this happens the crowds will return and we may avoid administration. I for one am prepared to leave it that for the end of the season before passing judgement on the buffoon Lowe's masterplan. Hopefully the beginning of the end will be survival both financial and in the CCC and his departure from any meaningful executive position within Saints. But for the time being.... UP THE SAINTS

Alan ball was the best captain of Saints I ever watched. He was truly inspirational, forever pushing a team of very good players along. The only better I ever watched were Moore, Mackay, Crerand and a few from Liverpool.

Remember he lives in Jersey. AFAIK the "in " to Jersey is rumoured to be about £20mill in readily realisable non-properrty assets, and apparently you negotiate your tax individually. It is just possible that he bought one of the very few ludicrously expensive free market properties, and didn't go down the personal negotiation route though. I wouldn't necessarily equate the health of a UK registered company with his personal wealth. HMRC can get at his company but not at him, unless he returns.

Just to really take it back-My late Dad used to tell me that Len Shackleton-the most expensive footballer in the thirties when he moved from Bradford Park Avenue to Sunderland, used to live round the corner from Dad (in a nice part of Bradford); and used to catch the same tram as Dad and his mates to the match. Back to Saints, in my youth they used to earn about the same as professionals and act normally. Nick Holmes used to drink in Lordswood with his mates, I remember seeing Mike Channon nearly legless with the rest of the team, when he was only just old enough to drink swearing his head off in a city pub on the eve of a pre-season tour; and the ex Saints used to play charity matches against local league teams. Amazingly even the near collapse of the world economic system doesn't seem to have brought any financial common sense to the Prem, as the latest round of bidding shows.

The original "monster from the black lagoon"- so laughably bad it was almost unbelievable.

Unfortunately although its my nearest match I have a prior commitment tonight. It's Sod's Law, for the last four or five years either my son or I have been unavailable to make the East Anglia games for one reason or other. (Regrettably most of these misses were due to my dodgy ticker or other family ilness.)

We would need five thousand supporters, or mini groups, to put £1K in to raise £5million. It might be feasible, my savings are returning very little at the moment and I could afford £1K for Saints. However it would be too unwieldy to have holdings lower IMO, but of course groups of five fans could put £200 in each, and hold one sharebetween them. Unfortunately the fees would probably very high unless a Saints fan was a corporate lawyer who would do it on the cheap. It's not impossible, but it would need a consortium of suitably skilled fans to start the ball rolling. I doubt it could be completed by next season, but if we could just buy Wilde out at a sensible price we would hold the balance of power. Cambsaint

I have worked for a CEO who was a micro managing control freak like Lowe. Unless it was an emergency there would never have been a significant announcement made by anybody else, including the Chairman. In this day and age of readily available communications (-blackberries and laptops), Lowe could easily have managed the JP resignation. I consider the fact that he didn't highly significant.

I find it strange that it is assumed that Lowe is all powerful. Look at the shareholdings, Wilde's share is 16%; the Lowe cabal if it held firm about 25%, and Crouch Corbett et al nearly 20%. Clearly Wilde holds absolute power as he can move his support wherever, ie Lowe, Crouch or no overall control. Personally I am pleased about this as I think Wilde is still probably a fan at heart, and in the last analysis may act against Lowe if he can settle his differences with Crouch. It is also very unusual for critical decisions to be taken when the boss is away. Obviously Wilde loses his offshore status if he is in the UK for more than 90 days a year, so has to ration his attendances with his other business interests. Is he flexing his muscles, will next week bring welcome news. I don't know, but it based on my experience major decisions are rarely if ever made when the boss is away. Without a Saturday game, the JP announcement could have very easily been made on Monday even if the actual decisions had been made on Friday. I have no inside knowledge, I just observe at a distance, but I expect it all to come clear next week.

It appears to me that Lowe has very little power on his own. The man with the real power is Wilde, if he withdraws his support from the Lowe camp and returns to fornm an alliance with Crouch then the power shifts back immediately. Ergo all protests should be directed at Wilde -the kingmaker, Lowe in reality is his puppet. I have asuspicion that for all his faults and misjudgements Wilde is still afgan at heart, which Lowe and his get rich quick at any cost mayes weren't. BTW for Wilde to be able to buy his way into Jersey he would have needed very considerable liquid assets in addition to his residential property, and unless they have all gone belly up he probably is still able to rescue us along with others. NB I have no inside knowledge except a little about Jersey property law.

If Crouch really was at SMS, and as the official statement was handled by Wilde; in more normal circumstances I would surmise something was possibly happening. However as anything to do with lowest is abnormal, it may possibly just be business as usual, ie gross mismanagement.

Who reads the Express (owned by a porn-baron btw) and even more who believes a word it says?