Long Shot

Sorry, I was one of the ones who walked out I am afraid - not even sure JP got his chance to speak, if he did there can't have been too many left to listen. L Mac made the point that he hated to criticise a football man and he had heard he (JP) was a nice man but in his opinion he was way out of his depth.

One other remarkable thing that I forgot was right at the very beginning Lowe opened the meeting by reading out an anonymous letter he claimed he had got that very morning. The letter said that Lowe was doing a marvellous job in turning the club around and that he would truly save the club blah blah blah. Lowe waved around Neville Chamberlain style and I think that was the catalyst for the anger. Shareholders audibly gasped as he read it. People could not believe he had the front be so crass and self-promoting. It is my opinion Lowe handled the whole meeting very badly - if he had shown just a little humility it would have been a much better advertisement for us as a club - as it was he incited a bunch of folk who were in no mood to be patronised.

Crouch addressed this at the AGM - It is a matter of record that he voted against every big money signing last year but was outvoted by the execs. Get your facts right.

Just back and to put people straight Crouch did not hurl abuse at Lowe. He did however hotly dispute Lowe's version of events and objected strongly to being blamed for the financial mess. The meeting came to a virtual end when there was a mass walk out (led by Crouch) when Lowe answered Ann McMenemy asked why the photo of her husband (the only photo of him in the stadium) had been replaced by a picture of a train. Lowe answered "there was no where else to put the picture". That reply was met with considerable anger and at least half present walked out before any voting took place. I have been to many Saints AGMs and I have never seen anything like I have today. Lowe was at his most arrogant. He started the meeting off by saying he had returned to help to unite the club which sort of set the anger off and every speaker bar one called for him to resign. Mary Corbett spoke well pointing out David Jones should take some responsibility for the financial mess as he has been an ever present since 1997. L Mac joined the debate saying Lowe had qualities but not in football - the two of them had an argument about who set up the Academy (Lowe was banging his own drum here and L Mac pointed out we had a youth academy before Lowe came here - it was merely called Youth Policy. L Mac called on Lowe to resign. One old supporter actually broke down in tears as he spoke about Lowe and how far he had dragged this club downward. Lowe was bullish throughout but that was to expected. ( IMO I actually think he really believes he is always in the right. I think he really is very delusional. Before the meeting started I heard some very disturbing stories about him from Mary Corbett about things Lowe has done to her that simply defy belief) There was repeated heckling and Lowe several times threatened to call the meeting off. He stopped Leon Crouch asking any more questions but LC would not give way and Lowe called security who spoke to Crouch. Perry MacMillan spoke and (jokingly) took his shoe and said he was tempted to throw it at Lowe. That was the only light moment. I have never seen so much anger. There was constant heckling and chanting for Lowe to go. He said he would never resign until he had finished the job he had come back to do. Someone shouted RELEGATION. At the end several I spoke to were shaking with anger at Lowe. Even I who have long campaigned to see the back of Lowe was very surprsied at the strength of feeling in the room today. It was very venomous.

Interesting article

I guess it is down to interpretation of the word JUST. I saw it as being critical of Pearson ie he only just managed to keep us up. While that is true it does kinda gloss over the whole story. Burley actually left us in 13th place (we were 12th when he took over) but we were sinking like a stone with the club in turmoil. Appointing Dodd and Gorman was not Crouch's finest hour but I will give him credit for addressing the crisis after the Rovers Cup defeat with alacrity.

I don't know if Morph is more up to speed than me but I did hear about 2 months ago that Wilde was looking to offload his shares but wouldn't/was forbidden to sell to anyone known to be sympathetic to Crouch. That sort of ruled out everyone bar a few. That therefore meant Wilde had no one to offload them to.... until Rupert suggested Roach (a long time Lowe ally). Lowe is desperate for Wilde to sell (because he knows Wilde is desperate and unstable) - whoever buys Wilde's shares is kingmaker. Hence Roach's involvement. If he buys Wilde's shares we can all kiss this club goodbye.

The latter

Good Post! To sum things up - under Lowe it will always be Fan v Fan. Divided. Lowe goes = fans not divided. Simplistic maybe but read this forum tonight and it is evident his dark presence is ripping this club apart.

I think Leon would quite genuinely be preparded to converse with Wilde if it was in the interest of the club but Wilde has thrown his toys out of the pram and Rupert has forbidden him to pick them up.

Bizarre post. To say Pearson survived JUST is a pretty unintelligent view of exactly what Pearson managed to achieve. We were on the rocky road to ruin thanks to the drunkard Burley. (Go on George sue me). Pearson inherited a shambolic de-motivated mess of a club and turned it around to safety in a short period of time and yet you are still mealy mouthed about him. Shame on you.

Yes, Benjii but all of them had to undergo a pretty unpleasant period of time before they re-invigorated their careers. All decent men but all wrongly employed by Lowe. If I was a young (or even old manager) the last Chairman I would wish to work for right now is Lowe. I'd feel more comfortable being a turkey living next door to Bernard Matthews.

For once I agree with you. I feel sorry for him and I feel sorry for the young lads yesterday who did their best but were not good enough. Some of them tried to applaud the fans at the end but were met with boos and empty stands. How sad a sight was that? There is only one person to blame. He has presided over 9 years out of 12 in our recent history and has ruined this club and a few careers (Wigley, Sturrock, Gray etc) in the process. Now JP is going through the mangle. He should never have been put in the position he is in. He is a decent honest guy but he has also been promoted way above his capabilities.

We couldn't even afford Loopy Lou come January

But until you get off your soap box and go to actually watch Saints play LIVE you will never know. You know you prefer reality tv on a sat night.

Hopefully the North Koreans will free this man shortly

Bit sweeping Nick - not how I remember it. I recall someone claiming a photo was doctored (it wasn't) and I remember the words of McGoldrick. I am 100% certain Lowe is taking footballing decisions and no matter how good they maybe, until my dying day I will maintain the role of Chair and manager must be kept separate (a bit like the separation of powers in the unwritten British Constitution).

True? I hear enough about life at St Marys to be convinced! Not expecting anyone else to believe me though.

Too much interference in footballing matters is my biggest concern

They would be valid questions too but I am intrigued why Wilde felt it OK to make the club foot the bill HE incurred in the build up to the EGM. If Lowe had done that there would have been an outcry.

Agree we need action but perhaps it would be a start if shareholders could be given the chance to ask questions to the Chairman at an AGM - surely that is not too much to ask. It is, after all, the only time in a 12 month period that people who have invested in the club can directly look the men who run the club in the eye and express a view. I wanted to go specifically to ask Wilde if it was true that he made the club "pick up the invoice" for the expenses he incurred in his PR campaign to oust Lowe. I hear the sum involved was more than a quarter of a million pounds.

16% of it!

Well he doesn't go to many games so not surprised he has given the "plate of biscuits" a miss. I don't think Wilde is known for his bottle and I don't think he could handle the pressure. He serves no purpose at the club whatsoever.

Decent bloke, would be happy to have him in charge of the youth or the academy but not up to life in the CCC.

I just bumped into a bloke I know who used to be fanatical once - ie running coaches to away matches etc etc. He told me he has not set foot in SMS since Lowe returned which means this is the first season since 1961 he has not gone to a home game. He went to Charlton but will not go to St Marys while Lowe is there. There are quite literally thousands like him (he had 2 season tickets up until the start of this season. Lowe going would easily put at least 5-7000 on the next gate and they would stay loyal imo. That extra £100,000 per game would certainly help.