Nineteen Canteen

Was that before you got loaned out Greenridge for trying to sit on the bench. £5m in any climate doesn't equate. Lallana hasn't stood out for the right reasons all season and apart from some useful cameo roles last season that if Saints had to have a fire sale I doubt he would be top on many club's shopping list and probably not even in the first 6 of our post 'desirable' assets. IMHO not even worth a £1m but more than happy to take that.

I don't see what your problem is. Baj' s instruction seems perfectly clear and reasonable and if nothing else cuts down on the length of threads with people repeatedly copying in the same link. Just provide the link and if people are to lazy to follow it that's their problem no one elses. Errors can be made in copying that can alter the original article I would have thought and there is in fact many risks not least that someone thinks it's the forum who have published it first or repeating a libellous comment from another source. Is this worth a new thread? Do you want this forum?

Er no, the finger should be pointed to those who allowed Wilde to take control afterall it all happened within a year.

In hindsight Duncan it was buying shares at a premium he was unlikely to recover and switching his support at the eleventh hour to support Wilde's takeover. That was the biggest and most catastrophic turning point in our recent history IMO. I accept some will go back to the formation of the PLC but I believe if managed correctly some form of public or private shared ownership is actually a good thing if open to all within the family of Saints.

Marco, I recognise and appreciate the money Crouch has donated in recent weeks to keep the club going. His errors though have been many and not always finace related but IMO errors or judgement. You mention his refusal to support Wilde's spending spree but how did Wilde come to power initially? January we could all see Burley was a spent force by Crouch was telling us that everyone at the club firmly believed we would reach the playoffs. (At the time I didn't realise he mean't the League 1 play offs). He told us in early January 2008 that no players would be let go for financial reasons and at the 11th hour Lee Hoos told us we had released on loan perhaps tow of our largest wage earners. To put Crouch's original quote into context JIm Hone had said the future of teh club was in doubt without significant investment. So as nothing had changed in the interim that was a brave call from Crouch. Did Crouch take 6 weeks to realise that wages to turnover ratio of 81% maybe a tad high? He made managerial appointments/decisions that made Lowe's look good and we seemed to bumble through until alledgedly a client of Chris McMenemy's came into view from nowhere? Crouch's decision or Lawrie McMenemy's? No matter how much Crouch surrounds himself with ex-Saints, lets it be known how much he has donated or was willing to give (The £2m fiasco blew up in his face) or joins the rank and file with bucket in hand it does not IMO compensate for his part in the downfall that extends beyond his time as chairman. The radio 5 Live gaff was emabarrassing for everyone. What will Crouch's epitaph be? Investment is likely soon. The man is undeniably a passionate Saints fan but that doesn't mean he is capable of running a highly pressurised and fickle business. What better example do you want when you see who he chose as his closest confidante with regard to football matters, someone whose last involvement in the game pre-dates the Premier league and there can't be many who can argue the culture of the game has changed beyond recognition since then. Leon is donating a huge amount of money but can still cause the club problems as witnessed by his R5 Live interview. The hypothetical question is has he put more in than in has inadvertently taken out through bad decision making and at times amateur PR.

Colin you should listen to your own advice. I don't believe in god and the Holy Trinity either and many more words have been written on that than your whimsical concepts. Happy to dismiss both on what I have read until proven otherwise.

I rest my case, patience and petulance are rarely commom characteristic in a person.

True enough and its all relative, If all it takes is a second to score a goal that could define your season then 90 minutes is a very long time in football. Seriously, though this season I think planning went of the window it was reactionary 'bush fire fighting' and no time for anything else. The intervening Loweless years I think we planned to much for the present, IMO blowing budgets and caution and forgot about the long term stability of the club. Bottom line we ran out of patience.

Futility will stop then Colin when you don't start threads that will lead to unsubstantiated theories. You're asking a question based on a scenario that doesn't exist and being all moralistic about a club run by the fans for the fans and then tell us it's all pie in the sky. Which of course it most certainly is and ergo we agree, thank you. Seems to me Colin you are arguing with yourself.

Rob I was talking about how Lowe reacted to relegation and his prudent approach to dealing with it. Hence 'Lowe in 2006'. Relegation from the Premiership is and always will be an occupational hazard for any but a handful of big clubs in this day and age and we were lucky at times to stay as long as did.

Correct a Ford Focus is not an Escort. I would support my local non-league teams as and when I could without the ties or costs of a Season Ticket. I barely watch Premiership or Champions League Football these days as I have little affinity with it and prefer to watch the live games from the early rounds of the FA CUP or lower leagues. Histon v Leeds this season was by far the most entertaining game I've watched on TV this season. You never know a cup run from the 1st round could be on the cards - wouldn't happen with a fan run club as you need to be in existence in November.

The fanbase is divided though Colin and none of us can argue that so you can't ignore that two clubs at least could rise from the ashes of SFC or none at all due to apathy. Stop posting if you don't want me to challenge your thinking! We will never agree? I have disagreed with many and likewise many with me but we have still occassionally managed to find some common ground except, they never told me to stop trying to debate.

Hull though were fortunate to be granted a stadium paid for (I think) by their local authority and shared with Hull KR. Means they have to spend less on financing their infrastructure and can spend more on the team and perhaps that's a future model for more clubs.

I'd agee with that. So many variables especially with regard to managerial and player ability but to get to the Premiership not come straight back down as Wolves did under Jones as they had no money the figure has to be between £50m - £100m. Look how much Sunderland have spent and still not guaranteed for a third season. We need a Peter Coates character a wealthy successful businessman with a soft spot for his beloved Stoke City. Some interesting parallels as he of course was forced to sell due to fan hostility. Didn't stop him coming back and through 'luck or skill' this time he has fared a bit better.

A bit like saying he has suffered from getting a year older.

Colin that would be the same as option a. Anyway with our fansbase and so called fan groups alledgedly all representing the fans such as Saints Trust, SISA, SoS and nor forgetting this forum who has more members than all of them we would end up with more Southampton clubs than popular football team suffix. Southampton United, Rovers, Athletic, Wanderers, Academicals, of the South, Docks, Avenue, Common, etc

To be fair Alpine, Lowe was already operating a long, long term plan back in 2006 but the fans didn't have the patience to bear with him and nor did Crouch of course aligning himself with Wilde. I think we can respect Lowe based on where we were then as for this season he made mistakes but they were mere scratches compared to the damage caused by the wounds of the previous two seasons, and anyone in charge this season had a task akin to King Canute to turn the club around.

Categoric NO

Since when has Google become the source to establish a person's interests?

Do you believe that 100% as there are no certainties in life apparently, apart from Nigel Pearson's managerial capability. Can't comment on Jim Steele as I think I had to be in bed by 7.30pm after getting to grips with my Silver Reading book 4. Funny isn't it you spend your formative years reading in bed only to reach your teens and revert to looking at pictures.

Doncaster game at home and the two idiots in Itchen South who started waving their Season Tickets after Donny's 2nd goal. The whole block started telling them to sit down and shut up so they invited us all outside to a chorus of cheerio, cheerio, cheerio. Overall we have some fantastic fans and that particular sing song warmed the heart. Still not sure what the waving of their Season Ticket was supposed to symbolise - uber and ultra righteous fans, look me I'm more impotant than you? Who knows but it lightened a dark and disappointing afternoon.

There is no certainty in life but you 100% believe? With Global Warming you can't even believe 100% the tide will come in tomorrow and not take out Sandbanks. Based on the evidence of Pearson's time at the club you could not have been 100% certain about anything with regard to his managerial ability. Or do you believe with 100% certainty and the benefit of 20:20 hindsight as no doubt even Lowe could have made some great managerial appointments and then be able to wind the clock back a season. All those penalities we missed would Pearson have taken them himself? There are no certainties in life but believe 100% that at the end of last season no one could have had 100% belief in Pearson's ability based on those 13/14 games.

Phil, the paragraph on Lowe's role at SFC - sloppy or prophetic journalism?

Quote from yesterday's Business Section in the Times from an article re the suspension of two directors at WH Ireland. 'Mr Lowe is the executive chairman of Southampton Football Club, whose holding company has fallen into administration. He is leading a legal appeal after the administration cost the beleaguered club a ten-point penalty.' Now as far as I am aware Rupert Lowe resigned after Administration and no longer has anything to do with the club. Furthermore, wasn't he Chairman of SLHplc and not the club. Now either this is a very sloppy piece of journalism or it is assuming we know the future structure and what Rupert Lowe is or will be working on. Trousers will love this in the morning, nice and juicy conspiracy theory to get his teeth into.

I agree but beggars can't be choosers. I think though we are forgetting there are at least two bids on the table and the article in the Mail states a bid of £10m - which doesn't sound that great when I thought they were hoping for at least half that again. May not be winning bid.