Nineteen Canteen

Everyone is entitled to their opinion Robbie, and personally I find it quite sad that we have managed to pack the stadium for today's 'crucial game'. Too little to late from our fans I'm afraid and the CLUB (not any individual or group) deserved better.

If we end up getting relegated what percentage of today's crowd will loyally turn up next season when the dust on the 'wave of optimisim' has settled? 50% at best I would imagine even without the Lowe factor. The Football League will meet on Tuesday and unfortunately I think they will issue us with a points deduction and effectively resign us to League 1 unless we can pull off a miracle. We are obviously and cleverly exploiting a loop hole in the league rules regard holding companies that was designed to protect clubs owned by a holding company with other companies under its umbrella. If a club was well run and profitable but one of the other companies under its holding company went bust thereby putting the group into administration, the league in this instance would not want to impose a penalty for reasons of fairness. Clearly this is not the case in our instance and if the Football league are to hold off a sudden surge in clubs reporting to new holding companies designed solely to protect them from a points deduction, especially in these times, then I think Tuesday the League will close their loophole and we will be made an example of their new rules. It' s pity the euphoria and wave of optimism didn't carry on from the Sheff Utd game last season. Barclays pulled the plug because although we delivered in all their other demands we didn't deliver in the one area the fans could have and should have contributed - revenue. As a result, I only hope this 'wave of optimisim' isn't the bow wave of a silent and slightly more menacing tsunami that will destroy the club as we have known it.

And if it's too little too late? Still welcome back the rubberneckers because that is what they amount to?

Will you still feel the same if the club dies or maybe even worse due to League sanctions and a cobbled together rescue package does a Luton Town? The thing is I admire you Docker -P for supporting the club regardless of your opinions about the board. We all support Southampton and stuck by them so for the same reason I don't know if I can stomach the return of the 'triumphant' fickle fan who will be gone if we drop into League 1 next season and no doubt a fair few will not return if stay up. 14,999 regulars knew that supporting the team was the only way to help it's long term survival, Lowe or not. Not sure what Docker-P was doing there. Lowe apologist? Good one, more a believer in common sense and simple business principals.

And my god we could do a lot better. If anything is good to come out of the ashes of this debacle then the last thing we need is to revert to one of the protaganists in the events leading up to the current position. This club has to move forward and the last thing we need is Crouch spouting his fan friendly rhetoric without any real bassis so that we all walk around talking about the promise of investment in 3 months, 6 , 9 its coming soon, false dawns. He would no doubt be dusting of McMenemy who's attitude to expenses would embarrass an MP when you compare his role to that of a member of the house. I said in another post we need a mug with deep pockets and IMO I don't think Crouch as enough money. Promised much and token gestures in the past don't actually amount to much more than a small mound of beans. Crouch in all his media comments has always promised lots and talked about how much the club means to him, the ultimate rich 'uber' fan, but in reality he has delivered very little. I suspect Barclays liked him because he was easier to deal with. IMO easier to say no to. Was it the shrewdest thing to buy shares into this club regardless he could afford to 'lose it'. Not the smartest business decision even without the benefit of hindsight. If the only way for this club to avoid distinction is some Crouch led consortium then so be it something is better than nothing. However, if that does happen IMO we would be back with the accountants once again and this time it would be terminal. Crouch may actually be our only hope given the gravity of the situation and limited time frame and we would be IMO on another road to disaster even with perhaps a greater albeit temporary revenue stream. Return of Crouch would be truly awful? Would I carry on supporting the club? Yes. Boycott? Most defintely not, I support the Saints, pity half the crowd this Saturday didn't follow that logic. Crouch has one saving grace like the rest of us loyal fans he never deserted the club and for that I genuinely applaud him. Surprising he wasn't dubbed a Lowe-luvvie.

And my god we could do a lot better. If anything is good to come out of the ashes of this debacle then the last thing we need is to revert to one of the protaganists in the events leading up to the current position. This club has to move forward and the last thing we need is Crouch spouting his fan friendly rhetoric without any real bassis so that we all walk around talking about the promise of investment in 3 months, 6 , 9 its coming soon, false dawns. He would no doubt be dusting of McMenemy who's attitude to expenses would embarrass an MP when you compare his role to that of a member of the house. I said in another post we need a mug with deep pockets and IMO I don't think Crouch as enough money. Promised much and token gestures in the past don't actually amount to much more than a small mound of beans. Crouch in all his media comments has always promised lots and talked about how much the club means to him, the ultimate rich 'uber' fan, but in reality he has delivered very little. I suspect Barclays liked him because he was easier to deal with. IMO easier to say no to. Was it the shrewdest thing to buy shares into this club regardless he could afford to 'lose it'. Not the smartest business decision even without the benefit of hindsight. If the only way for this club to avoid distinction is some Crouch led consortium then so be it something is better than nothing. However, if that does happen IMO we would be back with the accountants once again and this time it would be terminal. Crouch may actually be our only hope given the gravity of the situation and limited time frame and we would be IMO on another road to disaster even with perhaps a greater albeit temporary revenue stream. Return of Crouch would be truly awful? Would I carry on supporting the club? Yes. Boycott? Most defintely not, I support the Saints, pity half the crowd this Saturday didn't follow that logic. Crouch has one saving grace like the rest of us loyal fans he never deserted the club and for that I genuinely applaud him. Surprising he wasn't dubbed a Lowe-luvvie.

The administrators said they hoped to get us through to the end of the season. I think the ticket office are acting in your best interests although personally I believe you and other stayaways deserved to be fleeced. Cash Sales only, roll up!

You wouldn't want to insult an old comrade who joined arms against the masses with you along time a go and were eventually proven right, would you? They're just opinions, and mine has been since day one the dwindling support of the club would realise it's downfall and not Lowe. Why? Because the next man could equally prove to be just as unpopular and we have a recent history of apparently being unable to unconditionally get behind the team, the true definition of a supporter.

Really? Answer the question then.

oooh argh, get off my tractor Mr Supermarket, we don't want your type round these parts.

Do you think a prospective buyer can be hoodwinked so easily and a full house can avert them from completing some historical analysis. If so such crass due diligence wouldn't have been seen at this club since .......Oh yeah I remember, don't you?. We have acted to long like our brain power reflects our colloquial accents and we need to stop thinking like a bunch of hopeful village idiots.

Supporting Lowe was our only option (like him or not), me and about 15,000 others who regularly attended home games knew that, but this morning it appears over 10-15,000 have somewhat tragically and belatedly woken up to the fact. Lowe didn't fail - our support did and I have been spouting all season that the fans who boycotted the club would bring about the demise through revenue reduction and offset any cost cutting measures the board tried. A simple logic that was beyond the grasp of many I'm afraid. I can hold my head high along with many other ST holders and regular attendees those who go to the game tomorrow for the first time this season are the ones who were wrong and need to hang your heads in shame. I hope no one stands next to me and my mates with some misguided bullish attitude boasting about it's good to be back or words to the effect (see Garret's earlier comments as a case in point) . Boycotting was not and never was going to be the answer and the cracks in the support are now like giant crevices as far as I am concerned and irreperable.

Pancake you don't think an investor will look at revenues and support prior to tomorrow's game. If they do the figures will show that we can fill our stadium for crunch games or attractive cup ties but we don't have the following of our peers to sustain ourselves whilst we rebuild for the future. We need a mug with very deep pockets and they're a bit thin on the ground. A serious businessman like Sugar, Paphitis or Hearn (as examples of businessman who bought into clubs) are not going to touch us.

Agree completely with Nick and Baj and it sickens me to see the headlines in the Echo like 'Now Lowe's gone let's fill the stadium' and the rallying calls on here from those who have deliberately boycotted the club in the past season and helped bring about it's downfall. For the extra 10,000 or more supporters who are going to the game tomorrow. Well done, but where the hell were you when we needed you most? Do you seriously believe a buyer of substance can be found in 24 days and by making an effort, now the war has been lost, you believe you can kid a buyer we are a well supported club, worthy of saving because of the revenue we can generate in the intervening years before a serious campaign can be launched to return to the Premiership? Given that we are not exactly acting within the spirit of the rules of a Holding Co as laid down by the Football league in that the Holding Company did not own a diverse portfolio of companies and solely represented a football club 100% I think the league will deduct points ensuring relegation and reducing the list of potential buyers even further and I doubt our fickle fanbase will turn out to watch a home game against Huddersfield to the tune of 26,000. Well at least until the last few games of the season if we are in with a hint of promotion or further disaster. Its shameful and a disgrace that all these 'supporters' now creep out of the woodwork in some misguided belief everything will be fine and rosy when I fear with I expect most of the loyal fans who have stuck by the club that the future is far from certain and to say it's bleak would not be overstating the position. I'm sorry SITS by whilst I admire your efforts a whip round at this stage looks frankly ridiculous although it may give some hope to the programme sellers, stewards and bar staff that they are not working tomorrow as volunteers.

Who's going to buy us in 24 days then Mr Happy?

Why? It may have escaped your notice but the horse has already bolted. The game and the next 2 could be a complete sell out but no buyer in the next 24 days and I assume 3 clubs will be promoted from the conference at the end of the season. Regardless of what people thought of Lowe there is an air of celebration emanating from some fans which I can only assume is because they have no grasp of the gravity of the situation, are simply ignorant or so full of hatred they are pleased the club could die just to be rid of one man? I can't relate to these fans and the longer it takes to find a buyer the more concerned for this club's existence I will become. These are very sombre and sobering times and the celebatory like reaction from some quarters, even if you hated Lowe is frankly idiotic.

We can only hope its for more than 3 games, yeah real sweet.

The question should be that for those of us who have stuck by the club do we actually want to stand shoulder to shoulder with stay aways who have played their significant part in reducing revenues to the degree we have gone bust. It was hardly a surprise that we were in financial difficulty at the start of the season and choosing to stay away could only end up with the one result. The worse fans of all though are those who only pledged to go to away games so they could literally have their Saints fix and contribute to the club's demise. Truly lower than Lowe.

Hockey? Getting his revenge?

Probably Steve, lets face it this club can't be bought realistically as a going concern and will require an individual or group with very deep pockets to repair the damage beyond raising enough to purchase the club. All those pledging their allegiance to go back to SMS and buy ST's will sicken those who have stuck by the club IMO and whilst Lowe and Wilde may be gone the cracks in the fanbase will take years to heal and will continue to run deep. Hardly an enticing prospect and any savvy businessman or consortium isn't going to have the wool pulled over their eyes by bigger crowds for our last 3 home games. It feels like a we're a dead duck - no pun intended.

At last a bloke with a sense of humour.

Apparently I don't know where you sit Um so please confirm. I didn't use the words 'run amok' and in any case I was told it wasn't you because you don't sit in block 10, so please accept my apologies if I got the wrong end of the stick. All I saw was some idiot having a go at some fellow fans who were minding there own business trying to enjoy the game and then said idiots inviting the entire block outside - what for I can't imagine. All very childish a bit like the over use of emoticons.

Bit late though don't you think? Especially for the loyal 15k or so who have been there all season. Welcome back?

I agree Mike the trick is making sure you believe the right source.