Guided Missile

I was told last week that it is going to court. Benali will be talking through his lawyers, if at all. I think that if there was damage to his property and there was rent outstanding, it should not have been necessary for a former player to sue the club or Cortese. You would have thought a quick private meeting and agreement regarding the amount owing would have avoided any public spat that could damage the reputation of the club.

Thanks, Clarkie. I think it may be worth reposting the original post, the most sensitive part of which has been published in the Daily Mail. For the benefit of readers and administrators, it is important to note that the claims below are facts that have been reported to a close friend of mine, directly from the person(s) involved. So, it was claimed that: Frannie Benali is suing Cortese for £50K for damage to his house and outstanding rent while Cortese was living there. Cortese charges employees for parking whilst they are at work. The club pays for Cortese's wife's manicures. The Liebherr family aren't interested in Saints and let Cortese do what he wants apart from spend too much money. Whether these claims are true,or not, it should be of concern to all Saints fans, however the team are doing on the pitch. The reason is that although Cortese is undoubtedly an excellent and talented administrator, SFC has always been a family club and one that has maintained great links with former players. That these stories exist is confirmation that there is something wrong about the relationship in some areas and it needs to be addressed. Cortese will only address it if the fans force him to, in my opinion. For Francis Benali to feel like he has to sue over what is simply a matter of money, surely isn't right. Cortese/SFC should have settled the matter privately and not allowed it to become a public issue.

Steve, that's exactly why I started a new thread. Unfortunately the thread was locked and the opportunity to discuss an issue (that of the relationship betweeen some ex-players and the chairman)has been lost. I has nothing to do with libel law and to suggest such is ridiculous. The original post was true and it's removal was an opportunity lost.

...getting arsey with the mods? I saw it the other way round....

Everything in the original post was true and from an impeccable source. It is a shame that this site did not take the opportunity to address a serious rift between ex-players and the chairman, five months before Charlie Sale broke the story in the national press. Still, we are getting away from the subject of this thread and into a different topic, which formed the point of the thread that you locked. Pity that topic can't be debated now due to the perpetual heavy handedness of the moderating on this forum. Talk about stifling debate and if I hadn't contributed anything, I wouldn't complain, but I think a fiver is enough the claim the right of free speech. Jeez, in the rest of the country, it comes at no cost....

As saint clark charmingly suggested, before locking my thread about a different topic: A few may remember a thread started by me, which resulted in an infraction and a banning. To be honest, with my record of carefully checking my facts and never being one to libel anyone, the ban p! $$ed me off. I have searched through the site and cannot find reference to the article below, published in the Daily Mail, on the 1st February, 2011: Former Southampton crowd favourite Francis Benali claims to be taking legal action against the club's executive chairman Nicola Cortese over alleged unpaid bills. Cortese was living in a house Southampton rented from Benali's property company. The former defender said: 'We had to get contract cleaners in and there was also unpaid rent. It's a legal matter now.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/art...#ixzz1EOxXXZog On the 26th September, 2010 I posted this on this website, which was hastily removed and for which I was banned for three months: Frannie Benali is suing Cortese for £50K for damage to his house and outstanding rent while Cortese was living there. I would appreciate an apology and a statement that this website has not sacrificed freedom of speech on the altar of Cortese's personal ambitions. I would have thought that this site's administrators would have learnt from Keith Legge and his doomed love affair with Wilde... ...I won't be holding my breath, though and I await the junta's removal of this post and suppression of any future negative posts against the Cortese regime... (I guess Clarkie answered my question, although I would have appreciated a less abusive response to a paying customer and fellow Saints fan)

A few may remember a thread started by me, which resulted in an infraction and a banning. To be honest, with my record of carefully checking my facts and never being one to libel anyone, the ban p! $$ed me off. I have searched through the site and cannot find reference to the article below, published in the Daily Mail, on the 1st February, 2011: Former Southampton crowd favourite Francis Benali claims to be taking legal action against the club's executive chairman Nicola Cortese over alleged unpaid bills. Cortese was living in a house Southampton rented from Benali's property company. The former defender said: 'We had to get contract cleaners in and there was also unpaid rent. It's a legal matter now.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1352310/Charles-Sale-Replays-FA-Cup-revamp.html#ixzz1EOxXXZog On the 26th September, 2010 I posted this on this website, which was hastily removed and for which I was banned for three months: Frannie Benali is suing Cortese for £50K for damage to his house and outstanding rent while Cortese was living there. I would appreciate an apology and a statement that this website has not sacrificed freedom of speech on the altar of Cortese's personal ambitions. I would have thought that this site's administrators would have learnt from Keith Legge and his doomed love affair with Wilde... ...I won't be holding my breath, though and I await the junta's removal of this post and suppression of any future negative posts against the Cortese regime...

Speaking to Meridian Tonight, Marc Jackson was asked what his background is and who was behind his consortium. He told the programme... 'I was trained by Xerox, many many many years ago. I'm a business strategist, many people say I'm a photocopying salesman, which I always find quite amusing.' 'I actually have been in the past,been heavily involved in the fitting out of Southampton football club stadium. Obviously I have an IT background, sales background, but also I have had involvement at Southampton Academy and scouting for many, many years.' 'To give you an instance I was involved in the scouting of Adam Lallana from Bournemouth sadly, to Southampton.' 'I have many, many contacts in football, I have many contacts abroad as well, in American MLS football as well as in Dubai.' 'So it's a mixture of many many things, all put together with a vision for a football club and we are going to drop the blueprint into here, but all will be revealed.' When asked if it was his money he was investing in AFC Bournemouth, Jackson smiled and said... 'It is a consortium' When pushed on who is in the consortium, he added... 'That is, something that really and honestly will never be answered properly and completely, but the truth of the matter is, there will be answers to that to an extent in tomorrow's (Thursday) press conference.'

I think people need to remember that the pitch was bumpy and there was a strong wind, which blew in our faces during the second half. The problem is that you can't tell from TV, nor on the terraces, what the conditions are like on the pitch. For me, it was always going to lead to a number of individual errors, but I can't understand how posters can watch a match like that and not applaud both teams and take the positives from what was a great game of football between two League One clubs. I'm a football fan first and a Southampton fan second. That helps as we don't win every game and often play against teams that provide their own entertainment for me. I could honestly live with another season in League One. Gutted if it happens, but can't say I haven't had my moneys worth at St. Marys...

I don't intend to watch it, but will be posting regularly on the merits of the new series, based on reading other peoples posts about it...

Welcome back, Steve. I am very happy we may be able to resume our little cyber battle of wits. I don't think any posts should be taken as representative of a persons character, nor seriously, but they are good indicators and my experience of being an ex-pat is that it is almost impossible not to indicate how great expat life is to people living in the old country, when very often it is more about self-justification to soften the harsh realities of not being able to watch Saints on a rainy afternoon against Notts County. What expats have to remember is that if it wasn't for the Saints fans streaming into St. Mary's this afternoon and for every other home game, they'd have no club to support. Listen to me, mush (I couldn't force myself to type Word up, bruvver). Respect to the home and away supporters...

Not sure I ever posted that expats are bad people. I lightheartedly placed them in two categories, based on the style of their posts and wasn't far off the mark, I think: I also took offence to an old TT post, but would probably get on great with the guy over a drink, when my American wife and I go the West Coast this year. Just to recap, I am sure many found this post cringeworthy for a guy of bus pass age: hot young b!tch???...guide dogs for the blind??? Class Act...

Just before this thread gets locked, I think it is worth remembering that Alpine posts 10 times a day, every day for the same reason as some people access internet porn. He just can't get access to the real thing... Remember that, guys and show a little sympathy...it's a sad life.

Interesting to see our form against teams in the top half. We are number one by a long way...although 7th against teams in the bottom half of the table???

Leave the salad dodger alone, people. He's homesick and slowly, reluctantly going native... As I posted earlier: 2.Last of the Scummer Whine Usually post in negative terms about anything related to the club, city or the country. In the early stages of going native, so not reached that grumpy charm that Compo has. More the expression that the club, city or country they left behind didn't quite fit their ideals, those that served them so badly when they lived here. Zero entertainment value in their posts at the moment and the only relevance to the fan of today is the possiblity that more impressionable section of our fanbase may detect a slight lowering of their moral, when reading them. I think of Lord Haw Haw when reading the uninformed dirge they post. He was hanged for treason, but I think the penalty for them, when Saints are back in the premiership will be the sight of their gradual decline into a sad exile, never quite belonging to their new country and unable to return to God's country to see their team play...

If I had gone to a Pizza Express or Harvester I would have expected a f*** ing seat, even provided that many families infest those establishments. DOES NO ONE THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE EXPECTATION FOR £57 A TICKET, EVEN IF IT WAS IN THE F*** ING ALI DIA SUITE... Jesus H. Christ...

All I wanted was a seat from where I could eat the food and drink the beer I paid for. I had the wild expectation that this, at the minimum, would be provided for £57 a head. I guess you must think that I should pay a bit more for that luxury...

I'm sure the youngsters had a lot of fun and I am sincerely happy about that. As far as the empty seats, these were on tables that had made a reservation. I asked if we could sit down on them and was told that they were unavailable as they had been reserved. They remained empty and unavailable up until kick off. The reason for this was that they were reserved for a number of under 12's that were to be dropped off, but didn't turn up. Why would they feel that they had to turn up? The event didn't cost them anything. Good luck in future at this type of event and I hope the families enjoy it. For me, it is corporate suicide on the part of the club to allow free access for any sector of the fanbase and has badly affected the goodwill I had for the hospitality events. This comes from someone that spends over £5K a year with Saints, not a couple hundred...

I find it hard to have respect for a football club owned by a convicted rapist, who has been found unfit to own a radio station by the Radio Authority. Shows the lower standards operated by the Football League...

Exactly... I'm ashamed of my gullibility and refuse to whine like a b!tch any longer...

I've come to the conclusion that I am just a miserable sod for expecting an available seat, where I can eat the food I paid for and didn't do my research carefully enough, when I thought the 1885 club may be suitable for adults intolerant of other peoples children at the weekend. Now I know it's a naked exercise by the club to pack the punters in, at inflated prices, I will stick to my ST universe and pub themed pre- and post-match routine and leave the Mike Channon suite well alone until the end of season, players presentation dinner, when, I hope, we will all be getting drunk celebrating the Championship.

You obviously didn't talk to any of the stewards for their experiences. Broken glasses, food stains on the carpets, running aorund in the corridors. I admit I'm a miserable sod, when it comes to other peoples kids, but I was sold the tickets as some sort of corporate hospitality deal. To quote the Saints website: Launched to celebrate the club's 125th Anniversary year, this is a more casual suite with a lively atmosphere.The 1885 Family Club is a great way to enjoy the match in style with your friends, family or business associates, but in less formal surroundings. * Children under 12 go FREE. Enjoy the match with business associates? Friends? If arranging to meet your business associates or friends, in the local McDonalds in the middle of a childrens birthday party, prior to the match is your idea of enjoyment, whilst paying for their meals out of your bill, then I heartily recommend it. As far as I'm concerned, never again...

It is pretty obvious that those paying for the hospitality subsidised those that didn't, ie the under 12's. I have two kids and have never expected a free ride for them when they were young, but I am guessing that in todays benefit culture, that concept is outdated. I did expect a f** cking seat, though, having paid for it. Obviously this arrangement only suits those adults that have under 12's to take. I won't be there with my impeccably behaved 20 year old son who gave his seat up to a pensioner who was standing close by. Didn't notice any "nippers" who got in for f*** all doing that...

I don't know if anyone tried the curry club, but I thought it was good value for the Shrewsbury game and decided to book something similar for the Blackpool game for my son and I. At £49 plus VAT a head it seemed OK value, but apart from a cushioned seat in the stands, the reality was a bit different. On arriving at just after 1:00PM, we struggled to find seats and kids were running all over the place. As soon as we had finished our main meal, we noticed a number of people arriving who had nowhere to sit. We gave our seats up to a couple of people who looked hungry and wandered over to the bar to buy another drink. Due to the free food and matchday ticket for the under 12's, it was apparent we were going to have nowhere to sit to enjoy our beers, so we walked into the adjoining corridor and sat down to finish them. It took about 2 minutes for a steward to walk up and tell us we weren't allowed to drink alcohol in that area. I told him that he could find a seat in the Mick Channon suite for us to use, I'd gladly comply. He kindly told me he'd turn a blind eye. I quickly finished my beer, went into the stands early and another steward told me we weren't allowed to go to the pitchside and had to stay where we were, as there was limited access to the rest of the ground. I must say that the game experience was great, but I will never be doing the hospitality thing again while kids under 12 get in for free. If you have the carpet rats, fine, but I don't and it pi $$ed me off that the little bu ggers had monopolised the seats and ate all the desserts. Pub and my normal seat for Man U, I think...

At least we beat Man U in the preseason tour of 1981, as this trip down memory lane shows.