Weston Saint

I decided to support the “Dutch” idea at the beginning of the season and was excited by the style of play and aspirations of total football. I truly expected us to struggle early on with results but see a gradual improvement to a mid table (or just below) position by the end of the season. I certainly did not expect us to be in the bottom 3 at Christmas. It is becoming increasingly obvious ( a view many have held since the start) that the style is not suited to this league and we lack experience to turn things round. The team yesterday looked decent and the strongest (Skacel for Molyneau excepted) available from players at present with the club. However they looked clueless for much of the game against a fellow struggling club. This is totally unacceptable We have a coaching team that have been given long enough to impose their style and tactics. They have failed. They need to go. The club needs to act now. Crouch was heavily criticised by the Lowe group for “hoping for non existent investment” whilst finances were burned. Lowe will be tarnished with the same for hoping for a non existent change in our results fortune with this team of coaches. The big question is, will he go for it? I am told there is increasing disillusionment in the boardroom with the present coach. It is no good just sacking one of them. They all need to go although Hockaday may be an asset to have in the background when a new MANAGER is appointed. I fear Lowe will carry on as usual using finances as a stick with which to continually beat the club and ultimately us the supporters. I am realistic enough to know finances are in a poor state and need to be managed. I appreciate the bank has a big say in our clubs decision making off the field. However the balance has to be right. It does not appear to be the case at present.

But not all the other shareholders will want to oust Lowe for Crouch. There has to be a viable alternative leader with a respected team with football interests at the fore and a 5 year business plan to turn the club round. It is not a case of just getting rid of Lowe and his group, as I know you appreciate Dave.

Lowe made his move to push Crouch out by an EGM threat because he knew he had, with Wildes support, a majority support. Crouch stepped down because he knew he had a minority support without Wilde. Nothing seems to have changed.

Actually I was not thinking of factories but my own industy in the financial sector. May be my 5 years in retirement has distanced me from the real world of today As for the picture, have you been in the board room lately? I have been told (not verified) that a picture of the team and the FA Cup is there. The argument Mrs McMememy is using as a stick to beat Lowe with is kind of embarrasing and detracts from the real issues and arguments for Lowes removal. It is reported that Lowe offered an olive branch to McMenemy when he came back but McMemeny's mistrust and dislike for Lowe caused him to turn away from such gesture. I don't blame him for turning it down by the way any more than I do not blame Lowe for removing the picture from the boardroom. However, as is typical with Lowe he handled it very badly. It could have been put in the Hospitality area. Offering it back to McMememy was poor show in my opinion. Some may call my comments a contradiction in terms but I can live with that

I have put up an explanation of my comments on the other thread. Whether you agree with it or not is for debate but I can tetell you I am in the real world Steve. I just see some things different than you perhaps with a more dispassionate eye. . People including Crouch are asking Lowe to get away from the football side and concentrate on plc matters. Wilde is the Chairman of Football. He reports back to the plc board and collective decisions are made there. Wilde was present but left early. I just do not see the need for Lowe to be at every match. A CEO of a company does not spend every day on the shop floor, he relies on reports and looks at the statistics. Matches are on video. He can review if necessary. It does call into question Lowes alleged love for the club, I will grant you and others on this thread that point. That is my view and the reason for my comment on this thread.

I have not been into the hospitality suites although I was fortunate to get invited into a private box last season against Hull. I am assuming the facilities including food and drink in the suites are free and unlimited. That is why you or your hosts pay a high premium. That usually includes a few ex players who have been asked by the club to “entertain” If any ex player just rolled up to speak to the paying public and enjoy the facilities for free it would cause the cost to go up and at a time of recession and with an already struggling club/team that needs to be carefully managed. I am assuming David just walked in to speak to friends without asking. In my opinion the action that needs to be taken now is for the Manager of the facility to carry out a full investigation within his team and report to Andrew Cowen. Andrew should then seek a meeting with David and his paymasters to get their side of the story. The club should then issue a short apology or explanation of the action. Ex players, particularly those who have been good servants of the club need to be treated with respect but they need to respect the rules and regulations of the club. It has to be a two way thing. I suspect David would have made nothing of the situation in normal circumstances but the total mismanagement of the club on the field, in the boardroom and our poor results was the final straw for a man with passion for our club. I can understand him feeling sore about his “treatment” but I hope he can now reflect, put it into context and continue his association both in media terms and as a much needed ambassador in the hospitality facilities when called upon. I hope this clarifies my comments yesterday

I think posters need to pull themselves into the real world. We are in an age of mobile phones, email and instant video conference facilities. It does not matter Lowe was not there. Wilde & Cowen were.

Some of you have clearly missed the point. I appear to be wasting my time on this subject.

No problem.

Is Armstrong giving his time free to Sainst? I thought he was being paid by the radio station! Was Armstrong invited by the club to go into Hospitality? Did he pay to go into hospitality like everyone else? He was a great player for us and should be treated with respect but you just can't walk in wherever you want without asking or paying.

It was a touch of sarcasm on my part, no more, no less. Fulthorpe is a fantasist and a strange one at that.

I have been told Lowe was not at the game. Quite funny to see some round me in the Itchen singing "Lowe Out" and gesturing to him in the Directors box. Fulthorpe was there though

Balcombe is a good prospect, strong and fast and can bat at No 9.

North opened for Durham when he played for them in 2004 season Scored 29 & 4 at the rosebowl in first game of the season. We won At Durham later in the season against us he batted at No 4 and scored 0 & 23no. Drawn match Never bowled in either match

Was not that impressed when he played for Durham a few years ago but he seems to have improved so let's hope he can do a job for us. Tahir was always a doubt for us early season and bearing in mind he and most other spinners prefer the later season hard wickets he will not likely be missed. Also we have a good bowling line up for the early season seam and swing so to strengthen the batting during that period is a good move.

Sounds like continued speculation rather than fact at present. He was unhappy about not starting regularly for Norwich on a season long loan. Norwich have sacked their Manager so all change. Why would he come here on loan? Unless of course we guarantee him a regular start and we know the dangers of that.

To be honest I am fed up with all this back biting. OK we have different opinions but they can be debated sensibly without retorting to sarcastic coments. There is too much of it on this forum and it is unnecessary. The original poster is as much to blame as many others. So many interesting threads are ruined by a certain group of people from both ends of the spectrum who just cannot get away from this boring habit. So someone gets facts wrong, someone has an opinion out of kink with the majority. So what! Debate it by all means but keep it civil at least without snide comments. And those who post just to get posters backs up, they know who they are......best form of criticism is to ignore. I do.

Whilst I have never rated Euell and certainly not at the wages and add ons he is getting I have to say this is a good post.

How can anyone feel sorry for a player on £0.75m a year plus NIC in the Championship. He is not a player that has justified or likely to justify that wage. If he is so desperate to play go and ask for his contract to be cancelled without compensation but being a free agent he can then find a new club and, if he is so sure of his abillity, sign elsewhere for a fat signing on fee. But he won't. He has a contract and he is entitled to be paid whilst he helps drag us into posible Administration. Jason, I can understand why you were unhappy about your contract details being released (and the fact you have not challenged means the figures are correct) but in my opinion you should shut up about playing and being pushed out.

Here's one. Last summer at Goodwood races I spoke to John Motson and happened to mention Duncan Holley (Fitzhugh Fella of this thread for those who did not know ) asking if he remembered him. Immediately he said "Duncan - In That Number fame - of course I do give him my best regards when you see him again." As Duncan knows, I did pass on his best wishes.

I had to interview Peter Shilton when he was playing for us. He had made an insurance claim but breached the conditions. Whilst we had every intention of paying it (the breach had not caused any prejudice) I was asked to go and see him to make sure he understood for the future. He was a complete gentleman and accepted my "admonishment" and we then spent time talking football before I took my leave. Another time Harry Redknapp, whilst he was still manager of Bournemouth, had been paid out for a home burglary claim but was unhappy with the settlement figures. I fielded the complaint and after he accepted my reasoning we spoke about Saints and the possibility of him becoming manager (he said no hope as he said McMemeny, although not with the club at that time, was still pulling the strings with Askham) and other matters including a story about Frank Lampart senior and the loss of a suitcase containing ......... best I do not say

Pleased to report that all three start for England Under 19's today against SA under 19's.

Excellent win but it we are going to get out of this mess we must do it more often against teams around us. Let's hope we can beat Doncaster next week to cement this win. Then we need to beat Norwich at their place. Not a wish......a need. Let's hope this is a start in our recovery and not a blip and another false dawn For tonight I am very very happy.

I was there and after spoke to Ken Dulieu. It was then I realised that he had been to see me at my office on a previous occasion to try to convince me his surveillance company could now provide me with a top service having not previously lived up to their promises. Suprise, suprise he still failed to come up with the goods.

Smoke and Mirrors.