Weston Saint

As the 2002/3 season is the one mentioned a lot here I thought I wold look at that end of season table where, I am sure you will remember, we finished 8th and cup final. Others in that division that season who have fallen and not yet fully recovered: Leeds & Charlton both now in League 1. WBA, Newcastle (3rd) & Middlesbrough now in the Championship. We are not alone but it does not make it any easier to accept, I know.

Wilde fully accepted he did not have a clue when he came in. That is why he bought in what he was told by Vantis (sp) was an experienced football board. His gripe is they then shafted him although they will say he shafted them by not bringing in the promised investment. I have to be careful believing what he says after he shafted the SOS group but he was sincere about his lack of experience (he wanted to learn the business) because it is evidenced by his dealings and actions!

Well he changed his mind again because the quote I put up was from "In That Number". Not suprised he has reverted to his original thoughts though and he is far from alone on changing his opinion back to his original thoughts. Hope all is well with you.

You are entitled to your opinion, I just think you are wide of the mark.

In that case then why not save your money, drink at the bar and watch the game from the "terraces"

I was invited into one the season before last. Very pleasant with a nice meal before the game accompanied by decent enough wine. All drinks are locked away 15 minutes before the start of the game to comply with ground reglations but a chance of a drink at half time and again after the final whistle. Tea and sandwiches at full time as well. Comfortable surroundings and good company. Cannot see the need of drinking to excess at these functions. If you are an invited guest why get bladdered. I like a drink as much as the next man but it is about the overall experience not getting as much down your neck as possible. Game was ok as well as we beat Hull 5-1

Fishers Pond. Not that posh! Still there also although I prefer eating at The Bridge at Shawford

Still there and still some silver service.

I will agree with all that other than the Bristol Rovers game. That game was the first step in the right direction for me. So rock bottom would be club: just before our new owners signed and paid for the club. In football terms, moments before we kicked off against Bristol Rovers.

That's interesting, I assume you work with them both. I will have a word with mum and dad when they are back from South Africa because I am told he was told he had to go by the Administrators and those running the club at the time.

On 16th May 1999 Graham Souness was at the Everton game and was pleased to see that Rupurt Lowe had "changed.....He now understood what was at stake for Southampton. He has become a passionate football man...."

http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/427649.html Cricket South Africa (CSA) has acted on its plan to tweak the limited-overs format by making trial changes to their domestic competition, including reducing the format to 40 overs each, allowing 12 players a side and allowing the batting side to pick Powerplays. This follows the England board's decision to do away with their 50-over competition and retain the 40-over format to go with the first-class and Twenty20 championships. However while the teams can pick 12 players, only 11 can bat and field. The first Powerplay will extend up to 10 overs and the second for five and both must be taken before the 35th over. For one, four fielders will be allowed outside the ring, and for the other three. Also for rain delays overs will be deducted immediately, and matches will be played over a set period regardless of the weather. The existing 45-over MTN domestic championship will be replaced will the new format from October 28. Gerald Majola, CSA chief executive, said the changes would revolutionise cricket in South Africa. "CSA believes the new format will be a dynamic alternative to the dull periods that have crept into the 45-over version by providing added excitement and playing intensity," Majola said. "This change is part of CSA's vision of giving fans the excitement and action they want without losing any of the basic skills that are an integral part of the game. "At the same time, we will also be preparing our players for the 50-over international version if that does not change. And if it does become shorter, then we will have a head start." Majola also said there would be substantial prize money and bonuses for players and franchises.

When you reappear St Will, tell me, are you a member of the Hampshire PGA? Edit, forget the question, I have found the answer.

GROUP A ECB Recreational XI chosen from players without full county contracts. Glamorgan Lancashire Somerset Surrey Sussex Worcestershire GROUP B Derbyshire Essex Gloucestershire Middlesex Netherlands Northamptonshire Yorkshire GROUP C Durham Hampshire Kent Leicestershire Nottinghamshire Scotland Warwickshire Teams will play each other home and away in the first round, with the group winners and best second-placed team advancing to the semi-finals. The final of the tournament, which has replaced the Pro40 League, will take place at Lord's on Saturday, 18 September 2010.

Just lost the first youth test to Bangladesh by 2 wickets. 2 Hampshire players featured. Michael Bates kept wicket and Danny Briggs bowling. Bates scored 22 and 27 batting at No 7. Took 2 catches in first innings and no byes. I catch and no byes in the second Briggs took 3/46 in 20 overs first innings and 5/50 off 20 in the second. 4no and 11 batting at 9 James Vince has not joined the touring party yet. It was Briggs and Bates under 19 debut as well. In fact 8 of the England team were dubutants against 1 for Bangladash.

What a lot of nonsense the article is. It lacks credibility as soon as it says Cronje cheating did not even make the top 10! I hazzard a guess that even Nineteen Canteen will treat the article with the distane it deserves.

I think your judgement on this matter is very flawed or naive. It was his disrespect for the ordinary supporter, or at least his poor communication skills in that respect, that led to the ordinary supporters disrespecting him. It was not like that in the beginning (apart from a few who never forgave him for the way he and others undertook the reverse takeover)

I like this quote, it was a weak hand, if fact from what I know a very weak financial hand but he played it very badly with catastrophic results. Could he have played it better with the limited finances? Yes seems to be the majority opinion.

No you are not missing anything. 5% interest paid annually but your money is tied up until December 2016 although there is a clause which allows redemption at the end of December 2014. You still have to buy a membership to enjoy the facilities I believe but such facilities will be for debencher holders only. You also get guaranteed tickets for interntionals at cost price. You can invest over the same period in Bank Bonds and get a little higher interest. At 5% you ask what is the catch. Well none really although you lose your money if RoseBowl plc goes bust. How can they pay 5% per annum. Well it would cost them more than that to borrow the money from the financial Institutions. Contact Stuart Robinson at the RoseBowl for full details Warning: I am not employed by the RoseBowl and I do not hold a licence to give financial advice. This is just my opinion

I am not going to reveal my sources, yes there were more than one who had access to what was going on and were on the inside, but I can understand you questioning the same in view of the £1m spending (see I am not saying you are writing a load of tripe) but could it be the sale of Davies, the hope of offloading a few more expensive earners as well as the potential investment spin off might have been enough to convince the bankers short term. As for the Admin call, they were still hoping to limp over the line (no one WANTS to put their business into Administration but Barclays pulled the plug making it impossible to continue to trade legally) Question: why did Barclays not pull the plug a week earlier? Admin would have happened then and we would have suffered the 10 points last season. So many unanswered questions? It is not all as black and white as many assume it was. But then it does not fit some of the hate agenda. I am far from a Lowe supporter but I am able to take a rational look at the facts. Lowe, in my opinion, was an egotistical poor communicator who was not prepared to listen or ignored advice openly given to him by experienced football minds. But he did not fail from day 1. He was openly praised by Deliotes in the early years and respected by other Premier league Chairmen for his executive skill and inovation. He was the first to put relegation clauses into contracts, now the norm in football, I am told, and was a tenatious negotiator in the transfer market. His legacy in history, however, will still show he failed to keep us solvent.

That was something of the McMenemy magic and charm. One of his great assets, even now.

From what I have been told we were as good as in Administration at the end of the season before Lowe took over. We could not afford the wages of Pearson or the high paid individuals let alone their appearance and win bonuses. It was a last gasp effort to keep us afloat by sidelining them and going for the cheap Dutch alternative. Why not a cheap English alternative? Because Lowe & Wilde had already decided they wanted to rely on a continental style of total football. They thought our young players (whose wages we could just afford) would take the division by storm. Once they had made up their mind, despite reservations from many experienced football brains in and outside of the club, there was no turning back for Lowe. That was his mistake, the not trying for a blend of cheap experience and youth. Would we have survived if he had worked it differently and listened to experience? Who knows but I have it on good authority that we were as good as gone before Lowe stepped back in and at that time he told others around him that it was an almost impossible task, financially. The damage had been done during the previous regime. Would Lowe have kept us solvent in the Championship had he not been pushed out? Who knows but his past record on financial stability was good. We might have been an average Championship side for a long while due to the stadium debt. Still, it has all worked out well in the end despite the severe pain in the meantime. Time to look forward but let us not forget the past. There were a lot of mistakes and we must make sure they do not happen again.

I agree entirely with your post. Many off this board think exactly the same. You meant Martin O'Neil of course.

Same reason you are allowed to post?

As a working Chairman/Chief Executive Lowe was far from being on of the worst Chairmen in football. His ideas and execution of business matters was good. His problem was his severe lack of communication skill linked with a personality trait that he was never wrong. Those two factors in a football club situation negated his undoubted business skills. Not just my opinion but shared by many who knew him well and others who worked with him.