Musings of an 'ordinary' bloke

[landford.saint]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

[fareham saint phil]

Here here, well said

[Dimond Geezer]

Post of the day.

 

Be thankfull, it wasn't long ago we were starring into oblivion and faced with going shopping with the Mrs or doing diy on a Saturday afternoon.

[John B]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

 

Although I think you post is excellent I doubt if ML and NC are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts but are expecting a return on their investment.

 

 

It was a shame they did not buy the club when Wilde and Crouch were looking for investment but once in administration the club was so much cheaper.

 

 

I glad we have the new owners but like many others hoped for better results which probably will soon happen.

Edited 1 October, 2009 by John B

[Billyboy]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

 

I have been a supporter of our club since 1966 when I moved to the area.

I have "lurked" on this site with bated breathe through the traumatic recent events. I rarely have posted but I must say that I totally agree with the sentiments expressed by Landford Saint. When you stop to consider the state our wonderful club was in at the point of our benefactors take over, not just on the pitch, just rejoice in the fact that we have a club to support and be cofident in the expertise of Messrs Leibheir and Cortesse. Be patient, the impossible takes a little time!!

[PhilippineSaint]

Cant fault you for those comments its the under 20 brigade and others (you know who you are) who have no patience and dont understand that the club was completely fooked by the previous regime and will take time to resurect. If we are in this league for two seasons which is distinctly probable it is still in the framework of the new owners plans to get us back to where we belong. which if the timing is right will not be the premier league but the european superleague playing Real Madrid and Barcelona

[londonsaint1604]

Excellent post, I couldn't agree more.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Good post. The club has a long way to travel yet before it is cleansed of the 'sins' of the past. Likewise, it will take quite sometime before all corners of the supporter base will be able to trust the management of the club to deliver on the field. Now is not the time for the lily-livered. Now is the time for all Saints to stand strong and united behind Pardew and his emerging team. The turn-about will come - it might be this Saturday and let's hope it is. One thing is for sure, it is hugely more exciting and hopeful now, than it was last season under the Dutch experiment.

[saintfully]

I absolutely agree with Landford Saint except to say that I also enjoy the demented shouts from the sidelines when we lose. Passion is a big part of Football, and a bigger part of what being a Saints fan is about, so when people moan - well, its mostly cause they care (I assume, unless they're on a wind-up). This has to be a good thing - apathy and indifference would not have got us a new owner for a start. When I hear/read the mentalists calling for Pardews head after 10 games(!) I admit I do struggle to remember this, but nevertheless its a fact. The alternative is to be like Wigan, and no-one wants that.....

[Genk]

Fantastic post sir. You are totally correct and made a point that I have just realised. A few players in our team, including the Captain, haven't been used to winning so they don't know how to deal with it when in the lead. A couple of scrappy wins and the habit will be there and the team will know how to keep a lead well. COYS

[INFLUENCED.COM]

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

 

Thought this part of the post important, this will ensure this summers experience will never be repeated, sadly(yeah right) those at the wrong end of the 27 will suffer similar but with, imo, less opportunity of an ML type steppping up.

I like most want to see a change in the results but will remain patient and keep believing that run of wins is just around the corner(starting Saturday, of course).

Good post landford

[geoffnut]

Excellent post from landford.saint. Been a Saints supporter for nearly 50 years and can't suddenly stop because of bad results. I am glad we still have a club to follow but like everybody else get more depressed week by week. Give us some wins and we will all cheer up, we have a good manager and the basis of a good team.

[trousers]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

 

Great post - cheers for sharing.

 

When all's said and done, the vocal minority who were advocating that going into Admin could ultimately be a good thing look like being proven right in the end....

[Fan The Flames]

The ingredients are all there let's just hope we manage to make something tasty for the dinner party in May.

 

I must say I am more relaxed about this lack of good form then I have been in the past, probably because we could have been in the Blue Square if not for Mr L.

[shurlock]

Great post - some context and perspective.

 

Can be easy to forget our good fortune when people are in a stuffy, otherworldly forum bubble where petty one upmanship and attention-seeking masquarade for constructive criticism.

Edited 1 October, 2009 by shurlock

[lutz]

Yeah great post

 

Some forum members are sooo doom and gloom it's nice to see there are peeps out there on my wavelength

 

Thanks Landford.saint

[stmaxx]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

 

well said , i too don't like to think what might of happened to our club if it wasn't bought out , but to the doom and gloom merchants we had ten years of serious decline,and to get back to the premiership is not gonna happen straight away because we have a chairman with money,these things take time and i'm just grateful that i can join the ride back to the good times , they will come back a little bit of patience isn't alot to ask for is it ,so stop calling for pardew's head,it's that sort of kneejerk reaction by the previous board that got us where we are today ,so lets keep doing what we do best and get behind the team because the times they are a changing

[OldNick]

good post.Where on the northam do you sit?

[Legod Third Coming]

good post.Where on the northam do you sit?

 

Well not in the Northam obviously. Last time I saw someone sitting in there was after we were relegated from the Premiership

[shurlock]

I look forward one day to the taunts of "where were you when you were sh*t?"

[paris]

Thanks..

[WestSaint]

Excellent post and sums up my feelings exactly

[scott_saints]

Yep, we nearly didn't have a club blah blah etc.....

 

I don't want us to get relegated again, and don't find 1 win in 10 acceptable. So yeah, I'm getting impatient.

[Saint Bri]

Great post and a good follow up thread. Nice to know that there are so many grateful and non whingeing Saints about. During the 1st half on Tuesday I remarked to the Saint sitting next to me that the football we are playing is the best for a few seasons - dont worry the results will come, the only way is up!

[londonsaint1604]

Yep, we nearly didn't have a club blah blah etc.....

 

What a stupid thing to say.

[scott_saints]

What a stupid thing to say.

Not really. We DO still have a club and I'm grateful for that, as it means I can carry on moaning and getting impatient.

[St Will]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

 

Excellent post. Shame some people on here aren't so grateful.

 

I'd shake your hand if I could.

 

I wonder how many of the whinge bags will come on this thread and say "I agree" without saying "yeah but" or just in response to someone calling them out.

 

Like I said, excellent post, you're completely right, and I'm so glad there are still supporters like you still around.

[Hayling Saint]

Best Post of the Season

[georgeg]

Good post. The club has a long way to travel yet before it is cleansed of the 'sins' of the past. Likewise, it will take quite sometime before all corners of the supporter base will be able to trust the management of the club to deliver on the field. Now is not the time for the lily-livered. Now is the time for all Saints to stand strong and united behind Pardew and his emerging team. The turn-about will come - it might be this Saturday and let's hope it is. One thing is for sure, it is hugely more exciting and hopeful now, than it was last season under the Dutch experiment.

 

good call Saint Fan CaM - AP is well aware of our shortcomings and his analysis of games is normally spot on - given time he could be a great manager for us but hes got much to turn around given the state of the club (on and off the pitch) over the last few years

[Big Ron fan]

I applaud your sentiments but disagree with your comments about Pardew. I was one of the very few who said I thought he was a poor appointment and so far, unfortunately, it looks like I may be right.

 

Of course I hope he turns it around and I'm not calling for his head, but I reckon he'll be gone before Xmas and things will then pick up.

 

When we have a 10 game winning run later in the autumn, you're welcome to throw this post back at me - I'll be delighted if that's the case!

[saint_stevo]

trotting out the nearly didn't have a club line is very tiresome (yeah yeah as am i, ill add before someone else does...)

 

I think the OP has had 1 too many in the Cuckoo/Poacher/Lamb..........

[Didcot Saint]

Excellent post, perhaps the feeling of overwhelming joy at getting a new owner/fresh start and so much optimism is now just started to be forgotten because we still can't seem to have some real positive results to go on with.

I think it's frustration more than anything loosing to teams in this pub league after all we've had to put up with during the last few seasons is still hard to take. Not taking anything away from the teams who have played us this season, but failing to beat Carlisle, Bristol Rovers etc is HARD. This is in fact worse when the away end is packed coz it's their Cup Final playing at SMS makes it even harder.

The club is in good hands and the future is bright. Lets try and be patient!

[landford.saint]

Where on the northam do you sit?

 

My wife and I sit/stand, Block 41, about halfway down/up.

[landford.saint]

I applaud your sentiments but disagree with your comments about Pardew. I was one of the very few who said I thought he was a poor appointment and so far, unfortunately, it looks like I may be right.

 

Of course I hope he turns it around and I'm not calling for his head, but I reckon he'll be gone before Xmas and things will then pick up.

 

When we have a 10 game winning run later in the autumn, you're welcome to throw this post back at me - I'll be delighted if that's the case!

 

The great thing about football is that 30.000 fans can have 30.000 opinions.

Personally I think he is a good choice. And I get the feeling that NC is not the sort of chairman to sack a person so readily. I hope too that the gut wrenching dissapointment of tuesday night has put some steel in their backs, and want them to desperately never let it happen again.

[Wes Tender]

A great post, Landford.

 

Certainly having Leibherr and Cortese is beyond our wildest dreams and we are spectacularly lucky to have them. As I detested the last regime with a vengeance, I am eternally grateful to them for buying our club and saving our bacon. Although we are off to a slow start, I acknowledge that there are some mitigating factors and I feel confident that we will soon begin to turn things around and claw our way out of this division and back to where we belong, in the top flight.

 

From the short time that Liebherr and Cortese have been here, I have been mightily impressed by their demeanour and their professionalism and would go as far as to say that I really cannot think of any other owner in British football that I would prefer to have in charge of the club and that includes Abramovich and the Arab lot at Man City. In fact, if they still own those clubs in 5/6 years, I will look forward to us beating them and it will be all the sweeter because we had resurrected ourselves from the basement.

[Nineteen Canteen]

Excellent and heart felt post Landford and it does make you wonder given your fair and accurate summary how fans can complain after such a short period of time.

 

John B's comment about where were they when Wilde and Crouch were looking for buyers/investors I guess somes up the mentality of those who expect others to give millions for little in return.

 

The fact Mr Liebherr waited (if that was the case) until administration and picked us up for a song and a chance to wipe the slate clean is shrewd business and all the while the club was being desperately hawked around any buyer would have got a bad whiff of the underlying problems lying in wait.

 

My only concern is his clear family doctrine to spend only what you earn and whilst he is very wealthy I don't believe we should be calling for him or alluding to a hope that he will splash the cash and certainly not at this stage.

 

There is a collective responsibility on us all to follow your example and encourage others to attend as the greater the revenue the greater our options and if Mr Liebherr can see a long term investment opportunity and return on his initial expense then the longer he will want to stick around. My guess, should he be aware of it, is that the current moaning and ungrateful reaction is more likely to encourage him to cut and run Gaydamak style. Some of us are playing a ridiculous and dangerous game, afterall where else are we going to get a better chairman and owner? Leon Crouch and some studious debt ramping because if we fail to reward the board for their support with our own we will be open to a new owner keen to mortgage us to the hilt. Money doesn't buy success, shrewd business heads do.

[solentstars]

I am just an 'ordinary' bloke with a cr@p job who spends his saturday afternoons stood with his missus on the Northam end cheering on the Saints. I have shouted them on and groaned with anguish over them for more than 40 years.

Due to my periods of poverty (marriage, mortgage, kids) coinciding with Saints best years I did not see them live as often as I wanted during their UP years. Strangely we finally managed to afford season tickets just before Saints got relegated from the Prem., and have occuppied the same seats ever since. My wife and I have travelled away when finances and work allowed, including that trip to Hull a couple of years back in the drizzle and fog to see Saints get slaughtered.

Last year I wore out the F5 button on my computor when the darkest days of our club beset us, and I know from the Forum many thousands of you lot out there were doing the same. This just makes me the same as all the footie fans, from Aberdeen to Zennor who.s week is made or broke by 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

Yet this summer an Italian/Swiss and German/Swiss for some inexplicable reason decided to by our club. OUR CLUB which was about 10 mins. from someone turning off the lights for the very last time.

We now have NO DEBTS. We have an owner who has appointed a very capable businessman in charge who has so far in my opinion not put a foot wrong. We have a transfer pot comenserate with our status as League 1. We have a manager who is probably the very best we could have hoped for in this league.

Off the pitch things are being sorted and put back on a proffessional commercial footing again.

On the pitch we have brought in a number of players who have proved they are up to the job. Murty, Trottman etc. And The best striker from the League last year in Lambert.

Our goalie could have gone to a Premiership club as is his undoubted class, but he chose to stay at SFC.

At the moment results on the field aren't as good as we all hoped. But we have several members of the squad who have played in bits of our long decline from the preiership. Losing is as much a habit as winning. Sometimes it takes a while to break bad habits and form good ones. It took us 6 years to get ourselves in this position, its going to take several years to get back.

6 months ago I would have been happy just to have a club, now I have a club with no debts, a good chairman, a very very rich owner, a good manager, and the basis of a decent team.

Yet some people still moan. I know its only a small vocal minority, but please people think of what could have been and like me say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to MESSERS CORTESSE AND LEIBHEIR.

 

MR LEIBHEIR and MR CORTESSE -----THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

 

good post and i agree the small vocal minority will never be pleased ,thats just the way they are.

[the great escape]

100% spot on Landford, need to look at the bigger picture and put it all in context.... a few wins in a row and everyone will be happy as a pig in sh*t praising pards etc, just the fickle way most fans are...

[John B]

Excellent and heart felt post Landford and it does make you wonder given your fair and accurate summary how fans can complain after such a short period of time.

 

John B's comment about where were they when Wilde and Crouch were looking for buyers/investors I guess somes up the mentality of those who expect others to give millions for little in return.

 

The fact Mr Liebherr waited (if that was the case) until administration and picked us up for a song and a chance to wipe the slate clean is shrewd business and all the while the club was being desperately hawked around any buyer would have got a bad whiff of the underlying problems lying in wait.

 

My only concern is his clear family doctrine to spend only what you earn and whilst he is very wealthy I don't believe we should be calling for him or alluding to a hope that he will splash the cash and certainly not at this stage.

 

There is a collective responsibility on us all to follow your example and encourage others to attend as the greater the revenue the greater our options and if Mr Liebherr can see a long term investment opportunity and return on his initial expense then the longer he will want to stick around. My guess, should he be aware of it, is that the current moaning and ungrateful reaction is more likely to encourage him to cut and run Gaydamak style. Some of us are playing a ridiculous and dangerous game, afterall where else are we going to get a better chairman and owner? Leon Crouch and some studious debt ramping because if we fail to reward the board for their support with our own we will be open to a new owner keen to mortgage us to the hilt. Money doesn't buy success, shrewd business heads do.

 

 

Of course I agree with you that getting the club for the least amount of money was the best for ML and MC but the best for the supporters would have been when we were in the Championship.

 

 

However as you maybe suggesting it was never really likely that anybody was going to put any money into buying SLH when Lowe Wilde Crouch were involved as the cost was too high but once in administration it was a bargain a club with large and committed fanbase and good facilities

[Wes Tender]

Excellent and heart felt post Landford and it does make you wonder given your fair and accurate summary how fans can complain after such a short period of time.

 

John B's comment about where were they when Wilde and Crouch were looking for buyers/investors I guess somes up the mentality of those who expect others to give millions for little in return.

 

The fact Mr Liebherr waited (if that was the case) until administration and picked us up for a song and a chance to wipe the slate clean is shrewd business and all the while the club was being desperately hawked around any buyer would have got a bad whiff of the underlying problems lying in wait.

 

My only concern is his clear family doctrine to spend only what you earn and whilst he is very wealthy I don't believe we should be calling for him or alluding to a hope that he will splash the cash and certainly not at this stage.

 

There is a collective responsibility on us all to follow your example and encourage others to attend as the greater the revenue the greater our options and if Mr Liebherr can see a long term investment opportunity and return on his initial expense then the longer he will want to stick around. My guess, should he be aware of it, is that the current moaning and ungrateful reaction is more likely to encourage him to cut and run Gaydamak style. Some of us are playing a ridiculous and dangerous game, afterall where else are we going to get a better chairman and owner? Leon Crouch and some studious debt ramping because if we fail to reward the board for their support with our own we will be open to a new owner keen to mortgage us to the hilt. Money doesn't buy success, shrewd business heads do.

 

Now that the dust has settled over past matters, I'm quite happy to find myself in broad agreement with quite a lot of what you post nowadays, Nineteen. I have little doubt as to whether ML and Cortese realise how grateful we are to them taking us over. I also doubt that they will pay too much attention to some getting a bit nervous about the time taken to get a win or two. I'm sure they'll realise that is the nature of the beast, the type of business this is. To paraphrase another well known saying, you can please all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time; but you cannot please all of the people all of the time. I don't reckon they would expect to. The situation is still very much optimistic and gratitude very high for what they have done and there is still confidence from most that things will improve. Attendances at home are still excellent, despite some reverses.

[Nineteen Canteen]

Now that the dust has settled over past matters, I'm quite happy to find myself in broad agreement with quite a lot of what you post nowadays, Nineteen. I have little doubt as to whether ML and Cortese realise how grateful we are to them taking us over. I also doubt that they will pay too much attention to some getting a bit nervous about the time taken to get a win or two. I'm sure they'll realise that is the nature of the beast, the type of business this is. To paraphrase another well known saying, you can please all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time; but you cannot please all of the people all of the time. I don't reckon they would expect to. The situation is still very much optimistic and gratitude very high for what they have done and there is still confidence from most that things will improve. Attendances at home are still excellent, despite some reverses.

 

I agree and hope that continues despite the dissenters but after just 10 games you would have thought that it would still be possible to generally please everyone (given our starting point) as I wasn't even aware the honeymoon had finished. What worries me are some of the more, what i considered to be, balanced posters having an unrealistic moan and questioning Pardew. The Dune's and co of this world you can accept they get a bit upset at one defeat in seven but some of the others, well it makes you wonder.

[dune]

I agree and hope that continues despite the dissenters but after just 10 games you would have thought that it would still be possible to generally please everyone (given our starting point) as I wasn't even aware the honeymoon had finished. What worries me are some of the more, what i considered to be, balanced posters having an unrealistic moan and questioning Pardew. The Dune's and co of this world you can accept they get a bit upset at one defeat in seven but some of the others, well it makes you wonder.

 

I'm afraid i'm coming to the conclusion based on Alan Pardews past record and his time thus far with us, that he's simply not a manager that motivates players.

 

I sincerely hope i'm left with egg on my face and a win against Gillingham will lift everyones spirits, but do i see Pardew being the manager who can lead us through the leagues? No.

 

It's a shame, but that's my honest opinion. What we really need is another Nigel Pearson type manager who can motivate.

[John B]

Now that the dust has settled over past matters, I'm quite happy to find myself in broad agreement with quite a lot of what you post nowadays, Nineteen. I have little doubt as to whether ML and Cortese realise how grateful we are to them taking us over. I also doubt that they will pay too much attention to some getting a bit nervous about the time taken to get a win or two. I'm sure they'll realise that is the nature of the beast, the type of business this is. To paraphrase another well known saying, you can please all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time; but you cannot please all of the people all of the time. I don't reckon they would expect to. The situation is still very much optimistic and gratitude very high for what they have done and there is still confidence from most that things will improve. Attendances at home are still excellent, despite some reverses.

 

I think there is a general agreement that having these new owners things can only get better an eventually we will return to the Premiership hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

Pardew may or maybe the right person but he should be given to the Spring at least before his long term future is discussed except if we get regularly beaten by teams at the bottom of the league

 

 

However posters will still moan about poor results when they happen but the more patient perhaps should not start arguing that things will get better when people are upset about a particular result as that only makes the situation worse.

Edited 1 October, 2009 by John B

[ulstersaint]

Great post - the voice of sanity and reason.

[Joesaint]

Nice post and agree mate, love saints COYR

[Block 5]

A good post Landford.Saint that has made my day!

I have a couple of mates from Landford way who sit with me in the Itchen.

[Tamesaint]

Excellent post.

 

Lets hope that Cortese and Marcus appreciate that this thread is a better indication of Saints fans's feelings than those threads moaning about Pardew.

[astrasri]

This season I have my first ever season ticket(s) and I'm in the Northam behind the goal. When the 3rd BR goal went in I sat down into my seat utterly despondent, I woke up next morning still sick to the stomach and it was midday before I could even think about getting into the news or online. Why was this? If we had played badly or deserved to lose then so be it, BUT because we had played such good team football and at times dominated the game a last second loss was so very hard to take. We are making progress slowly (possibly too slowly for the fans, especially mine, peace of mind), but we are moving forward. The last 20 mins (or so) some of our key players were totally knackered - Jaidi for one, I doubt he's had to play at such a constant high pace at his previous clubs, not a criticism IMO just a fact on the day. Rovers were a league 1 class opposition and we still have some way to go to match that, but we will get there. I have decided to stop relying on each match as comes along to be the"start of the season" and just take each result as it comes. Individual players do or do not live up to expectations depending on how each of the 16 or so thousand fans see it, my view is that even with the squad additions we have made none of the subs made this season have made match winning contributions - probably why we haven't done that (Yeovil 2 penalties excepted!!) FWIW I thought Papa did OK - long way to go but at least when he had the ball in and around their area he chose to go through the middle towards goal rather than our traditional route of of taking the ball away from goal. That's my 6 pennyworth and I'll be back on Sat raring to go for the next game.......COYR

[macthesaint]

Great post Landford.

Nights like Tuesday are hard to take though!

Saints till we die.

[Clifford Nelson]

Although I think you post is excellent I doubt if ML and NC are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts but are expecting a return on their investment.

 

 

It was a shame they did not buy the club when Wilde and Crouch were looking for investment but once in administration the club was so much cheaper.

 

 

I glad we have the new owners but like many others hoped for better results which probably will soon happen.

 

I can see your point from the experience of british and arab businessmen not foing anything without the hope of a return. ML has got a fortune of two and thre quarters BILLION!!! He bought this club for £12M, so why would he have to look for a profit. This is a hobby. A way of making many people happy for trying to do things in the right way rather than to throw money at it like drunken sailors. He doesn't need to be adored by the tabloid press or drooled over by the footballing pundits. He can try to prove a point and do things right. God bless him and we are the lucky buggers to have him as an owner and not a dodgy chap who has to invent academic titles to make himself feel important.