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4 years ago today.....


Colinjb

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....The rumours broke and the forum went mental.

 

That's right. It was the 'Paul Allen' incident. Talk of us being taken over by one of the world's richest men, talk of him seeing the potential in our 'global' brand (good heavens....)

 

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=419785&in_page_id=3

 

So, are we happy in how things have worked out since then? ;) Anyone dissapointed that this was all hot air?

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....The rumours broke and the forum went mental.

 

That's right. It was the 'Paul Allen' incident. Talk of us being taken over by one of the world's richest men, talk of him seeing the potential in our 'global' brand (good heavens....)

 

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=419785&in_page_id=3

 

So, are we happy in how things have worked out since then? ;) Anyone dissapointed that this was all hot air?

 

Paul Allen's private 737 jet landed at Heathrow airport two days after that story broke. It landed at 10am on the 29th and departed later that afternoon.

 

Make of that what you will...

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And since then he's only gone and bought the Seattle Sounders franchise in MLS. How naive we all were to think that a bloke who'd made his money in software and had no interest in sport to our knowledge would be interested in buying a football club.... :)

 

http://www.soundersfc.com/Team/Staff-Members/Paul-Allen.aspx

 

BTW, when do we become Southampton Chivas ? Haven't heard much about that recently.

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I have insider knowledge that there wasn't even an enquiry from mr Allen regarding the purchase of our club. It was all pure speculation

 

And pure coincidence that his private 737 flew over the same week the story broke?

 

(sorry to bang on about his pigging aeroplane...)

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I still dont really understand the full story of the supposed takeover by MLT and those other people.... was very strange. Does anyone have a recap of that one... i can vaguely remember some bloke living with his parents in north london was at the centre of it all, or is that rubbish ?

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Four years already!!?? What!!??........ Hellfire, if time keeps moving at the present rate I'll soon be dead! :(

 

Scary isn't it.

 

Was it ever definitively nailed down as Allen making an enquiry? It was my impression that one came in, yet when it was followed up by the board everything fell silent.

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Doesn't time fly, it really doesn't seem 4-years ago. Been some real S**t happened in that time. Doubt we will ever really know if Allen actually did make any sort of enquiry, or whether it was one of his buisness people looking to give him an option, I think that was mooted at the time wasn't it? Could well be wrong, pity its not in the Golden posts!

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It never was him. I know this because we didn't see his earlobes.

 

Talking of Pinnacle, did we ever find out who was linked to Merrington's Asturius group? I know they had an office in the Regus at Eastleigh..

 

HTH

IMHO

 

WIFM

 

Not forgetting the fake company NAMG that was, allegedly, used to somehow hoodwink the board that a bid for the club was on the table.

 

I never did understand that one...

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Rumours in the stands were circulating on Saturday that a wealthy Italian family were interested in purchasing SFC and the Liebherrs were willing to sell.

 

As i say rumours.....but you heard it here first.

 

Back on topic,the time surrounding the Paul Allen takeover rumours were incredible,hours of speculation, PR plants and plenty of supposed ITK'rs.

 

Leonard coming,what a strange poster he was.Helpmerhonda was just plain mad,St David,the heart in the right place plumber who went missing for weeks when he was due back iminently with some important info.And who can forget,Lifelong saint AKA marc Jackson and the monkey petting zoo stadia,bringing in alongside him David Beckham.

Magical times.

Edited by saint lard
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Rumours in the stands were circulating on Saturday that a wealthy Italian family were interested in purchasing SFC and the Liebherrs were willing to sell.

 

As i say rumours.....but you heard it here first.

 

This is the Della Valle family! Also owners of Fiorentina

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Diego Della valle (of the Della Valle family) is reportedly worth about $1.3 billion.

 

This guy is not the best of friends with Berlosconi (used to be but they fell out recently).

 

Could be something in this story (first doing the rounds a few weeks ago) but hey, whatever happens i do have faith in NC. :-)

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It wasn't all hot air.

 

I was a mod on this site at the time and was privvy to certain information, and I have it on good authority that the board of SLH did indeed meet to talk terms with representatives of Paul Allen, though he was never directly involved personally. I assume this was so that he could deny any interest whatsoever if/when it all fell through.

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It wasn't all hot air.

 

I was a mod on this site at the time and was privvy to certain information, and I have it on good authority that the board of SLH did indeed meet to talk terms with representatives of Paul Allen, though he was never directly involved personally. I assume this was so that he could deny any interest whatsoever if/when it all fell through.

 

It's in the minutes of one of the PLC board meetings that there was an approach by Allen isn't it ?

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....The rumours broke and the forum went mental.

 

That's right. It was the 'Paul Allen' incident. Talk of us being taken over by one of the world's richest men, talk of him seeing the potential in our 'global' brand (good heavens....)

 

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/markets/article.html?in_article_id=419785&in_page_id=3

 

So, are we happy in how things have worked out since then? ;) Anyone dissapointed that this was all hot air?

 

Con sidering Paul Allen ended up buying a MLS team I oubt it was all hot air. I think he decided against purchasing us however much to the fanbase's general dismay.

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It's in the minutes of one of the PLC board meetings that there was an approach by Allen isn't it ?

 

Wasn't it said at the time though that someone claiming to represent Paul Allen contacted the board but when eventually asked to produce some

credentials to that affect he mysteriously disappeared? Thought it came out that way at Runnymede anyway.

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Heady Times indeed..

 

The excitement on this boards predecessor was palpable.. There was no doubt that Allan expressed an interest until it was quashed by his "man" called Mr Nank if my memory serves me correctly.

Then silly season started and pretty much all of the board were in denial still expecting it to happen.

 

We had Barry the Briefcase , HelpmeRhonda who sat under the Toomers with her Remy Martin on ice:lol: , Sequoia ( Who I think was Lowe), Saint Marc ( Who was Mikey COYR), and of course lifelongsaint ( outed by Richard Chorley) and Saint David ( who wrote a personal letter to Allan and offered to meet him)..

 

An throughout all this fervour, we had to go to the bank with a begging bowl to sign Saga - And Bale and Jones left us...

 

Absolutely crazy summer..

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Just wondered whether any of those takeover threads survived from the previous forum!

 

They were an absolute compelling obsession for many many people over that summer, and some of the posts on there were pure genius!:lol:

 

Also wonder in terms of numbers of posts, how it compares with the longstanding but no less entertaining "Pompey Takeover Thread".

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They were an absolute compelling obsession for many many people over that summer, and some of the posts on there were pure genius!.

 

It was certainly compelling, we broke into little camps all over the place and spent months intrenched having the same argument with the same people. At one stage I could bore for England on the internal politics of Southampton FC.

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It was certainly compelling, we broke into little camps all over the place and spent months intrenched having the same argument with the same people. At one stage I could bore for England on the internal politics of Southampton FC.

 

Absolutely right!

 

And what was worse the forum lurkers like Sequoia, Saint-Marc, Waterloo Saint, Lifelongsaint, Saint David, Tommac etc were whipping up the ante even more...

 

It was crazy but well worth being part of for the experience alone!

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If Hoddle had been allowed back I am sure there would have been the takeover.

 

Yes, you have already said that - I thought you were giving up the Hoddle 'jokes'?

 

Anyway, if Duncan Holley wrote 'In that other number: a Saints history as described on the interweb' I would buy it whatever the cost!

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Diego Della valle (of the Della Valle family) is reportedly worth about $1.3 billion.

 

This guy is not the best of friends with Berlosconi (used to be but they fell out recently).

 

Could be something in this story (first doing the rounds a few weeks ago) but hey, whatever happens i do have faith in NC. :-)

 

 

OK, fammi sapere e faccio qualche domande in giro.. Oviamente Berlu e un coglione ma delle Della Valle non conosco un cazzo, so if you let me know I'll make some enquiries.

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