stevegrant Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Where's the watch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olallana Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Why do they show pictures of Iain Dowie at St Marys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 CLUB STATEMENT Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce that Ralph Krueger has been appointed as its new Chairman by accepting a position on the Board of its holding company, St Mary’s Football Group Limited (formerly DMSWL613 Ltd). Ralph joins having just returned from participating in his fourth Winter Olympics, where he helped lead Team Canada to the gold medal in ice hockey. As part of the wider process of strengthening Southampton’s leadership team, the Club can also announce the appointment of Hans Hofstetter and Gareth Rogers to the Holding Company’s Board of Directors. Hans Hofstetter is an internationally connected business lawyer. His deep professional experience in corporate governance will be an invaluable asset to Southampton Football Club. Gareth Rogers is currently the Club’s Interim Chief Executive Officer who will also remain an Executive Director of the Football Club’s Board, alongside Les Reed. Owner Katharina Liebherr said: “Ralph has an impressive background in major league sport at all levels, it is his experience as an expert in leadership, motivation and team-building that makes him ideally suited for this important position in the Saints organisation. He has been a leading advisor and coach to senior management in large international corporations for the past 20 years. In addition, he has been an active member of the World Economic Forum since 2011. “The news that Ralph has agreed to take on the role of Chairman at the Club follows a calm and steady process of identifying a board that will bring the stability needed to achieve long-term success both on and off the pitch. “I will remain on the Board, with an active involvement, and we will continue to move forward with great respect for Saints’ history, while at the same time work towards a process that is creative, unique, dynamic and modern.” Ralph Krueger said: “I am honoured to take on the role of Chairman of Southampton Football Club and the group. “I have had the opportunity to meet with a large percentage of the staff at Southampton and it is clear there is a positive soul throughout the Club, both at St Mary’s and the training ground. “We will build on that soul by creating platforms of open communication both inside with the staff and outside with our fan base. “Although there is a solid foundation in place, the Club still has tremendous untapped commercial potential. We will continue to nurture “The Southampton Way” by reaching for consistent growth in all departments to ultimately build a culture that allows Southampton to remain healthy and sustainable in the future.” Read more at http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/announcement-new-chairman-appointed-1415810.aspx#BAol61vbBI7ygMqv.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Wolf Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 I would like a statement of approval from MP. I do recall seeing an interview with Ralph a month or so ago when it was "iminent" promising he'd give MP the space he needs and wouldn't interfere. Having been a sporting coach himself, I hope he can detach himself from giving team talks and taking training etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Balls Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Interesting. Hope this is yet another positive step in the development of SFC. Like the little nod to our history in that statement. Three tests coming up for that team. Get Poch to sign a new contract. Retain our best players. Recruiting players in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatlesaint Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Does anyone seriously still believe that Miss Liebherr intends to put this club up for sale in the summer ? This is one hell of a smokescreen if she does ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JN9 Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Does anyone seriously still believe that Miss Liebherr intends to put this club up for sale in the summer ? This is one hell of a smokescreen if she does ! Thats the biggest thing I get from this announcement... Hopefully people will stop banging on about the inevitable sale... Although i doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Does anyone seriously still believe that Miss Liebherr intends to put this club up for sale in the summer ? This is one hell of a smokescreen if she does ! Just about to type the same thing. looks like she's in it for a longer haul than I, and many others, expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Souds an impressive individual, still not entirely clear what his role will be - talk of "untapped commercial potential" - not sure what that refers to. Definitely doesn't sound like a club that is up for sale any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Does anyone seriously still believe that Miss Liebherr intends to put this club up for sale in the summer ? This is one hell of a smokescreen if she does ! Definitely doesn't sound like we're up for sale. It raises a few other questions; why continue owning us? As an expensive hobby/challenge? Do they feel they can make more money out of the club long-term? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minty Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Clearly it needs to be commercially viable for her, but maybe she just enjoys it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Hans Hofstetter....car salesman....? http://www.faessler-garage.ch/verwaltungsrat.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrant Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Souds an impressive individual, still not entirely clear what his role will be - talk of "untapped commercial potential" - not sure what that refers to. I assume the most obvious thing would be that the middle of our shirts is probably worth a bit more than £300,000 a year. Many Championship sides get more in shirt sponsorship than we do at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Warrior Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 KL statement “I will remain on the Board, with an active involvement, and we will continue to move forward with great respect for Saints’ history, She here for the long haul I hope then next press release confirms MOPo here for the long hal as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give it to Ron Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Souds an impressive individual, still not entirely clear what his role will be - talk of "untapped commercial potential" - not sure what that refers to. Definitely doesn't sound like a club that is up for sale any time soon. Have a look at all the empty corporate boxes for one thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aintforever Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Great news, looks a quality appointment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minty Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Much was made of how hard it was to negotiate with Cortese... although he undoubtedly got good deals for us in many ways, I wonder if this tough stance prevented many others from going through. A softening of this attitude, whilst retaining a clear business focus, could indeed help the club improve its commercial side no end I suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelvinsRightGlove Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Hans Hofstetter....car salesman....? http://www.faessler-garage.ch/verwaltungsrat.html Wasn't there rumours of BMW/Merc (cannae remember which) being shirt sponsors at one time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holepuncture Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Good luck Ralph! KL on the scene once again, good to see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Jeff Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 I wish it was Wayne Gretsky... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewildered Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Have a look at all the empty corporate boxes for one thing. We've definitely done poorly in that market place, considering our success elsewhere. Would make the club a bit of money, will have to wait and see what else they have in mind I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanRG Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 All looks good to me. Statements tick all the boxes nicely. Now we wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Well they have said pretty much all I wanted to hear. My main gripes with cortese was his lack of respect for our history, the way he treated fans and business associates and the lack of communication from the club in general. It seems that this has been recognised and we should hopefully retain our vision and business acumen whilst gaining some humanity and openness. Very exciting and it looks like Duncan has been getting all depressed over nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 (edited) He sounds very impressive! "We need to close the commercial gap to sustain the level of play we want here"....suggests more self-sustaining investment rather than dipping into trust funds etc... Edited 12 March, 2014 by trousers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scummer Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Are we still planning to bring in a CEO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint1977 Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Sounds promising and Ralph speaks well. Good to see KL appearing again, whilst the club has to commercially perform it may also be the case that she has a connection to the club via Markus and the memories of the enthusiasm he had for it. Professional sport can also be quite addictive - someone like Karren Brady (albeit a very high profile employee rather than an owner like KL) doesn't pretend to be a football anorak but does seem take an interest in what is happening within football at a commercial level as well as simply West Ham. MP new contract would be superb now and I have no concerns about Kreuger interfereing with MP's role, his radio interview before Sochi made that fairly clear that he understands the distinctions. MP wouldn't find that at many top flight football clubs of our size or bigger these days, if any at all. However, hopefully the speculation in the Telegraph translates into MP signing a new deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 (edited) Krueger on Katharina: "The ties to her father and what he meant and how much he cared about The Saints has come alive in Katharina and every step she takes here she's doing with her father in mind" #goosebumps Edited 12 March, 2014 by trousers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanRG Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 "When Markus Liebherr passed away in 2010, Katharina was put into a situation that she wasn't looking for this early in her life. "The ties to her father and what he meant - and how much he cared about the Saints - has come alive in Katharina. "Every step she takes here, she's doing with her father in mind." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Krueger: "Contract talks with Mauricio are 'evolving naturally' and won't be rushed" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggers Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 "When katharina first approached me in late 2013" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Charlie Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 From his video it sounds hopefully that Poch will sign a new deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatlesaint Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Krueger on Katharina: "The ties to her father and what he meant and how much he cared about The Saints has come alive in Katharina and every step she takes here she's doing with her father in mind" #goosebumps Thats a pretty powerful statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanRG Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 "True success is when we can say, on and off the pitch, we are working, within our capabilities, very close to our potential. "That's what my vision as chairman is: that in one, three or however many years I'm here, that is happening on a daily basis." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsacar saint Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 All sounds really good to me. I am especially pleased that KL is in it for the long haul and the great affection that ML had for the club, will never, ever be forgotten by are fan base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BotleySaint Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Seems awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 He sounds very impressive! "We need to close the commercial gap to sustain the level of play we want here"....suggests more self-sustaining investment rather than dipping into trust funds etc... Excellent. Believes true success is on and off the pitch, he believes in openness and strongly believes that fans are more than customers and should be treated with respect. That is already a huge difference between him and cortese and it bodes really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanRG Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 He comes from Canada He won't sell Lallana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerBadger Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Very impressed, welcome aboard Ralph et al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearsy Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 i have to say for turkish benefit that this guy seems the real deal and makes our former chairman look like midget wop poison banker dwarf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzhugh Fella Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 (edited) He sounds genuine and intelligent. Welcome! I think we will all know if the club or organisation (to use his word) is going in the right direction will be if and when Pochettino signs a new contract. He is a shrewd football man and he will be able to judge fairly quickly whether the new structure of ownership means business. Edited 12 March, 2014 by Fitzhugh Fella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Tender Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 What a contrast Ralph Krueger is to Nicola Cortese. Cortese kept his own counsel, was undoubtedly a man driven by single-minded ambition and a perfectionist down to the smallest detail. But he was aloof and came across as one who didn't suffer fools gladly, seemingly lacking in warmth and humility and generally a difficult man to have much affection for. Krueger, just on the strength of this one interview is a very good communicator with the common touch, somebody whom one immediately feels an affinity with, approachable and self-assured. His vision for the club is probably equally as focussed as Cortese's, but he is going to make the journey much more enjoyable for us, because he is going to include us, the fans in his plans. Cortese was the hard-nosed banker, with the personna that went with it. Krueger is a team player because his whole career has been based in the Sports arena, therefore he has developed leadership skills that rely on earning the respect of the team players and he also realises the importance of the fans to the success of the team. Although from a different sporting discipline, the principles remain the same. In all my years of supporting Saints, I have never experienced a Chairman who promises so much for our future success, so eloquently and openly. It is also very encouraging to hear that Katherina Liebherr is so involved and in it for the long term, if the inferences from this interview are to be believed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Dare I say the return of the fans forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chez Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 are you Laurie Madden in disguise? I wish him luck. Hopefully he is just the man to squeeze every last penny out of sponsorship deals and TV money to prevent ticket prices rising out of reach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Jazzbo Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Who's going to tell Katherina that wearing Burberry at football went out years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastleighSoulBoy Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Kruger woooh woooh He used to play with a puck About Pompey he don't give a f*ck Can we wave our foam hands back and forth as we sing this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Tel49 Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Happy to give the bloke a chance and can see many positives he could bring to the club, but in isolation, his appointment to the specific role of chairman is a bit odd. I guess it will be worth waiting to see what the whole new boardroom team look and act like before really being able to make any judgement. Surely it is better to see how next year pans out before making a judgement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Under Weststand Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Cautiously optimistic after listening to his opening statement. Powerful statement re-Katarina honouring her fathers vision. Sounded very encouraging, engaging with the fans once again. If Pochettino signs up that will for me be the statement of intent needed to carry us forward. It quite obviously will be a big help to the younger players in deciding to stay or seek to push for a transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissyboy31 Posted 12 March, 2014 Share Posted 12 March, 2014 Fantastically positive interview on Youtube. Looks like there is nothing kmee jerk about this appointment, it has all been carefully planned, maybe even before the resignation of Cortese. KL obviously wanted to be more involved with the club. Cortese wasn't playing ball,so had to go. It sounds from his interview that he had had dealings with the Leibherr organisation and Markus, in the past and KL must have been very convincing to have lured Kreuger to what is still pretty much a provincial English football club, when he probably could have had his pick of similar positions within his own sport, all over North America and beyond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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