Phil Parsons

[Badger]

Sounds as if he didn’t grasp the seriousness of the offence, and thought an all too matey confession and saying ‘sorry’to Middlesbrough and all would be okay, albeit with a fine. 
 

Unfortunately he probably flagged up how feeble the clubs response would be. To the point that Middlesbrough saw the green light to go for the jugular. 

[sockeye]

Is he gone yet?

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

The bloke is incompetent with reading all that and what else transpired.

Solak must be thinking what the hell is going on with this Club.

[Crab Lungs]

Go now, you out-of-depth, slithery, cucky hoover-botherer.

[trousers]

9 minutes ago, Badger said:

Sounds as if he didn’t grasp the seriousness of the offence, and thought an all too matey confession and saying ‘sorry’to Middlesbrough and all would be okay, albeit with a fine. 
 

Unfortunately he probably flagged up how feeble the clubs response would be. To the point that Middlesbrough saw the green light to go for the jugular. 

I think they went for the clowns rather than the juggler.... 

[S-Clarke]

He's fucked us here.

How he's defended our club is almost as bad as our defending in our last PL season, maybe worse.

[SaintsLoyal]

Game over for Parsons, thats it 

[James]

He has to go. Pure incompetence. 

[James]

27 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

He's fucked us here.

How he's defended our club is almost as bad as our defending in our last PL season, maybe worse.

Worse, we at least tried to defend in the PL. Parsons has seemingly given Gibson everything he needed. Bet he couldn’t believe his luck. 

[CSA96]

The written reasons don't reflect well on him. He's the CEO, regardless of the club's guilt it's his job to defend the club in the best way and mount a professional and well-composed response. He was caught off-guard from the outset and fumbled the whole thing, based on what we can read in that report

Then you have the stupidity of confessing guilt to Gibson in the Riverside boardroom with witnesses in the room. Absolute ineptitude and arrogance when the margins for error were so thin

Edited May 21 by CSA96

[Gloucester Saint]

42 minutes ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

The bloke is incompetent with reading all that and what else transpired.

Solak must be thinking what the hell is going on with this Club.

Solak is ultimately responsible, having been a chairman myself the buck stops with him.

FA and EFL need to seriously consider whether SR is capable of running a club of Saints’s size and learn from Wednesday and Chansiri. Turkish and French authorities also need to do the same.

Certainly, if he’s allowed to keep it, which is highly questionable, I’d want a senior football consultant to pull them through by the nose for the 12 months and keep them clean on a regulatory level and solvent. 

Edited May 21 by Gloucester Saint

[benali-shorts]

Out of his depth and ill-suited to the role. Like Tonda ultimately. More wonderful recruitment from SR. 
 

[Turkish]

He makes Marketing Martin look competent. Take your smirk and piss off back to the home cleaning appliances world

[Weston Super Saint]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

He makes Marketing Martin look competent. Take your smirk and piss off back to the home cleaning appliances world

Barry the briefcase is probably a better shout. I doubt that fucker is owning up to anything. Ever.

[Mboto Gorge]

In what world does a CEO of a company keep his job , when his complacency and ineptitude, lack of proactively - whatever you want to call it, all added into one, has cost the business a very likely 200 million pounds plus? The thing is, I wouldn’t put it past him to keep his job with this lot running the show. I actually think he will

Edited May 21 by Mboto Gorge

[Mboto Gorge]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

He makes Marketing Martin look competent. Take your smirk and piss off back to the home cleaning appliances world

Quite. We’ve hoovered up his bullshit for too long now

[MB]

Just fuck off, Phil. Everytime I see your face or see your name I want to smash my phone against the wall. 
 

just fucking fuck off 

[SaintsLoyal]

Youre the CEO Parsons, can you explain to me and other fans how Matt Le Tissier was allowed to speak to a club sponsor and make a mockery of whats happened ? A club employee should be nowhere near doing an interview like that. Especially as the reasoning for the explusion wasnt revealed until today. Do you have any control of anything ?

 

 

 

[saint michael]

I bet Solak thinking he needs to keep Parsons or Spors to help make necessary changes. Trouble is Parsons as CEO is. Accountable, Spors knew Eckharts techniques so must have known, Eckhart admits it, coaches part of it, Analyst team all involved.

if we look at who has some guilt or accountability in this the whole lot needs to go, and not by dribbling out the door but in one go.

to do this we need clarity on couple of big hitters coming in, who are not bothered by this much change and can steady the ship quickly and who will impress the team, if that’s possible. 

[Midfield_General]

13 hours ago, MB said:

Just fuck off, Phil. Everytime I see your face or see your name I want to smash my phone against the wall. 
 

just fucking fuck off 

Quite

[Hamwic]

13 hours ago, Mboto Gorge said:

In what world does a CEO of a company keep his job , when his complacency and ineptitude, lack of proactively - whatever you want to call it, all added into one, has cost the business a very likely 200 million pounds plus? The thing is, I wouldn’t put it past him to keep his job with this lot running the show. I actually think he will

I said on another post that the likely path is as much of the corporate world. Punish the innocent, reward the guilty and deputy heads will roll. 

[SaintsLoyal]

Parsons job is untenable,  can you imagine him walking into the pre season EFL board meeting !

 

We must mention the local media and them being told by whom ? That it was all down to the young analyst — a lone wolf, etc. I dare say both Adam and Alfie have lost some serious trust in what they were being told and can now see what actually happened.

 

 

 

[Turkish]

13 hours ago, MB said:

Just fuck off, Phil. Everytime I see your face or see your name I want to smash my phone against the wall. 
 

just fucking fuck off 

[AlexLaw76]

[SaintsLoyal]

Another thing i want to know Poundshop.. who is paying for this boxing event with such shit sales ?

It better not be SFC

 

[bpsaint]

29 minutes ago, SaintsLoyal said:

Another thing i want to know Poundshop.. who is paying for this boxing event with such shit sales ?

It better not be SFC

 

Yeah it’s not looking good is it. Probably not at the right weight class nor point in his career to be having it at a venue like St Mary’s 

I said on a different thread a couple of days ago that promotion probably would have seen this turn into a bit of a party.

[RedArmy]

We haven’t forgotten. 
 

Get him out of this club. 

[SaintsLoyal]

Poundshop Parsons are you still around ?

Any respectable CEO would have resigned by now for the incompetence shown by you.

Acting like a spiv in the boro boardroom and then the sheer pathetic arrogance of denying the club were involved in spying and then doing a total reverse in 24hrs.  shameful 

Are you seriously going to walk into EFl meetings ? they will laugh you out the room 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by SaintsLoyal

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened. I genuinely think fans will be less inclined to throw everyone under the bus when hearing how it all unravelled and how events have been blown out of all proportion. Yes communication has been wat too slow slow. PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term and traditionally a quiet week for football at the season's end.

I hold my hands up I know PP and like him. He is fanatically committed and has done many good things off the pitch as well as becoming a fervent fan. You should see how nervous he gets before a match. Yes he has made mistakes and has admitted them, but my overriding message is castigating the manager and the CEO based solely on what the media and the EFL hearing have alleged reported is premature. PP and TE were integral to last season's success - let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[Saint Fan CaM]

7 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened. I genuinely think fans will be less inclined to throw everyone under the bus when hearing how it all unravelled and how events have been blown out of all proportion. Yes communication has been wat too slow slow. PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term and traditionally a quiet week for football at the season's end.

I hold my hands up I know PP and like him. He is fanatically committed and has done many good things off the pitch as well as becoming a fervent fan. You should see how nervous he gets before a match. Yes he has made mistakes and has admitted them, but my overriding message is castigating the manager and the CEO based solely on what the media and the EFL hearing have alleged reported is premature. PP and TE were integral to last season's success - let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I understand and agree with the essence of your point here FF, particularly when it comes to TE. Parsons I’m less inclined to side with - he’s the CEO…as such, accountability for his conduct in the whole sorry mess needs to be addressed.

Unless he was suckered into Gibson’s trap like Salt, I’m not sure he deserves our sympathy. The key point being that he doesn’t appear to have made himself aware of the commercial or footballing ramifications of where we found ourselves prior to the semi’s, which given his supposed elevated background is shocking at best. It’s nice he’s a fervent fan, but he’s paid handsomely to be a CEO first and foremost.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Saint Fan CaM said:

I understand and agree with the essence of your point here FF, particularly when it comes to TE. Parsons I’m less inclined to side with - he’s the CEO…as such, accountability for his conduct in the whole sorry mess needs to be addressed.

Unless he was suckered into Gibson’s trap like Salt, I’m not sure he deserves our sympathy. The key point being that he doesn’t appear to have made himself aware of the commercial or footballing ramifications of where we found ourselves prior to the semi’s, which given his supposed elevated background is shocking at best. It’s nice he’s a fervent fan, but he’s paid handsomely to be a CEO first and foremost.

Got to love this.

suckered into a trap, Parsons and Salt, but not Tonda, leave him alone.

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

8 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Got to love this.

suckered into a trap, Parsons and Salt, but not Tonda, leave him alone.

 

As usual you don’t have the intelligence to read carefully my point. A bit kneejerk - like Parsons.

[Wade Garrett]

10 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

I understand and agree with the essence of your point here FF, particularly when it comes to TE. Parsons I’m less inclined to side with - he’s the CEO…as such, accountability for his conduct in the whole sorry mess needs to be addressed.

Unless he was suckered into Gibson’s trap like Salt, I’m not sure he deserves our sympathy. The key point being that he doesn’t appear to have made himself aware of the commercial or footballing ramifications of where we found ourselves prior to the semi’s, which given his supposed elevated background is shocking at best. It’s nice he’s a fervent fan, but he’s paid handsomely to be a CEO first and foremost.

There was no trap!  Eckert sent analysts to spy on opponents.  If he didn’t, then we wouldn’t be in the shite now.

I’m struggling with people who want Parsons out but not the person who was the root cause of all this.

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

As usual you don’t have the intelligence to read carefully my point. A bit kneejerk - like Parsons.

I can’t stake a post seriously when you complete miss the manager from this and suggest this was all some sort of trap 

 

 

[LegalEagle]

33 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened. I genuinely think fans will be less inclined to throw everyone under the bus when hearing how it all unravelled and how events have been blown out of all proportion. Yes communication has been wat too slow slow. PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term and traditionally a quiet week for football at the season's end.

I hold my hands up I know PP and like him. He is fanatically committed and has done many good things off the pitch as well as becoming a fervent fan. You should see how nervous he gets before a match. Yes he has made mistakes and has admitted them, but my overriding message is castigating the manager and the CEO based solely on what the media and the EFL hearing have alleged reported is premature. PP and TE were integral to last season's success - let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Careful FF. That is way too sensible and makes far too much sense. The only negative I’ve heard about Parsons,  a really huge one mind you if actually true,  relates to the throwing himself at the feet of Gibson. FF - you seem to have some internal knowledge. Is that story true?

[Saint Fan CaM]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

There was no trap!  Eckert sent analysts to spy on opponents.  If he didn’t, then we wouldn’t be in the shite now.

I’m struggling with people who want Parsons out but not the person who was the root cause of all this.

Are you sure? Because there’s more evidence suggesting there was than not IMO. We did what we did sure, but the manner in which it was identified/reported/judged/penalised was highly, highly suspicious. I can’t for the life of me understand how anyone cannot see that - even neutrals find it strange.

But hey, it’s a free World and I respect your right to disagree.

[Soton7]

35 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened. I genuinely think fans will be less inclined to throw everyone under the bus when hearing how it all unravelled and how events have been blown out of all proportion. Yes communication has been wat too slow slow. PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term and traditionally a quiet week for football at the season's end.

I hold my hands up I know PP and like him. He is fanatically committed and has done many good things off the pitch as well as becoming a fervent fan. You should see how nervous he gets before a match. Yes he has made mistakes and has admitted them, but my overriding message is castigating the manager and the CEO based solely on what the media and the EFL hearing have alleged reported is premature. PP and TE were integral to last season's success - let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Mate, he is being paid upwards of £1m as an annual salary, the mitigating factor that he’s a fan is laughable! I would support any team in the world, even the fishy boys down the road if someone was paying me £1m a year!

Also, it being half term is ridiculous! Any CEO of any major company will cancel his leave and prioritise the club which thousands follow. As ultimately, he had the strategic oversight over this club and he should be accountable. He should be leading from the front, not fucking about in peppa pig world.

[Saint Fan CaM]

5 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I can’t stake a post seriously when you complete miss the manager from this and suggest this was all some sort of trap 

 

 

And still you ignore that I did mention TE as a matter of fact and in reply to FF’s post. 🙄

[Ted Bates Statue]

20 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened. I genuinely think fans will be less inclined to throw everyone under the bus when hearing how it all unravelled and how events have been blown out of all proportion.

I really hope you know something we don't, as we held fire during the first two weeks since the shit-storm began, to the point that most of us thought it was just a red herring and a bit of a joke, until it came crashing down with probably more to come.

It's not fair to make anyone a scapegoat with the pitchforks and torches, just get the sense that numerous people have been taking this club for a ride and not taking their roles seriously enough while Bournemouth down the road achieve European football. How did we become the shit-show club of the south coast?

 

Quote

Yes communication has been wat too slow slow. PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term and traditionally a quiet week for football at the season's end.

Yeah I think some posters had been joking about this possibility earlier in the week, not much else to do seeing as this football club is screwed for the foreseeable

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Saint Fan CaM said:

And still you ignore that I did mention TE as a matter of fact and in reply to FF’s post. 🙄

I was replying to your post in my original quote, so I was not ignoring anything.

anyway, if these was some sort of elaborate trap to entice Saints to cheat on a prolific scale, the. Great 

[trousers]

Hearing that the CEO has gone off on holiday during one of the biggest crisis this club has ever faced tells me all I need to know about this current regime.... 

(But I agree with the overall drift of your post FF.... Thanks as always for sharing your insights.... Appreciated 👍🏼)

Edited 8 hours ago by trousers

[Midfield_General]

1 hour ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term

Of course he is

After all, as CEO, his holiday is the most important thing, it's not like there's anything else he should be prioritising, that can all wait. 

As usual with SR, silence doesn't mean they are hunkered down behind the scenes, strategising, planning, speaking to experts and getting their ducks in a row so as to put right the shitshow. No, it means they've all fucked off on holiday. It is half term after all. 

How anyone can defend these absolute fucking clowns is completely beyond me 

Edited 8 hours ago by Midfield_General

[Midfield_General]

1 hour ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened.

When's that going to happen then? 

[whiteleySaint30]

Still no statement or hint of an apology to the fans - fucking disgusting if you ask me. Expect next comms will be to advise me how much my season ticket will be. Absolute shit show...... 

[CSA96]

2 minutes ago, whiteleySaint30 said:

Still no statement or hint of an apology to the fans - fucking disgusting if you ask me. Expect next comms will be to advise me how much my season ticket will be. Absolute shit show...... 

There's already been two apologies to the fans and the community

1: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/club-statement-20th-may-2026
2: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/club-statement-league-arbitration-panel-appeal

Edited 8 hours ago by CSA96

[Fitzhugh Fella]

1 hour ago, LegalEagle said:

Careful FF. That is way too sensible and makes far too much sense. The only negative I’ve heard about Parsons,  a really huge one mind you if actually true,  relates to the throwing himself at the feet of Gibson. FF - you seem to have some internal knowledge. Is that story true?

I think when PP went up for the first leg he was under the impression that the crime was silly but hardly consequential and that an apology to Gibson would be the end of the matter. Many other owners/chairmen would have accepted the apology and moved on but Gibson sensed his chance to ensure his club now had two bites at the cherry. Now if PP had decided to ignore "the issue" he risked upsetting Gibson so he (rightly imo) chose the apology path.

From what I have heard of the 3 instances (and I gather there are only 3) they have been very much embellished by the media and Middlesbrough. TE is not the machiavellian character that is being portrayed and neither is he a bully. The intern probably did feel pressurised but again the story is not as bad as some would like to make out. I am sure the club will give a thorough report back of exactly what happened when they all have a chance to get under one roof. It would be a grave mistake if fan power drove out a manager who proved his worth and a CEO who was placed between a rock and a hard place. I know its human nature to seek scapegoats and we are still in various stages of shock, but lets condemn (or not) when we hear the club's version.

[It's There]

2 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

I think when PP went up for the first leg he was under the impression that the crime was silly but hardly consequential and that an apology to Gibson would be the end of the matter. Many other owners/chairmen would have accepted the apology and moved on but Gibson sensed his chance to ensure his club now had two bites at the cherry. Now if PP had decided to ignore "the issue" he risked upsetting Gibson so he (rightly imo) chose the apology path.

From what I have heard of the 3 instances (and I gather there are only 3) they have been very much embellished by the media and Middlesbrough. TE is not the machiavellian character that is being portrayed and neither is he a bully. The intern probably did feel pressurised but again the story is not as bad as some would like to make out. I am sure the club will give a thorough report back of exactly what happened when they all have a chance to get under one roof. It would be a grave mistake if fan power drove out a manager who proved his worth and a CEO who was placed between a rock and a hard place. I know its human nature to seek scapegoats and we are still in various stages of shock, but lets condemn (or not) when we hear the club's version.

Thanks FF. That's somewhat reassuring. Will be good to get things done and dusted to move on... although still feel EFL 'independent' panel wasn't independent!

[Fitzhugh Fella]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Hearing that the CEO has gone off on holiday during one of the biggest crisis this club has ever faced tells me all I need to know about this current regime.... 

(But I agree with the overall drift of your post FF.... Thanks as always for sharing your insights.... Appreciated 👍🏼)

Trousers he has a young family who he hardly ever sees - yes he has an obligation to the club but nothing is going to happen this week and everyone needs downtime. Yes us football fans are an impatient bunch and I understand the heartache, but lets not burn our bridges. Good managers don't grow on tress and like I said I have met many CEOs in my dealings with the club and PP comes out as the most committed and fan friendly.

[LeBizzier69]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Hearing that the CEO has gone off on holiday during one of the biggest crisis this club has ever faced tells me all I need to know about this current regime.... 

(But I agree with the overall drift of your post FF.... Thanks as always for sharing your insights.... Appreciated 👍🏼)

It's only a crisis because the whole things has been massively blown out of all proportion by the media and other clubs acting holier than thou....and the ridiculous punishment that's been handed out.

I'd rather the club take stock, work out next steps and deliver a statement that explains what's happened and where we go next than send out comm's every few days to appease us lot. 

If they're waiting on the FA to annouce charges, there is probably nothing more they can do. Unless you'd like those involved to be manning the saints store or answering phones as a punishment.

Only my opinion, and appreciate it might be a minority one.

[ChristopheVAFC]

I think PP fulfilled his role as the club’s CEO when he was made aware of the matter; I think at first he was very surprised and also very angry, just as DS later was.

I think he also quickly realised that this affair was going to have serious consequences for the club, and I think that is why he, on the one hand, spoke to Gibson in a completely transparent manner, and subsequently offered his full cooperation to the EFL.

Was he right to do all that? Did he think, as the saying goes, that ‘a fault confessed is half forgiven’? It’s difficult to re-write history today...

I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes today, trying to find the words and solutions to reassure everyone (supporters, players, sponsors, staff, volunteers, institutions, etc.)