Legod Third Coming Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 They should be shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 **** me, this is relevant FWIW, you're right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidthesquid Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 It was Rupert, wasn't it? Actually, I doubt I even knew who the chairman was at the time, but I think he was our most underrated manager. He took on an almost impossible task following Lawrie and having to cut costs & it was only when Branflakes took over that we realised how good he was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Nice bloke too. I had the pleasure of meeting with him a few years ago. Very charming man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 what's he doing now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Nice bloke too. I had the pleasure of meeting with him a few years ago. Very charming man You ****ged him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Sh*g is on the swear filter? Well, I never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minsk Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 They should be shot. I seem to recall he was replaced with Branfoot; And I think Askham was chairman when the protests were occurring about him; So maybe it was Askham who fired Nichol?; That being the case I would fully agree with your conclusion/recommendation/desire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Its has been down hill ever since, apart from a mini hillock in 2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidthesquid Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 He might be small, but 'a mini hillock' is no way to refer to WGS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 You ****ged him! Dirty boy [-X No - and I'm saying this because I'd hate his reputation to be sullied. :oops: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastleighSoulBoy Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Its has been down hill ever since, apart from a mini hillock in 2003. Yep! One hillock and the rest has been boll . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissyboy31 Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Askham. He took over as Chairman in 1988, Nicholl was sacked in 1991. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legod Third Coming Posted 4 February, 2009 Author Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Funny though in't it. We were seventh and they fired him because we were 'underachieving'... Bugger me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissyboy31 Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 True, but that was underachieving compared to what came before. His crime was that he followed big Lawrie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legod Third Coming Posted 4 February, 2009 Author Share Posted 4 February, 2009 True, but that was underachieving compared to what came before. His crime was that he followed big Lawrie. Ah but Lawrie failed first, that's what everyone forgets. Aliderceh took Bolton down first, Curbs took Charlton down first - CN was doing ok I thought. We were playing bloody good football that much I do remember. Bit too open sometimes but good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Funny though in't it. We were seventh and they fired him because we were 'underachieving'... Bugger me. Don't think we were 7th when Nichol was sacked, we finished a lot lower the following season and got spanked 6-2 at relegated Derby which was the final straw for Askham & co. Take your point though, the previous (fantastic) season when we were 7th probably raised expectations which couldn't be met the following season. Although if we'd known B******t was lined up we'd all have been happy to keep Nichol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Landrew Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Chris Nicholl's era was during a time when I was away. Having seen numerous highlights of the football played under him, I can only say that some of it is superb. But that's understandable. Saints were fielding players who had come through the youth training scheme [is that another word for an academy..?] at the time, and had burst through to the first team. If Saints had held onto their super youngsters who, let's not forget, had helped the team finish 7th [that oft favoured end placing of Saints teams in the top division] in 1989-90, then perhaps we could have seen far better results in the 90s, with many more quality players to help out Matty. But Saints sold those players off to illustrious careers, and only Matt Le Tissier stayed. Guy Askham was selling the silverware, even back then. They broke up a team for financial gain, nothing more, IMO. I suspect there's more to Chris Nicholl leaving than just poorer results than expected. Perhaps those who really know could emerge from the woodwork and explain, as this is one Saints related topic that has bugged me like any missed opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastleighSoulBoy Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Away, as in Her Majesty's Pleasure? Just wondering! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Away, as in Her Majesty's Pleasure? Just wondering! Don't be so insensitive. StL spent a couple of years in a coma after listening to a Phil Collins album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Landrew Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Away, as in Her Majesty's Pleasure? Just wondering! Away, as in living in Gore, New Zealand and other places, when the World Wide Web was just being planned. Besides, I was newly married, incredibly in love, and getting in touch with my new world that I'd emigarted to. And NZ is a heck of a place, as plenty of Saints fans living there nowasdays will tell you. And so, like you'd expect, everything else took a back seat. My only regret is that I misse the fledgling Matt Le Tissier. But I'm sure he'd forgive me. Well, he's shaken the hand of an awe-struck fan a few times since, and I know a great bloke when I see one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjii Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Away, as in living in Gore, New Zealand and other places, when the World Wide Web was just being planned. Besides, I was newly married, incredibly in love, and getting in touch with my new world that I'd emigarted to. And NZ is a heck of a place, as plenty of Saints fans living there nowasdays will tell you. We don't need plastics like you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Landrew Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Don't be so insensitive. StL spent a couple of years in a coma after listening to a Phil Collins album. Actually Ponty, you're miles off, but not a million miles. I did listen to Phil Collins' original solo album, and thought it very disappointing. Though it didn't send me into a coma, or anything like it. I just took the record off, never to place that particular piece of vinyl back on the turntable. I'm a Peter Gabriel devotee, from the Genesis crowd, me. And now I'm off to watch QI for half an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 This thread has gone sufficiently off topic as to be able to justify moving it to 'The Lounge'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenilworthy Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Although Askham sacked Nicholl the supporters are not entirely blameless, there were plenty shouting Nicholl out. It was perhaps understandable as it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that we were no longer a top club, due partly to the fact that the new live TV deal was already helping the choosen few to move away from the pack, well before the advent of the Premiership. For example, Saints went from 1984 to 1991 without appearing live on TV. In recent years a manager who matched Nicholl's achievements of relative league stability and a number of cup runs would be regarded as a god. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowballs2 Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Although Askham sacked Nicholl the supporters are not entirely blameless, there were plenty shouting Nicholl out. It was perhaps understandable as it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that we were no longer a top club, due partly to the fact that the new live TV deal was already helping the choosen few to move away from the pack, well before the advent of the Premiership. For example, Saints went from 1984 to 1991 without appearing live on TV. In recent years a manager who matched Nicholl's achievements of relative league stability and a number of cup runs would be regarded as a god. It is amazing how the supporters get blamed for everything that happens at Saints, even Wotte has jumped on that bandwagon now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 It is amazing how the supporters get blamed for everything that happens at Saints, even Wotte has jumped on that bandwagon now it is also amazing how supporters forget the bad mouthing they did...and/or refuse to take even a small tiny portion of any blame for what happened then and other occurances since Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles34 Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 We had a terrible season after we finished 7th, didn't he win the Manager of The Month award and then go something like 20 games without a win? And he tried to quit after we lost to Forest away in the cup, he was down because his dog had died! Askham refused then sacked him later, we narowly avoided going down if I remember rightly. In saying all of that CN was a decent, honest hard working guy and I'd have him compared to the ******s we've had previously, WGS and Pearson excluded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuRomseySaint Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Whoever fired Chris Nicholl cost me my place in Saints Schoolboys. :-( He was the manager when I was awarded a trial and was sacked in my last week, they went through restructuring of the YTS system and I never got back in. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Whoever fired Chris Nicholl cost me my place in Saints Schoolboys. :-( He was the manager when I was awarded a trial and was sacked in my last week, they went through restructuring of the YTS system and I never got back in. :-( Is this why you're really protesting Stu? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordswoodsaints Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 askham sacked him,although he had done well things started to go wrong,the fans protested in the dell car park and nichol was sacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Landrew Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Although Askham sacked Nicholl the supporters are not entirely blameless, there were plenty shouting Nicholl out. It was perhaps understandable as it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that we were no longer a top club, due partly to the fact that the new live TV deal was already helping the choosen few to move away from the pack, well before the advent of the Premiership. For example, Saints went from 1984 to 1991 without appearing live on TV. In recent years a manager who matched Nicholl's achievements of relative league stability and a number of cup runs would be regarded as a god. Now that's something I wasn't aware of. I have to say that Saints have not done themselves any favours as a club in being everybody's second club, like Newcastle Utd managed to do for a time. We were relatively popular during Lawrie McMenemy's, and perhaps Gordon Strachan's time, as their styles were great for promoting the club. Once again, it was the board who made the wrong decisions, and Lawrie left [please let's not trawl that old ground], and WGS did also, for different reasons. Errors do happen to clubs like Liverpool and ManU, but they recover quickly from them, and move on. Clubs like Saints stumble, and don't look forward sufficiently. Sometimes they make mistake upon mistake. It's no surprise that money makes the options much easier and more varied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuRomseySaint Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Is this why you're really protesting Stu? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 I don't blame you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpb Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 it is also amazing how supporters forget the bad mouthing they did...and/or refuse to take even a small tiny portion of any blame for what happened then and other occurances since Dead right - Nicoll fell out with Mark Dennis, I believe, and the mob were up in arms because of his treatment of a terrace hero. There were also some poor results against Derby and Ipswich and the crowd got what they wanted. And then came Branfoot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastleighSoulBoy Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 It is amazing how the supporters get blamed for everything that happens at Saints, even Wotte has jumped on that bandwagon now He's already had the bullsh!t injection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revolution saint Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Think I'm right in saying we never finished lower than 12th with CN in charge? There was some great football, great kids coming through but as others have said - following McMenemy was a hard task. Our defending at times was abysmal though and whilst we seemed to score for fun we could also concede equally easily. Given the state of the club since he left I'd take CN's brand of football any day of the week. Oh, and technically I don't think he was sacked - didn't we just not renew his contract? Whatever the reason the idea of appointing Branfoot was lunacy as was getting rid of Case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 4 February, 2009 Share Posted 4 February, 2009 Think I'm right in saying we never finished lower than 12th with CN in charge? There was some great football, great kids coming through but as others have said - following McMenemy was a hard task. Our defending at times was abysmal though and whilst we seemed to score for fun we could also concede equally easily. Given the state of the club since he left I'd take CN's brand of football any day of the week. Oh, and technically I don't think he was sacked - didn't we just not renew his contract? Whatever the reason the idea of appointing Branfoot was lunacy as was getting rid of Case. He was definitely sacked, I remember the Echo reports at the time described him as the first Saints manager ever to be sacked (fancy that, these days!). I think Nicholl finished fifteenth or so in his last season, but you're right apart from the brilliant season of finishing seventh we tended to be about 12th in his time with us. He put together a great little team and is responsible for me loving Saints to this day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisthehulk Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 We had a terrible season after we finished 7th, didn't he win the Manager of The Month award and then go something like 20 games without a win? And he tried to quit after we lost to Forest away in the cup, he was down because his dog had died! Askham refused then sacked him later, we narowly avoided going down if I remember rightly. In saying all of that CN was a decent, honest hard working guy and I'd have him compared to the ******s we've had previously, WGS and Pearson excluded. The curse of the manager of the month award was actually the season (88/89) before we finished 7th (89/90) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbury Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 He was definitely sacked, I remember the Echo reports at the time described him as the first Saints manager ever to be sacked (fancy that, these days!). I think Nicholl finished fifteenth or so in his last season, but you're right apart from the brilliant season of finishing seventh we tended to be about 12th in his time with us. He put together a great little team and is responsible for me loving Saints to this day. 12th was about average for us in the top flight, not seventh? We'd often have a storming start, putting us, say 5th in November, then sink like a stone worrying about relegation; come late March we'd need a couple of wins to be safe, get them, and then float around mid/bottom table till it was time to get the flip flops on. Then, one year, we forgot the 'couple of wins' thing and got relegated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Landrew Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 12th was about average for us in the top flight, not seventh? If you're referring to my mentioning an occasional highest spot of 7th at the end of a season, just look out how many times Saints reached 7th place from 1966-67 onwards in the top division. It was quite a few seasons, with different squads, at different times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 If you're referring to my mentioning an occasional highest spot of 7th at the end of a season, just look out how many times Saints reached 7th place from 1966-67 onwards in the top division. It was quite a few seasons, with different squads, at different times. Well, we haven't finished seventh in the top division since Nicholl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warsash saint Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 I remember the fans calling for his head at the time though.....the fanzine at the time had on it's cover a picture of CN with the headline 'should I stay I should i go' relating to the Clash track that was out at the time. I think I remember the fans even singing it away at a evening game at Notts Forest. Will always remember his last game in charge & the 6-2 defeat at Derby though when the theme of the day was musical instruments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 Dead right - Nicoll fell out with Mark Dennis, I believe, and the mob were up in arms because of his treatment of a terrace hero. There were also some poor results against Derby and Ipswich and the crowd got what they wanted. And then came Branfoot... no one will EVER admit this though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheff Saint Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 This debate is a bit silly. Nichol did well and things were a lot better then, of course. But it was felt they should have been better. And there is nothing wrong with having that attitude. The mistake was the board's attitude was correct, but they didn't back this up with a decent replacement. In fact they didn't even get a half way good replacement. They got a replacement on the cheap not for the first time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legod Third Coming Posted 5 February, 2009 Author Share Posted 5 February, 2009 This debate is a bit silly. Nichol did well and things were a lot better then, of course. But it was felt they should have been better. And there is nothing wrong with having that attitude. The mistake was the board's attitude was correct, but they didn't back this up with a decent replacement. In fact they didn't even get a half way good replacement. They got a replacement on the cheap not for the first time! Exactly!! You can't want to challenge Liverpool but not give your manager sufficient ammunition. Plus ca change eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 (edited) Sh*g is on the swear filter? Well, I never. Bugger me. "Bugger" is ok though. edit: FFS...can't even post pictures of sea-faring birds either. What's the world coming to? Edited 5 February, 2009 by trousers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 This debate is a bit silly. Nichol did well and things were a lot better then, of course. But it was felt they should have been better. And there is nothing wrong with having that attitude. The mistake was the board's attitude was correct, but they didn't back this up with a decent replacement. In fact they didn't even get a half way good replacement. They got a replacement on the cheap not for the first time! Was it on the cheap, I have the feeling they were trying replicate Lawries appointment. An manager who had relative success in the lower league and who could step up to a higher level. This was instead of hiring the lastest guy sacked from another top flight club. the only problem here was Branfoot wasn't that successful apart from a ZDS cup run (I think), should have gone for Lennie Lawrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadhall Saint Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 All I can say is I wish we had those times back - superb attacking football, yes we leaked goals but we played as if we could outscore the opposition no matter how many they scored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintDonkey Posted 5 February, 2009 Share Posted 5 February, 2009 Hmmm a relatively successful manager hounded out by fans who think they should be doing better? Leading to a collapse from mid table to a relegation scrap? Sound familar? Nice to know the fans are as incapable of learning from mistakes as the board are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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