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Saints Trust Statement


Master Bates

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The Saints Trust have a proposal for the way forward for Southampton Football Club

 

http://www.clubfanzine.com/southampton/v2.showNews.php?id=18223

 

"It is obvious after three years of boardroom infighting that the three major shareholder parties, represented by Rupert Lowe, Michael Wilde and Leon Crouch are unable to put personal differences to one side and work together at this point in time. This is not in the best interests of the club so changes must be made. Former Chairman Leon Crouch should be invited to join the board of the PLC. It is only right that as a major shareholder he should be involved in the vital decisions"

Unless I've missed something I don't understand the logic of what they're saying....

 

i.e. "these guys can't work together so our proposed solution is for them to...er....work together"

 

Am I missing something?

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I got as far as 'these people must be included on the PLC board as well as a member of the Saints Trust'.

 

Same old agenda which will never work.

 

 

Same here. The bit about in-fighting followed by bringing Leon Crouch back on board. That should make an interesting solution to the boardroom problems.:confused:

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"It is obvious after three years of boardroom infighting that the three major shareholder parties, represented by Rupert Lowe, Michael Wilde and Leon Crouch are unable to put personal differences to one side and work together at this point in time. This is not in the best interests of the club so changes must be made. Former Chairman Leon Crouch should be invited to join the board of the PLC. It is only right that as a major shareholder he should be involved in the vital decisions"

Unless I've missed something I don't understand the logic of what they're saying....

 

i.e. "these guys can't work together so our proposed solution is for them to...er....work together"

 

Am I missing something?

 

Yes, this bit ;)

 

The PLC board should therefore consist of Rupert Lowe, Michael Wilde, Leon Crouch, David Jones, Andrew Cowen, and joined by a further representative(s) from either the City Council or one of the two Southampton MP’s, as well as a representative of the Saints Trust.
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At least they are attempting to do something constructive, coming up with alternative suggestions (whether good or bad) and trying to strike a middle ground, rather than just wingeing about the status quo.

 

The only way through at the moment, assuming Paul Allen's yacht has not been sighted off Calshot Spit, is for all interested parties to put their petty prejudices behind them and work together for the good of the club.

 

Will never happen though, not with the personalities involved.

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Unless I've missed something I don't understand the logic of what they're saying....

 

i.e. "these guys can't work together so our proposed solution is for them to...er....work together"

 

Am I missing something?

 

Ummmm that was the impression that I got as well - and the guys advocating this would also like a non exec position as well - to do what, act as the referee once the fight broke out...?? Bizaar...!

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I think most of us would agree to disagree with the Trust over this. I quite like the representation of SCC and the Professional CEO and don't even mind Andrew Cowen being part of the interim solution. However, Lowe, Wilde and Crouch would never work together and most, if not all of the fan base is at least anti one, if not all 3 of these. The Trust member is pie in the sky and just going over the same old trodden path and I don't want to see Dave Teflon Jones part of any solution, either.

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nice idea but is anybody going to listen to what the trust has to say?

i am not a member,i dont want to be,but i do know the lads who run it well and they are good people.

im not sure that i feel comfortable with one of them representing me on the board because i dont believe they will be strong enough or controversial enough to be able to influence any decisions.they dont influence anything outside of the club so i dont believe they will get the backing they need from the fanbase to press on.it is a shame really because on paper it looks like a good idea but i cant ever see it getting past first base unless a there is a massive swing in their favour from us lot.

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At least they are attempting to do something constructive, coming up with alternative suggestions (whether good or bad) and trying to strike a middle ground, rather than just wingeing about the status quo.

 

The only way through at the moment, assuming Paul Allen's yacht has not been sighted off Calshot Spit, is for all interested parties to put their petty prejudices behind them and work together for the good of the club.

 

Will never happen though, not with the personalities involved.

 

Good constructive is good Rich, bad constructive is, errr bad. Admire them for trying to rally more fans into SMS, but I really don't think the pro or anti Lowes, will change their stance on whether they support or not, even if Crouch joined the party.

 

As for the Trust members and Council members overseeing the board - errr I think that is a non - starter and would achieve naff all even if passed.

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Looked rather familiar, sure its not last years proposal? Seriously, how the addityion of politicians and a fan to to board is going to help is rather unclear - the make up of the propoed PLC board would be unworkable - too large and too ineffective - oh did i count it right?

 

Lowe

Cowan

Wilde

Jones

Crouch

MP1

MP2

Uberfan

 

Would that be a 4/4/voting split or 5/3 - because I cant see anything ever being carried unanimously can you?

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Ah, constructive.

 

 

 

Wasn't meant to be. I have nothing constructive to say about the Saint's Trust because there's never anything to be constructive about.They live in dumbdisneyland and wave their arms about and dream of Southampton City council buying the Stadium. As far as I know the trust owns about 20K shares

so for a holding that's worth 2600£ they want a place on the board? And yet

there are several people with 1 million or so shares who don't even get a look in.I mean with the share price so low the ST should be buying up shares hand over fist, every disgruntled shareholder should turn to them first.

 

When the ST has significant funds well then they will be worth listening too.

A faction who want to have a big say without putting up first are just risible.

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A few weeks ago Illingsworth got really defensive towards me on his site when I had a go at him for promoting his private pre-match bar arrangements instead of the protest march on his site, telling me I didnt know what he was up to behind the scenes.

 

Now I know. The same old rehash of the attention-seeking crap the Trust comes out with every so often.

 

Any open-mindedness and serious consideration Lowe, Wilde and Crouch would have given this evaporated at the first comment of a Saints Trust rep on the board.

 

F**king twaaat..

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Looked rather familiar, sure its not last years proposal? Seriously, how the addityion of politicians and a fan to to board is going to help is rather unclear - the make up of the propoed PLC board would be unworkable - too large and too ineffective - oh did i count it right?

 

Lowe

Cowan

Wilde

Jones

Crouch

MP1

MP2

Uberfan

 

Would that be a 4/4/voting split or 5/3 - because I cant see anything ever being carried unanimously can you?

 

I think they meant one spot for the MP/Council Member.

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Good constructive is good Rich, bad constructive is, errr bad. Admire them for trying to rally more fans into SMS, but I really don't think the pro or anti Lowes, will change their stance on whether they support or not, even if Crouch joined the party.

 

As for the Trust members and Council members overseeing the board - errr I think that is a non - starter and would achieve naff all even if passed.

 

I think the point is that at this crucial time (and as is clear in the statement, for the short term) we shouldn't be pro or anti anything except pro Southampton Football Club. The clear message is united we stand, divided we fall and surely we can see that this is the case from what has happened over the past 5 or so years.

 

People need to rise above the squabbles and do what is best for the greater good.

 

We need to stay up and stay solvent in the short term, long term we can look to make changes.

 

Despite how obvious this is, no-one (at board level or, if this board is representative (which it almost certainly isn't) amongst the fans) seems prepared to do it.

 

If pressure is put on all three of the main protagonists by everyone to sort it (rather than pros and antis whoever pressurising the others) something may get done. At the moment we seem content to continue to tear everyone else apart and bring the club down with it. Have we just got used to the misery these days that we can't remember when things were normal?

 

As I said, I can't see it working, but like with the SOS thing last year, it's got to be worth a go. What is there to lose?

 

By the way, whilst being a paid up member of the Trust I have no involvement in the trust board or know any of those who run it, so this is purely my personal opinion, without any agenda other than my own support of SFC.

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The Trust seem dammed when they do make a statement and dammed when they don't. I think that some credit should be given for doing something. Unfortunately it is probably too little too late.

 

The rot set in when Lowe returned and gambled with the dutch duo

His and Wildes Resignation are overdue

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Wasn't meant to be. I have nothing constructive to say about the Saint's Trust because there's never anything to be constructive about.They live in dumbdisneyland and wave their arms about and dream of Southampton City council buying the Stadium. As far as I know the trust owns about 20K shares

so for a holding that's worth 2600£ they want a place on the board? And yet

there are several people with 1 million or so shares who don't even get a look in.I mean with the share price so low the ST should be buying up shares hand over fist, every disgruntled shareholder should turn to them first.

 

When the ST has significant funds well then they will be worth listening too.

A faction who want to have a big say without putting up first are just risible.

 

And how could the Trust get funds to buy shares hand over fist - from the supporters joining. And guess what, when you join, you get a vote and can then influence the policies of the trust.

 

SO why not join and try to change things if you're not happy with how the current Trust board are handling things. Also means they can buy more shares on behalf of all the members.

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The Trust seem dammed when they do make a statement and dammed when they don't. I think that some credit should be given for doing something. Unfortunately it is probably too little too late.

 

The rot set in when Lowe returned and gambled with the dutch duo

His and Wildes Resignation are overdue

 

 

And its taken them this long to come up with something that must have taken 5 minutes to prepare.

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And how could the Trust get funds to buy shares hand over fist - from the supporters joining. And guess what, when you join, you get a vote and can then influence the policies of the trust.

 

SO why not join and try to change things if you're not happy with how the current Trust board are handling things. Also means they can buy more shares on behalf of all the members.

 

 

Who knows, I might have more shares than they actually do:cool::cool::cool:

 

I did once contribute £10 to the Saints Trust it would seem.

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nice idea but is anybody going to listen to what the trust has to say?

i am not a member,i dont want to be,but i do know the lads who run it well and they are good people.

im not sure that i feel comfortable with one of them representing me on the board because i dont believe they will be strong enough or controversial enough to be able to influence any decisions.they dont influence anything outside of the club so i dont believe they will get the backing they need from the fanbase to press on.it is a shame really because on paper it looks like a good idea but i cant ever see it getting past first base unless a there is a massive swing in their favour from us lot.

 

Lowe, Wilde and Crouch on the same board is a good idea :rolleyes:

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I think the point is that at this crucial time (and as is clear in the statement, for the short term) we shouldn't be pro or anti anything except pro Southampton Football Club. The clear message is united we stand, divided we fall and surely we can see that this is the case from what has happened over the past 5 or so years.

 

People need to rise above the squabbles and do what is best for the greater good.

 

We need to stay up and stay solvent in the short term, long term we can look to make changes.

 

Despite how obvious this is, no-one (at board level or, if this board is representative (which it almost certainly isn't) amongst the fans) seems prepared to do it.

 

If pressure is put on all three of the main protagonists by everyone to sort it (rather than pros and antis whoever pressurising the others) something may get done. At the moment we seem content to continue to tear everyone else apart and bring the club down with it. Have we just got used to the misery these days that we can't remember when things were normal?

 

As I said, I can't see it working, but like with the SOS thing last year, it's got to be worth a go. What is there to lose?

 

By the way, whilst being a paid up member of the Trust I have no involvement in the trust board or know any of those who run it, so this is purely my personal opinion, without any agenda other than my own support of SFC.

 

I totally agree with the ethos of your (and the Trusts) argument Rich - I really do. But you don't have to look too far to see that there is no way that the fans are going to collectively change their current opinions of the SMS situation.

 

There are those that have chosen to stay away - as is thier right. The fact that the Trust is calling for LC to work with Lowe and Wilde will probably do absolutely nothing to change their stance. The fans are devided, and the only thing that will unite them overnight is 'instant success' - and as we all know that is a very hard comodity to discover.

 

I don't think that the Board or the Trust actually understand the depth of feeling of the fans sometimes. If they consider that thier statement contains (even a short term) solution, it is somewhat worrying really.

Edited by Micky
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Farcical. A representative of the Trust and a couple of Labour MP's. It sounds like the cast of the Wheeltappers and Shunters club.

The club has set its course we now have to sit back and see what transpires.it would be madness to change it course at this time.

Too many egos are involved and so until we get 1 person fully in charge we have to go on as we are.

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The Trust seem dammed when they do make a statement and dammed when they don't. I think that some credit should be given for doing something. Unfortunately it is probably too little too late.

 

The rot set in when Lowe returned and gambled with the dutch duo

His and Wildes Resignation are overdue

 

Not so much damned if they do. If only they engaged brain first and put a proposal which could be discussed rather than be dismissed as a pointless piece self promotion (as well as being a daft proposal).

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Is that all they could come up with???

 

If Lowe and Wilde can marginalise a 10% shareholder what hope has the Trust got?

 

How about a statement detailing no confidence in the current regime....oooh no, too controversial I bet....let's be a bit populist in the current boardroom eh, to give them an opportunity to say they are 'listening to the fans'.

 

Rupey must be chuckling right now.

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This is a complete waste of time, although frankly I didn't even need to read it based on the comments above. You just get the feeling that someone has got too much time on his/her hands and so needs an outlet to make themselves seem important to the World. Riddled with contradictions, its basically good for the bin. Other than that, yeah, great idea. LOL.

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Is that all they could come up with???

 

If Lowe and Wilde can marginalise a 10% shareholder what hope has the Trust got?

 

How about a statement detailing no confidence in the current regime....oooh no, too controversial I bet....let's be a bit populist in the current boardroom eh, to give them an opportunity to say they are 'listening to the fans'.

 

Rupey must be chuckling right now.

 

How about a cheap bar in the Tech College on matchdays.That's more like it.

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The Trust seem dammed when they do make a statement and dammed when they don't. I think that some credit should be given for doing something.

 

 

Fair point, but surely it's reasonable to query what looks like a tautological statement? i.e. they say that it's clear that Crouch, Lowe and Wilde can't work together but then go on to propose...erm....that they work together....

 

As I say, unless I'm missing something....? (like a large bag of marbles for example)

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Farcical. A representative of the Trust and a couple of Labour MP's. It sounds like the cast of the Wheeltappers and Shunters club.

The club has set its course we now have to sit back and see what transpires.it would be madness to change it course at this time.

Too many egos are involved and so until we get 1 person fully in charge we have to go on as we are.

 

Agreed. The cast has been set so to speak. We have no option but to sit back and watch what happens. Now is not the time for the Trust to once again come out with the same old ********. Before the season started was the time for this stuff when most people saw the inevitable was going to happen anyway. They are no different then the one who calls himself our spokesman in my view. Out of all the people who claim to represent our fans the only one i actually have a bit of respect for is Connor Bowers or whatever his name is. At least he got some people doing something wether you agree with it or not. The trust just jump in bed with anyone who says they might get them a slot on the board. How is that going from when Wilde 1st came in by the way? Ah yeah thats right, it didn't....

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Agreed. The cast has been set so to speak. We have no option but to sit back and watch what happens. Now is not the time for the Trust to once again come out with the same old ********. Before the season started was the time for this stuff when most people saw the inevitable was going to happen anyway. They are no different then the one who calls himself our spokesman in my view. Out of all the people who claim to represent our fans the only one i actually have a bit of respect for is Connor Bowers or whatever his name is. At least he got some people doing something wether you agree with it or not. The trust just jump in bed with anyone who says they might get them a slot on the board. How is that going from when Wilde 1st came in by the way? Ah yeah thats right, it didn't....

 

Not agreeing with the use of this in other threads, and I also applaud Connor and what he has achieved...but what does it tell you when

 

An ordinary fan (who happens to be a 16yr old Student) manages to sense the fans' feelings (however much a minority as some may want to believe - lalala) and does something constructive with it...

 

and the Saints Trust proposes a repeat of what has got us in this state, as long as they get to receive the inside track..

 

How about the Trust putting forward a proposal for shares to be proxied to pressure the big hitters (like Mike Fenner proposed??)

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What is farcical is the negative whingers and whiners on here.

 

Everything is wrong, so let's do nothing and criticise anyone who tries to do something. Rupert must really be quaking in his boots.

 

Pathetic, truly pathetic.

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What is farcical is the negative whingers and whiners on here.

 

Everything is wrong, so let's do nothing and criticise anyone who tries to do something. Rupert must really be quaking in his boots.

 

Pathetic, truly pathetic.

 

Trouble is Hugh, it's been tried before and was an abject failure.

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A few weeks ago Illingsworth got really defensive towards me on his site when I had a go at him for promoting his private pre-match bar arrangements instead of the protest march on his site, telling me I didnt know what he was up to behind the scenes.

 

Now I know. The same old rehash of the attention-seeking crap the Trust comes out with every so often.

 

Any open-mindedness and serious consideration Lowe, Wilde and Crouch would have given this evaporated at the first comment of a Saints Trust rep on the board.

 

F**king twaaat..

 

Do you know what Alpine, for once I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you. Do members of the trust get to vote for their representative by the way?

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The Trust really do not have a clue, do they. They are actually proposing 2 professional CEOs, one for the plc and one for the FC. I guess in a situation where there is a need to cut costs, that would help.

 

What would make more sense would be to merge the 2 boards, and have one professional CEO, add Crouch and one other (MP or someone like Salz, for instance)to the merged board (and none of this Saints Trust board member nonsense). So that would be CEO, Lowe, Wilde, Crouch, Cowen and Jones + A N Other. Even then it would not do any harm to dispense with Cowen, although to me he is the most sensible of the lot, but a 7-man board seems too big.

 

With the right CEO, and a willingness by the "3 amEgos" to sort this mess this could be made to work.

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Not agreeing with the use of this in other threads' date=' and[b'] I also applaud Connor and what he has achieved[/b]...but what does it tell you when

 

An ordinary fan (who happens to be a 16yr old Student) manages to sense the fans' feelings (however much a minority as some may want to believe - lalala) and does something constructive with it...

 

and the Saints Trust proposes a repeat of what has got us in this state, as long as they get to receive the inside track..

 

How about the Trust putting forward a proposal for shares to be proxied to pressure the big hitters (like Mike Fenner proposed??)

 

bad press for the club, more in fighting between fans, protesting against the new manager, boosting Crouch's ego - what has he achieved?

 

 

nothing changed on here

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/club/?page_id=8873

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Fair point, but surely it's reasonable to query what looks like a tautological statement? i.e. they say that it's clear that Crouch, Lowe and Wilde can't work together but then go on to propose...erm....that they work together....

 

As I say, unless I'm missing something....? (like a large bag of marbles for example)

 

Here you go.

 

1006957853_a3a842b5fd.jpg?v=0

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