Saints are relegated as league deducts points (From Daily Echo)
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Southampton FC relegated by Football League as 10 points are deducted
2:30pm Thursday 23rd April 2009 in News
St Mary's Stadium
SAINTS' relegation has been confirmed in the last few minutes, after the Football League decided to impose a ten-point deduction on the club.
The League have released a statement, which said they could find no distinction between the club and its parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings.
As a result, Saints will be deducted ten points at the end of this season if they finish outside the drop zone.
If they finish in the bottom three they will start next season on minus-ten points in League One.
However, the Daily Echo understands that Saints will appeal the decision.
The statement said: At its meeting today, the Board of The Football League reviewed the report of the independent forensic accountants commissioned by The League to examine the circumstances at Southampton Football Club, together with external legal advice as to the interpretation of The League’s regulations.
The report, by Grant Thornton, set out in detail the various inter-relationships between the four different group companies at Southampton Leisure Holdings Plc (the Holding Company).
The conclusions were based both on the content of the annual accounts published by the Holding Company, which include the Club, and other information made available to Grant Thornton as part of their enquiries.
The Board noted that Grant Thornton reported that toward the end of their enquiries co-operation with them was withdrawn.
The report concluded, among other things, that:
1. The Holding Company has no income of its own; all revenue and expenditure is derived from the operation of Southampton Football Club Limited (SFC) and the associated stadium company.
2. The Holding company is solvent in its own right. It only becomes insolvent when account is taken of the position of SFC and the other group companies.
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3. The three entities (the Holding Company, SFC and the stadium company) comprise the football club and they are inextricably linked as one economic entity.
In light of all this advice, the Board concluded that an administrator had been appointed in respect of the Club or part of its undertaking or assets.
Accordingly, it was left with no alternative other than to invoke its ‘Sporting Sanctions’ regulations and apply a 10 point penalty to the Club. The other provisions of The League’s insolvency policy also become effective.
As the insolvency event occurred after The Football League’s deadline of the fourth Thursday in March, the points deduction will take effect either:
1. In the current season, if Southampton avoid relegation to League 1; or
2. Next season, if the club does not avoid relegation.
Comments(184)
stmarysmush
says...
2:44pm Thu 23 Apr 09
bunneymen
says...
2:45pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Millbrook Dave
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2:45pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Bright Spark
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2:47pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Rudd Gillett
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2:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Court Jester Crew
says...
2:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Any takers can apply now
Jesus_02
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2:50pm Thu 23 Apr 09
NewforestSaint
says...
2:52pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Jesus_02
says...
2:54pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Will we ever learne how much the fans have paid Lowe this season?
Jesus_02
says...
2:55pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint
says...
2:56pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Millbrook Dave wrote:No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****
Major Sir Jerry Pending
says...
2:56pm Thu 23 Apr 09
mustard
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2:57pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Charlie George's Lawnmower
says...
2:58pm Thu 23 Apr 09
THESE PEOPLE HAVE RUINED OUR CLUB AND GOT AWAY SCOT FREE.
THEY ARE SCÚM
sainthog7
says...
2:59pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Le Tissier's Nose
says...
3:02pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Well at least we start next year on '0'.....otherwise we would have been screwed again!!
Thanks Rupert (even though we all know its not your fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!)
Channonite
says...
3:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
This will make Saturday a bit like a wake.
Le Tissier's Nose
says...
3:06pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Well at least we start next year on '0'.....otherwise we would have been screwed again!!
Thanks Rupert (even though we all know its not your fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!)"
Aaaa - if only I'd read the article properly......all very confusing!
StDave
says...
3:09pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Major Sir Jerry Pending wrote:For God's sake if Leon Crouch had matched Leon Crouch's offer to plough £2M of his own money this wouldn't have happened. At least Lowe didn't pretend to the fans that he was willing to put £2M of his own money in as Crouch has done twice.
Lowe's lasting legacy - double relegation! If he and Wilde had matched Leon Crouch's offer to ploght in £2m of his own money then this wouldn't have happened. Administation could have been avoided! Question is - how is SFC situation different to Derby a few years ago and can this decision be challenged in the courts?
sainted7
says...
3:10pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Rocker268
says...
3:10pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Everyone must pack SMS on Saturday to give the team a boost and as one last chance to advertise us to buyers, now they know where we stand in terms of points deduction will this speed up any takeover?
Security word:
hope-word
mastershot100
says...
3:10pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Make sure you buy plenty of programmes as the may well be collectors items.
Jesus_02
says...
3:11pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint wrote:well done dave you cling to lowe like a limpit to the titanic
Millbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Beer Monster
says...
3:11pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Hopefully this will signify a new dawn, with a decent board who actually give a monkeys about the club.
To me it's another set of football grounds to travel to.
worried of e sussex
says...
3:11pm Thu 23 Apr 09
suttonsaint
says...
3:11pm Thu 23 Apr 09
as for Mr lowe.... words fail me. Arrogant, stubborn and a total lack of understanding of what SAINTS mean to not only those in Hampshire, but all spread around the country and the world.
I retire from teaching this July, i know where i will be most saturdays... assuming St Marys is still alive and kicking.
Forever a Saint ((57 years with many more to come).
PS.... congratulations to Nigel Pearson.
Mothman
says...
3:22pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Mothman
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3:22pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Jesus_02
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3:23pm Thu 23 Apr 09
thesaint
says...
3:24pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Channonite wrote:thats more like it just blameing lowe is easy for the village idiots.
Thanks to everybody who contributed to this. The various members of the boards. The Managers and players. The indifference of many so called "fans".
This will make Saturday a bit like a wake.
everyone at director level to fan level share the blame over the last couple of years.
costa gaz
says...
3:24pm Thu 23 Apr 09
loweout@hotmail.co.uk
says...
3:27pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint wrote:No you are the ones wearing blinkers Solent Saint. The reason why people have been boycotting is because Lowe got us relegated from the Premiership by his lack of football knowledge and judgement.
Millbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Lowes decision to save a few quid and employ not 1 but 2 dutch no bodies and insist our side is full of cheap youth players has put us in this position.
If we had won more games at home up to JPs resignation/sacking, more people would have attended SMS, regardless of the boycotters.
Take your blinkers off son.
This is not the time to be arguing the toss.
The players need to win the next 2 games. The reason for this is if we get enough points (excluding 10 point deduction) then we may be able to appeal against the dedection. If we are unsuccessful then its better the deduction relegates us this year and we start next season on zero points..... not -10.
We were always going to need a fresh start next season, new british manager, new experienced players to supplement the youth players etc.
Lets hope a new owner can be found, our players win the next 2 games and our fans now unite and support our side, our club with common passion and pride..... no Lowe or Wilde in sight.
Rest of the League
says...
3:29pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Major Sir Jerry Pending wrote:The Derby situation was NEVER relevant as they went into admin Oct 2003. The rules started summer 2004. So RL & this paper quoting that was just fantasy in the hope people would get suckered in by it. The league has made the correct decision. The holding company and the club were one of the same. If the club try to fight that decision then they are no better than RL & co who got you in this situation to start with. Take what is due and get on with playing football. There has been enough ruining of the game by people trying to cheat and con their way around the rules already. As Saints Fans you need to back your team & not stand for your club being dragged through the mud anymore. Good luck next season, just don't turn the rest of us true supporters against you by dragging this on any longer than need be.
Lowe's lasting legacy - double relegation! If he and Wilde had matched Leon Crouch's offer to ploght in £2m of his own money then this wouldn't have happened. Administation could have been avoided! Question is - how is SFC situation different to Derby a few years ago and can this decision be challenged in the courts?
San Marco
says...
3:29pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint wrote:How on earth can anyone try to blame people who choose, for whatever reason, to not attend matches for this latest disaster.
Millbrook Dave wrote:No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****
Why are the board, chairman etc there if it is not to be RESPONSIBLE for running the club. A club our size doesn't go into administration because of lesser than expected gates in a particular season - it has happened because we have been 'run' by a bunch of arrogant and ignorant idiots who no nothing about football and less about actually working as a team.
Everyone associated with this club over the past 10-15 years knows who was in charge - who the main man was. I live in London and when I told the bloke who came to fix our boiler at christmas that I supported Saints he said, straightaway 'have you still got that bloke as chairman?' - he didn't mean Wilde or Crouch - we all know exactly who he meant...
lewpylew
says...
3:29pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Tevez888
says...
3:31pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Thank you for taking the decision to put the Leisure Holdings into administration AFTER the deadline, thus taking the risk to screw us up next year, which has already happened.
Anyone that blames the fans, you are all fickle! Im a season ticket holder, and although I was anti-lowe I did turn up, and yes there were the bulk load that refused to go while Lowe was in charge but im SURE that if they knew this would have the impact that it has had, they would have put their differences aside for 90mins at matches, afterall we are there to support the team not the Chairman.
They took that decision and were not ridiculed or told that this would affect the revenue.
Rupert, I really wish I could spend 3 minutes in a room alone with you! Because you would not have that smug look on your face that you so often gave us viewings of!
I hope that people look at your work and never take the chance of letting you look after their line of work.
BLACK ARMBAND AT THE READY FOR SATURDAY I THINK
Please somebody come and wake this great club back up, and get us back to the way we were......UNITED AND A FAMILY!
Security word : Band-DEBT
San Marco
says...
3:31pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Robbie Robertson
says...
3:32pm Thu 23 Apr 09
The Exiled Saint
says...
3:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
There is no one without guilt in all this sad sorry mess. From everyone who served on the Board to the bigoted, moronic and stupid fans with their obscene chanting, but most of all we who sat silently and watched the whole festering bunch ruin things.
But, I’m a Saint’s supporter and can never be anything else no matter what division.
Lets hope the new owners, whoever they may turn out to be, have the good sense to see through the legends and icons and bar them from Southampton Football Club.
Nineteen seventy-six was over thirty years ago and has no relevance. St Mary’s is our stadium now and that tumbledown wreck with its bad sight lines called the Dell was exactly that.
Depending on what ticket deals on offer I may not get down to all our home games as I’ve continued to do since moving to the Midlands. But I shall attend the games on the M6 Corridor and get down to meet my buddies in the Court Jester from time to time.
Forget the past Saints and look to the future. Lets start making new legends as the current lot let us down by their continual point scoring!
Come On You Saints.
The Exiled Saint
says...
3:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
There is no one without guilt in all this sad sorry mess. From everyone who served on the Board to the bigoted, moronic and stupid fans with their obscene chanting, but most of all we who sat silently and watched the whole festering bunch ruin things.
But, I’m a Saint’s supporter and can never be anything else no matter what division.
Lets hope the new owners, whoever they may turn out to be, have the good sense to see through the legends and icons and bar them from Southampton Football Club.
Nineteen seventy-six was over thirty years ago and has no relevance. St Mary’s is our stadium now and that tumbledown wreck with its bad sight lines called the Dell was exactly that.
Depending on what ticket deals on offer I may not get down to all our home games as I’ve continued to do since moving to the Midlands. But I shall attend the games on the M6 Corridor and get down to meet my buddies in the Court Jester from time to time.
Forget the past Saints and look to the future. Lets start making new legends as the current lot let us down by their continual point scoring!
Come On You Saints.
Bring Back The Dell
says...
3:35pm Thu 23 Apr 09
suttonsaint wrote:Stop worrying !!! This time next week we may have no club left and all this point deduction talk will seem like a walk in the park !
At least the worrying can now stop, our future is still in our hands.... fill St Marys this weekend and show prospective buyers we are not a lost cause. as for Mr lowe.... words fail me. Arrogant, stubborn and a total lack of understanding of what SAINTS mean to not only those in Hampshire, but all spread around the country and the world. I retire from teaching this July, i know where i will be most saturdays... assuming St Marys is still alive and kicking. Forever a Saint ((57 years with many more to come). PS.... congratulations to Nigel Pearson.
saintsno1fan
says...
3:37pm Thu 23 Apr 09
AvromShalom
says...
3:39pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Saint Madcap
says...
3:41pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Fred_In_Brizzle
says...
3:41pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Jesus_02 wrote:err .. yes.. this was revealed at the Legends dinner the other night, about 3.2 million IIRC
Now lets here what the accountants found. Will we ever learne how much the fans have paid Lowe this season?
It looks like having a holding company only ever protected Lowe.
Can't help thinking that it may of helped if we hadn't of sold the radio and insurance companies as they weren't linked directly to the club via the holding company.
alan.of.eastleigh
says...
3:44pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Jesus_02 wrote:Actually Its not that hard with a plc. Given that the last board reduced the debt from £6.5m under Crouch to just over £4m in less than a season, I hardly think you can blame him for this one. Plenty of other things you can blame him for but not thi.
Now lets here what the accountants found. Will we ever learne how much the fans have paid Lowe this season?
alan.of.eastleigh
says...
3:46pm Thu 23 Apr 09
saintsno1fan wrote:Hardly Saints No1 fan then. shame.
Firstly I boycotted this season because I didn't want to support Rupert Lowe? {Since his departure I have attended all 3 home games) and secondly it is not mine or anybody elses fault for boycotting for those reasons why the club has gone into administration. Rupert Lowe is the main culprit for wasting money on managers, then paying them off, sir Clive Woodward, Agustine Delgado etc etc I haven't got enough room to list it all? I have been told Rupert Lowe is a very good businessman and it's not his fault, do me a favour it is his fault totally and he has never been a good businessman that's why the club is in this mess in the first place! Rupert Lowe and Michael Wilde should hang there heads in SHAME.
sausage monkey
says...
3:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Costa Baz
says...
3:49pm Thu 23 Apr 09
loweout@hotmail.co.uI'm not sure if it is worth appealing against the decision. In all likelihood SFC will go into administration in it's own right whilst they argue over the rights and wrongs of today's decision, in which case they'll hit us with it anyway.
k wrote:
Solent Saint wrote:No you are the ones wearing blinkers Solent Saint. The reason why people have been boycotting is because Lowe got us relegated from the Premiership by his lack of football knowledge and judgement. Lowes decision to save a few quid and employ not 1 but 2 dutch no bodies and insist our side is full of cheap youth players has put us in this position. If we had won more games at home up to JPs resignation/sacking, more people would have attended SMS, regardless of the boycotters. Take your blinkers off son. This is not the time to be arguing the toss. The players need to win the next 2 games. The reason for this is if we get enough points (excluding 10 point deduction) then we may be able to appeal against the dedection. If we are unsuccessful then its better the deduction relegates us this year and we start next season on zero points..... not -10. We were always going to need a fresh start next season, new british manager, new experienced players to supplement the youth players etc. Lets hope a new owner can be found, our players win the next 2 games and our fans now unite and support our side, our club with common passion and pride..... no Lowe or Wilde in sight.Millbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Plus any buyer will be waiting for the outcome instead of buying the club NOW and moving on to repair the damage next season.
My concern is whether or not the withdrawal of help by the administrator's will open the doors for further penalties.
Or whether or not any other skeletons have been unearthed by the 'forensic audit', that may also lead to extra punishment.
When Lowe came my fear was that he had come back not to save the ship but to make sure it went down with all hands (fans) on board. Looks like I, and many more, were right.
Can the Echo now interview Lowe and find out why he failed to go into administration a week earlier, thus guaranteeing the penalty this season?
IMO it was one last act of cold blooded spite.
veedubber
says...
3:50pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Millbrook Dave
says...
3:50pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Jesus_02 wrote:WHO WAS IT THAT SACKED PEARSON AND GOT IN TWO MANAGERS TOTALLY OUT OF THEIR DEPTH AT THIS LEVEL?
Solent Saint wrote:well done dave you cling to lowe like a limpit to the titanicMillbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
IF WE HAD KEPT PEARSON WE WOULD BE MID TABLE WITH CROWDS OF ABOUT 22,000 AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE INTO ADMINISTRATION!BUT YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT.YOUR HERO LOWE HAS **** ED SFC AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT!
Cherryfan
says...
3:52pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Cherryfan
says...
3:52pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Cherryfan
says...
3:52pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Bring Back The Dell
says...
3:53pm Thu 23 Apr 09
TottonScrutineer
says...
3:58pm Thu 23 Apr 09
But most of us saw it coming.I'll keep supporting come what may along with many fans.Let's see 30,000 at the stadium
all next season and will march back up!!!!
Linesman
says...
3:59pm Thu 23 Apr 09
A lot!
Administration comes when the money runs out, so those that wanted administration organized a boycott, which meant loss of money.
I guess that they are now the ones that are complaining that the FA has been harsh in their dealings with the club.
SimonSimple
says...
4:00pm Thu 23 Apr 09
suttonsaint wrote:And well done Harry Redknapp for lifting Spurs from bottom of the table to the top ten. Extra special mention for Celtic's manager Gordon Strachan who's topping the league and also the manager of Scotland Craig Burley. If only we had managers of this calibre. Ah well, time to celebrate that 4-1 thrashing at Nottarf Park on April 24th 2005. Just four years ago. We were the supreme south coast team. Now we're starting at 68th in the League and they've won the FA Cup and been in the Premier league ever since. If only our fans had supported the club as they do. Too many temporary fans. Too many didn't-care-less fans. The real hard core will still go next season. I estimate them to be about 10,000. They'll make as much noise for the team as the other 20,000 hangers-on made arguing amongst themselves and with the management. At least the local derbies with Brighton and swindon will provide some interest. COYR
At least the worrying can now stop, our future is still in our hands.... fill St Marys this weekend and show prospective buyers we are not a lost cause. as for Mr lowe.... words fail me. Arrogant, stubborn and a total lack of understanding of what SAINTS mean to not only those in Hampshire, but all spread around the country and the world. I retire from teaching this July, i know where i will be most saturdays... assuming St Marys is still alive and kicking. Forever a Saint ((57 years with many more to come). PS.... congratulations to Nigel Pearson.
MangaFace
says...
4:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
We gambled and lost.
Robbie Robertson
says...
4:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Bind-Hand. Nothing random on here, is there>?
TottonScrutineer
says...
4:05pm Thu 23 Apr 09
cherrychris31
says...
4:07pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Good luck though, hopefully you'll stay there a season and we'll meet the following year!!
Interserie
says...
4:07pm Thu 23 Apr 09
costa gaz wrote:Assuming that the FL don't change their mind if SFC appeal - LOL - the best we can expect is a -10 point start to League One. I share costa gaz's worry. This decision must further weaken the chances of the club surviving beyond this season. In the present economic situation who on earth will take this basket-case on ????
We seem to be assuming that there will still be a Southampton Football Club next season. I fear there is still worse to come.
StEmmosfire
says...
4:10pm Thu 23 Apr 09
SaintPaul
says...
4:12pm Thu 23 Apr 09
San Marco
says...
4:15pm Thu 23 Apr 09
MangaFace wrote:It was Burley (Lowe appointment) who actually spent the money.
Lowe should never have been outed first time and crouch and wilde let to **** 7 million on tripe.
We gambled and lost.
It is interesting to wonder what would have happened if Lowe hadn't gone the first time round. I suspect the death would just have been longer and more drawn out...
ourkid1984
says...
4:16pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Most of us knew this was coming so we can't pretend that this is a shock.
Lowe, Wilde, the fans, Crouch, the players, his man and his dog or whoever you think is at fault it doesn't matter what does matter is how Southampton fc continue to be a club from here. I can tell you one thing it won't be us normal fans that will be able to get enough money up together, it needs a proper buyer, our donations will only go so far.
Now the only thing I see that is important until then is for all of us Saints fans to get behind the team and support them for the next 2 games.
I think this could be a bit of a blessing in disguise as we were falling apart as a good football club. Hopefully this will get some spirit back again.
SaintPaul
says...
4:18pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Pennicott
says...
4:22pm Thu 23 Apr 09
THE FIGHT WILL DRAGON SADLY NO MORE.
NOW YOU’VE BOOKED YOUR PLACE IN HELL.
& ALL BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO SCORE.
RAY P ST DENYS
Propercynic
says...
4:23pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Hopefully this is now rock bottom and Saints will rise again and soon.
As for Lowe and Wilde they can rot in hell.
Gutted and angry.
Saints4Eva
says...
4:25pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Anyway now we know what the situation is let's get behind the boys in the next two games to get 6 points to save us 10 next.
If not, 10 points is only 3 wins and a draw and this deduction could realistically be turned round before the end of September.
The most important thing is we have a Club playing football next season.
COYR's
saints63
says...
4:27pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Barcelona Saint
says...
4:29pm Thu 23 Apr 09
A full investigation needs to be carried out. How can a team that sold so many players for X millions sap away all that money in 3-4 years?
Don't think you're gonna get away with this RL!
Fans, it's time to revolt!
jammyswine
says...
4:31pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Millbrook Dave wrote:How are the fans to blame? In these times, we are just customers of a brand. Am I to blame for Woolworths because I didn't shop there very often? No, the management are to blame because they spent more than they had with a poor business plan and were not able to pay suppliers. SFC are the same, I am not to blame because I could not make every home game, buy every new strip, mug, teddy bear or gonk that came out. If the club folds because I am a bit skint then I'm afraid most bars, restaurants, taxi companies and kebab houses in SO14 should have a word with their bank managers, there may be trouble ahead.
Jesus_02 wrote:WHO WAS IT THAT SACKED PEARSON AND GOT IN TWO MANAGERS TOTALLY OUT OF THEIR DEPTH AT THIS LEVEL? IF WE HAD KEPT PEARSON WE WOULD BE MID TABLE WITH CROWDS OF ABOUT 22,000 AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE INTO ADMINISTRATION!BUT YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT.YOUR HERO LOWE HAS **** ED SFC AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT!Solent Saint wrote:well done dave you cling to lowe like a limpit to the titanicMillbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Out.
upthe
says...
4:31pm Thu 23 Apr 09
jammyswine
says...
4:31pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Millbrook Dave wrote:How are the fans to blame? In these times, we are just customers of a brand. Am I to blame for Woolworths because I didn't shop there very often? No, the management are to blame because they spent more than they had with a poor business plan and were not able to pay suppliers. SFC are the same, I am not to blame because I could not make every home game, buy every new strip, mug, teddy bear or gonk that came out. If the club folds because I am a bit skint then I'm afraid most bars, restaurants, taxi companies and kebab houses in SO14 should have a word with their bank managers, there may be trouble ahead.
Jesus_02 wrote:WHO WAS IT THAT SACKED PEARSON AND GOT IN TWO MANAGERS TOTALLY OUT OF THEIR DEPTH AT THIS LEVEL? IF WE HAD KEPT PEARSON WE WOULD BE MID TABLE WITH CROWDS OF ABOUT 22,000 AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE INTO ADMINISTRATION!BUT YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT.YOUR HERO LOWE HAS **** ED SFC AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT!Solent Saint wrote:well done dave you cling to lowe like a limpit to the titanicMillbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Out.
timjim
says...
4:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StEmmosfire wrote:Stop being a victim! You sound pathetic with your whole world's against us attitude. We just need to deal with it. Unless of course I am wrong and you can name me a team that has gotten away with it - and don't spout Derby like all the other idiots, read all the posts and you will see why they don't apply!
How can the league get away with re-writing the rules so they can punish us? Previous clubs have gotten away with it but they choose to make an example out of us? They should of had the rules set in stone before hand, atleast then we could of made a more informed decision about going into administration back in March.
Roll on 2009/2010, a new adventure, new grounds and best of all, fingers crossed a new start.
Rest of the League
says...
4:34pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StEmmosfire wrote:explain how they re-wrote the rules? They are upholding the rule that you (RL) tried to cheat your way around that was introduced in 2004. No example being made, your just the same as everyone else. The rule is clear, go into admin, lose 10 points. do it before the deadline or risk it carrying over a season. you (RL) gambled (tried to cheat) and lost. Live with it. Your not the BIG club you seem to think you are, your just like the rest of us.... so get used to it!!
How can the league get away with re-writing the rules so they can punish us? Previous clubs have gotten away with it but they choose to make an example out of us? They should of had the rules set in stone before hand, atleast then we could of made a more informed decision about going into administration back in March.
BP
says...
4:38pm Thu 23 Apr 09
03/01/88 wrote:Your poor son growing up in skatesville with an inbred Father like you.
What a shame, couldn't have happened to a nicer club. Three weeks ago I never thought I could be so happy. My wife had just given birth to our first born son, whom we named Kanu, after the winning goal scorer of the 2008 F.A. cup final. The horse I'd put £20 to win the grand national at odds of 100/1 romped home. I thought life couldn't get any better. I was wrong, todays news has topped the lot. Enjoy the first round of the cup and Eastleigh being your main rivals. Arise Sir Rupert.
TottonScrutineer
says...
4:39pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Saints Mike
says...
4:39pm Thu 23 Apr 09
pfc2160
says...
4:41pm Thu 23 Apr 09
OSPREYSAINT
says...
4:42pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Dinzel
says...
4:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Poor old Saints are down in Division three,
If they don't win this coming Saturday,
They probably won't even stay there.
Seriously though, gutted for you, wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Can't believe the cover up on the plc was so shoddy. No other business interests the league had to penalise you, it was obvious it was a set up just to try and get round the rules.
Good luck at the weekend.
lorriep
says...
4:50pm Thu 23 Apr 09
the best outcome now for saints, is to win last 2 games, go out fighting. get deducted the 10 points and start afresh next season, clear out everything and everyone.
ray the turk
says...
4:51pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Down another division we must go !!.
Thank you Rupert and the whole sorry bunch..
Remind when we meet to give you a punch!!
Thanks to the players.. you've had your pay...
You all owe us fans.. you forgot to play !!
The management teams must all take some blame..
The different formula's.. but much of the same!!
So where does that leave us?? where should we go..?
Turn to the people who said `I told you so`?
I'll still walk with pride.. My head will be up!
I remember the day when we won the cup!!
I remember the time in 84 when we were second in the prem.. just one team before.!!
I've been a supporter since 1946..
on my Dad's shoulder
thinking `whats all this`.
From that day onward I was hooked..
I've seen it all and read the book!!
I'm almost 70.. getting on a bit..
We've been here before you know.. deep in the ****!!
Let's dig ourselves out of this.. All pull together.. start again no matter the weather!!
San Marco
says...
4:51pm Thu 23 Apr 09
upthe wrote:What have you got against New Zealand?
Well done Baldrick Lowe. Even managed to completely b*lls up the administration that was his idea and then lie to every-one about SFC status afterwards. We suffer because of his abject incompetance and his belief if in his own b*llsh*t. Oh well League 1 here we come. Look forward to playing Yeovil in the league, who'd have thought that 6 years ago. I hope Stoopert & his cronies have the sense to move to New Zealand
St.Yorkie
says...
4:54pm Thu 23 Apr 09
So the fact we are doomed - what will the players do? What if all the clubs results go our way and finish above the bottom 3? Conspiracy theories will abound on here.
So it's Saints, Charlton and who else?
Saints Mike
says...
4:56pm Thu 23 Apr 09
BP wrote:BP did you get your son to write for you... maybe you could get him to read this to you, Why would you label a boy Kanu? he will thank you for that when he grows up to be a Saint and not a Skate.
03/01/88 wrote: What a shame, couldn't have happened to a nicer club. Three weeks ago I never thought I could be so happy. My wife had just given birth to our first born son, whom we named Kanu, after the winning goal scorer of the 2008 F.A. cup final. The horse I'd put £20 to win the grand national at odds of 100/1 romped home. I thought life couldn't get any better. I was wrong, todays news has topped the lot. Enjoy the first round of the cup and Eastleigh being your main rivals. Arise Sir Rupert.Your poor son growing up in skatesville with an inbred Father like you.
Security Word
take-pain,
I bet BP been taking pain all his sorru sad life, by watching that lot down the road....
Rest of the League
says...
4:59pm Thu 23 Apr 09
OSPREYSAINT wrote:Please explain what genuine grounds you have to appeal?? NONE!! So lets say you win last two games & appeal. What about Norwich, Barnsley etc? They then have to wait for your appeal not knowing what league they are in. They can't budget for their season properly etc. They were not the ones that mis-managed. They are not trying to cheat their way out of a 10 pt penalty. So WHY should they suffer? So I hope if you do appeal then the FA do double your penalty. You have been treated fairly, so take it on the chin & work on rebuilding your club like men and not like whinging kids...
It seems that the FA were a bit late in advising the Administrators, they just love to kick people when they are down! There is the possibility of an appeal, but no doubt with their sense of fairness the FA will double the penalty if we threaten to do it?
StEmmosfire
says...
5:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
No guarentee of any football next season as it stands!
ghk230473
says...
5:05pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StEmmosfire
says...
5:07pm Thu 23 Apr 09
timjim wrote:Oh if you only knew.
StEmmosfire wrote: How can the league get away with re-writing the rules so they can punish us? Previous clubs have gotten away with it but they choose to make an example out of us? They should of had the rules set in stone before hand, atleast then we could of made a more informed decision about going into administration back in March.Stop being a victim! You sound pathetic with your whole world's against us attitude. We just need to deal with it. Unless of course I am wrong and you can name me a team that has gotten away with it - and don't spout Derby like all the other idiots, read all the posts and you will see why they don't apply! Roll on 2009/2010, a new adventure, new grounds and best of all, fingers crossed a new start.
No guarentee of any football next season as it stands!
Saints Mike
says...
5:09pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StEmmosfire wrote:No guarantee of any football next season as it stands???? I heard it will all be over by Wednesday next week, and no trip to Forest
Oh if you only knew. No guarentee of any football next season as it stands!
hampshirehawk
says...
5:10pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StEmmosfire
says...
5:12pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Rest of the League wrote:There are loop holes everywhere, look at how many people get away with speeding tickets. The rules are not water tight. Also I never had claimed that Saints are a big club. Infact "Big Club" is as over used as calling people "Hero's" etc.
StEmmosfire wrote: How can the league get away with re-writing the rules so they can punish us? Previous clubs have gotten away with it but they choose to make an example out of us? They should of had the rules set in stone before hand, atleast then we could of made a more informed decision about going into administration back in March.explain how they re-wrote the rules? They are upholding the rule that you (RL) tried to cheat your way around that was introduced in 2004. No example being made, your just the same as everyone else. The rule is clear, go into admin, lose 10 points. do it before the deadline or risk it carrying over a season. you (RL) gambled (tried to cheat) and lost. Live with it. Your not the BIG club you seem to think you are, your just like the rest of us.... so get used to it!!
Martin Orford
says...
5:20pm Thu 23 Apr 09
But rather than donating money to try to prop up a club that's rotten to the core and in terminal decline, I honestly think that the best thing would be to let it go under and start a new club like the good people of Aldershot and Accrington did. Sure it would have to start from the non-league, but provided the City Council are prepared to buy the stadium and allow it to still be used for football, the sheer weight of local support and the income that generates should ensure that a new club will soon be rocketing up through the leagues rather than plummeting down them like the old one. So do the decent thing and put SFC out of its misery so that we can all start with a clean sheet and finally have something to look forward to.
Pedant
says...
5:21pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Still haven`t had an answer to earlier question- where exactly is the money collected for the "club" actually going.
I think it`s about time the administrator came clean about exactly what the finances of the "club" actually look like.
robhythe
says...
5:24pm Thu 23 Apr 09
robhythe
says...
5:24pm Thu 23 Apr 09
OSPREYSAINT
says...
5:26pm Thu 23 Apr 09
timjim
says...
5:27pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StEmmosfire wrote:Okay then all knowing one - if only I knew what exactly?
timjim wrote:Oh if you only knew. No guarentee of any football next season as it stands!StEmmosfire wrote: How can the league get away with re-writing the rules so they can punish us? Previous clubs have gotten away with it but they choose to make an example out of us? They should of had the rules set in stone before hand, atleast then we could of made a more informed decision about going into administration back in March.Stop being a victim! You sound pathetic with your whole world's against us attitude. We just need to deal with it. Unless of course I am wrong and you can name me a team that has gotten away with it - and don't spout Derby like all the other idiots, read all the posts and you will see why they don't apply! Roll on 2009/2010, a new adventure, new grounds and best of all, fingers crossed a new start.
SFC Ed
says...
5:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
All that matters is that we ensure survival and all make a vow to be there next season.
This is the saddest day that I can remember and my hate for the FA has grown tenfold today. No-one that deserves to be punished has been punished wheras plenty who dont have been.
olivers_dad_saint
says...
5:40pm Thu 23 Apr 09
blood letting will achieve nothing now.
Time to stop, and move on. EVERY ONE
D.a.v.e
says...
5:41pm Thu 23 Apr 09
5:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
All that matters is that we ensure survival and all make a vow to be there next season.
True supporters will be there no matter what division.
My concern will be when the transfer window opens and the vultures from other clubs step in.
COYR
bristol pfc
says...
5:44pm Thu 23 Apr 09
SimonSimple
says...
5:44pm Thu 23 Apr 09
SFC Ed
says...
5:45pm Thu 23 Apr 09
loverboy
says...
5:46pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Let's be honest though, The Echo played it's part with it's blind constant cheerleading of Lowe and other board members over the years as the club was run into the ground.
It's SOS campaign, pathetic after so long of obeying those responsible in return probably for a couple of free season tickets.
Hopefully now though someone will come in and buy the club. A footballing person.
bristol pfc
says...
5:47pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Berkshire Saint
says...
5:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint
says...
5:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
loweout@hotmail.co.uYou are sad and blinkered. I suppose if you were a Newcastle fan you would be wanting to string up Mike Ashley. Get real and smell the coffee.
k wrote:
Solent Saint wrote:No you are the ones wearing blinkers Solent Saint. The reason why people have been boycotting is because Lowe got us relegated from the Premiership by his lack of football knowledge and judgement. Lowes decision to save a few quid and employ not 1 but 2 dutch no bodies and insist our side is full of cheap youth players has put us in this position. If we had won more games at home up to JPs resignation/sacking, more people would have attended SMS, regardless of the boycotters. Take your blinkers off son. This is not the time to be arguing the toss. The players need to win the next 2 games. The reason for this is if we get enough points (excluding 10 point deduction) then we may be able to appeal against the dedection. If we are unsuccessful then its better the deduction relegates us this year and we start next season on zero points..... not -10. We were always going to need a fresh start next season, new british manager, new experienced players to supplement the youth players etc. Lets hope a new owner can be found, our players win the next 2 games and our fans now unite and support our side, our club with common passion and pride..... no Lowe or Wilde in sight.Millbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
pgc
says...
5:52pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint
says...
5:54pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Millbrook Dave wrote:Use the brains God gave you. This deduction isn't from the pitch, it's for administration. For simpletons that means we ran out of money. Money that Lowe did have in the Bank when the Crouch and McMoneyme cable took over but was an overdraft when Lowe came back. Simple economics.Please try to understand.
Jesus_02 wrote:WHO WAS IT THAT SACKED PEARSON AND GOT IN TWO MANAGERS TOTALLY OUT OF THEIR DEPTH AT THIS LEVEL? IF WE HAD KEPT PEARSON WE WOULD BE MID TABLE WITH CROWDS OF ABOUT 22,000 AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE INTO ADMINISTRATION!BUT YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT.YOUR HERO LOWE HAS **** ED SFC AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT!Solent Saint wrote:well done dave you cling to lowe like a limpit to the titanicMillbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Northern3
says...
6:00pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Whiters
says...
6:06pm Thu 23 Apr 09
WHAT ARE THEY HIDING??
WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE???
Bring Back The Dell
says...
6:07pm Thu 23 Apr 09
pgc wrote:No the bottom could well be next week when the club ceases to exist. Like others on here I have heard that we won`t be able to even fulfill the Forest game.
It seems that after every game we are saying yhat it cant get any worse and it does. But now maybe we have hit the bottom and its time to move on, forget about R.L. and all his experiments, onwards and upwards COYR
Bring Back The Dell
says...
6:08pm Thu 23 Apr 09
pgc wrote:No the bottom could well be next week when the club ceases to exist. Like others on here I have heard that we won`t be able to even fulfill the Forest game.
It seems that after every game we are saying yhat it cant get any worse and it does. But now maybe we have hit the bottom and its time to move on, forget about R.L. and all his experiments, onwards and upwards COYR
Andyt66
says...
6:08pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Solent Saint wrote:Come on Solent Saint. You make no mention of the millions Wilde spent after Lowe left - why blame Crouch for that? Also, Lowe always had Sky money and parachute payments at his disposal. I could have balanced the books with that. What he did was fail to invest in the team in the Premiership which saw us relegated. He then failed to invest in the team using parachute payments for 2 years to get us back up. His revolving door of managers was pathetic, and that alone will never allow a Club to be successful. Is there anyone else that really believes Lowe was a good business man? He thought he had cleverly found a loophole with administration - wrong again!
Millbrook Dave wrote:Use the brains God gave you. This deduction isn't from the pitch, it's for administration. For simpletons that means we ran out of money. Money that Lowe did have in the Bank when the Crouch and McMoneyme cable took over but was an overdraft when Lowe came back. Simple economics.Please try to understand.Jesus_02 wrote:WHO WAS IT THAT SACKED PEARSON AND GOT IN TWO MANAGERS TOTALLY OUT OF THEIR DEPTH AT THIS LEVEL? IF WE HAD KEPT PEARSON WE WOULD BE MID TABLE WITH CROWDS OF ABOUT 22,000 AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE GONE INTO ADMINISTRATION!BUT YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT.YOUR HERO LOWE HAS **** ED SFC AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE IT!Solent Saint wrote:well done dave you cling to lowe like a limpit to the titanicMillbrook Dave wrote: CONGRATULATIONS LOWE AND WILDE YOU *****No. Congratulations to the boycotters who failed to provide income and caused the administration. Take your blinkers off.
Congratulations to Nigel Pearson - I'm sure we'll hear many success stories about him in the future.
yellowhedgepig
says...
6:15pm Thu 23 Apr 09
TottonScrutineer
says...
6:21pm Thu 23 Apr 09
TottonScrutineer
says...
6:21pm Thu 23 Apr 09
wolfsaint
says...
6:25pm Thu 23 Apr 09
upthecherries
says...
6:29pm Thu 23 Apr 09
normsted
says...
6:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
oldtimesaint
says...
6:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Northern3
says...
6:36pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Looney Cleo
says...
6:41pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Bring Back The Dell
says...
6:45pm Thu 23 Apr 09
wolfsaint wrote:It was £8.1million actually but by God how we wasted it ! The player we got in to replace was on a free transfer too, Paul Williams !
Very sorry to here the news and just hope that who ever buys the club gets it with the approval of the creditors or there could be an additional 15 point deduction just like Leeds got. Also, for those few complaining about supporters of other clubs enjoying the sad news, I remember when Saints took Dean Richards of Wolves for free and then sold him for about 9 million and were happy to do so. What goes around, comes around but I still wish Saints all the best and would love to see them back in the premiership in a few years.
Kent Bazza
says...
6:47pm Thu 23 Apr 09
robhythe
says...
6:58pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Northern3 wrote:i think its the men with the control that made it a selling club and kept it a mid table club with no ambition when the stadium was full every week 30.000 plus! I wonder how many of the so called big clubs would average 23000 at the bottom of the championship? These are some of the best supporters in the country!
I have to agree with the REST OF THE LEAGUE,the assumption that SFC are a big club is ridiclous.A big club is based on the thinking and commitment of its fans and its board.Fact you have always been a selling club,fact your fans deserted in there thousands when things weren't going there why,fact you have never had the ambition in the transfer market to take that extra step forward.Always veering on the side of caution when it came to spending money on players.That is not a sign of a big club,that is the sign of a club just happy to remain around the mid table area in the top flight of football.But because of the thinking of the boards past and present you have eventually come unstuck.So instead of complaining about it not being fair just accept the points deduction and stop trying to con the rules.
bluehants
says...
7:01pm Thu 23 Apr 09
play up pompey
woodsieboy64
says...
7:01pm Thu 23 Apr 09
the main point is that you still have a club,
what i don't understand is that if Le tiss, Channon and that odd block from sunderland are so passionate about your poor little team and had that fund raiser for you,,
why oh why don't the 3 puppets put their hands in their own pockets and buy the club themselves??
is it because they know it isn't a worthwhile proposition, or as most people think,,, they are all mouth and no action !!!!
enjoy league 1 next season!!!!!!
San Marco
says...
7:10pm Thu 23 Apr 09
David Crook
says...
7:20pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Thank you for the
memories.
David Crook
Bring Back The Dell
says...
7:21pm Thu 23 Apr 09
San Marco wrote:Thankfully the sources I heard it from themselves were not official but the administrator did state when he made that initial press conference that there was a real danger we wouldn`t complete our fixtures this season. If you can find the full press conference somewhere on the web I beleive it was one of Mark Fry`s answers to a journalist`s question.
The people that are starting the rumours about the club folding next week and the Forest fixture not being honoured etc - please tell us all who you 'heard' it from. We would all like to know. If people start believing such rumours then it may stop them buying a ticket for Saturday or donating to the appeals. So I repeat - please let us all know...
David Crook
says...
7:21pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Thank you for the
memories.
David Crook
Northern3
says...
7:23pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Knighty knight
says...
7:24pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Knight knight everyone xx
dannyfloyd
says...
7:38pm Thu 23 Apr 09
the guys that wrecked it aren't even here.
its a silly way to punish clubs. look at luton. a mid table side who will be in the conference next season. is that fair on the other conference sides? now luton will eat up the ONE auto promotion place at the expense of others. and in league 2 a few sides will stay up who are blatantly not good enough to do so. if b'mouth go down next year then thats the two prom places sewn up. so what chance for eastleigh and salisbury? if eastleigh go up of course... lord maw-squinny is an idiot! i've never been a supporter of this system and now even less of course...
on a positive note i hear mr fry (who i like actually) says there is a very good buyer likely to takeover. but who?
dannyfloyd
says...
7:45pm Thu 23 Apr 09
bluehants wrote:some sense at last. most people i know treat the rivalry as fun. it would be good to have us in the same league. its good for the region. it brings revenue etc. from tv. lets hope we meet again and that its at the top division. any saints fans agree?
As a pompey fan had you gone down via football of course we would all take the pee in the blue half prem of hampshire but the deduction of 10 points stinks, west ham got away with it as they meant to be a 'big club', anyone else including us wud have had deductions. its a bad way to go down but then again your football all season was relegation style. Pompey dropped all the way to div 4 then started the march back, it was fun and many a pompey fan recall the away trips in lower leagues. 12000 to li,pool on a tuesday northhampton etc. Hope you dont go under as we need the rivalry. play up pompey
Obee-One
says...
7:47pm Thu 23 Apr 09
We're all down at the moment and times are tough, but we are
"The Pride of the South", our history backs that up.
We will be back and I'm hoping it's sooner rather than later.
I can't wait to renew my season ticket, bring on next season.
Party at St Marys on Saturday, I know there's nothing really to celebrate but we can start again ansd hopefully come back stronger than ever.
COME ON YOU REDS! ! !
Temporarily sad,
FOREVER RED AND WHITE! ! !
Fides
says...
7:51pm Thu 23 Apr 09
At least he said there's no chance of him returning to the board. Good.
BRIAN from bartley
says...
8:01pm Thu 23 Apr 09
One person, Rupert Lowe.
At the shareholders meeting last December, I made several points and respectfully gave advice which Mr Lowe in his own pompous, arrogant manner quickly dismissed.I suggested that he might be wiser to consult others on football matters and seek advice, as not to do so might perhaps be considered by some, as arrogant.
I mentioned that for far too long he critisised those who did not share his views, calling some supporters the "Lunatic Fringe" came to mind.
I quoted the well known saying of the founder of the John Lewis / Waitrose group who told his Managers in the 50's, "If you want to catch a Fish, you must conform to the feelings of the Fish" For every 1,000 fans that were upset and stayed away from St Mary's cost the club half million pounds a year.
I ended my speech by saying that in the best interests of Southampton F.C. and Southampton Leisure Holdings that Rupert James Graham Lowe should resign.
The response was "my wife thinks that I should leave the Club, but it is not my style to walk away".
I rest my case, if only he had listened, but as he so rightly said "It is not my style"
THE RUPERT LOWE STYLE HAS NOW FINISHED SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB.
BRIAN from bartley
says...
8:01pm Thu 23 Apr 09
One person, Rupert Lowe.
At the shareholders meeting last December, I made several points and respectfully gave advice which Mr Lowe in his own pompous, arrogant manner quickly dismissed.I suggested that he might be wiser to consult others on football matters and seek advice, as not to do so might perhaps be considered by some, as arrogant.
I mentioned that for far too long he critisised those who did not share his views, calling some supporters the "Lunatic Fringe" came to mind.
I quoted the well known saying of the founder of the John Lewis / Waitrose group who told his Managers in the 50's, "If you want to catch a Fish, you must conform to the feelings of the Fish" For every 1,000 fans that were upset and stayed away from St Mary's cost the club half million pounds a year.
I ended my speech by saying that in the best interests of Southampton F.C. and Southampton Leisure Holdings that Rupert James Graham Lowe should resign.
The response was "my wife thinks that I should leave the Club, but it is not my style to walk away".
I rest my case, if only he had listened, but as he so rightly said "It is not my style"
THE RUPERT LOWE STYLE HAS NOW FINISHED SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB.
Northern3
says...
8:03pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Bring Back The Dell
says...
8:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
dannyfloyd wrote:Funny isn`t it ! You are dead right, all those prudent years before we moved to St Marys count for absolutely nothing now.
and for all those years when we ran well and in the black it counts for nothing. and we get punished for going 100k over a 6m o.d while others run in much worse debt. it stinks of hypocrisy. the guys that wrecked it aren't even here. its a silly way to punish clubs. look at luton. a mid table side who will be in the conference next season. is that fair on the other conference sides? now luton will eat up the ONE auto promotion place at the expense of others. and in league 2 a few sides will stay up who are blatantly not good enough to do so. if b'mouth go down next year then thats the two prom places sewn up. so what chance for eastleigh and salisbury? if eastleigh go up of course... lord maw-squinny is an idiot! i've never been a supporter of this system and now even less of course... on a positive note i hear mr fry (who i like actually) says there is a very good buyer likely to takeover. but who?
Bring back The Dell !
Dgginger
says...
8:23pm Thu 23 Apr 09
somewhere along the line we forgot what its all about: winning games.
Rather than wins games we wanted to waste money on radio stations, websites, rugby coaches, youth academys in Australia, south american scouts, consultants, manager pay-offs, more manager pay-offs, pointless friendlies (Bayern Munich on FA cup fourth round day),flights to away matches, astonishing wages, lots and lots of bad footballers and a couple of dutch donuts.
The team we have will not stay up in league one with a minus ten start, but how on earth do you attract new players to come and play for this shambles?
The young players we have really aren't any good, most of them have zero potential.
The Saints need a miracle.
Obee-One
says...
8:23pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Northern3 wrote:Firstly I said WE are the pride of the South,
Obee-One can you please explain to me why you are the "Pride of the South" and even more curiously "our history backs that up".I'm certainly not a Portsmouth supporter but I think they have more of an history than SFC.
Secondly I'm talking about football not ships.
Also that wasn't a dig at anyone from Portsmouth, they definately have a better team than us at the moment but there are not many top flight clubs that can boast nearly thirty years in the top flight.
I'm a Saints fan and like any RED AND WHITE blooded fan I want to win every game and beleive that we are the best even if we're not, I guess every football fan is the same but this is a Southampton newspaper web site talking about Southampton Football Club.
COME ON YOU REDS! ! !
durkiboy
says...
8:26pm Thu 23 Apr 09
durkiboy
says...
8:26pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Southampton Heart
says...
8:38pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Dinzel wrote:Thanks Dinzel.....I knew you have a good Pompey Heart deep down. What will be will be....we'll be in Division 3!. I don't care what league were in next season.....as long as we have a club to support.....and our old friend Pompey.....that's ALL that matters to me.
Oh dear what can the matter be, Poor old Saints are down in Division three, If they don't win this coming Saturday, They probably won't even stay there. Seriously though, gutted for you, wouldn't wish this on anyone. Can't believe the cover up on the plc was so shoddy. No other business interests the league had to penalise you, it was obvious it was a set up just to try and get round the rules. Good luck at the weekend.
I used to celebrate St Georges day......well that b*llocked it.
PS No DRNIK ro DRGSU have been used in typing this quote.
SAVE OUR SAINTS
Obee-One
says...
8:39pm Thu 23 Apr 09
BRIAN from bartley wrote:Well said,
I have supported the Saints since I was 8 years old and am now 73, to day, April 23rd 2009, is the most depressing day that I have ever experienced as a Saints supporter. Who is resposible? One person, Rupert Lowe. At the shareholders meeting last December, I made several points and respectfully gave advice which Mr Lowe in his own pompous, arrogant manner quickly dismissed.I suggested that he might be wiser to consult others on football matters and seek advice, as not to do so might perhaps be considered by some, as arrogant. I mentioned that for far too long he critisised those who did not share his views, calling some supporters the "Lunatic Fringe" came to mind. I quoted the well known saying of the founder of the John Lewis / Waitrose group who told his Managers in the 50's, "If you want to catch a Fish, you must conform to the feelings of the Fish" For every 1,000 fans that were upset and stayed away from St Mary's cost the club half million pounds a year. I ended my speech by saying that in the best interests of Southampton F.C. and Southampton Leisure Holdings that Rupert James Graham Lowe should resign. The response was "my wife thinks that I should leave the Club, but it is not my style to walk away". I rest my case, if only he had listened, but as he so rightly said "It is not my style" THE RUPERT LOWE STYLE HAS NOW FINISHED SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL CLUB.
Being arrogant and stubborn has played a massive part in our down fall.
Southampton is all about people like you, life long and loyal.
This is a sad day but keep the faith, famous last words I know but I'm sure things will get better.
FOREVER SAINTS
COME ON YOU REDS
robhythe
says...
8:48pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Northern3 wrote:I agree about the fans that deserted the club should really still have gone to games but they had there reasons and i dont think there has been a more hated Chairman than Lowe at any club! I think the fans that stayed away had had enough of being treated like idiots! They are hopefully back now if the club survives! Ive lived in the north and watched loads of games and know what a great support Saints can have again!
I agree robhythe,but you can't dismiss the fact that "so called" supporters deserted the club when things weren't working out to there liking,I always thought fans supported the "shirt" and not who were running the club.Politics as no place in football.I remember when Manchester City were relegated to the lower leagues,but there fans stuck with them getting close on full gates every home game.And taking thousands of fans away.Despite the internal politics within the club.
bluehants
says...
8:49pm Thu 23 Apr 09
dannyfloyd wrote:Trust me when i say we pompey fans would love to play you twice a season, the first fixture we would look for and no doubt you too, bragging rights settled on the pitch not off it. Also if you do go under it will start a domino effect and many other clubs would follow suit. money has blighted the game far too long now and the only loser has always been the fans.
bluehants wrote: As a pompey fan had you gone down via football of course we would all take the pee in the blue half prem of hampshire but the deduction of 10 points stinks, west ham got away with it as they meant to be a 'big club', anyone else including us wud have had deductions. its a bad way to go down but then again your football all season was relegation style. Pompey dropped all the way to div 4 then started the march back, it was fun and many a pompey fan recall the away trips in lower leagues. 12000 to li,pool on a tuesday northhampton etc. Hope you dont go under as we need the rivalry. play up pompeysome sense at last. most people i know treat the rivalry as fun. it would be good to have us in the same league. its good for the region. it brings revenue etc. from tv. lets hope we meet again and that its at the top division. any saints fans agree?
Condor Man
says...
8:50pm Thu 23 Apr 09
The luck ran out 4 years ago and since then we've struggled in the Championship. A great piece on Talk Sport today levelled our problems at having too many managers who brought in too many players. We spent badly under Burley and the current youth players aren't as good as the likes of Bale and Walcott.
Time to take the punishment and move on.
Interserie
says...
9:00pm Thu 23 Apr 09
durkiboy wrote:If Saints don't finish the season, which many now seem to think is a real possibility, it will a lot more than a couple of years for any reformed club to reach the heights of the Conference (premier or South) to play Eastleigh.
Am looking forward to the Saints V Eastleigh derby in a couple of seasons time ;-)
As a former supporter of the old Aldershot club which died in 1992, let me explain what happens.
Any "new" Southampton club will have to apply for membership of a feeder league whose constitution permits a team to enter WITHOUT BEING PROMOTED.
That EXCLUDES the first four tiers of non-league football. So we would be looking around the level of the Wessex League. But there's a problem - the grounds at that level only hold around 2,000 or less. No league management would permit a team to enter if it was thought 10,000 supporters might turn up at the first away game. ('Elf and safety).
No, if Saints fold, there's nowhere for them to go. A new club would have to start in the football basement with a ground such as that at Marchwood, suitable for gates of less than 2,000.
Aldershot left the Football league in 1992. It was 2008 before they returned.
Pray that this doesn't happen to Saints.
Stubs
says...
9:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Pedant
says...
9:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
If I owe 30 million on the stadium, get 15,000 average gate and no-one outside the UK has ever heard of me then when I go overdrawn they say, that`s enough we`ll have our money back. Now I dislike the Mancs as much as the next man but I think I understand why they aren`t in administration and not likely to be.
Northern3
says...
9:06pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Obee-One
says...
9:14pm Thu 23 Apr 09
bluehants wrote:From a "Scummer" to "Skate", fair play and well said.
dannyfloyd wrote:Trust me when i say we pompey fans would love to play you twice a season, the first fixture we would look for and no doubt you too, bragging rights settled on the pitch not off it. Also if you do go under it will start a domino effect and many other clubs would follow suit. money has blighted the game far too long now and the only loser has always been the fans.bluehants wrote: As a pompey fan had you gone down via football of course we would all take the pee in the blue half prem of hampshire but the deduction of 10 points stinks, west ham got away with it as they meant to be a 'big club', anyone else including us wud have had deductions. its a bad way to go down but then again your football all season was relegation style. Pompey dropped all the way to div 4 then started the march back, it was fun and many a pompey fan recall the away trips in lower leagues. 12000 to li,pool on a tuesday northhampton etc. Hope you dont go under as we need the rivalry. play up pompeysome sense at last. most people i know treat the rivalry as fun. it would be good to have us in the same league. its good for the region. it brings revenue etc. from tv. lets hope we meet again and that its at the top division. any saints fans agree?
By far the best games of the season, the one thing we have in common is we love our Football clubs and Towns and we love beating you as much as you love beating us.
COME ON YOU REDS! ! !
Obee-One
says...
9:15pm Thu 23 Apr 09
bluehants wrote:From a "Scummer" to "Skate", fair play and well said.
dannyfloyd wrote:Trust me when i say we pompey fans would love to play you twice a season, the first fixture we would look for and no doubt you too, bragging rights settled on the pitch not off it. Also if you do go under it will start a domino effect and many other clubs would follow suit. money has blighted the game far too long now and the only loser has always been the fans.bluehants wrote: As a pompey fan had you gone down via football of course we would all take the pee in the blue half prem of hampshire but the deduction of 10 points stinks, west ham got away with it as they meant to be a 'big club', anyone else including us wud have had deductions. its a bad way to go down but then again your football all season was relegation style. Pompey dropped all the way to div 4 then started the march back, it was fun and many a pompey fan recall the away trips in lower leagues. 12000 to li,pool on a tuesday northhampton etc. Hope you dont go under as we need the rivalry. play up pompeysome sense at last. most people i know treat the rivalry as fun. it would be good to have us in the same league. its good for the region. it brings revenue etc. from tv. lets hope we meet again and that its at the top division. any saints fans agree?
By far the best games of the season, the one thing we have in common is we love our Football clubs and Towns and we love beating you as much as you love beating us.
COME ON YOU REDS! ! !
robhythe
says...
9:25pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Northern3 wrote:cheers, hope you are going to the game saturday!!!!!!
In my recent posts I have had no intention of digging at the fantastic loyal Saints fans,just the ones who deserted when times got tough.At the end of the day we are all football fans regardless of what team we support.And I do feel sorry for the real fans who have put time,effort and money into supporting there team.But once again I do feel you have been short changed by your club.But I'm convinced you will recover.Good luck to you all.
Southampton Heart
says...
9:52pm Thu 23 Apr 09
FILL ST MARY'S....THE CLUB NEEDS YOU!
SAVE OUR SAINTS
Obee-One
says...
9:58pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Southampton Heart wrote:Here here,
WE NEED TO FILL ST MARY'S ON SATURDAY TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW MUCH SFC MEANS TO SOUTHAMPTON!.....NOT LEAST AS A PROTEST TO THE FL!. FILL ST MARY'S....THE CLUB NEEDS YOU! SAVE OUR SAINTS
COME ON YOU REDS! ! !
IanMurraywearswomensunderwear
says...
10:04pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Southampton Heart wrote:Dinzel here, had to change my name because for The Echo suspended my account for pointing out that it was the Football League rather than the FA who deducted the points. Don't know what the problem was, but the comment was deleted and my 'account' was suspended! Guess it didn't fit their agenda for tomorrow's stories!
Dinzel wrote: Oh dear what can the matter be, Poor old Saints are down in Division three, If they don't win this coming Saturday, They probably won't even stay there. Seriously though, gutted for you, wouldn't wish this on anyone. Can't believe the cover up on the plc was so shoddy. No other business interests the league had to penalise you, it was obvious it was a set up just to try and get round the rules. Good luck at the weekend.Thanks Dinzel.....I knew you have a good Pompey Heart deep down. What will be will be....we'll be in Division 3!. I don't care what league were in next season.....as long as we have a club to support.....and our old friend Pompey.....that's ALL that matters to me. I used to celebrate St Georges day......well that b*llocked it. PS No DRNIK ro DRGSU have been used in typing this quote. SAVE OUR SAINTS
Oh in happier times I'd compare your local paper to your team, but it's so wrong.
Come on southamptonheart, at least make it rhyme mate!! Come on some effort!!
Seriously, if people have taken note, ther has been very little jeering, from all sides. Nobody wants to see this happening, who will we all have to taunt, vise versa I mean, if there is no Saints.
I was hoping you'd lose on Saturday, now, and how mad is this, I want you to win cause you might be no more!
I have to say though, your local rag has let you down. It is a propoganda machine for your club, no matter the faults, it goes beyond loyalty.
Sportsman wise, good luck at the weekend.
Oh and I hope you find a sensible buyer, I mean that. Banter is fun, reality sadly can be something else I hope you make it.
That comes from me and my six fingers.
Pedant
says...
10:07pm Thu 23 Apr 09
"I am not administrator of the football club, I have no rights, legal position whatsoever in relation to the football club in that way."
So "the club" isn`t bust at all? and it would appear from his comment that it`s not for sale either? Who is paying the players? Who pays the "stadium company" to hire the stadium for matches? Or are the forensic accountants right in saying that the football club and the parent company are so inextricably linked that they actually amount to the same thing? What else is it exactly that Southampton Leisure Holdings do? m`learned friends have just cracked open another bottle of the Bollinger `59- "Happy days are here again" Ching ching.
astley7
says...
10:14pm Thu 23 Apr 09
bullarboy
says...
10:33pm Thu 23 Apr 09
SimonSimple
says...
10:34pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Southampton Heart
says...
10:45pm Thu 23 Apr 09
IanMurraywearswomensHi Dinzel. Your poetry is better than mine....even with your six fingers!. I was right when I said Southampton needs Pompey and that Pompey needs Southampton. If anything, I think today has brought our fans closer....which you'd think would have been unthinkable. All because of the love of the game. May our two beautiful cities play each other again....don't know where....don't know when....but we'll meet again some sunny south coast day!.
underwear wrote:
Southampton Heart wrote:Dinzel here, had to change my name because for The Echo suspended my account for pointing out that it was the Football League rather than the FA who deducted the points. Don't know what the problem was, but the comment was deleted and my 'account' was suspended! Guess it didn't fit their agenda for tomorrow's stories! Oh in happier times I'd compare your local paper to your team, but it's so wrong. Come on southamptonheart, at least make it rhyme mate!! Come on some effort!! Seriously, if people have taken note, ther has been very little jeering, from all sides. Nobody wants to see this happening, who will we all have to taunt, vise versa I mean, if there is no Saints. I was hoping you'd lose on Saturday, now, and how mad is this, I want you to win cause you might be no more! I have to say though, your local rag has let you down. It is a propoganda machine for your club, no matter the faults, it goes beyond loyalty. Sportsman wise, good luck at the weekend. Oh and I hope you find a sensible buyer, I mean that. Banter is fun, reality sadly can be something else I hope you make it. That comes from me and my six fingers.Dinzel wrote: Oh dear what can the matter be, Poor old Saints are down in Division three, If they don't win this coming Saturday, They probably won't even stay there. Seriously though, gutted for you, wouldn't wish this on anyone. Can't believe the cover up on the plc was so shoddy. No other business interests the league had to penalise you, it was obvious it was a set up just to try and get round the rules. Good luck at the weekend.Thanks Dinzel.....I knew you have a good Pompey Heart deep down. What will be will be....we'll be in Division 3!. I don't care what league were in next season.....as long as we have a club to support.....and our old friend Pompey.....that's ALL that matters to me. I used to celebrate St Georges day......well that b*llocked it. PS No DRNIK ro DRGSU have been used in typing this quote. SAVE OUR SAINTS
SAVE OUR SAINTS AND FILL ST MARY'S.
NZsaint
says...
11:15pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Oh dear; so the inquest has begun. It is interesting to read those submissions that are informed, as oppossed to being full of emotional ramblings.
Fact is the World is in a depening recession and the credit holders have dedided to not extend the O'draft - that is their call.
Not good for SFC though.
Take a look down you local high street next time, which businesses are not there - MFI etc... There have been and will be more high profile casualties, maybe some of them Footy Clubs.
SFC became a business and it failed. Simple.
Who / What actions are to blame? Many.
Try these two..
The Premiership (FA)
Sky
...and the financial folly that they have created.
I steer you to the direction of the SFC Financial Reports and the spending and subsequent financial insecurity of Crouch and Wilde '06/'07.
It was only sustainable if SFC were promoted to the "Golden Land"; it is clear for everyone to read.
The consequences are written in black and white - oops!
The majority will no doubt point a RL, but look at what he came back to:
Falling attendances, 10,000 Season ticket sales, an inferior product (The Championship), SFC leaking money i.e. failing and pressure from the banks etc...
Some of you will point to the boards "gamble" this past season, I steer you to the much greater one that didn't come off two seasons ago........
NZsaint
says...
11:15pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Oh dear; so the inquest has begun. It is interesting to read those submissions that are informed, as oppossed to being full of emotional ramblings.
Fact is the World is in a depening recession and the credit holders have dedided to not extend the O'draft - that is their call.
Not good for SFC though.
Take a look down you local high street next time, which businesses are not there - MFI etc... There have been and will be more high profile casualties, maybe some of them Footy Clubs.
SFC became a business and it failed. Simple.
Who / What actions are to blame? Many.
Try these two..
The Premiership (FA)
Sky
...and the financial folly that they have created.
I steer you to the direction of the SFC Financial Reports and the spending and subsequent financial insecurity of Crouch and Wilde '06/'07.
It was only sustainable if SFC were promoted to the "Golden Land"; it is clear for everyone to read.
The consequences are written in black and white - oops!
The majority will no doubt point a RL, but look at what he came back to:
Falling attendances, 10,000 Season ticket sales, an inferior product (The Championship), SFC leaking money i.e. failing and pressure from the banks etc...
Some of you will point to the boards "gamble" this past season, I steer you to the much greater one that didn't come off two seasons ago........
NZsaint
says...
11:16pm Thu 23 Apr 09
Oh dear; so the inquest has begun. It is interesting to read those submissions that are informed, as oppossed to being full of emotional ramblings.
Fact is the World is in a depening recession and the credit holders have dedided to not extend the O'draft - that is their call.
Not good for SFC though.
Take a look down you local high street next time, which businesses are not there - MFI etc... There have been and will be more high profile casualties, maybe some of them Footy Clubs.
SFC became a business and it failed. Simple.
Who / What actions are to blame? Many.
Try these two..
The Premiership (FA)
Sky
...and the financial folly that they have created.
I steer you to the direction of the SFC Financial Reports and the spending and subsequent financial insecurity of Crouch and Wilde '06/'07.
It was only sustainable if SFC were promoted to the "Golden Land"; it is clear for everyone to read.
The consequences are written in black and white - oops!
The majority will no doubt point a RL, but look at what he came back to:
Falling attendances, 10,000 Season ticket sales, an inferior product (The Championship), SFC leaking money i.e. failing and pressure from the banks etc...
Some of you will point to the boards "gamble" this past season, I steer you to the much greater one that didn't come off two seasons ago........
NZsaint
says...
11:18pm Thu 23 Apr 09
StPete
says...
11:26pm Thu 23 Apr 09
upthecherries wrote:Looking forward to playing you next season... Oh sorry my mistake. You'll be in the division below us
the scum are going down
the scum are going down
and now your gonna believe us
and now your gonna believe us
and now your gonna believe us
the scum are going down.
San Marco
says...
11:37pm Thu 23 Apr 09
So Pompey were better than us then we were better than Pompey now they are better than us again. Sounds like it will be our turn again one day (soon I hope!)
If Scotland are really happy with Burley (which I somehow doubt) then it is probably because he doesn't get to spend money on players in that job - he's still full of excuses after all of his many defeats though...
Saints Mike
says...
12:01am Fri 24 Apr 09
StPete wrote:upthecherries. If your lucky enough to draw in the tin pot paint cup, you might just find out what it like to see real fans, a real stadium, a real city, instead of a south coast slum, with a sunday morning league stadium, with plastic fans who no one really cares about.
upthecherries wrote: the scum are going down the scum are going down and now your gonna believe us and now your gonna believe us and now your gonna believe us the scum are going down.Looking forward to playing you next season... Oh sorry my mistake. You'll be in the division below us
BertCatt
says...
12:36am Fri 24 Apr 09
Take it on the chin, win the last two games, go down with no penalty of 10 points, and hope there is a club for next season. Either that ot Wessex league anyone?
Security word gate-none. What deos that mean???
Mistydog4
says...
12:40am Fri 24 Apr 09
bobwinmill
says...
1:03am Fri 24 Apr 09
Graham_AFCB
says...
6:52am Fri 24 Apr 09
You will get bought -too big for anyone not to. The worry has to be how many points are deducted. If you don't owe HMRC then you might get a CVA agreed and it'll be -10. If not, it'll depend which number Mawhinney hits on the dartboard whilst blindfolded.
Worst case scenario is a further 15 points for no CVA meaning -25.
Then there's the possibility of further deduction for payments from a holding company (Luton) for which the FA deducted a further 10 points.
You could of course reduce the deficit by dropping to league 2 in which case it would be -10 and whatever the FA decide to add.
The good news is you have the chance to regain your club and come back stronger. The next season will be horrible for you looking at league tables. Best thing is to focus your anger on the football league and unite behind the team. Good luck.
Robbie Robertson
says...
12:12pm Fri 24 Apr 09
Unfortunately, I fear that there will be a whole load of other clubs that will be hit the same way over the next 6 months. Football has priced itself out of the market. Any team that isn't 'top 4' is going to struggle. that's why the interest levels are so high at teh moment. most fans will be wondering if their club is next. Good luck SFC, but be aware that it takes more than luck. It takse skill and effort......
bemused26 says...
2:38pm Thu 23 Apr 09