BBC’s former chief Anthony Salz fights Southampton’s cause (From Daily Echo)
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BBC’s former chief Anthony Salz fights Southampton’s cause
4:40pm Thursday 14th May 2009 in
ONE of Britain’s top legal masterminds has been helping in the enormous challenge to find new investment for Saints.
Former acting chairman of the BBC Anthony Salz is a St Mary’s season ticket holder and former advisor to football board chairman Leon Crouch’s PLC directors in 2008.
He was brought in to help give financial advice to Saints following the departure of the executive directors in December 2007.
Former football board chairman Leon Crouch told the Daily Echo earlier this week that Salz had attended PLC board meetings and was proving a “big help” in getting the finances under control at St Mary’s.
The City-based lawyer admits he has been trying to find new investors for Saints, as administrator Mark Fry continues to hold talks with potential new owners.
Salz, who works for NM Rothschild in London, has been actively involved in the past with trying to attract investment into the club.
Salz said he had no knowledge of Pinnacle and their backers or any other group currently involved in the race to buy Saints.
He said he had been talking to “a number of people interested in making an investment” but admitted getting people any further was an enormous challenge.
However, Salz said that, as a supporter, he is desperately hoping someone will take the club on soon.
“As a fan and season ticket holder, one just longs for someone to come in and buy the club and invest in the future,” he said.
Salz is not the only former high level BBC board employee who is a big Saints fan.
Gavyn Davies actually flew in from abroad back in 2006 for a meeting with Michael Wilde and other members of his regime which ousted Rupert Lowe a few weeks later.
The former chairman of the BBC – he resigned his post in early 2004 – then told the Daily Echo in a statement that he was backing Wilde.
That fuelled speculation that he would be unveiled as one of Wilde’s investors, but that never materialised.
The Echo has been told that potential investors in recent years had been put off by the fact they didn’t want to pump money into the pockets of major shareholders.
But those shareholdings have been rendered worthless by Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC’s descent into administration.
Despite that, Fry is now in his 44th day of trying to find a new owner.
Comments(26)
Solent Saint
says...
5:20pm Thu 14 May 09
Baybrit
says...
5:29pm Thu 14 May 09
Jason D
says...
5:31pm Thu 14 May 09
I think it's just another example of someone who doesn't really have much of a concept of getting investment for a football club asking his wealthy mates if they'd be interested in investing and them saying, 'no thanks', which is what you'd expect.
It's that kind of way of thinking that Crouch and Wilde have followed and it's got us nowhere.
What Fry is happy to do that these 'former' board members or advisers weren't, is to talk to real investors who are probably more serious, actually know what they are talking about and will probably drive a hard bargain.
That hard bargain part is probably the reason why Crouch, Wilde etc weren't that interested in talking to this type of buyer when they surfaced in the past.
Jesus_02
says...
6:11pm Thu 14 May 09
Say and investor wanted to put 1m into the club, what actually happens to that money.
Nothing they get shares that are worth that value at the time and a hope that this will improve.
Potentially it goes the same way as the transfer fees.
If a investor wanted to put 20m to into the club and make money available for transfers he has the major chairman to contend with. Further more he is just increasing the value of the remaining shares.
This became more and more complicated as the number of "major share holders" grew.
No sale would ever be achieved as no shareholders wanted to be the first to sell their shares.
Even an extremely wealthy person is not going to agree to by a large amount of shares and then have to pay more an more per share as they purchase subsequent shares.
The truth is the situation that we are in at the moment is the only way that this situation could ever be sorted out.
Cast your mind back to when Crouch suggested that He Wilde and Lowe all put 2m in each to keep the club going.
Neither Lowe or Wilde would agree to do this as it would benefit the other parties more (depending on the amount of shares they owned).
Please no more consortiums unless they can dream up a way of making future investment feasible.
Cincinnati
says...
6:14pm Thu 14 May 09
forcaster
says...
6:42pm Thu 14 May 09
geordie saint
says...
6:54pm Thu 14 May 09
Northern Saint
says...
7:15pm Thu 14 May 09
There's very few top flight clubs owned outright they are either consortiums or PLC's. It can work perfectly well just not with idiots that have passed through SMS!!
People invest in clubs to make money....thats how it works now
Northern Saint
says...
7:20pm Thu 14 May 09
Northern Saint wrote:that comment was for Jesus_02
Not really sure you've got that right. You can put money in as a loan, buy existing shares or take new shares if the number of shares is increased. There's very few top flight clubs owned outright they are either consortiums or PLC's. It can work perfectly well just not with idiots that have passed through SMS!! People invest in clubs to make money....thats how it works now
i'll stick to investments!!
montecristosaint
says...
7:21pm Thu 14 May 09
To be frank only a football mad arab would buy Saints right now.
The alternative to that - and I(ve been saying this for months - is a city wide campaign for funds spearheaded by the Council, the Echo and members of the local Chamber of Commerce along the lines of the annual "Save the CHildren" extravaganza. Who knows we might even get Terry Wogan to compere a "Save the Saints" evening on southern ITV.
Anyone got Michael Grade's phone number?? Alright David Frost's will do....
ben dover
says...
7:27pm Thu 14 May 09
Northern Saint
says...
7:27pm Thu 14 May 09
montecristosaint wrote:Debt is the problem to inward investment but can't see local ownership being a long term answer as you'll need sustained funds unless you get full gates every week.... and i can't see that happening
The problem is the size of the club's debts and the fact that Barclays and Norwich Union are holding out for a bigger pay off than the consortiums can afford to make. To be frank only a football mad arab would buy Saints right now. The alternative to that - and I(ve been saying this for months - is a city wide campaign for funds spearheaded by the Council, the Echo and members of the local Chamber of Commerce along the lines of the annual "Save the CHildren" extravaganza. Who knows we might even get Terry Wogan to compere a "Save the Saints" evening on southern ITV. Anyone got Michael Grade's phone number?? Alright David Frost's will do....
Michael Grade drinks in a pub in Lymington just round the corner from Crouch's house so that dream could become a reality
ben dover
says...
7:35pm Thu 14 May 09
montecristosaint
says...
7:37pm Thu 14 May 09
To be frank only a football mad arab would buy Saints right now.
The alternative to that - and I(ve been saying this for months - is a city wide campaign for funds spearheaded by the Council, the Echo and members of the local Chamber of Commerce along the lines of the annual "Save the CHildren" extravaganza. Who knows we might even get Terry Wogan to compere a "Save the Saints" evening on southern ITV.
Anyone got Michael Grade's phone number?? Alright David Frost's will do....
ben dover
says...
7:47pm Thu 14 May 09
Northern Saint wrote:Does Grade consume pimms and muscadet like woopert or is he a best bitter man ??
montecristosaint wrote:Debt is the problem to inward investment but can't see local ownership being a long term answer as you'll need sustained funds unless you get full gates every week.... and i can't see that happening
The problem is the size of the club's debts and the fact that Barclays and Norwich Union are holding out for a bigger pay off than the consortiums can afford to make. To be frank only a football mad arab would buy Saints right now. The alternative to that - and I(ve been saying this for months - is a city wide campaign for funds spearheaded by the Council, the Echo and members of the local Chamber of Commerce along the lines of the annual "Save the CHildren" extravaganza. Who knows we might even get Terry Wogan to compere a "Save the Saints" evening on southern ITV. Anyone got Michael Grade's phone number?? Alright David Frost's will do....
Michael Grade drinks in a pub in Lymington just round the corner from Crouch's house so that dream could become a reality
Southampton Heart
says...
8:19pm Thu 14 May 09
SAVE OUR SAINTS!
reality_saint
says...
9:51pm Thu 14 May 09
1) buyers put off by debt
2) limited funds
3) certainly only enough to purchase club but no money for investment/players etc
I think Saints will be looking at a long period in League 1 judging by the lack of real investment planned. Im still worried as if not sorted soon we will have another upto 20 points deducted. Unless we have a serious buyer very soon we will either fold or be -30 points come day 1 next season
dannyfloyd
says...
10:11pm Thu 14 May 09
reality_saint wrote:how did you become such an optimist and where do you get your facts?
sounds to me like 1) buyers put off by debt 2) limited funds 3) certainly only enough to purchase club but no money for investment/players etc I think Saints will be looking at a long period in League 1 judging by the lack of real investment planned. Im still worried as if not sorted soon we will have another upto 20 points deducted. Unless we have a serious buyer very soon we will either fold or be -30 points come day 1 next season
1. who has said buyers are put off?
2. how do you know how much money a buyer will have?
3. same as 2...
as for the last paragraph... insanity. reality saint sounds like he needs a holiday. or maybe just get out of town for once. ever flown in a plane? ooh too dangerous... take it easy chicken licken. the sky is still up there...
dannyfloyd
says...
10:14pm Thu 14 May 09
ben dover wrote:everyone is an armchair economist all of a sudden. you are wasted down here. go to wall street or the ftse. actually they are just a stupid by the look of the world so stay put!
Northern Saint wrote:Does Grade consume pimms and muscadet like woopert or is he a best bitter man ??montecristosaint wrote: The problem is the size of the club's debts and the fact that Barclays and Norwich Union are holding out for a bigger pay off than the consortiums can afford to make. To be frank only a football mad arab would buy Saints right now. The alternative to that - and I(ve been saying this for months - is a city wide campaign for funds spearheaded by the Council, the Echo and members of the local Chamber of Commerce along the lines of the annual "Save the CHildren" extravaganza. Who knows we might even get Terry Wogan to compere a "Save the Saints" evening on southern ITV. Anyone got Michael Grade's phone number?? Alright David Frost's will do....Debt is the problem to inward investment but can't see local ownership being a long term answer as you'll need sustained funds unless you get full gates every week.... and i can't see that happening Michael Grade drinks in a pub in Lymington just round the corner from Crouch's house so that dream could become a reality
reality_saint
says...
11:36pm Thu 14 May 09
dannyfloyd wrote:had to laugh, certainly hope I've flown, considering I'm a Pilot !!! and flying is not dangerous, never has been. It's the crashing thats dangerous
reality_saint wrote:how did you become such an optimist and where do you get your facts?
sounds to me like 1) buyers put off by debt 2) limited funds 3) certainly only enough to purchase club but no money for investment/players etc I think Saints will be looking at a long period in League 1 judging by the lack of real investment planned. Im still worried as if not sorted soon we will have another upto 20 points deducted. Unless we have a serious buyer very soon we will either fold or be -30 points come day 1 next season
1. who has said buyers are put off?
2. how do you know how much money a buyer will have?
3. same as 2...
as for the last paragraph... insanity. reality saint sounds like he needs a holiday. or maybe just get out of town for once. ever flown in a plane? ooh too dangerous... take it easy chicken licken. the sky is still up there...
St Bailey of Manchester
says...
12:34am Fri 15 May 09
Lets just give Mr Fry, the benefit of the doubt for now. I'm sure he would want to turn round and say sheikh al mohammed bal mal mohammed, has invested 75million or whoever with whatever! If he can't then he can't. It's his job to get the best buyer, he has too! It doesn't look good for his business in future if he doesn't. As for the lack of money for players, i think some people are being a little greedy, beggars can't be choosers! As long as we are stable and playing football next season, then i am happy! It's midnight now, i predict a bit of action in the morning, it's moving day! Come on saints, let's come back stronger than ever!!
P.s. can people stop commenting on their security words, it's getting a tiresome and tedious now
Captain Kirk
says...
6:23am Fri 15 May 09
Solent Saint
says...
7:49am Fri 15 May 09
ben dover wrote:I hope you get a better response than I did 2 weeks ago to this question. You can bet his, and his firms, will not be far behind anything Rupert Lowe was paid.
Can someone find out what MR FRYS fees and expenses have been for the last 44 days and where is the cash coming from or does he already have it !!
Southampton Heart
says...
8:31am Fri 15 May 09
Good news WILL be with us when it's ready.
montecristosaint
says...
2:26pm Fri 15 May 09
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Pedant says...
4:54pm Thu 14 May 09