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Leon Crouch refuses to comment on Pinnacle Group links

11:21am Tuesday 30th June 2009 in News

Leon Crouch Leon Crouch

Leon Crouch has refused to deny rumours that he contributed financially towards Pinnacle’s exclusivity period.

The Daily Echo understands that as well as having contributed towards the wages of Saints’ players and staff in April, the former football board chairman also put money down to allow Pinnacle a 21-day exclusivity period to take over the club which they failed to meet.

That money is understood to have helped pay the wages for May.

Crouch is also believed to have underwritten the pre-season friendly against Ajax at St Mary’s for the Ted Bates Trophy.

The Echo has left several messages with Crouch recently and have also emailed him. He has failed to respond to any of them.

Crouch had previously claimed to have had no involvement with Pinnacle but was pictured exclusively in the Echo with Matt Le Tissier and Kevin Keegan a fortnight ago.

Crouch claimed that the occasion was a social visit but Le Tissier later admitted that Keegan was one of several people he had courted for advice.

Pinnacle boss Tony Lynan said he was unable to comment.

Comments(17)

Billy 2 Baps says...
11:27am Tue 30 Jun 09

I really feel sorry for Crouch. He's made his mistakes, but has always had the club at heart

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Tirau Dan (NZL) says...
11:29am Tue 30 Jun 09

lol good effort Echo... also a thought of a story but still more conjecture.

What about the rumour of a players meeting this afternoon???


sw - slow-them haha

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montecristosaint says...
11:30am Tue 30 Jun 09

If this is true there is no way in the wide world that Fry should have conceded an exclusivity period to Pinnacle.
Its outrageous frankly as it meant that for 21days the administrators had their hands tied and could not advance with negotiations with other interested parties.
Fry has a lot to answer for and if this all goes belly up we are entitled to know why - in detail.

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Walter Mitty the first says...
11:34am Tue 30 Jun 09

Pinnacle have had their chance. Tony Lieman has managed to make a fool of SFC supporters. From only 1 backer worth £100s millions to a group of backers, worth £?.
Times up Pinnacle, move over and let someone with the finances have a go.

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John Gillham says...
11:41am Tue 30 Jun 09

This further adds to my suspicion that MLT and Crouch have been duped. So possibly the main 'money' man hasn't put anything into the club. I was wondering how a man with a turnover of £50,000 could find £500,000.

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Ken Hutchinson says...
11:48am Tue 30 Jun 09

Maybe Crouch is refusing to comment as he may need some form of litigation in the future to recover what he has contributed.As each day passes,it seems that the Pinnacle scenario has been flawed from the start and that MLT and Crouch, along with the fans, have been "had over". I would love to be proved wrong though!

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Barry the Tash says...
11:55am Tue 30 Jun 09

Has the Echo got something against Crouch? When ever there is a story with him involved it tends to have slightly negative undertones. As far as i'm concerned he is the only one who's consistantly put his own money into the club, helped keep us up, brought in a good manager in Pearson and then got slated by Lowe and some of the fans. He is worthy of some involvment even in a non decision making capacity. People go on about Lawrie Mac, he did good work for Saints a long time ago and subsequently became a wealthy man on the back of it. Has he put his hand in his pocket?
Lets hope it all gets sorted out today, whoever the new owners are.
UP THE SAINTS!

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Tirau Dan (NZL) says...
11:57am Tue 30 Jun 09

Walter Mitty the first wrote:
Pinnacle have had their chance. Tony Lieman has managed to make a fool of SFC supporters. From only 1 backer worth £100s millions to a group of backers, worth £?.
Times up Pinnacle, move over and let someone with the finances have a go.
We've come this far and have all had our doubts but must see it through.

MLT said the deal would be done. I for one feel the need to show some loyalty to Matt and still hope he'll be the chairman by the end of today or tomorrow.

Then the stirrers around the place can find something else to moan about.

This to me is exciting like 1976 0-0 half time Matt is Bobby Stokes... hope he scores for us.


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SaintsNo1Quim says...
11:59am Tue 30 Jun 09

Why do you not put the newer "NEWS FLASHES" at the top of the web page?...PLUMS!

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TGRWorzel says...
12:03pm Tue 30 Jun 09

Now I would have thought that if Pinnacle entered the 21 day exclusivity period, the £500k would be put up by the Pinnacle Group.

So that suggestion that Leon Crouch stumped up the readies puts an even bigger question over whether Pinnacle actually have the necessary cash - and more importantly where exactly it is coming from.

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Captain Kirk says...
12:13pm Tue 30 Jun 09

montecristosaint wrote:
If this is true there is no way in the wide world that Fry should have conceded an exclusivity period to Pinnacle. Its outrageous frankly as it meant that for 21days the administrators had their hands tied and could not advance with negotiations with other interested parties. Fry has a lot to answer for and if this all goes belly up we are entitled to know why - in detail.
I agree - Fry appears to have been incredibly naive. My guess is that he will never admit that Pinnacle don't have the money because Fry would loose face with the Banks. A monumental ****-up? Time will tell. Meanwhile please, please someone buy this fatastic football club!

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eastleigh-ian says...
12:36pm Tue 30 Jun 09

and why should he have too ? the mans put his hand in his pocket thats his buisness. go find out whats happening now echo . leave leon alone!

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chip eater says...
12:57pm Tue 30 Jun 09

I wouldn't make any comment to you either. you've antagonised everybody linked to pinnacle bid sensationalising and conjecturing with very few facts. those that you do get seem to be leaks from Fry so he can use the Echo to bully interested parties. You're most likely backing the wrong horse again, despite all the delays I, and the feeling I get from most posts, support Matt and to a lesser degree Crouch. They have flaws and have made mistakes, but we KNOW they have the club's interest at heart.

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pawnsacrifice says...
12:57pm Tue 30 Jun 09

If Leon has put his hand in his pocket, they have all been incredibly naive. Am I being stupid here but anyone with 100's of millions would not be going cap in hand for a hand out?

Fry has lied to us, built up our hopes of wealthy backer and we find out it's nothing of the sort. As far as I am concerned he has come over as incompetent.

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Alicesdad says...
1:15pm Tue 30 Jun 09

Fry is not incompetent. The role of administrator is very clearly defined in company law and I have seen nothing that suggests he has made errors or acted incompetently. He has put the club up for sale and cannot spend any money that isn't there. His announcements have been made when necessary and have been short and to the point. He has very little discretion to do any more than he has done.

The mess and endless speculation is as a result of the press, and potentially the bidders.

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Walter Mitty the first says...
5:30pm Tue 30 Jun 09

Smart move Leon. Distance yourself from the Pinnacle group, hours before their announcement.
Haven't you lost enough money gambling on Saints. Time you gave up a went back to Bashley FC.

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BertCatt says...
12:14am Wed 1 Jul 09

Basically we are still no nearer being sold, nor ever will be. What a shame, what a waste. When this is all over and Saints are no more, I hope some people take a good long hard look in the mirror, and realise they could have saved Saints.

Yes I mean the 'Stay aways', The players, the board(s), the chairmen, the Football League, Pinnacle.

The lot of you! Thanks to you Saints could well be dead by Friday

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