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.
