MYSTERY surrounds the idenitity behind the latest man to buy a vast amount of Southampton Leisure Holdings Ltd shares.

A stock market announcement yesterday revealed that Sarwan Singh now holds 995,000 shares in Southampton FC's parent company - which amounts to just over 3.5 per cent of the total issued shares.

T D Waterhouse, one of a handful of nominee companies which holds shares in the club, said they now hold 1,108,220 shares - of which Singh has the vast majority. The rest are held by small investors.

Last month Jersey-based businessman Michael Wilde purchased 2,542,733 shares from businesses in the name of Saints director Paul Thompson.

A few days later Wilde, above, increased his overall share total to 3,062,470 giving him over 11 per cent of the total shares and dwarfing chairman Rupert Lowe's personal holding of 6.3 per cent - the largest single shareholding on the club's board.

Though neither Singh or Wilde have talked publicly about the former's shareholding, the Daily Echo understands the two men are not working together.

Wilde has repeatedly kept a low profile since becoming the largest shareholder, but has told friends he is 'acting independently'.

The Echo attempted to contact Singh but our calls were not returned.

Saints hopeful of offsetting expected season ticket decrease by attracting more juniors - see page 50 of tonight's paper.