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Beyond our wildest dreams

8:08am Saturday 28th April 2007

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By Chris Semple »

"IT is beyond my wildest dreams." Those were the words last night of a major Southampton Football Club shareholder over the news that one of the world's richest men has put in a preliminary offer to buy out the club.

Paul Allen, the man widely believed to be behind the bid, is worth an estimated £10 billion, putting him alongside Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich in the rich stakes.

To read more of this story and a profile on the Microsoft tycoon, then read today's Daily Echo.

Mr Allen's fortune - he is the world's 19th richest person - comes in part from his connection with global software giant Microsoft, which he co-founded with Bill Gates in 1975.

Share price Yesterday as Saints' share price rocketed to its highest level this decade, the figure being bandied about for the buy-out was a reported £55m - though that would still be small change for the 54-year-old American.

In fact, ironically, the figure is almost the same as the sum Roman Abramovich paid Mr Allen four years ago for the superyacht Le Grand Bleu.


Your Say YourEcho

no fish on fridays, goodies fish & chip shop says...
10:07am Sat 28 Apr 07

A fishy tale

Portsmuff are to build a £600 milion squid stadium that will include guppy flats packed in like sardines , "i dolphin so!" The big question on their pouting lips is will saints get Paul Allen taking over? They must be whiting on baited breth perched on the edge of their seats, it will be sole destroying for them when saint rise to the premiership like a salmon leaping & they serpently wont be doing the conga when thier anenomes are back up.
when we play them next sea son the urchins can see a proper stadium built with porpoise & can limpit up the frog & toad back to skatesvile.No worming out of it you pikies youve haddock! They have been in the top flight long enough & if they are to suvive another sea son they will have mussel together & clam up thier back roe to stop endless tides of balls hitting the back of their nets. I dolphin they are burley enough to put too many fins together & soon they will be hammering their heads againts the walls. most weeks they are sure to get well & truly battered, just for the halibut I will put a few squid on them going back under, I trout very much they will beat the mancs or chel sea. they will be back with the minnows & will know their rightfull plaice & when the chips are down saints wont let them of the hook. we wont here them ringing that bell or banging on the bass drum playing their only tuna & when they hit rock bottom it will be dificult to crab many points & will be skating on thin ice sitting on the bottom without any porpoise. they will be crying & whaling when saints give them them a good grilling at st marys & fratton skate park.orf they go they dont belong with the big fish, they wont recieve any oscars for their dab performences. saints will seal their fate & send them spinning & reeling to the lower depthes faster than a lead fishing weight & we know they call us scummers but we will float to the top of the big pond.harry redsnapper will be crying in his fish soap & the scales will be ballanced in our flavour. lets face it they havent the salt & vinegar to match the feast of football saints will serve up to them. they will be in for a good roasting. The suns rays will shine on the saints fans & if the skates plaice any betts on staying afloat next term the bookies will have them hook line & sinker.no pot of golden orf at the end of thier rainbow trout, they might have had a good sea son this year riding on the grest of a wave near the tope of the table but next sea son they will be floundering at the bottom & saints fans will be breaming from ear to ear and cant kelp laughing. soon after they depart to the lower leagues they will disappear like hermits and it will be proof that they are truly clowns...

Dave, Southampton says...
1:18pm Sat 28 Apr 07

LOL.
How long did it take you to write that little lot.

Mary Hinge, soton says...
4:14pm Sat 28 Apr 07

You've 'scaled' new hieghts with that!

Will, will's world says...
1:27am Sun 29 Apr 07

you fcuking idiots, get a life...

HOLLY_VALANCE_MAGIC, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA says...
1:21am Fri 27 Jul 07

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH IS NOT JUST A CHELSEA GOD BUT A FOOTBALL GOD TOO, TO ALL SMALLER CLUBS.
"HE LOVES THIS SPORT AND HE IS DOING A LOT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE RUSSIAN GAME".
HE IS INJECTING HIS OWN MONEY IN THE INDUSTRY OF WORLD FOOTBALL TO ALL CLUBS THAT ARE BUYING THEIR PLAYERS AND ALSO MAKING FOOTBALL INTERESTING AGAIN WITH MORE COMPETITION IN THE LEAGUE & EUROPEAN CUP.

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