Rumours abound over identity of Southampton FC's mystery bidder (From Daily Echo)

Rumours abound over identity of Southampton FC's mystery bidder

4:00pm Monday 1st June 2009

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By Jon Reeve » Education Reporter

IT is the question on the lips of every Saints fan – just WHO is the mystery man behind the bid to rescue their beleaguered club?

The announcement that Pinnacle has paid a £500,000 non-returnable deposit and been granted a period of exclusivity with administrators has sparked a frenzy of rumours about who could be about to take over at St Mary’s.

It has been confirmed there is just one person providing the financial backing, and that they are someone with a personal fortune of “several hundred million” pounds.

While the man who has successfully managed the Pinnacle bid has written an open letter to Saints fans, providing tantalising hints about the would-be buyer, he has refused to name his client.

Last night Pinnacle’s Tony Lynam again declined to say whether the bidder was British or whether he is a Saints supporter.

While his identity remains a mystery, a host of names have been flying around as fans try to guess who the money man could be.

Some are people linked with the club in the past, rumours that have failed to go away despite coming to nothing.

Virgin boss Richard Branson and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen have both been mentioned, but seem fanciful.

Branson has recently invested millions in the Brawn Formula One racing team, while Allen – previously linked with Saints back in April 2007 – now owns the new Seattle Sounders football team in his native USA.

Saints fans Sir David Frost and former BBC chairman Gavyn Davies were involved in an attempt to buy the club before Rupert Lowe first arrived at The Dell, and both have again been suggested as potential buyers.

But days after Southampton Leisure Holdings first went into administration, Davies, who now heads a successful hedge fund, insisted to the Daily Echo he was not involved in any bid for the club.

Local businessmen have also been put forward, including Jim Ratcliffe, founder of New Forestbased chemical giant Ineos.

A billionaire, he is known to shy away from publicity, so there are serious question marks over whether he would be willing to make such a high-profile move as buying Saints.

There have also been several surprising names tipped as interested, including composer Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber and singer Rod Stewart.

Rumours that the former Faces frontman is behind the Pinnacle bid, and wants to bring his friend Gordon Strachan back to St Mary’s as manager, have refused to go away in recent weeks.

They have only been heightened by Strachan’s resignation as Celtic boss last week after he failed to land a fourth successive Scottish League title.

But while Stewart is very rich, he is not thought to have a personal wealth fitting the “several hundred million” description.

Saints Trust chairman Nick Illingsworth said while he would “love to know” who the mystery man is, he is happy to wait.

“I want to know as much as everyone else, but it’s time to have some professionalism about the club, and this is how good businessmen operate,” he said.

“Everything about the Pinnacle bid so far has been professional, and that’s a good thing.”

One name that is known to be associated with the bid is Matt Le Tissier.

The prospect of the club legend being on the board if and when the purchase is completed – possibly even as football board chairman – is exciting fans.

A true hero in the eyes of all Saints supporters, his backing for Pinnacle is seen as a crucial indication that the weathly mystery backer has only the best intentions.

“If he’s happy, then that’s good enough for me,” said Mike O’Callaghan, chairman of SISA – Southampton Independent Supporters’ Association.

“He’s the all-time Southampton hero, and if he’s attached his name to something it must be positive because he’s only got the club’s interest at heart.”

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Your Say YourEcho

Top_Saint, southampton says...
6:25am Mon 1 Jun 09

Hang on if nobody knows who it is why have the Echo had a wild random stab in the dark at Rod stewart?