Fitzhugh Fella

Nick, you say he likes to take people to court, well that is the point, it never happens, he threatens and bullies but then settles before it reaches court, costing the club money. My post might be self-indulgent but the fans need to realise why Ms Liebherr intervened. Literally one minute after I posted this a senior ex employee contacted me to confirm all I said and more. Yes this person may have an agenda but they are happily re-employed and doing well. NC did very well in doing what he did on the pitch for Saints but he simply had too much power in my opinion and ultimately that is never a good thing.

Like most fans I have spent the last 48 hours trawling through websites, reading the papers and listening to rumours from good and bad sources trying to piece together exactly why Cortese left and what is going to happen now. Did he leave because Katharina Liebherr would not back his vision with finance? If so that is a worry because it tells us that in some ways we have reached the end of the road. But I don’t buy this. His pet spin doctors in the Mail and the BBC have been working hard, too hard methinks. There is however an article in the Independent which I think, because of my own experiences with the man, is nearer the truth. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/nicola-cortese-chose-to-leave-and-was-not-forced-out-insist-southampton-9065638.html The article says that Ms Liebherr wanted “basic corporate practice implemented” and that she needed “ a degree of oversight and accountability for Cortese’s running of the club”. It adds that Cortese should “not be answerable solely to himself”. Well, from where I sit that seems perfectly reasonable. I mentioned earlier the many rumours and they include several claims that Cortese was, shall we say extremely personally extravagant with the Liebherr wealth. Now I don’t know about that but one thing I do know, speaking on a personal level, he tossed away approx £50,000 when he prohibited Hagiology Publishing’s “All the Saints” from the club shops when he learned that we had switched the book launch from the stadium to a local hotel after he had told us Francis Benali would not be allowed to attend. Now £50,000 is not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, I accept, but a big company like Waterstones have told us they have been very grateful for their windfall as the consequence of being the sole outlet. Because of a personal whim could Cortese really expect to deny the company this sort of money and not be answerable? He preached 100% professionalism, but surely he was being a little less than professional turning his back on any legitimate income no matter how small? As I say, I know the facts of this particular story because I was directly involved but what other incidents were there that meant the Liebherr family were short-changed because of Cortese’s numerous feuds? We do know that he settled out of court with Francis Benali (one of many apparently in which he initiated litigation and then backed down at the final hour) so how much did that all cost the club – is there little wonder Katharina Liebherr finally decided enough is enough or at least attempt to reign in him a little? Basically she was only seeking to ensure there were safeguards towards her family’s investment. There is an old saying “count the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”. My involvement with him was, I accept, comparative “pennies” but I did get to learn first-hand just what he had become and, as a consequence, I am not in the least bit surprised Ms Liebherr acted how she has. I hope he never returns even if it is with a wealthier investor and for now I am going to trust Katharina, because one thing I know she may have plenty of wealth but it seems she also has “cojones”.

I think you have treated a tricky subject very well and anyone reading your work will end up having a pretty accurate picture. Well done, you have outperformed many national journos in my opinion.

Nick mate that post is one of your most ignorant. Matt pays for his tickets and gets no freebies nor does Franny. The person who rang Franny was very close to NC. If there is to be any positivity from NC's departure let's celebrate some healing of wounds. The more people pulling together the better it will be for our team.

I was told on Monday that the ex-Saints organisation including Benali and Le Tissier were now welcome to visit any areas of St Marys. Indeed Franny was even rung specifically to inform him. I thought at the time that was a bit of a climb down but it seems the new broom was already at work. Came just a couple of months to late for the book launch though

Aren't you condemning someone before you have heard her intentions? And don't forget the day we let Liebherr pay £14m for us, technically our club became his family's club. We have no rights, that is the price you pay when owned by wealthy people who were never fans. The alternative? Take a look down the fishy end of the M27. For now I will stick with Katharina and I couldn't give a flying fig what she looks like.

Bookgate

Indeed and that is why he was so popular. He delivered on the pitch. I loved that aspect but he also treated me personally pretty shabbily regarding the book and no matter what I found that hard to accept. Personally I don't think it a good day for the club, better the devil you know and all that but he was no God.

I think you can judge NC on two fronts - what he did for the club in footballing terms which to my mind was almost faultless and what he was like as a person and on that aspect I think I best not comment.

Pretty good summary that

Careful don't upset manji

I think Manji would have a heart failure if this was to happen

Trouble is you need more money than a successful business man would have - you have to compete against Arab countries and Chinese billionaires these days. That is of course if you think the premiership is the b all and end all.

I think Southampton FC has done the rounds in terms of owners and ownership. In the old days we had the gentlemen farmers, racehorse trainers and headmasters, a la John Corbett, John Barber, George Reader, Ernest Chaplin, Alan Woodford etc etc who run the club in a fraternal, benevolent way. We then had the slightly more thrusting Guy Askham era which morphed into us becoming a PLC with a lot of unsavoury allegations made re certain directors "trousering" a lot of money at the same time. Whatever, Rupert Lowe was now in charge, he knew next to nothing about football but he had the backing of the city, until it all went wrong with relegation and the board falling out. That opened the way for some rich fans to have a go, in the shape of Mike Wilde and Leon Crouch with the help of Lawrie Mac/Mary Corbett and Pat Trant. Many (inc myself) were pleased that local fans were now running the ship but it soon went pear shaped through naivety and control was taken over by the hard nosed executives who damn near sold us to a hedge fund (now owners of bedevilled Coventry). Lowe came back on his stallion but Barclays were not impressed, pulled the rug from under his feet and we went into administration, at first MLT was going to save us through Pinnacle but there were no funds and we were instead bought by the Liebherr family for a bargain £14m. We could have done a lot worse (and so could he) but following Marcus's death (a blow bigger than we all thought at the time) now it seems they want to sell and the man who has overseen an incredible five years on the pitch Nicola Cortese is also poised to leave having fallen out with the family. So who do we want to buy us? Surely not someone like the clown at Cardiff but, worryingly, that is probably the most likely scenario. Do we want "fans" involved again? I think we only have to look at what happened with Wilde and then look at the growing bickering down the road to see that it is fraught with danger and potential unrest. Plus no real fan has the sort of money needed to fully compete in the Premiership? Do we want to be run by the City and at the beck and call of the bean counters? Done that didn't like it! So who then - the next person is out there, perhaps already sailing up the Solent, but will Southampton FC be the better off? Whatever one thought of Cortese, he had a vision and drove it hard. Is there someone out there who take us further? Or is it an impossible challenge in this day and age. Being a rich person's plaything is my greatest fear.

I knew Manji (who hates the thought of his boat being rocked) would shortly be lured from his cave.

A gentleman in every sense of the word

Now if you had bought a copy of All the Saints you could have read that he is now back in his native country with Sparta Prague

You must have been pie-eyed when you read that as Prutton's partner is Brian O'Neil's daughter

Had a feeling Trousers would be all over this thread like a rash. When ever his darling Tories are found out (yet again) he goes to work big time.

££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ Just a thought

The Sun is reporting today that Lambert WANTS to leave. I must admit his recent demeanour is of someone who does not look happy. His celebration after scoring yesterday was very muted and I am starting to feel there is some truth in these rumours. Shame as he is on 99 league goals.

We needed him not getting banned in the first place

I agree 100% - now we are almost certainly free from relegation worries why people are more concerned with points rather than the FA Cup is beyond me. Our current position enables us to have a bloody good stab at the Cup (just as it was in 2003) and for fans not to care epitomises the sorry state the game is actually in.

Why are points more important than the Cup, I just don't understand. Unless we were in a relegation position?

Damn good question and one that would be nice if the club answered. Lots of things that aren't pleasant gets swept under the St Marys carpet but god forbid I said so