Fitzhugh Fella

I agree Dave, cut out all the personal stuff and also stop accusing people of having an agenda just because you don't tow the line

Totally unhelpful comment.

Again THIS, some people need to open their eyes

Indeed

I think Pardew knew his card was marked and couldn't be bothered. I think ML's illness meant NC took his eye off things. I also think AP started applying for other jobs which was the excuse NC had been waiting for to dismiss him. By that time however the rot had set in, and like last season we are playing catch up.

No Chairman should take a footballing decision. Finance, personnel in fact everything but football decisions.

Just as a matter of interest it can't, of course, be libel if it is true. I did say IF!

If you had a copy of ITN you would note that they are not my quotes but ones lifted from the "press cuttings of the day" - our research is genuine, unlike your fallible memory.

Bit harsh banning him! I am not sure about the libel aspect of what he wrote but let's face it he was right about Wilde and I and many others were wrong. Sometimes things need to be in the open. This forum needs posters like GM regardless of whether you agree with him or not. Perhaps he should be let back on if he agrees to underwrite any action that is taken by the club?

The fringe of the Milton was close enough for a 15-year-old! I saw some fearful battles underneath the Toomers, most notably when Chelsea were in town, but we won't go there on this thread.

Actually if you check P 109 of ITN you will find Shanks exact words were "ale-house football".

With Hollywood the assasin, Big Jake, Jimmy Gabriel, Docker Walker, Brian O'Neil and Terry Paine in our side we were no angels. But Shanks was just a bad loser. Can't believe that match was 40 years ago.

I used to find the States the hardest place to get a result - I often rung the local press association or the sports desk of the local papers. In Anchorage, Alaska I was finally beaten.

Listening to the World Service on a flight deck of a 747

Topcat - although I have a position at Unite, through my role with BA cabin crew, I think they are a monolithic waste of space. As for my politics - well I usually end up voting Lib Dem because of where I live but politics has left me disillusioned too much these days to to get too excited, but I suppose I would say I am a bit of an old fashioned Labour person, not left, not right in an Ed Miliband sort of way. Otherwise thank you for your confidence although I have to say most if not all I hear these days is from outside the club. I would hate for anyone working for the club to get into trouble by confiding in me and it doesn't happen.

Accepting what you say do you think football clubs need "to manage the image they put in the public domain". Surely what you see is what you get? I suppose what I am trying to say - a bit cackhandedly - is do we, as fans need to have our club's image manipulated for our benefit.

Interesting points you raise. I don't know about THAT dinner. Could well have happened I suppose. I liked the report back, I like the words that NC spoke - it all made sense but like you say there was no "official" info given so was it a figment of Bick's PR and if so did it serve a genuine purpose if no one is sure it was factual? NC already has a reputation of "doing things his way" so why would he worry about employing someone like Bick to "spin" for him?

There is debate on other threads about David Bick's involvement in promoting Southampton FC and whether it is having the desired effect or does it ultimately cause fan alienation. PR companies working for football clubs is something that has only evolved in the last 10 or so years but is there a need? Do fans just want open honest up-to-date info which maybe good or bad or do they want to be kept happy with spin which may or may not be the total truth? Football clubs have not always been honest with their fans, especially when it came down to transfers fees and scandals but, by and large, you got somewhere to the real story through the local papers who were independant and not afraid to fall out with the board if neccessary. The likes of Ken Bates and co soon learnt the value of supressing or manipulating the media but it seems to me nowadays football clubs attach as much importance to how things are pitched rather than what actually takes place on the pitch. Even Rupert Lowe realised the advantages of good PR and I seem to remember the predecessor to this forum being infiltrated by especially hired PR only for it to spectacularly back fire when we realised we were being spun. So do we need it, is it helpful or will it end in tears? Is there room for the likes of David Bick in our football club? There are lots of accusations of people having agendas on this forum if they differ from the populist view but surely PR in football clubs is all about setting agendas?

I am not saying Cortese is wrong or out of order if the club buys his house, after all the club does not belong to us, it belongs to the group he represents and if they want to buy a house in Chilworth then that is their business. However at the same time it is not right that people argue that he is committed to the club because he "bought" with his own money, a house in Chilworth. And Nick - I accept that you were not attacking me but you have got to accept in return (as I have) that everyone supports the Saints different ways from those who give unstinting unswerving uncritical support, like yourself, to those who want to question virtually every move. We both want to end up in the same place but we all choose different routes to the summit and the sooner we all resist from accusing each other having agendas then so much the better.

You are getting tedious with your "agenda" theories. Anyone whose views you don't share has an "agenda". Perhaps you have an agenda - it certainly appears so.

I believe the house was actually purchased by the club. Not a criticism just making sure the facts are accurate.

Yes it could. Like I say I know nothing more than the rumour which I initially discounted as fabrication. Since it has come back to me from a completely different source and with credible embellishment. In football everything has its price I guess however I think there is enough integrity in the present owners to ensure whoever the club is sold to -big IF - that the club will be in good hands with people who can take us forward. However as I have said all along my motto is "better the devil you know", so I hope the Liebherr family decide to maintain the original plan.

God the irony here is so delicious!

Firstly Nick - it was not MY rumour, it was one which came to me and i sat on because i didn't believe it at the time. However having since learnt that ML was probably quite ill it set me wondering if there wasn't some truth in the stories. Also I don't think I said they were trying to sell but more a case of "if a good offer comes along". Finally for the record can I say I too hope this is just speculation.

I "reckon" nothing. I know nothing as I said. Just answering Derry's question.