Fitzhugh Fella

Thanks for the update Bailey. I think NC and AP have to wake up to the fact that to entice players good enough to get us promotion they are going to have to top the going rate for this league.

Don't you worry about me Nick - sometimes I have trouble comparing the past to the present. My fault I know, I have got to stay with the times but, as I as logged on here last night for the umpteenth time to see if we had picked up a 34 year old on a freebie, it suddenly hit me how low we had sunk. Feel better after a good nights sleep Incidentally has he signed yet? We are going to need him - in this morning's Guardian there was a piece on Div 1 which predicted Millwall would go up as Champions!! They were kind enough to say we could make the play-offs!

With respect Hypo there's a lot of things you don't "get"

No I'm not negative but at the same time I am not going to join in the "ML saved us therefore he is a God" brigade. He picked up a bargain for £12m - I don't think he is losing any sleep tonight about his investment. Andy Oldnow was reviled on here for certain actions when he was part of the old regime (and to all those who are saying this is a fresh start - not true AO was part of the previous exec regime which left us staring at admin) so let's be honest do any of us feel 100% sure we are in the right hands? I just feel quite sad that tonight we are sweating on a 34 year joining us on a freebie - we either want him or we don't but it looks as if we are still dabbling in the basement bargains. Are we all happy to be slaves to the new regime?

I think it is rather pathetic that we are all (I include myself here) sweating on a soon to be 34 year old signing on a free transfer. Dont get me wrong I am very grateful that I still have a club to support but we have hardly exploded out of the traps. Lot of sense in proceeding cautiously and all that but it would have been nice if Mr Liebherr could have least given us (and the club) one shot up the arse, or something to get a little excited about. So far we have the arrival of Andy Oldknow (who comes with baggage - even he will have to admit), a Chairman called Nicola who surely can't know his way around professional football with a background in Swiss banking/corporate sports and the unpalatable fact that David Jones is still a director. I know I should bow and scrape and be eternally grateful because my club has been saved but was just wondering how much longer we are expected to be so subserviant? Flame away I am sure.

Had to laught at the Echo's report of Murty signing - "it said Pardew acted swiftly to sign Murty"

Triple Agent Redknapp?

"should the takeover not happen" - Storrie has changed his tune since a fortnight ago. As I said 3 weeks ago "Oh Happy Day"!

still waiting for an apology Hypo - you were mocking my predictions that the takeover would never happen a few weeks ago now you have reverted to mocking Pompey. Personally I think they should be stripped from winning the Cup as it was done with players they never intended or could ever own.

Don't think we will be seeing much of Thomas this season. Mentally weak and a hypochondriac to boot was a verdict of someone close to the players a year or two back. When the tough get going Thomes goes missing.

FM - a sad indictment on our local newspaper. I know you are well connected so I respect your view but am also saddened by it.

Sensible sentiments Phil and ones those still interested should note. As you say you have been at the cutting edge and that should make folk take heed. Next time you are over hopefully we'll make that beer.

I am going to make this my last comment on Pinnacle. I have had plenty of verbal threats since I went public with what I knew a few weeks ago -inc being threatened with the police and accusations of destroying the future of SFC. FWIW - I think MLT to be the greatest player ever to wear the red and white stripes. I also think he is one of the most genuine blokes around who has helped me out and countless number of other causes. He is 100% a fan and there will never be anyone who will even come near him in my admiration for what he did for us and what hopefully he will continue to do. The man is an absolute footballing genius and as near a God a human can get. Hope that is clear. However he should never have been asked to "lend" his name to Pinnacle. He probably agrees with that now. I wish Lynam had never proposed him - Matt's trusting and good nature was abused and that is one reason I feel bitter to Pinnacle because they put in their shop window someone who should never have been exposed to such a tacky bunch of chancers. I wish he had been more diligent. All the paperwork I have ever had on this is now with the Echo and Simon Carter. It may be best to let it lie or they may choose to dig deeper. It's up to them - obviously some like Alpine think it best to leave alone - others have a more inquisitive nature. Not my aisle any more. Gonna spend the next few months getting behind the new regime, frustrating though it is while things look like moving slowly. We still have a club, I still have a bunch of lads to drink with on a Saturday and life goes on. (but no thanks to Pinnacle).

OK, it made me smile!

Yes you are quite probably correct - but being a "historian" I have alwayd been interested in the "whys and wherefores". Even finding out why a player was sold in 1920 for instance intrigues me. Sorry I can't help it. Plenty of people get in touch with me to find out more about their long lost relations who played for Saints to make me think it is all worthwhile but I accept it is not to everyone's tastes.

I daren't comment because someone will tell me to "get over it"

Thanks Graffito. I do find his comments quite irrational and unneccesarily aggressive but best ignored. One day the Pinnacle chapter will be just a footnote in history but for now their presence in the early weeks of the close season will unfortunately have future ramifications for this season (and for Drew Surman) and therefore worthy I guess of some reflection and debate.

Well like I say I know the 6 names on the original paperwork submitted by Lynam to Fry but I think by the close of play only MLT, TL and this mysterious Bill Allen were still involved. However I think while the motive of Matt was borne out of a love odf the club and a desire to help in any way I think the motives of Allen and Lynam to be more questionable. To give lynam the benefit of the doubt as the middleman I would say it was the chance of making a quick buck was the main reason the whole Pinnacle thing got off the ground in the first place. I don't think it was politically motivated if that's what you mean.

I think the whole "FL point deduction legal challenge" was Pinnacle buying time/looking for an exit excuse.

"serious doubts about the takeover" I think this is where I came in about 4 weeks ago!

I have a copy of a letter sent by his solicitors veryfying his wealth which was sent to Fry so I guess he does exist.

Yes to your last question because I have a copy of Pinnacle's initial bid to Fry where he says his backers could invest up to £30m. But obviously one of those backers soon disappeared. As for ML not trumping Pinnacle I would say that ML is not the sort to trump other bidders, plus he would have been told by AO that to trump a bid that would make MLT chairman would not be conducive to having a good relationship with the fans. And I don't think Fry was 100% in the loop re leveraged debt (presumably it was not his business where the funds came from) although the truth seems to be out there now. As for how much Matt knew, one would have to ask him but in the one conversation I had with him (which was a little one-sided) on the Saturday he said it was all going to go ahead on the Monday, he seemed very sure that Pinnacle were the real deal.

False promises and MLT's name. Once LC got involved I think Fry would have been even happier knowing that in the past LC had put his hand in his pocket. Leon Crouch and MLT undoubtedly lent Pinnacle an air of gravitas.

No heard nothing about Tommac or the Irish, but I know Dan (Help me Rhonda) Williams surfaced briefly for a while on this forum around then. Like I say when a club is up for sale all sorts of things emerge from the woodwork.

I think by the time LC signed the cheque he was a honorary member of Pinnacle.