Fitzhugh Fella

this is fair comment. I believe intially AS was as concerned as the rest of us that Saints might fold and quickly made moves to at least provide some sort of back up, consortium wise, if no one else came forward. I think now bigger or wealthier groups have done due diligence and AS can go back to being a fan which is all he wanted in the first place. It is nice to know however that if "push had come to shove" then a well-respected group were prepared to step in and do what they could. I have spoken to AS a few times in the last year (not in the last month I hasten to add) and he is one of the most unassuming men I have ever encountered. Hardly one to blast his name from the rooftops - he would make a perfect non exec Chairman imo.

Excellent article. Growing up in a house in Archers Road midway between the County Ground and The Dell I know where he is coming from. The Guardian is full of Saints stories today - there are some allegations that a Leon Crouch interview on R5 gave the game away re the club and the PLC being linked.

Frank - I am not talking gossip or mud slinging just the truth! Sorry if that is a bit old-fashioned but when your football club goes into administration I think the fans have a right to know exactly how it happened.

I would text you but you never reply

He's in a consortium with Bobby McGhee

Show me one "bitter" post I have made re Lowe since he left? There are lots of stories out there the fans have yet to hear and I believe (even looking at this thread) want to hear. Christ ,enough people have asked if we will be doing a book on the PLC years to prove you wrong. For instance I have now learned the full story behind Hoddle's return and who is was that finally pulled the plug. Very interesting too and I have slightly altered my opinion on this person. But sneer away - you have no interest and claim no one else has. I beg to differ.

I hear odds are shortening on KK

How wrong can you be. It is so relevant - but never mind, go stick you head in the sand as you are not obviously interested in what really happened. One of the thickest posts I've seen on here for many a month.

Had we beaten Burnley 3-2 we would still be in with a shout so had the ref given the free kick for the Wotton foul and played the 60 seconds still on the clock then who knows.

my favoured punts - Salz, Scott are I think now bringing up the rear. Dennis Roach has not been ruled out yet but I think there is one big one left who we all would like but I haven't a clue who it is. Those NDAs are holding firm.

Exactly

Don't worry about me old boy. I am not so sure you are right there Art, surely it was with the PLC that the contracts were drawn. The FC was just an extension of the PLC (hence the friggin points deduction)!

you know you don't mean that Ponty. No, its a serious question especially if the accurate history of the PLC years is to be "written". The more people able to tell their side of things the better the perspective.

Do they still apply now Southampton Leisure Holdings no longer exists? Will Paul Sturrock, Stuart Gray, Harry Redknapp and Co now have their say? Anyone legally qualified to answer this?

The fans have no say in this. Fry picks the consortium best equiped to repay the creditors, that is the worrying thing.

I am no fan of Crouch while he was Chairman because he made some mistakes but I do think you are unfair here. He told me himself that he opposed the execs on countless occasions in their wild spending sprees - in particular the Euell signing. On that occasion Hone persuaded Wiseman to vote for the signing and it went ahead despite Crouch's opposition. Crouch's greatest mistake was letting the execs gain control of the PLC board which basically then sidelined him until he negotiated their departure with a pay off.

I was just going to mention those very 2.

I can categorically state the first person on the pitch - who had clambered over the hoardings adjacent to the 18 yard penalty area opposite the Kingsland - was a good 30 seconds after the referee (prematurely) ended the game.

He wa sout of order then because if West Ham had scored again we would have gone down.

Take your point Len but if I was the ref being asked to write a report on the pitch invasion and I had blown a minute early and left an injured player motionless on the ground I would be inclined to exagerate the seriousness of the invasion to justify my actions. I am of course a cynic, but I am nervous the FA will throw the book at us to cover their own official's utter incompetance.

But the match was not stopped because of the invading fans. The ref was actually in the tunnel by the time the pitch was invaded. There is a difference.

That match at Upton Park was actually restarted after the pitch was cleared and West Ham then equalised.

I have been onto the FA this morning to complain about the indecent haste in which the ref blew up prematurely and then left the pitch while a comatose player lay injured on the pitch. They have asked me to put my complaint in writing. It will also be interesting now that he has been asked to submit a report on the pitch invasion as when it started he was half way up the tunnel. My fear will be he will exagerate the seriousness or timing of it to justify his rather cowardly actions. By my reckoning when he blew for time (not for the foul on Wotton) it was at least one minute short of the allotted 4 minutes. I know it is a long shot but with a free kick and Burnley defence hanging on and taking into account the incredibly charged atmosphere at the time, a goal could have easily been registered and today we would still be in with a small shout of staying up if we beat Forest. I think he was almost frightened of Saints scoring knowing how highly charged the atmosphere was. Did anyone note the period of added time or is there a way of finding out through Sky? Would appreciate anyone helping on this because at the time I was very suspicious and the more I reflect on it I think we were cheated of a priceless last minute and a player could well have been left to choke on his own tongue.

Perhaps I will contact the Guardian journalist directly - because this remark is very strange - too busy trying to get through to the FA at present to complain about the ref at present.

Absolutely but from Day 1 of Redknapp's arrival here Lowe made it very obvious he was not wanted BY HIM and it was obvious that it would all end up in tears. Having heard the true inside story of Redknapp's arrival I can certainly understand why he soon lost interest and in turn so did his players. He is not blameless but the whole thing was disastrously handled from Day 1.