VectisSaint

Please explain how Ince knows the league? 3 appearances for swindon Town hardly qualifies him as being even remotely knowledgeable of Leage 1, unless you are speculating that we will be relegated 2 divisions. We do not need Ince. What we need is someone with some feeling and passion for Southampton Football Club. There is hardly any shortage of ex players who are now managers who are 10 times more qualified that Paul Ince.

Problem will be that we will not be able to afford the ferry fares to the Island 4 return fares per season will bankrupt us.

I've said it before, yes we do practice defending set plays... But we do it against our attacking players, hence the problem.

Don't think Molineux is on the Isle of Wight though, at least it wasn't when I was a nipper.

And ayone who dismisses Crystal Palace as not serious opposition clearly had no idea what was going on at the time. With Malcolm Allison in charge, even with his hat, they were a force to be reckoned with that season, and ended it getting promoted. Most people had us as underdogs even for the SF, though that was primarily because the media was in love with Allison. In the end it desn't matter, you can only beat the opposition of the day, doesn't matter who they are. Anyone who belittles the achievements of the 76 team really has no sense of the enormity of what they achieved against the mighty Manure, eve if they had only been promoted back to Division 1 the previous season, having finished below us the season when we were relegated.

I was 45 when I first took my nipper to football. I think I was too old.

We have 4 corners again now, least we did on Saturday

Shareholders are entitled to NOTHING. They are not creditors, and shareholders (which includes me) now have no standing. Wilde, Crouch and Lowe are the biggest losers. Lowe and Wilde I could't give a **** about, they deserve it, hopefully it will drive Wilde to bankruptcy with his failed businesses. It probably won't impact Lowe too much, he has taken from the business, and is independently wealthy. Leon has lost over £1m, and has accepted thats the case. He is a self made ma, based on earned wealth through his successful businesses. As usual, Mick speaks as he sees, and hits the nail firmly on the head.

Perhaps MLT could follow Linekers example and make some money from advertising, then donate to the Club. Burger King springs to mind

We'll probably never know

Maybe the FA would, but as its the Football League, maybe they will act differently

While I agree with the sentiments of the OP, the fact (depending on the outcome of the FL investigation) is that we have not broken any rules. We have been owned by a Holding Company plc for many years (far too many IMHO) and no-one in the FL has worried about this before. In the past the plc has owned other "businesses" (radio station, insurance) and still owns the catering I believe, the fact the the plc has divested itself of most of these other revenue streams to remain in business proves that the plc and SFC are separate. Morally we may not agree with what is happening and won't be too shocked if we get a deduction, but factually, which is important, there is no breach of the rules. I feel confident that the Admins, together with Lowe and Cowen, have been over this with a fine-toothed comb (one of the few positive things related to Lowe). The fact that the FL sees the need to investigate rather than impose a points deduction shows that it is seriously worried that any attempt to impose a points deduction would be met with a vigorous legal argument by those representing the Football Club, something the FL cannot countenance. I think there is even a possibility that we could see 25 teams in the CCC next season. That said, I think we will be relegated anyway. On the evidence of Saturday we have no hope of escaping through football. COYR

Good news in my opinion. Clear that the Football League have serious doubts that they could make a points deduction stick and want to be absolutely sure before they take any action. If there was no doubt, they would have acted today, for sure.

Total garbage. Crouch and Lawrie are not asking anyone to bail them out, they are urging everyone to bail the Club out, and good on them for doing so. Now we are rid of the 2 cancers maybe we can get this club back on its feet (and maybe we will be extinct). How do you think they were asking for us to bail them out? I think Crouch has pumped a good deal of money into the Club (sponsorship even when Lowe was in charge, and the statue of course, and has also lost a small fortune with the loss of over a million shares, but he doesn't seem to bleat about it. And as far as I am concerned and mnay many others, Lawrie really can do no wrong, he engineered the greatest days of this Club. You need to understand the difference between leeches like Lowe and Wilde, and genuine people like Crouch (who I admit I don't really like personally) and Lawrie.

Worst possible scenario, to have someone with no previous connection with Saints. We have already been down that road with Lowe, look where that took us, and then Wilde who claimed to be a Saints supporter but was actually a scouser. What we want is someone with a connection with Saints, who understands and appreciates the past and also has the vision and connections to get us back to a higher level. That doesn't necessarily mean Crouch or Lawrie, but it also shoudn't preclude them. Crouch is aware of his shortcomings, hence why he has not tried to lead the Club before, but has always taken good professinal advice (Lee Hoos, the only one of the Wilde Bunch that actually came out with any credit). 25000 plus on Saturday made it clear also what they think about Lawrie, and to a lesser extent Leon. The more people involved who know and understand this Club, together with some good business brains (by the way leon is the only one who is a successful business man, who actually creates wealth) is the right way to go.

Anyone with half a brain was aware that the plc was blocking us finding a buyer. Chorley qualifies in that respect. If anyone still doubts it, then they only have to see now that the plc is dead that buyers are interested and can effectively take over the club relatively easily. While you had a ***** like Lowe having a major stakeholding takeover of the plc was all but impossible.

Good post. It is something that happens more and more the lower down the league ladder you go. You will see more of it when we are in Division 3 next season (or Division 4 or the Wessex League wherever we end up). Prem teams get very little of this, and it is something we have got used to not having thankfully with all our years in the top flight. But don't get conned into thinking this was all Charlton's fault. I was in the Itchen/Northam corner, and there were a few so-called Saints fans who were busting for a chance to get at them. But in general it was all good natured.

What authority does Lowe have to speak about anything now. He definitely should shut up and make himself invisible at the moment. Nothing he does now helps SFC, and only makes himself more of a clown than he already is. How come the Administrator did not slap a gagging order on him, like Lowe has done with anyone in the past that disagrees with his POV?

If you could explain exactly how Leon could have done this, it would make your argument better. We were a plc, Lowe was unfortunately a major shareholder (with his cronies bigger than Leon), if Lowe won't sell then how the **** does Leon make sure he does not come back. That was the major problem with the plc, and now thank goodness that albatross has been taken away and we can get back to being a football club again. Leon is the only one who has actually invested personally in the Club and continues to provide income to the Club through his sponsorship and his personal donations (statue). He has more right than most to still be involved. I am not a great fan of his but we need someone to work with the Admins and at the moment Leon is best placed to do so.

There are a lot of folks on the Echo site who clearly cannot read (let alone appreciate good art). No-one is suggesting selling off all of the works of art, there are evidently 3500 items in the collection, and only 200 can be on display at any time. A few pieces to raise some cash to help the Club would not go amiss, after all the works of art are owned by the Council tax players of Southampton, and as a significant proprotion are also football club supporters there is no reason why a small portion could not be hived off. Indeed in many cases purchasers would loan back the art work to the gallery anyway. We could also donate a surplus picture of a train to help fill the gallery in future, may be a good investment for the future. As council tax players in the City, some of you should be asking why it is that the Council has such a large collection effectively gathering dust when the sale of some pieces could helpr reduce your council tax.

Have we paid him that much?

I thought it was Burley who was buying the rounds. I thought it was shocking for Burley to have the nerve to suspend players for drinking. Pot, kettle and black spring to mind.

Manji, in that case you must be somewhat hard of hearing. I was there yesterday and the applause was loud and clear after Crouch's speech, before Lawrie got started and afterwards. Lawrie's speech itself was drowned out by the Charlton fans chanting, so I have no idea what he said, but it left me in no doubt of the affection these two are held in at St Marys, which is what counts. Unfortunately there are a small minority on here who think otherwise, but fortunately that doesn't count for much in the real world outside of cyber space. I am actually quite pleased you found someone who doesn't know who Crouch was, thats how it should be with FC Chairmen, not like the loathed smug git who we have finally now got shot off, who was on a personal glory trip.

Lallana played for the u21s in November, long after Pearson was replaced by the Dutch amateurs.

Who, where, how? Wotte has not really done much better than JP, he was fortunate that things came together for 3 games, but since then really it has been downhill all the way...