Channon's Sideburns

DK sounded kind of disappointed that Big Dave didn't vent his spleen over the Boardroom shenanigans...was he expecting him to?? I have no doubt he has been leant on (whether by RL or Radio Hants) between this interview being booked and broadcast.

Keegan's Disallowed goal against Man U!!! Horne v Bolton... Danny Wallace's overhead kick v Liverpool Micky C's wonder goal v Liverpool (the one with about 15 passes)

Yep, Charlie you have a point.... Ken Bates....bought up Leeds for a song when they went into Admin didn't he????? On any other event, we would no longer get covered as we are in CCC...we have to do something which highlights how our club is being slowly killed off... Dramatic? I'd call the Prem to League 1 within 4 seasons reason for concern.

Hehehe...I found that one too....!

TDD, we need to raise the profile of this club urgently...it can't hurt, I'm not willing to let this club die a quiet death under Lowe and Wilde. We need to show the country that if we go down, we go down fighting (just not amongst each other please...)

Brilliant news!!! Cheers Tim...Lowe and Wilde could do a lot worse than make a big fuss of our Ron and pay for a visit out of their pockets. Give something back for once.

Email your thoughts about Saints and Rupert, Mikey to youreon@skysports.com Let's make the country know what is going on...

You can scroll through the pics from that day's edition online - there is a link on the Echo website to the Photos....

Count me in!!

Question is....HOW MUCH IS THIS GUY BEING PAID???

Hmmm...watered down opinion definitely... Danny Kelly doesn't seem to like old Rupey eh...no wonder.

Leon has more than 2 million in the bank. When LPE was part of a management buyout, he made millions.

Hate to say 'I told you so'... We said this was Lowe's plan all along. COME ON LEON - SAVE US.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yH04i4eTrJk Here we go Mikey, a little message for you in song form....listen to the lyrics. Think of it as a message from the fans to you. YOU CAN stop this rubbish now.... You know those balls you showed when you brought Rupey back??? Time to show them.

God I wish we had the ability to change things. Keep the pressure on people, see my thread about Panorama.....

Could we approach the BBC to produce an update of this programme, championing our plight and who ruined our club?? Email panorama@bbc.co.uk folks.... --- SOUTHAMPTON Steve Bradshaw When Southampton Football Club was founded a century ago it’s fans and owners assumed being a director was a labour of love. It’s shares were valued at a nominal pound each, but nobody dreamt they could be a valuable investment. A hundred years on the club was still a private company but as TV and city money flooded into the game and as football clubs began to consider floating on the stock market, the real value of shares in Southampton was harder to estimate. Caption: Steve Bradshaw V/O STILLS SEQUENCE In the nineties the directors of Southampton included a close knit group of local businessmen, accountants Guy Askham and Mike Richards, builder Brian Hunt and solicitors Ian Gordan and Keith Wiseman, all these directors held shares in the club and were happy to obtain more, even though they insisted the shares should still only be valued at a pound each. A five percent stake in the club of two thousand five hundred shares was held by George Bowyer, in nineteen ninety one he faced bankruptcy. His shares were sold by an insolvency practitioner who ran the club and was told he would only get a pound each for them. Mr Bowyer had thought they were worth much more, the shares were bought by Andrew Hill, senior partner in a Southampton property company. Caption: George Bowyer GEORGE BOWYER I do not see that they had to be sold at face value. If that’s the case, then they’re valuing the whole club then at about fifty thousand pounds which is ludicrous in nineteen ninety one. And secondly they did not have to sell them to Mr Andrew Hill, I mean my family could have bought them in or what have you. Steve Bradshaw But Mr Hill didn’t hold on to George Bowyer’s shares. George Bowyer I then learned that Mr Hill then sells that pocket of two thousand five hundred shares to five directors, they being Mr Askham, Mr Richards, Mr Wiseman, Mr Gordan and Mr Hunt who each bought five hundred shares for five hundred pounds and I seriously believe that they knew that they were getting shares at a ludicrously cheap price. Steve Bradshaw Early this year the Club floated on the stock market by the unusual device of merging with a retirement home company. Each of the Southampton Directors’ one pound shares were turned into three hundred and twenty in the larger company, the share price increased to one pound fifty when it floated. Caption: SKILLS SEQUENCE Steve Bradshaw V/O The value of the director’s holdings had soared. Mr Askham’s original three thousand five hundred pound stake increased to one and a half million pounds. Mr Richards two thousand six hundred and fifty pound stake to just over a million pounds. And Mr Gordan’s, and Mr Hunt’s and Mr Wiseman’s by the same amount. Together they had bought their one quarter stake for little more than fourteen thousand pounds, it was now worth over six million pounds. Although they argue the value of shares has since fallen and there are restrictions on when directors can sell. Caption: Guy Askham GUY ASKHAM I would point out that I can’t sell the shares for a Director, Southampton FC, ... period of up to six years and therefore it’s a long time ...1971-97 away before I can ever take the cash. South Today Presenter But still I mean it’s still worth a lot when you finally do, you’ve got to admit a lot more than you put in. Caption: BBC South Today’ Guy Askham 21st February 1997 Yes it is, and there’s no way of denying that and I would not deny it, it’s not what I wanted to achieve, what we’re trying to achieve is taking this club forward. Steve Bradshaw But the Club’s manager complained that while the directors had made big fortunes, Southampton’s new chairman had released too little money to spend on players. In June Mr Souness resigned. Caption: Graeme Souness Graem Souness I would found it impossible to work with the people 2nd June 1997 who are now in charge of the club and that’s the bottom line. They see the future very differently to the way I see it. Steve Bradshaw One of the Southampton directors who profited was Keith Wiseman, Mr Wiseman is also chairman of the Football Association, whose own rules were so simply and legally bypassed. Caption: Richard Chorley RICHARD CHORLEY I think the most worrying element of this whole sad Southampton Independent story is the fact that Keith Wiseman, the Chairman of Supporters Association the FA is a director of Southampton Football Club. Now for a massive investment of two thousand pounds in all of his years as a director, that man then sees hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds of profit when the club is floated, if people who run the FA and those type of authorities. If those top people can indulge in exercises like this I think that’s very worrying for the future of football.

Hi guys, Just to let you know that I have received a response from Mick Dennis following the email yesterday. I won't repeat it word for word here for obvious reasons, but below is a few points for us.. 1. He appreciates that we have been grievously mismanaged over a number of years. 2. He holds no brief for Lowe...make of that what you will, but it reads to me that he's not too keen on him.. 3. He sees similarities between us and his team Norwich. 4. He has stated to me that he does not blame solely the fans for the lower attendances, however wonders if results may have been better if we had a full St Marys. He is shocked by how quickly attendances have fallen....hmmm we're not!! The comparison with Norwich is a good example. Apparently Norwich sell all of their season tickets, and continue to enjoy large crowds. Something about unity behind those in charge I wonder???!! I have responded, pointing out that it is probably contributed to by the fact that Wynn Jones and Delia are SUPPORTERS AND HAVE PUT THEIR OWN MONEY INTO THE CLUB. I have also pointed out that the PLC status of this club is what is killing us. --- Overall, he had the decency to reply and explain his comments - I have requested that he highlight our current plight if possible.

Hmmmm... 'I wouldn't say it was a mistake appointing Stuart Gray' ??????????!!!???????? Course not, because who decided who was appointed after it's gone wrong??? The Board. When things go right, it's never the 'board's decision' then is it? BTW The 'up' stopped when Rupert denied Strachan the opportunity to sign better players like Malbranque and Saha.

Hmmm....history repeating...????

To be honest, after today's crock of sh1te, Wilde also needs to add WHY we are persisting with Poortvliet to his list. Come on Mike, tell us why he is the best man for the job....

Just recieved a response from Bill Bradshaw (Sports Editor) sympathising with our current plight. The email is being forwarded to Mick Dennis.

One word accurately describes this club at the moment.....CLUELESS. Appointing a 'coach' with no experience at this level...CLUELESS Bringing in people from Pompey to act as stewards...CLUELESS Blooding too many youngsters too soon, therefore ballsing up their careers...CLUELESS Creating a marriage of convenience within the Boardroom....CLUELESS Alienating the fans by removing a picture of the only manager who has actually WON SOMETHING for this club.....CLUELESS Choosing to 'Take a Break' instead of attending one of the most important games of the season.....CLUELESS Disregarding all popular opinion to improve attendances by dropping prices for kids (the ****ing future of this club)....CLUELESS Purposely aggravating attendees at the AGM....CLUELESS Sticking with a Coach who has no idea what is needed to survive....CLUELESS. BRING IN MR TUMBLE....HE COULDN'T BE ANY BLOODY WORSE.

I just don't like cheap shots at this club - he could have actually composed a piece which showed all sides of the situation. Instead it was the easy route blaming us - does he know Charlie Sale I wonder? Or was it one of Lowe's cronies trying to get their PR in before us??

Haven't been a student for 17 years Joe... Time it took to compose - 5 minutes; Motivation - 29 years of support for my team having seen it almost run into the ground over a period of 12 years. Also, some of the journos absolutely LOVED IT (in a Keegan Styleee) when we got relegated - because we were always viewed as a small club that didn't deserve to share a pitch with the likes of Man U and the Arse. They got what they wished...has the Prem improved since??? Debatable. There aren't many teams there now who could turn over the big boys like we used to.

Yes Frank, but that increase in attendance was mainly Plastic Mancs who have never even been to Manchester. Even if it wasn't for that reason, it should indicate just what has been lost since relegation - which is the single biggest contributor to our downfall. No-one can rewrite that and spin it any other way. And for a Commercial Concern to ignore it's customer base by alienating it's main source of income is commercial and business suicide. See how the blame only needs to be upwards???? Show me examples of Lowe, Wilde et al ACTUALLY PAYING FOR ANYTHING WHILST ON THE PREMISES AND WE'LL SEE WHO IS TO BLAME.