The Dogman Of Bassett

I think it is a 'sticky' on a Saints site because if you look at the names involved (Channon / Le Tissier / Beattie / Dodd / Benali / Lundekvam etc) it is very much Saints related. There are currently no good players playing for Southampton (Kelvin Davis aside), how many of the current crop would have played alongside Channon or Le Tiss? Those of us who remember Dave when he played for Saints remember a promising young player, who represented England Youth and Wales U-21. He had a bad run of injuries and had to retire early from the professional game. Instead of walking away from football as so many do, rather he got stuck into the non-league game with Eastleigh, and has played a huge part in them getting to where they are today. Maybe ask Channon, Le Tiss or even Bruce Grobbelaar (who is flying in from far away) exactly why they are turning up to play? None of them are getting paid for giving up their day, and current pros James Beattie and Matthew Oakley are turning out at vitally important times for their current respective football clubs. I think the line up speaks volumes for the respect current and ex pros have for Dave, what we would give for a few of those names to be pulling on the red and white shirt now. At £5 a head, which is a lot less than you would pay to see Eastleigh play a league game and about £20 less than what you pay to watch the current bunch of **** kickers at SMS, it is real value for money. Under 12's go free and there is a real emphasis on it being a family day out. I doubt Dave is earning much out of it; there will be a bunch of costs involved and I wouldn't expect more than a couple of thousand to be there. Above all it is a chance for many of us to take a step down memory lane and see some of our old favourites, which my friend is possibly why the Mods have made this a sticky...

Get over it! Jeez, move on.

What a load of rubbish. I hate Lowe and Wilde with a passion, but selling those two players would merely have bought the club time as it is plain for all to see that Administration was inevitable. Only a fool would suggest otherwise. I think if there were any bids for those two players they would have been sold, but the scouts and 'real' football people would have seen those two players for what they are: barely average. Hence why they were not sold! I think you will find Administration will be the saviour of SFC.

Big tough guy. Were you picked on at school? Jeez, was your post an attempt at humour? Jog on....

Years ago I read in Who's Who that one of Gavyn Davies lifetime ambitions was to be Chairman of SFC. He is still a Season Ticket holder I believe, although he doesn't attend games. His Mum lives/lived in Bitterne Park also. The reason he has laid low (sic) is because of his severe disliking of Rupert Lowe. Was it not Davies consortium who were in the running before the debacle that saw the reverse takeover? I remember reading he would never put cash into Lowes pocket, which makes sense as to why he never mounted a bid whilst Lowe was still a shareholder.

Ha, I think you'll find one of my first posts was to advise you all that Woggy had been sacked.

No, I believe after 26th we would get a points deduction next season. The obvious gamble with Administration AFTER the 26th is we have to stay up this season, or it will backfire tremendously. I can see the logic though; have a crack at next season in the Championship starting from minus whatever, but getting bigger crowds than League 1, being able to charge more on the door and receiving a bigger (prize money) cheque than say Swindon or Carlisle will for all their trouble. Plus, interestingly, if we go into Administration now it is a lot harder to sell a League 1 club then it is a Championship club. Who is to say the club haven't been advised to wait until after the deadline for points deduction this season? From what my source told me there is a very real possibility of further point deductions because we have financial complications, ie if you owe the Revenue they do not accept CVA's which puts you back in the **** with the FA, who then reward you with further point deductions! At the moment this is gossip, but my source is respected, so we will see. Nice.

Has nobody thought the Board may opt for Administration AFTER the 26th / last Thursday of the month? Spoke to a well connected former player yesterday, announcement expected on Friday. Don't shoot the messenger...

I think you will find when we sell Spiderman / Lalana / Surman in January, that will free up the funds to pay the wages of one of our on loan strikers, who we currently cannot afford.

That is not what I am saying, although the gates will increase when he goes for sure. I speak to many people who are boycotting because of Lowe. When he leaves, a great shadow will be lifted and people will return. But you are right, the only thing that will bring the crowds back is Premiership Football, which as you can clearly see will not be achieved under Lowe's stewardship. One man can change a football club, for better or worse, Harry Redknapp is testimony to that!

So, because I get my tickets for free I am not entitled to an opinion? We live in a democrary pal and my choice is not to support Rupert Lowe. The fanbase is split on this, and that is the side of the fence I am sat on. If you are so concerned about who has access to tickets then petition the football club. Come up with an idea that won't annoy the season ticket holders about how the 20k empty seats every game can be put to better use. Under 16's, people on Income Support and families on low incomes ALL have the right to watch football, but according to SFC not; their price policy alienates anybody but the employed. I know occasionally they write to local football clubs offering 2 adults and 8 kids for £20, but right now that should be for EVERY game, not a select handful of games against crap opposition, ie Nottingham Forest!

Sorry Stanley, but they count all season tickets in 'official' attendance, and as you know a lot of those are staying away. I was there (only because I get free tickets, I won't financially support the football club until Lowe has gone), and I do not believe there were more than 12k.

Bearing in mind there were between 11-12k for Coventry I would guess, with it being a Sky game, 10-11k tomorrow, max.

There were under 12k for the Coventry game. The official attendance figures are compiled by adding the number of season tickets sold to the number of box office tickets sold. For example, if nobody attended the next home game, the official attendance would be the number of season tickets sold. So things are a lot, lot worse then people think.

The one thing that the arrogant fool Lowe never considered was the fans deserting the club. He always believed that no matter what, he would have 20k+ per game and things would just about be ok financially, for this season at least. The recent 14-15k crowds, coupled with Christmas drawing ever closer and the credit crunch biting a bit harder, the prospect of 10-12k home gates over the coming months is a very, very real. I have it on good authority the main creditor (s) is getting VERY twitchy! (That explains today's desperate 'we are doing all we can to reduce overheads guvnor, honest!' last ditch action to appease the real owners of SFC). My gut feeling is we will be incurring a points deduction a lot sooner than many people think.

**** Lowe. Administration, PLEASE! The only way forward. It's bizarre, but I am enjoying watching SFC capitulate.

Believe what you want, I am only repeating a conversation I had with a current first team player. Rudi has always had a problem playing LB, he just got on with it before as he believed it was only temporary. He wanted to leave SFC, of that there is no doubt. It didn't work out, and when JP told him he wanted him LB for the season the toys left the pram. The fact Rudi has not been involved (fitness/injury aside) apart from an appearance on the bench, to me speaks volumes. The player also commented that however well we are doing (sic) come January, there will be a huge knock-back to the team as Lowe is most definitely selling Lalana & Surman. On the positive side of things he did not believe we would be relegated, although it will be "mighty close".

Rudi has thrown his toys out of the pram and is refusing to play LB. I saw an un-named Saints player in the hair dressers last week and he told me. JP wants to play Rudi LB and Surman LM, but Rudi is currently refusing to play. Make of it what you will, straight from the horses mouth.

Everybody knows pre season friendlies are all about fitness and messing around with formations etc, but the point you are missing is the MANNER in which we have played. Take a read of the West Ham thread and you will understand. At least the football club (on the pitch) seems to be moving forward; the back four is looking the best it has for several years, Killer is back, Schneiderlin is mint, and we have options up front. The spine of the team is very strong and all the crap players we have accumulated over the years have been dispatched; many, many reasons to be cheerful my friend!