NSS

LOL, you can talk Linny! I seem to remember you have a strange fetish for smearing your head with beeswax (whilst travelling at 30mph on a bike!)

No, I know it's not your style John, but I was in fact referring the following post from your "Don't Bother to Read the Echo Today" thread, and I quote.... Don't worry about the apology now though, nor indeed when the cheque is handed over. I'll settle for a pint or three sometime though. Mine's an HSB please

Perhaps he's too busy drafting the grovelling apology he promised

LOL! Of course he is. Hadn't you guessed? All those "potless insurance salesman" quotes were just a smokescreen to put you all off of the scent. Why do you think he has been so quiet since Friday's news. He's just trying to protect his anonimity. Come on John, spill the beans. Your cover has been blown

Just been having a quick beer with Tony. I think it fair to say that the obvious strain that he's been under for the last several weeks has been replaced this evening by a contented smile.

Okay, not a done deal just yet, but I hope now that some of you who've been doubting Tony Lynam's ability to pull a deal together will give him due credit for the incredible efforts he's been exerting in order to rescue your club. Frankly, I think some of you owe him and his team an apology for some of the less than savoury comments that have been made on this forum.

And if you took the trouble to check your facts first, you'd find that ticket prices have been lowered at Man City since their takeover, which suggests that Arabian businessmen appreciate that it's better to sell 30,000 tickets at £25 each than 20,000 tickets at £30 each. BTW, my season ticket for next season has cost me £575.

Just a point to bear in mind regarding respective attendances. Pompey's gates did indeed at times dip well below 10k. I know because I was often among those crowds, though I'll readily admit not for every game. However, you need to consider the fact that Pompey had spent decades in a relative football wilderness. Kids in Pompey grew up watching Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and the like on Match of the Day, not Pompey at Fratton Park. In fact, on an average Sunday afternoon on Southsea Common you'd probably see more kids wearing replica shirts of those clubs than of their home city's team. Conversely, you enjoyed decades in the top flight, filling the Dell and, for a while, St Mary's, so whilst crowd numbers have dipped dramatically in the last two seasons, they've fallen from a high achieved on the back of all those years of relative success. If you continue languish in the lower leagues for another 10 or 15 years (and at present I guess some of you would actually welcome that prospect compared to the darkest alternative) then attendances will continue to fall. Sure, if you have a good season chasing promotion then they'll rise a bit again but, believe me, if you're in league 1 or even the championship in 15 years time then your crowds will be half what they were this past season. Why? Well quite simply because all bar the most die-hard Saints fans will be far less interested in attending matches, and the next generations of Southampton kids will be wearing Man Utd, Chelsea, etc. shirts when they wander around West Quay or Ikea rather than the red & white stripes. In the meantime, the kids of Portsmouth now wear the latest replica Pompey shirts with pride, and if Dr Al-Fahim should build a 35,000 seater stadium, with decent access and sensible ticket prices, and Pompey remain in the top flight, then in years to come it'll be full, or close to, for many games (though probably not for the likes of Wigan, Burnley or Hull). It may be a tale of two cities, but the story is still being written.

Have you not considered the possibility that Pinnacle may have brought new bidders to the table? I'm not saying they have, but there is of course an Irish connection. Sorry, just thinking out loud, and quite likely I'm completely wrong, so probably best just to ignore my conjecture.

Morning FC. As you acknowledge that I'm 'rational', why on earth would I even consider doing anything so 'irrational' as to leave my beloved Fratton Park - which I've been worshipping at for 42 years and where I shall again be enjoying Premier League football next season - in order to watch, at best, 3rd division football? PS> Did you you get my email last week Frank or have you changed your addy?

No, haven't spoken to him today, and my post is based purely upon my reading of the statement from Mr Fry on the OS and the piece that Solent broadcast yesterday. My point was that you're all so close and (understandably) emotionally involved in the whole situation that it may be difficult for any of you to be objective about what you see/hear/read. I don't have that emotional attachment so perhaps I read things with a different perspective and, as such, form a more rational opinion of what may actually be meant by such statements. But, as I said, I could be completely wrong.

I think perhaps you're all so stressed that you're starting to read everything with an unhealthy degree of scepticism. If you analyse the statement by Mr Fry, and add it to the Solent broadcast of their 'interview' with Tony Lynam, I'd say the picture is perhaps brighter than you're painting it. The key words in Mr Fry's statement on the OS are "not yet" satisfied the conditions for Exclusivity, and "currently" not progressed to contract negotiations. Whilst it may well be that Mr Fry is now revisiting the viability of other potential bidders, it seems pretty clear to me from that statement that he has not lost hope of the Pinnacle led bid progressing, and if he was prepared to sign an Exclusivity Agreement with them then surely it was because he believed their 'bid' offered the best chance of securing a sale that would be acceptable to the creditors. I think I'm right in saying that Tony Lynam stated in that Solent piece that two of the backers had walked away from the negotiations when they saw the full extent of the finances required (and I understood that to mean the money perceived to be needed to take the club forward, not just to buy it). However, Mr Fry's statement implied that they are still talking, which would in turn imply that the remaining money men are still intent on reachng a deal (why otherwise would they continue to talk?). If so, then it stands to reason that any remaining backers may have had to redo their sums based upon the loss of any input from those that withdrew. They may also have to make additional arrangements to access funds which would not now be forthcoming from those that walked away. It doesn't matter how rich someone is, putting your hands on cash of the amounts involved here takes more than a visit to the nearest ATM! So, I think Stanley's earlier post in this thread about 'Patience' being the key word is probably the wisest comment I've read today, and one the rest of you would do well to take heed of (however difficult that may be to do!). Of course, it may still all fall apart, in which case if my reading of the situation is anywhere near the truth then you really could be up **** creek without a paddle.

I doubt very much whether that had reassured you, John, as you had apparently always known better. It was however passed on in good faith as, at the time, that is what I was hearing on the grapevine. Of course, if I'd spoken directly to Tony Lynam I may have heard something different, but I believe he was, at that precise moment, still busily trying to save SFC and so would have had better things to do than to confide in me. Shame to waste my 3rd and final allowed post today in a petty conversation about such matters. I had planned to save it in the hope of being able to post my congratulations in the event of a deal being announced later today (irrespective of with whom). Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

John, I never gave any reassurance about the 'Pinnacle' bid, I merely suggested that Tony Lynam was busting his gut to make a deal happen, and so far as I know that is still the case. Pure speculation on my part, but if (as has been reported) Mr Fry has been in detailed discussion with/via Pinnacle now for several days without a deal being concluded, but (again as reported) Mr Fry thinks that a deal for the sale of SFC is now unlikely, it would seem plausible to me that the Pinnacle offer (if indeed a formal offer has actually been made) was in the Administrator's opinion the only one that offered the possibility of an acceptable deal to the creditors. Perhaps (more speculation), Mr Fry had been given a bottom line figure that the creditors will not go below, and believing that Pinnacle's position was the closest to that he has been endeavouring to persuade them and their backers that such a figure still represents value for money. Perhaps (still speculating), they have not been persuaded that this is the case. Of course, if no deal is secured you'll at least be able to take credit for suggesting they were never serious contenders, though I'd be inclined to think that a hollow 'victory' if such an outcome leaves you with no club to support (though I'm sure you'd be most welcome as a STH at Fratton Park next season.

I don't wish to be the bearer of more bad news, but I've drove past St Mary's about 20 minutes ago and there were a large number of fire engines parked outside the stadium. I'll resist the temptation to make any jokes.

To answer the question in a single word, probably. Yes we do have a far greater debt than Saints had. Yes we may well be relegated at the end of next season. And yes, if we do go down then I can see us freefalling into a financial abyss. However, as Graffito says, the fact that we are in the Prem for another year does give us some hope of finding a buyer, or at least a fresh investment injection, before the trapdoor opens. Of course, you could argue but for the credit crunch, which has apparently left our owner strapped for cash, that our finances would be far less precarious. However, the reality is that we'll probably have to sell some of our best players in the summer in an effort to balance the books, and without the likes of Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch, Sylvan Distin or Niko Krankjar, we could even challenge Derby's record low points total (which I'm sure you'd all enjoy). But let me make one thing absolutely clear. Not every Pompey fan is extracting the urine at your current predicament. Those of us that have supported our club for long enough remeber the SOS Pompey campaign in the 70's. You're nt the first fans to put your change in a bucket in an attempt to keep your club afloat you know. More recently we were days away from liquidation, days away from ceasing to exist. It's not a nice feeling. In fact, it's so not a nice feeling that some of from the blue end of the M27 wouldn't wish it on the fans of any club - not even Saints. Am I enjoying seeing my team as top dos in Hampshire for a few seasons? - Yes I am. Am I enjoying seeing your club teetering on the brink? - No I'm not, because I know what it feels like, and I can only hope that I never have to feel those feelings again. IN MY WAY - Glad to see there are some Saints fans with a bit of class. STANLEY - Fratton Park may be a s**thole, but it's our s**thole and it is an asset worth several million (if only to Tesco as a building site). St Mary's is a far better stadium, but it's probably much of the reason your club is in the position it is now in.

No offence taken S_S. Take it as you feel is appropriate, but it is passed on in good faith. Has apparently been a longer day than anyone expected.

Be patient my little stripey friends. It'll happen tomorrow.... ..... or at least that's what I'm hearing.

Completely agree with you up to that point Ron. Anything beyond that though is indeed speculation.

And that's how it should be WT. We're rivals, not enemies. And that I guess is my 3rd and final allowed post until late tomorrow afternoon. PS> Damers - Yep, that's what I've been told too. Cheers!

Whilst I understand your reluctance to believe, try to put yourself in my shoes for a minute. I've been a Pompey fan for over 40 years and long-term ST Holder. I've suffered the bad times (and there have been plenty), and I've enjoyed the good times (particularly recently), but in all that 40+ years I've never been privvy to inside info about my club. So, imagine my frustration at having, for the first time in my life, at least some (albeit limited) knowledge of such matters - and for that knowledge not to be about my own club, but yours. Bl**dy typical!

Afternoon all. One of the 'Blue Few' here again. Sorry I couldn't reply to posts yesterday afternoon but it seems I'm only allowed 3 posts per 24 hours (and no, I'm not about to 'subcribe' to your forum, as lively as it seems to be). Hi to Easty, Frank's Cousin, GM and Lindford. I trust you are all well. As I tried to say yesterday, I don't know the details of any potential bid from those represented by Tony Lynam/Pinnacle, nor do I know who they are acting on behalf of, but I do know that it would not be TL/Pinnacle putting up the money (as has been made clear all along). However, I think it unfortunate that any Saints fans would choose to rubbish them, or insinuate that he/they are unlikely to know anyone with sufficient funds to properly finance a deal for the club. Anyway, all I suggested yesterday was that they, as I'm sure is the case with other potential bidders (who it seems have also been ridiculed by some), have been working very hard to secure a future for your club. Whether they or any of the others parties working toward that goal are ultimately successful remains to be seen, but for your sakes I hope one of them is. If that happens to be the group represented by Pinnacle then I for one will be very pleased for Tony Lynam as he will have earned whatever fee those he's representing choose to pay him - and some on this forum will have earned a very large slice of Humble Pie. Whichever group is ultimately successful (assuming any is), I hope all those who are trying to save your club will have earned the respect of the Saints fans. You never know, you may need to call on their support again in the future. On that note, I'll clear off back where I belong. Good luck! PUP PPU

No, he's not. But it wouldn't be him buying the club anyway so what does it matter?