Freddy Shepherd ?

[bridge too far]

The whole world of football will implode in much the same way as the so-called free market economy is doing right now.

 

No-one's going to lend anyone money to buy a football club, fans will stop going to matches because of the state of the global economy.

 

We're doomed I tell 'ee - doomed

[Legod Second Coming]

I dont have all the answers mate.

 

All im saying is that SFC needs cash, and I dont care where it comes from.

 

Thats all

 

Gotcha!!

 

Well, my gut feel - FWIW - is actually that all bar four/five clubs will be in our boat within two years...

 

And I'm an optimist!!

[DT]

Gotcha!!

 

Well, my gut feel - FWIW - is actually that all bar four/five clubs will be in our boat within two years...

 

And I'm an optimist!!

Yes, and home taping will kill music.

[Marsdinho]

Gotcha!!

 

Well, my gut feel - FWIW - is actually that all bar four/five clubs will be in our boat within two years...

 

And I'm an optimist!!

 

I sort of hope that you are right

 

Even this lot cant agree on how to sort it out...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2008/09/club_ownership_solving_the_uns.html

[Legod Second Coming]

Yes, and home taping will kill music.

 

Not suggested by me, but I'm fairly confident the funding involved in music has changed in the past two decades... certainly EMI are not the company they were then - having been sold to private equity...

[Thedelldays]

The whole world of football will implode in much the same way as the so-called free market economy is doing right now.

 

No-one's going to lend anyone money to buy a football club, fans will stop going to matches because of the state of the global economy.

 

We're doomed I tell 'ee - doomed

why?

 

as we are not in the prem and missing out big time...?

 

just as much as having the european super league...not happened yet and probably wont..

[spain saint]

I would sell the club and my soul to the devil if it meant a big injection of cash and Lowe to **** off back under his rock!!! :smt077

[bridge too far]

why?

 

as we are not in the prem and missing out big time...?

 

just as much as having the european super league...not happened yet and probably wont..

 

For all the reasons I said!

 

If the Premier League goes belly up and, for example, football clubs lose their attendances and Sky loses its customers and can't pay mega bucks to Premier clubs and shirt sponsors go bust then this will trickle down to all levels.

 

I like to look on the dark side (RIP Richard Wright) so that I'm pleasantly surprised if things turn out not so bad

[Gorgiesaint]

Funnily enough we are using the same system as Arsenal on a smaller scale so I would say there is a model we can follow.

 

The alternative is what??

 

Wander around Wall Street or Dubai City with a bucket and a prayer??

 

I love all this: "we need an investor" approach.

 

Well from where??

 

Has anyone else noticed the world's fourth largest investment bank going bust today??

 

And these guys like Fulthorpe? All talk and no action because there is simply no way to raise the finance any more.

 

So we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. At least we're trying to build a team for the future. It might fail. Well spunking £7million on Burley did a great deal of good too...

 

Agreed - the club has to be made sustainable for the future.

 

Now if only the £26m of parachute payments had been invested by clearing our debts on the stadium & with a tidy up of the wages, we would have had....

 

...oh yes, a club with a structure that could have been sustainable at this level & allowed us to build back up gradually.

[Legod Second Coming]

Agreed - the club has to be made sustainable for the future.

 

Now if only the £26m of parachute payments had been invested by clearing our debts on the stadium & with a tidy up of the wages, we would have had....

 

...oh yes, a club with a structure that could have been sustainable at this level & allowed us to build back up gradually.

 

 

Hmm. Why didn't the incumbent management think of that...

[John B]

Agreed - the club has to be made sustainable for the future.

 

Now if only the £26m of parachute payments had been invested by clearing our debts on the stadium & with a tidy up of the wages, we would have had....

 

...oh yes, a club with a structure that could have been sustainable at this level & allowed us to build back up gradually.

 

Yes two good posts

 

I think we need to be patient as we do have a realistic plan

[saintwarwick]

Agreed - the club has to be made sustainable for the future.

 

Now if only the £26m of parachute payments had been invested by clearing our debts on the stadium & with a tidy up of the wages, we would have had....

 

...oh yes, a club with a structure that could have been sustainable at this level & allowed us to build back up gradually.

 

But we only received £13million in parachute payments.

[Gorgiesaint]

But we only received £13million in parachute payments.

 

I stand corrected - however the point is the same.

 

£13m towards what is a £20m debt (again may be wrong on the figure) would have given us significant cost reductions immediately.

[Thedelldays]

I stand corrected - however the point is the same.

 

£13m towards what is a £20m debt (again may be wrong on the figure) would have given us significant cost reductions immediately.

didnt lowe do something like this by giving arry 90k for fuller??

 

look at the crap he got for that...

[aintforever]

I stand corrected - however the point is the same.

 

£13m towards what is a £20m debt (again may be wrong on the figure) would have given us significant cost reductions immediately.

 

And we woud probably be in League 1.

[Delmary]

Portsmouth could soon be in big trouble if this article is true. Just goes to show that selling SFC to anyone with money is not the answer:

 

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-1056099/Arcadi-Gaydamak-reveals-Im-real-owner-Portsmouth.html?ITO=1490

[simo]

Portsmouth could soon be in big trouble if this article is true. Just goes to show that selling SFC to anyone with money is not the answer:

 

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-1056099/Arcadi-Gaydamak-reveals-Im-real-owner-Portsmouth.html?ITO=1490

 

Big lol!

[Pompeyh8r]

Heard him on Talksport this morning, I think his heart still lies with the Geordies, and he even quoted 'Never say Never' when asked if he was likely to return to the Mags!

[aintforever]

Portsmouth could soon be in big trouble if this article is true. Just goes to show that selling SFC to anyone with money is not the answer:

 

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-1056099/Arcadi-Gaydamak-reveals-Im-real-owner-Portsmouth.html?ITO=1490

 

It will be great WHEN their house of cards goes tumbling down, that Gaydamak would not think twice about selling them down the river.

 

BUT it is certainly not a warning about selling off the club, at the worst they will just be back to where they were when Madric bought them, they were skint and had nothing to lose anyway.

 

I would certainly rather have a dodgy rich owner who could pull the plug at any minute than just be eternally rubbish and skint. Without a rich backer you are, and can achieve nothing nowadays.

[Legod Second Coming]

It will be great WHEN their house of cards goes tumbling down, that Gaydamak would not think twice about selling them down the river.

 

BUT it is certainly not a warning about selling off the club, at the worst they will just be back to where they were when Madric bought them, they were skint and had nothing to lose anyway.

 

I would certainly rather have a dodgy rich owner who could pull the plug at any minute than just be eternally rubbish and skint. Without a rich baker you are, and can achieve nothing nowadays.

 

I've no idea what Bristol City's financial position is? Or Swansea?

 

Lack of money prevents you winning the Premiership, that's all.

 

Teams win football matches, not bank notes.

 

And who knows, we might have bought an Anelka - cost Wenger £250k, sold him for £22m.

 

Which helped Arsenal a lot.

 

We cannot simply keep banging on about a rich backer. Why oh why oh why would ANYONE want to buy us??

 

15k fans who bother to turn up and a bunch of moaning feckers who don't. About as appealing as life in Alpine's cellar...

[aintforever]

I've no idea what Bristol City's financial position is? Or Swansea?

 

The fact that you use Bristol City and Swansea to illustrate success more than proves my point. They are probably two clubs of similar size as portsmouth - but without a mega rich backer. Both these clubs who are both over achieving probably will be denied a place in the Prem by a worse run club that has a backer or a ton of Sky's parachute money.

 

Without serious money there will always be a limit to what we can achieve.

[Legod Second Coming]

The fact that you use Bristol City and Swansea to illustrate success more than proves my point. They are probably two clubs of similar size as portsmouth - but without a mega rich backer. Both these clubs who are both over achieving probably will be denied a place in the Prem by a worse run club that has a backer or a ton of Sky's parachute money.

 

Without serious money there will always be a limit to what we can achieve.

 

We could still get promoted from this league without money, I'm sure of that. No-one will buy us, I'm sure of that too.

[Fan The Flames]

It will be great WHEN their house of cards goes tumbling down, that Gaydamak would not think twice about selling them down the river.

 

BUT it is certainly not a warning about selling off the club, at the worst they will just be back to where they were when Madric bought them, they were skint and had nothing to lose anyway.

 

I would certainly rather have a dodgy rich owner who could pull the plug at any minute than just be eternally rubbish and skint. Without a rich backer you are, and can achieve nothing nowadays.

 

Exactly, if it did all finish I doubt any of the blue few would regret it ever happening in the first place. A final, some great players, some good football, a few years in the top flight and beating their bigger and classier neighbours. As opposed to fiddling around trying to find a formula that might get them to compete in the second division.

Edited 15 September, 2008 by Fan The Flames

[Legod Second Coming]

Exactly, if it did all finish I doubt any of the blue few would regret it ever happening in the first place. A final, some great players, some good football, a few years in the top flight and beating their bigger and classier neighbours. As opposed to fiddling around trying to find a formula that might get them to compete in the second division.

 

Err, but we had that didn't we?? So why are we not content now then??

 

Why are we hankering like some kiddy in the toy-shop after something we've been told we can't have??

[Fan The Flames]

Err, but we had that didn't we?? So why are we not content now then??

Why are we hankering like some kiddy in the toy-shop after something we've been told we can't have??

 

We are not content now because yes we had that and want it again. Rightly so, its all most of us have known and I want us to play in the top flight again. Do you think if Pompey go into meltdown their fans will be content going back to how it was, no they will be desire to get back up there again.

 

I can’t believe you are asking the second question, we love the Saints and for most people that means they want to see them competing at the highest level. For all the faults of the premiership and English football in general I want Southampton, our city to be represented at the highest level possible.

 

There’s a few on here that would prefer to see the Saints out of the nonsense that is the premier league and acting like a small club, playing local lads, developing talent being a decent sincere side. That’s fine if that what you want, others want something else.

 

The financial framework of English football is crap and I would prefer it if you could spend a few years building something and slowly climb up the league. But it isn’t like that, so we can sit around hoping football changes or hope we can change. It’s up to the individual what camp they sit in. I know we have little chance of big investment but I am willing to clutch at any straw if it means moving away from dicing with death in the third division.

 

Do you really not think Southampton is better than this?

 

Also investment doesn’t mean selling your soul to the corporate devil, it can mean anything from a few quid from a local business man.

[Legod Second Coming]

 

We are not content now because yes we had that and want it again. Rightly so, its all most of us have known and I want us to play in the top flight again. Do you think if Pompey go into meltdown their fans will be content going back to how it was, no they will be desire to get back up there again.

 

I can’t believe you are asking the second question, we love the Saints and for most people that means they want to see them competing at the highest level. For all the faults of the premiership and English football in general I want Southampton, our city to be represented at the highest level possible.

 

There’s a few on here that would prefer to see the Saints out of the nonsense that is the premier league and acting like a small club, playing local lads, developing talent being a decent sincere side. That’s fine if that what you want, others want something else.

 

The financial framework of English football is crap and I would prefer it if you could spend a few years building something and slowly climb up the league. But it isn’t like that, so we can sit around hoping football changes or hope we can change. It’s up to the individual what camp they sit in. I know we have little chance of big investment but I am willing to clutch at any straw if it means moving away from dicing with death in the third division.

 

Do you really not think Southampton is better than this?

 

Also investment doesn’t mean selling your soul to the corporate devil, it can mean anything from a few quid from a local business man.

 

 

No, I understand where you are coming from of course.

 

But wailing and gnashing of teeth is all very well but it doesn't deliver us any closer to the investment that either will or will not materialise.

 

I make no bones about my preference to see us build something that becomes sustainable - along the way we will lose players of talent and calibre, just as we did in the top-flight, just as we did when Steve Williams went to Arsenal, becase we will never be considered a 'big club' in my lifetime. But I don't believe that need necessarily plummet us into relegation - it hasn't for Bristol City, Forest, Swansea... it simply takes time and commitment to a long-term plan.

 

If investment comes, it comes. And as you say, it could come in any form. Now, it would help stabalise the club - for sure. And then what would it do? Be used to what? Oust a manager who finally seems to have a connection with a large number of fans? Replace players who are finally giving their all for the team and their club - some for the club they support, many for the club that they call 'home'?

 

It reminds me of an African story about the farmer who searches far and wide for riches only to find that if he'd bothered to plough the fields on his farm, he would have found diamonds buried there.