Did AP know?

[hypochondriac]

I have to say this is nonsense. ML bought the club expecting to see success as owner and chairman. He put Cortese in place as CEO as a man he trusted from their mutual business dealings beforehand where Cortese was a banker.

 

There was no sentiment in that at all. Just an ambition to have the club managed well. To suggest otherwise is plain silly.

 

If it is true that he knew he was dying when he bought the club, then clearly he bought it as something to die before he died. If this was not the case then it does seem a rather odd thing just to suddenly go and purchase considering his background.

[Crab Lungs]

I have to say this is nonsense. ML bought the club expecting to see success as owner and chairman. He put Cortese in place as CEO as a man he trusted from their mutual business dealings beforehand where Cortese was a banker.

 

There was no sentiment in that at all. Just an ambition to have the club managed well. To suggest otherwise is plain silly.

 

Well there is plenty around online suggesting a "Trust Fund" that was set up to ensure his family continued to support SFC.... and some of the papers do allude to this.

 

Irrespective, how are we to know one way or another? Whether it is true, I don't know but if it is, wow. Truly, wow.

[TopGun]

If it is true that he knew he was dying when he bought the club, then clearly he bought it as something to die before he died. If this was not the case then it does seem a rather odd thing just to suddenly go and purchase considering his background.

 

Markus was 60 when he bought the club. Had helped establish a fortune and probably wanted an outlet for his latter day enjoyment. With due respect to Markus he was was not going to hit golf balls with much enthusiasm. I'm sure he wanted to have some fun and satisfation with Saints for a good few years.

[hypochondriac]

Markus was 60 when he bought the club. Had helped establish a fortune and probably wanted an outlet for his latter day enjoyment. With due respect to Markus he was was not going to hit golf balls with much enthusiasm. I'm sure he wanted to have some fun and satisfation with Saints for a good few years.

 

I disagree but it is likely that we will never know.

[hypochondriac]

Markus was 60 when he bought the club. Had helped establish a fortune and probably wanted an outlet for his latter day enjoyment. With due respect to Markus he was was not going to hit golf balls with much enthusiasm. I'm sure he wanted to have some fun and satisfation with Saints for a good few years.

 

I disagree but it is likely that we will never know.

[TopGun]

I disagree but it is likely that we will never know.

 

It's possible he may have made provision for Saints in the event of his impending death, but we don't really know that either. I think he just fancied a bit of fun like any guy with a bit of money and time to watch it happen.

Edited 12 August, 2010 by TopGun

[angelman]

I agree with you TG. You spend all your life working and making a fortune, and then when you get to a certain age, the reality of mortality really strikes you. As they say, you can't take it with you, and as I am sure that his children will be well looked after, then it might well have been an indulgence. Having said that, the club and it's infrastructure are well placed to make someone some money (potentially, if anyone can make money in football).

[Saint_clark]

There was a rumour a few months ago that he had set up a trust fund for the club in the event of his death, and it seemed a little too "nice" to be true. However the notion that he has been ill for sometime would suddenly mean this makes much more sense.

[Matthew Le God]

Jack Walker set up a trust fund for Blackburn when he learned he had cancer. It continued to invest in the club after his death in 2000 and did so for the next 8 years.

[SOTONS EAST SIDE]

I know it maybe early but i really think the fans should push the club , to rename the Itchen stand to THE MARKUS LIEBHERR STAND. A fitting tribute to our already sorely missed saviour!!.

[Bensfcno1]

Think perhaps a stand should be re-named after our great saviour?

[SaintBobby]

There was a rumour a few months ago that he had set up a trust fund for the club in the event of his death, and it seemed a little too "nice" to be true. However the notion that he has been ill for sometime would suddenly mean this makes much more sense.

 

I am quite sure this is true...if not a trust fund, then some other arrangement that is similarly secure and satisfactory.

[Jimmy_D]

http://joe.ie/football/football-news/southampton-chairman-dies-aged-62-004340-1

 

Apparently natural causes then, unless they're just assuming.

[TopGun]

I agree with you TG. You spend all your life working and making a fortune, and then when you get to a certain age, the reality of mortality really strikes you. As they say, you can't take it with you, and as I am sure that his children will be well looked after, then it might well have been an indulgence. Having said that, the club and it's infrastructure are well placed to make someone some money (potentially, if anyone can make money in football).

 

Maybe not just an indulgence either Angelman. I recall reading somewhere that the purchase all out of SFC for £13m was one of the sharpest coups in modern football... compare that to the situation of our friends down the road in terms of assets and infrastructure.

 

I believe it was actually Cortese who raised the plight of SFC with an unknowing ML in the first place at that distressed point. ML said to NC, "go ahead, but you are the fulltime CEO" to which Cortese agreed.

 

It is my belief that that the plan was to inject funds to take Saints back to the Premiership but also leave ML in a position to sell without debt a PL football club for perhaps five times that amount in the coming years with the overall and intervening costs having been offset by eventual profits handsomely.

 

That's the risk project I think ML saw as a businessman with time and capital to spare. Plus a hobby for him also which he could enjoy on the path.

Edited 12 August, 2010 by TopGun
extra thoughts

[thorpie the sinner]

still in a state of shock this morning! It does seem like Markus was enjoying the ride not looking for profit! Lets hope the 'Southampton style' comes through now and we win the league in style for our saviour! RIP to a true gentleman!

[fareham saint phil]

I did find it very strange the huddle at the end of the game, ive never seen us do that before was AP part of that huddle??, also he did seem emotional in his interview after. AP always had a good word for him so it must have shocked him greatly

[Pancake]

Too much conjecture being presented as fact by a few on this thread for my liking. None of us know how long he was ill for, or if he made any provisions for Saints. We don't know if he was ill when he bought us, or if it came one later. Either side Mott be correct and time will tell. Until then, isn't it not best to try not to second guess and get worked up about it.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

I thought he looked ill when he came to the club very jaundiced.

 

He was a total jaundiced. I am so stunned. I just hope that those ficle fans and they know who can retract their very racist comments of late and start to back Nicole

we need him on board other wise the skate ****s will be in the ascendency.

 

Rest in Peace Sir Markus you were a true saint

 

Red army show some respect. A great man has died today

 

VW, At this time, and despite their fans facile & base comments, I'm not worried unduly by their ascendancy. It is only temporary.

 

I get the feeling that Markus, ever the businessman, had taken steps to ensure this club outlived not only him but all us fans.

[dubai_phil]

I know it hasn't been very fashionable on here for a while, but for the time being, I will wait and read what the OS says.

 

This is a different situation to what we have debated before and for once I will take their "First with Saints News" to be the way ahead.

 

Worry and concern is something that we all feel (alongside the grief) but I for one believe that now is the time to wait and trust in the club and whatever Marcus, his family & lawyers have put in place for us.

[oxfordshire_saint]

In response to the OP, it looks fairly certain that AP knew, the MALI website says on their statement that Markus passed away on Monday night.

 

http://www.mali-group.com/en/home/

[Saint_lambden]

AP told the players at Half-time our player told us - was an emotional dressing room to say the least.

 

"Do it for Markus"

 

Was the message.

 

Hence why Pardew was so emotional at the end and the collective celebration for Oxlade's goal.

 

Credit to the players for going through the second half and getting the win after that

[david in sweden]

Maybe it's me but was AP's interview re fans booing related to what's happened? He seemed quite emotional considering we'd won 2-0. Possibly thinking there are more important things than a football game......

RIP Markus

 

Some reports suggest that ML died on Monday evening, in which case it obviously took time for the news to filter through to SFC. In retrospect, NC and AP certainly must have known by 7.45 PM Tuesday but fairly obviously didn't share the news BEFORE the match was played...someone else wrote that NC left the ground immediately after the game....perhaps to travel to Switzerland?

Whatever else, it was a sad day, but if indeed it was Marcus' wish to carry through the Five year plan to the Prem...then I'm sure that NC will honour that , after all he took the deal to Marcus in the first place.

 

Let's hope that this very sad event can galvanise the fan base and we can leave the petty squabbles aside and look forward.

 

Strange that we've had so much negativity recently considering we are one of the few clubs in the Country who don't have huge debts !

[Only1Northam]

Just thinking...what if it was apparent, not to us, that he wasn't going to make it. If you knew, would you still have booed? No judgement, just an open question

[boxosponge]

Just thinking...what if it was apparent, not to us, that he wasn't going to make it. If you knew, would you still have booed? No judgement, just an open question

 

I Didn't, I never have and I never will BOO my team

 

And I have NEVER left the ground before the final whistle either

[Dig Dig]

Just thinking...what if it was apparent, not to us, that he wasn't going to make it. If you knew, would you still have booed? No judgement, just an open question

 

Anyone who booed the team in either game is a disgrace imo.....yes we narrowly lost against Plymouth but the players didn't deserve that on the first game of the season.

[Deppo]

I Didn't, I never have and I never will BOO my team

 

And I have NEVER left the ground before the final whistle either

 

Me neither. Have you ever gone to the toilet when the game has been going on? I haven't, even when I've been really desperate. I once wet myself on a cold Wednesday evening home match in February, but that was partly because I wanted to warm myself up a bit.

[benjii]

The German version of the Mali statement says, I believe, that he died in the night of Monday evening/Tuesday morning. So the first anyone at Saints would have known for sure would have been later on Tuesday.

 

When I watched the Bournemouth highlights for the first time yesterday, I did choke up a bit... this is certainly the saddest I've ever been following a death outside the family.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Me neither. Have you ever gone to the toilet when the game has been going on? I haven't, even when I've been really desperate. I once wet myself on a cold Wednesday evening home match in February, but that was partly because I wanted to warm myself up a bit.

 

I'm the same, I also try not to blink at all during the game, just in case I miss something. The longest I've gone so far is 3 minutes though

[Liquidshokk]

I'm the same' date=' I also try not to blink at all during the game, just in case I miss something. The longest I've gone so far is 3 minutes though [/quote']

 

Never been to toilet during a game, never been to bar during a game. I go into a zone the whole time the game is on :-)

 

Plus I want to get my 27 quids worth ;-)

[kpturner]

I'm the same' date=' I also try not to blink at all during the game, just in case I miss something. The longest I've gone so far is 3 minutes though [/quote']Conversely, I have kept my eyes closed for extremely long periods of time during Saints games and have never yet missed anything of importance. I did, however, miss Stern John's first goal in the last game of the session against Sheff Utd because I dozed off in the sheizenhouser

Edited 13 August, 2010 by kpturner

[Thedelldays]

I played angry birds during a game last season.....

 

I deserve pain for that

[Liquidshokk]

I played angry birds during a game last season.....

 

I deserve pain for that

 

Did you???? must have been a bloomin' borun game....... Although angry birds is good....

[Whitey Grandad]

Me neither. Have you ever gone to the toilet when the game has been going on? I haven't, even when I've been really desperate. I once wet myself on a cold Wednesday evening home match in February, but that was partly because I wanted to warm myself up a bit.

 

I always go to the toilet at half-time but last Saturday I never had the chance. I think that's why we lost. It's lucky we didn't win 9-0 or I would have had to go without a half-time pee for the rest of the season.

[Liquidshokk]

I always go to the toilet at half-time but last Saturday I never had the chance. I think that's why we lost. It's lucky we didn't win 9-0 or I would have had to go without a half-time pee for the rest of the season.

 

and I'm sure as a grandad thats harder than it sounds ;-)

[Deppo]

If AP didn't know before, presumably he does now.

[Thedelldays]

If AP didn't know before, presumably he does now.

 

ok...i LOLd