Some questions answered...

[dune]

Niether did I, but it reafirms my confidence that we will continue to be owned by the Liebherr family.

You can be pretty sure that any daughter would want to see out her fathers wishes in such circumstances.

As Markus was a hands off owner she would presumably carry on that role and let NC oversee the day to day running of the club.

 

Her fathers wish was to see us back in the Premiership.

I would think that is now her wish, for him.

 

I was worried when I thought he had no kids because I felt his relatives wouldn't be so keen to honour his dream.

[ladysaint]

I thought he had a son as well, sure someone who was in Switzerland on preseason tour brought Markus a beer and he said he didnt drink so gave it to his son not that I am advocating that a woman shouldnt own a football club far from it.

[Rogerfryisalegend]

Anyone know why Steve Coppell resigned from Bristol City and retired from management? just speculation on my part, but, maybe hes in the running for a role upstairs here, there were rumours in the past.

[beatlesaint]

I thought he had a son as well, sure someone who was in Switzerland on preseason tour brought Markus a beer and he said he didnt drink so gave it to his son not that I am advocating that a woman shouldnt own a football club far from it.

 

Dont know, we really dont know much at all about this most private of men, yet we owe him so much.

Its the daughter who has taken over the ownership of MALI as per their website so if there is a son then I wonder what he does ?

[beatlesaint]

Anyone know why Steve Coppell resigned from Bristol City and retired from management? just speculation on my part, but, maybe hes in the running for a role upstairs here, there were rumours in the past.

 

 

Doubtful.....its not the first time Coppell has left a club pretty quickly, just ask a Man City fan.

Its all a bit too quick and I dont see why Markus's death would trigger Coppell coming here.

[farawaysaint]

Dont know, we really dont know much at all about this most private of men, yet we owe him so much.

Its the daughter who has taken over the ownership of MALI as per their website so if there is a son then I wonder what he does ?

 

Marcus has a daughter and a son yes, as stated on one of the many newspaper announcements of his death

[Matthew Le God]

Anyone know why Steve Coppell resigned from Bristol City and retired from management? just speculation on my part, but, maybe hes in the running for a role upstairs here, there were rumours in the past.

 

Les Reed is pretty much Director of Football at Saints.

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2025768,00.html

 

No need for Coppell.

[beatlesaint]

Marcus has a daughter and a son yes, as stated on one of the many newspaper announcements of his death

 

Ok, thankyou, I havent seen any newspapers today although I read that even The Sun have put their spat to one side for a while.

[JackFrost]

Doubtful.....its not the first time Coppell has left a club pretty quickly, just ask a Man City fan.

Its all a bit too quick and I dont see why Markus's death would trigger Coppell coming here.

 

Coppell has announced his retirement from football management anyway

[oxfordshire_saint]

Here is the link to the site that this thread is about: http://www.mali-group.com/en/home/

 

Markus appears to be wearing an SFC tie in the picture?

 

100% sure that it's a MALI tie, which would make sense as it's on the MALI site.

 

Although Cortese, I presume, will continue with the day to day business here, overseeing MALI and Saints may be too much for Katharina Liebherr, so perhaps it may be premature to assume we will follow suit with MALI.

[Smirking_Saint]

100% sure that it's a MALI tie, which would make sense as it's on the MALI site.

 

Although Cortese, I presume, will continue with the day to day business here, overseeing MALI and Saints may be too much for Katharina Liebherr, so perhaps it may be premature to assume we will follow suit with MALI.

 

I agree

 

I fully expect it all to come crashing down, as is the Southampton way unfortunately

[oxfordshire_saint]

I agree

 

I fully expect it all to come crashing down, as is the Southampton way unfortunately

 

I was more suggesting that perhaps another one of Markus' offspring may step up, apparently he has a son and a daughter.

 

I'm fairly sure we won't suddenly be up the creek, progression may slow down a bit, but I doubt anything more than that.

 

I'm sure we'll hear more when the decision makers have had time to come to terms with this tragedy.

[Saint_clark]

Southampton was owned by a holding company, not specifically Markus. Does this mean we are actually an asset of the MALI group and the same funds are available to us?

[itchen_dan]

To be perfectly honest, I don't care who owns the club from now on as long as it is owned by a member of the Liebherr family and Markus gets some sort of rememberance recognition at the club.

[LA77]

I fully believe plans would've been in place for when he was eventually not with us anymore. I'm sure he'd love his legacy to live on. I have every faith in our future because of that brilliant man.

[whoateallthepies]

NC has stated in the past that MLs involvement was the only factor in his decision to come to Saints. If that is true then I don't see anything now to hold him and his family here. Personally, on that bais, I would expect him to leave as soon as a new owner is found. As for MLs family, why should they want to same things from life? They may have other ways in which they wish to continue MLs work and that may not include SFC. Maybe nothing will change and everything will carry on as before...but the reality is everything has changed and for me that means a very uncertain season ahead.

[Matthew Le God]

NC has stated in the past that MLs involvement was the only factor in his decision to come to Saints.

 

You have that the wrong way round.

 

If that is true then I don't see anything now to hold him and his family here. Personally, on that bais, I would expect him to leave as soon as a new owner is found. As for MLs family, why should they want to same things from life? They may have other ways in which they wish to continue MLs work and that may not include SFC. Maybe nothing will change and everything will carry on as before...but the reality is everything has changed and for me that means a very uncertain season ahead.

 

This suggests otherwise...

 

From the Saints OS

 

"He would have wanted to be there when the Saints get promotion to the Premier League. The well laid plans for the Club that he and the Executive Chairman had mapped out over a year ago will continue to be implemented uninterrupted and nothing will change in that regard. The Club will ensure that Markus' wishes are carried out in full."

[CanadaSaint]

What wouldn't surprise me at all is if Markus A) left formal provisions for financing aimed at achieving the objective of the five-year plan (i.e., reaching the Premier League - and in strong enough shape to stay there), and B) stipulated that Cortese should receive a minority ownership share.

 

Granted, that's pure speculation on my part, but it would keep Markus's goal in place and ensure the ongoing interest of the man he entrusted to achieve it.

 

If that's true, I think we can count on Cortese's ongoing involvement. And probably a Cortese who's even more determined to succeed than he already was.

[whoateallthepies]

You have that the wrong way round.

 

No, I haven't.There were several interviews last season with NC around the time he was rumoured to be leaving for a job with an Italian club. He made it clear he was at Saints/would stay at Saints because he was lucky to be working with ML...no other factor was as important.

 

This suggests otherwise...

 

From the Saints OS

 

"He would have wanted to be there when the Saints get promotion to the Premier League. The well laid plans for the Club that he and the Executive Chairman had mapped out over a year ago will continue to be implemented uninterrupted and nothing will change in that regard. The Club will ensure that Markus' wishes are carried out in full."

 

I have no doubt that is the sentiment now...I simply don't accept it will necessarily pan out that way.

[Matthew Le God]

I have no doubt that is the sentiment now...I simply don't accept it will necessarily pan out that way.

 

Well if Markus has (as the statement suggests) made a plan for the club with Cortese a year ago then it can't really be changed by him anymore. This plan will be followed through. As CanadaSaint suggests above it is probably structured how much money is made available each year.

[jasoneuelllfanclub]

Wouldn't surprise me on the event of ML death the holding company would be left to NC with a trust fund set up for the holding company i.e football club. NC is the sole director of this company now unless ML's will stated that his share of the company is given to someone else i.e his daughter. We have had no confirmation who is the owner of the holding company now.

[Alain Perrin]

Wouldn't surprise me on the event of ML death the holding company would be left to NC with a trust fund set up for the holding company i.e football club. NC is the sole director of this company now unless ML's will stated that his share of the company is given to someone else i.e his daughter. We have had no confirmation who is the owner of the holding company now.

 

What planet are you on? NC is an employee. The club will remain in the ownership of ML's estate and ultimately transfer to whoever he bequeaths it to. Not being a billionaire I don't know how these things work but I suspect the ownership may transfer to a trust with interests from a number of his family.

[jam]

How was Cortese aware though?

 

I understood Cortese became aware of Southampton when the Paul Allen stories broke. The article linked below states this but also says

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/back_from_the_brink_southampto.html

 

but it wasn't until he received an e-mail in April that he seriously considered the club as an investment.

[hypochondriac]

I understood Cortese became aware of Southampton when the Paul Allen stories broke. The article linked below states this but also says

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/back_from_the_brink_southampto.html

 

Depends who the email was from...

[doddisalegend]

I don't get why people are worried about the future? If Marcus's family decided to sell on SFC we are still in a good postion as long as any new owner isn't a total moron and we live with in our means we will be in good shape as a club. How many clubs in football are debt free, own their own staduim and have gates around 20k a week? not to many. It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL thanks to a wealthy mans money and I can live with that. Marcus's greatest legacy to SFC has already happened he has created a club that owns it's own assets and has no debt meaning this club if run properly has a bright future where in time honoured fashion we can pass our love and passion of SFC onto the next generation of saints fans.

[kpturner]

I don't get why people are worried about the future? If Marcus's family decided to sell on SFC we are still in a good postion as long as any new owner isn't a total moron and we live with in our means we will be in good shape as a club. How many clubs in football are debt free, own their own staduim and have gates around 20k a week? not to many. It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL thanks to a wealthy mans money and I can live with that. Marcus's greatest legacy to SFC has already happened he has created a club that owns it's own assets and has no debt meaning this club if run properly has a bright future where in time honoured fashion we can pass our love and passion of SFC onto the next generation of saints fans.

A very sensible view. However, I find the premise that our natural level is mid-table CCC rather than mid-table EPL too depressing to contemplate.

[Matthew Le God]

It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL

 

Have you seen some of the teams in the bottom half of the Premier League?

[Liquidshokk]

I don't get why people are worried about the future? If Marcus's family decided to sell on SFC we are still in a good postion as long as any new owner isn't a total moron and we live with in our means we will be in good shape as a club. How many clubs in football are debt free, own their own staduim and have gates around 20k a week? not to many. It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL thanks to a wealthy mans money and I can live with that. Marcus's greatest legacy to SFC has already happened he has created a club that owns it's own assets and has no debt meaning this club if run properly has a bright future where in time honoured fashion we can pass our love and passion of SFC onto the next generation of saints fans.

 

Great post I thought, It really wouldn't be the end of the world if we couldn't buy our way into the premier league anymore. It does take something away from the achievement. What he's done already is more than we could ever have asked for at our hour of need last year.

[mattyd]

We should not worry. All owner managed company's have contingency plans in place. We may and probably are insured via a key man policy. In any case I think ML would want his legacy to live on and his family will support that.

[wild-saint]

I don't get why people are worried about the future? If Marcus's family decided to sell on SFC we are still in a good postion as long as any new owner isn't a total moron and we live with in our means we will be in good shape as a club. How many clubs in football are debt free, own their own staduim and have gates around 20k a week? not to many. It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL thanks to a wealthy mans money and I can live with that. Marcus's greatest legacy to SFC has already happened he has created a club that owns it's own assets and has no debt meaning this club if run properly has a bright future where in time honoured fashion we can pass our love and passion of SFC onto the next generation of saints fans.

 

Surely its possible somebody could buy the club by borrowing the money and securing it against its assests ala Man Who.

 

I for one am concerned for the medium term future of the club again until someone stands up and says i own the club and these are our plans

[Thedelldays]

Surely its possible somebody could buy the club by borrowing the money and securing it against its assests ala Man Who.

 

I for one am concerned for the medium term future of the club again until someone stands up and says i own the club and these are our plans

agree...

 

my take is we will carry on with this season plans till next May.... regardless of what the new owner wants to do...if they want to sell, then being aa division higher will help..seeing as we have a bloody good chance of going up, it would be crazy not till wait till then..

 

then again, they may get hooked and want to keep us and continue the project....

Edited 13 August, 2010 by Thedelldays

[JRM]

Her fathers wish was to see us back in the Premiership.

I would think that is now her wish, for him.

 

 

We have no idea if that is the case. A football club could be hassle she could do without. Only time will tell.

[Matthew Le God]

We have no idea if that is the case. A football club could be hassle she could do without. Only time will tell.

 

You missed out the important bits of the quote, which says the plan Nicola/Markus made last year remain unaffected.

[hackedoff]

I don't get why people are worried about the future? If Marcus's family decided to sell on SFC we are still in a good postion as long as any new owner isn't a total moron and we live with in our means we will be in good shape as a club. How many clubs in football are debt free, own their own staduim and have gates around 20k a week? not to many. It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL thanks to a wealthy mans money and I can live with that. Marcus's greatest legacy to SFC has already happened he has created a club that owns it's own assets and has no debt meaning this club if run properly has a bright future where in time honoured fashion we can pass our love and passion of SFC onto the next generation of saints fans.

Cant argue with any of this

[simondo]

do we think that the level of funding ML RIP would be prepared to invest as a fan of saints will be matched by whoever owns saints now? would MALI be interested in putting the same level of money in we will require, would his son/daughter? football clubs rarely make money, quite the opposite... very sad and uncertain times :-(

[kpturner]

do we think that the level of funding ML RIP would be prepared to invest as a fan of saints will be matched by whoever owns saints now? would MALI be interested in putting the same level of money in we will require, would his son/daughter? football clubs rarely make money, quite the opposite... very sad and uncertain times :-(

 

Don't be a drama queen! MALI are not relevant at all. It will be business as usual ;-)

[doddisalegend]

do we think that the level of funding ML RIP would be prepared to invest as a fan of saints will be matched by whoever owns saints now? would MALI be interested in putting the same level of money in we will require, would his son/daughter? football clubs rarely make money, quite the opposite... very sad and uncertain times :-(

 

Aren't we suppose to be self funding though? I'm sure when Markus first purchased the club NC said the club would be run within its means. Not having a mortgage on the staduim and no debts should mean all the money the club makes goes back into the club. We should then spend accordingly, this may mean the club never gets back to the EPL but if it means the club never goes near adminstration again I'm happy with that.

[simondo]

Don't be a drama queen! MALI are not relevant at all. It will be business as usual ;-)

 

i take that as being ironic, right? :-) it can't be business as usual

if the club ends up with MALI then they won't want it

if it ends up with son/daughter the have they the money needed to invest.

the club cannot be entirely self funding if we are going to get in to the PL - absolutely no way!!

[NickG]

I don't get why people are worried about the future? If Marcus's family decided to sell on SFC we are still in a good postion as long as any new owner isn't a total moron and we live with in our means we will be in good shape as a club. How many clubs in football are debt free, own their own staduim and have gates around 20k a week? not to many. It may mean we have to find our natural level in the english football world (probably a mid-table championship side) rather than being in the EPL thanks to a wealthy mans money and I can live with that. Marcus's greatest legacy to SFC has already happened he has created a club that owns it's own assets and has no debt meaning this club if run properly has a bright future where in time honoured fashion we can pass our love and passion of SFC onto the next generation of saints fans.

 

natural level? Only thing you can really judge is on potential income v running costs - would suggest that would probably put us about 10th in prem

[doggface]

There is an interview floating round from cortese that he says statistically we are the 15th biggest club in England. Have no idea what figures that was based on though.

[aintforever]

There is an interview floating round from cortese that he says statistically we are the 15th biggest club in England. Have no idea what figures that was based on though.

 

About right, I would say:

 

Man U

Asenal

Liverpool

Man City

Newcastle

Leeds

Tottenham

Chelsea

Villa

Everton

Sunderland

Derby

Nottingham Forest

Norwich

Leicester or Sheff Weds

 

then us

[kpturner]

i take that as being ironic, right? :-) it can't be business as usual

if the club ends up with MALI then they won't want it

if it ends up with son/daughter the have they the money needed to invest.

the club cannot be entirely self funding if we are going to get in to the PL - absolutely no way!!

Well whatever it is, it certainly isn't irony is it? Why do you think MALI would end up owning SFC? There is absolutely no reason to think that is there? ML purchased SFC using his own personal money (or via a holding company). It would be like me passing away and leaving my car to the company I part own. Why would I do that and why would they want it? The club made a statement alluding to the fact that the plans put in place are still in place and therefore, presumably, so are the finances. What makes you think this is not the case?

[aintforever]

The club made a statement alluding to the fact that the plans put in place are still in place and therefore, presumably, so are the finances. What makes you think this is not the case?

 

Firstly, they are not going to come out an say we're ****ed, even if we are.

 

Secondly, in football things rarely go to plan.

[kpturner]

Firstly, they are not going to come out an say we're ****ed, even if we are.

 

Secondly, in football things rarely go to plan.

 

Paranoia IMHO

[moonraker]

i take that as being ironic, right? :-) it can't be business as usual

if the club ends up with MALI then they won't want it

if it ends up with son/daughter the have they the money needed to invest.

the club cannot be entirely self funding if we are going to get in to the PL - absolutely no way!!

 

I dont understand your ref to MALI surely they are a separate Business, registered in Switzerland whereas SFC are UK Business and can continue to be run as such, the key question is what level of additional investment support might be forthcoming if needed?

[benjii]

About right, I would say:

 

Man U

Asenal

Liverpool

Man City

Newcastle

Leeds

Tottenham

Chelsea

Villa

Everton

Sunderland

Derby

Nottingham Forest

Norwich

Leicester or Sheff Weds

 

then us

 

We're much bigger than Leicester! Prob Sheffield Wed too.

[NickG]

think could easily put us just outside top ten in that list, our support (even where we are now) continuos time in top div, players from Keegan to Shearer etc

[Pilchards]

I was doing my teaching tonight and a student of mine saw my Saints tracksuit top as I like to keep warmed up beforehand.

Anyway being the man that he is we got talking about it. Anyway it only turns out that his wife was the ex PA for Cortese and talking alittle longer in the short time I had, He said he is a business man and thats what he is, people find him difficult because he is a winner and thats just it. Anyway Markus according to him was not ILL when he bought the club and that he had a very serious short Illness that only those close to him knew about.

He has setup a fund for us and it will help us become a force in the Premiership as Markus passion for us was the greatest satisfaction he had.

 

He said he heard so many stories about the club and I'm sure to ask him for more on Sunday, however If it is the sort of news that needs to stay off this forum I will do so.

 

 

WIFM

[jasoneuelllfanclub]

What planet are you on? NC is an employee. The club will remain in the ownership of ML's estate and ultimately transfer to whoever he bequeaths it to. Not being a billionaire I don't know how these things work but I suspect the ownership may transfer to a trust with interests from a number of his family.

 

NC is not just an employee he was also a friend of ML so it is not inconceivable that this holding company could be left in NC's sole control. We have no idea at this stage what the ownership status of this holding company is so it is not a foregone conclusion that his daughter will be joint director of the company.

[Saint137]

Regardless of what happens we are perfectly placed for when the Premier League gravy train hits the buffers. The current financial state of football is as unsustainable as the financial markets were before the credit crunch hit. Western economies are basically screwed for the next 3-5 years whilst they recover from the crunch and the debt merry-go-round that finances these big spending clubs will stop. Its already starting to stop - look at Pompey & Liverpool for starters. Salary caps and other financial restrictions (with regard to debt) will have to be put in place to ensure the future of the game. We're perfectly placed to take advantage of this thanks to owning our stadium, being debt-free, and largely paying our own way.