The Watch story

[Fitzhugh Fella]

only from Derry and FF on the false dawn thread.

 

FF's rumour was that they were trying to sell prior to Markus' death. Hence me linking this story as hopefully this makes FF's rumour less likely to be true.

 

Firstly Nick - it was not MY rumour, it was one which came to me and i sat on because i didn't believe it at the time. However having since learnt that ML was probably quite ill it set me wondering if there wasn't some truth in the stories. Also I don't think I said they were trying to sell but more a case of "if a good offer comes along". Finally for the record can I say I too hope this is just speculation.

[Doctoroncall]

Nick, if you want the watch story to not drift down the board, why not blog it?

 

FF - when you say "a good offer" could it not be to find someone who would carry on his 5 year plan and have the same aspirations as him rather than money only (afterall it's small fry in his estate)?

[holepuncture]

i heard that it was not just the watch that markus gave to nicola.

 

??

 

That has also crossed my mind! I always thought that NC would earn himself a minority shareholding if he delivered on the plans to get to the PL.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Nick, if you want the watch story to not drift down the board, why not blog it?

 

FF - when you say "a good offer" could it not be to find someone who would carry on his 5 year plan and have the same aspirations as him rather than money only (afterall it's small fry in his estate)?

 

Yes it could. Like I say I know nothing more than the rumour which I initially discounted as fabrication. Since it has come back to me from a completely different source and with credible embellishment.

In football everything has its price I guess however I think there is enough integrity in the present owners to ensure whoever the club is sold to -big IF - that the club will be in good hands with people who can take us forward. However as I have said all along my motto is "better the devil you know", so I hope the Liebherr family decide to maintain the original plan.

[NickG]

FF - sorry I didn't point out in the post that you had stated you didn't believe the rumour.

[Miltonaggro]

One thing we have learned over the past year is that nobody outside a very tight circle knows what is going on inside the boardroom of SFC. Of course, after ML's death his family may have thought that the football club (after all a business model like no other) was too hot to handle, and of course if that was the case the disposal would likely be handled quietly and efficiently and in such a way as to not alarm or alienate the paying public (hence the statement, think back to the statement about AP's future...). Life is life, and business is business, but I certainly hope that a sale is not beeing mooted or touted.

 

What we do know however, is that should a sale take place Swiss Tony and Mickey Faker will not be anywhere near it!...

[NickG]

I know that there were several people leaking information with all of the previous recent owners and heard stuff myself prior to public release, as I know others on here did.

 

This continued during the takeover.

 

Personally I don't believe we have had any real insights or leaks since Cortesse took over. Most is just made up, some for agendas.

[COMEONYOUREDS]

********. They are not going to sell up, over 20 million has been invested including the purchase of the club and only a few weeks ago sfc made a statement saying the 5yr plan remained in place. Selling up now would result in a loss as noone is going to pay 20m + for div 3 club. I don't think a few crap results is going to change the Liebherr family's mind. Nicola was not left the club by Marcus, it was also confirmed that the club remains property of the Liebherr family. Can't understand why anybody believes these rumours!

[Weston Saint]

The watch story suggests the late Marcus Liebherr was not looking to sell. The sacking and appointing of a new Manager after his death suggests the family are not looking to sell, Cortese's comments on the OS and his subsequent comments at the select 15 supporters dinner suggests the family are not looking to sell, Cortese buying his property in Chilworth in the last few weeks suggests the club is not for sale.

 

There will always be rumours, there will always be those who wish to destable, there are always those who have an axe to grind. I see no evidence of a sale mentality. Dave and Duncan, I think you can sleep easy at this time.

[Saint Fan CaM]

The watch story suggests the late Marcus Liebherr was not looking to sell. The sacking and appointing of a new Manager after his death suggests the family are not looking to sell, Cortese's comments on the OS and his subsequent comments at the select 15 supporters dinner suggests the family are not looking to sell, Cortese buying his property in Chilworth in the last few weeks suggests the club is not for sale.

 

There will always be rumours, there will always be those who wish to destable, there are always those who have an axe to grind. I see no evidence of a sale mentality. Dave and Duncan, I think you can sleep easy at this time.

 

 

Great post...wish those others who think they have a 'scoop' would think as carefully as this prior to posting.

[Foxstone]

The watch story suggests the late Marcus Liebherr was not looking to sell. The sacking and appointing of a new Manager after his death suggests the family are not looking to sell, Cortese's comments on the OS and his subsequent comments at the select 15 supporters dinner suggests the family are not looking to sell, Cortese buying his property in Chilworth in the last few weeks suggests the club is not for sale.

 

There will always be rumours, there will always be those who wish to destable, there are always those who have an axe to grind. I see no evidence of a sale mentality. Dave and Duncan, I think you can sleep easy at this time.

 

I think you are right - Thankfully!

[spyinthesky]

I would be suprised by this, Nicola and his wife paid a big wedge for a house in Chilworth only a fortnight ago, not the actions of a man who was looking to leave.

 

Apparently paid £1.8m so Nicola baled in with a tasty wedge!!

 

btw how is Roger the Dodger these days?

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I would be suprised by this, Nicola and his wife paid a big wedge for a house in Chilworth only a fortnight ago, not the actions of a man who was looking to leave.

 

I believe the house was actually purchased by the club. Not a criticism just making sure the facts are accurate.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I know that there were several people leaking information with all of the previous recent owners and heard stuff myself prior to public release, as I know others on here did.

 

This continued during the takeover.

 

Personally I don't believe we have had any real insights or leaks since Cortesse took over. Most is just made up, some for agendas.

 

You are getting tedious with your "agenda" theories. Anyone whose views you don't share has an "agenda". Perhaps you have an agenda - it certainly appears so.

[Andy_Porter]

I believe the house was actually purchased by the club. Not a criticism just making sure the facts are accurate.

 

I don't think this is correct, will confirm over the weekend.

 

A good friend of mine is friends with the couple who sold the house.

[saintjay77]

I don't think this is correct, will confirm over the weekend.

 

A good friend of mine is friends with the couple who sold the house.

 

It's amazing how friends accumulate after selling a house for £1.8m lol

[Andy_Porter]

It's amazing how friends accumulate after selling a house for £1.8m lol

 

Haha, apparently they sold a house in Monaco for 8 million not so long ago...

[GenevaSaint]

I believe the house was actually purchased by the club. Not a criticism just making sure the facts are accurate.

 

Do you know this for sure or is this a *belief*? Just in the search for accurate FACTS you know.

[NickG]

You are getting tedious with your "agenda" theories. Anyone whose views you don't share has an "agenda". Perhaps you have an agenda - it certainly appears so.

 

didn't mean it as an attack on you but sorry if it hit a nerve.

 

My only agenda is to try to enjoy watching saints. Simple.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I am not saying Cortese is wrong or out of order if the club buys his house, after all the club does not belong to us, it belongs to the group he represents and if they want to buy a house in Chilworth then that is their business. However at the same time it is not right that people argue that he is committed to the club because he "bought" with his own money, a house in Chilworth.

And Nick - I accept that you were not attacking me but you have got to accept in return (as I have) that everyone supports the Saints different ways from those who give unstinting unswerving uncritical support, like yourself, to those who want to question virtually every move. We both want to end up in the same place but we all choose different routes to the summit and the sooner we all resist from accusing each other having agendas then so much the better.

[leftback]

think it deserves a thread

 

 

and I am very grateful to Markus’s partner, Lore, and to Nicola for their kind permission to enable me to tell you this story.

 

“It concerns a watch – of course, it’s Switzerland, it’s bound to concern a watch. It concerns a watch, or at least at the beginning of the story two watches.

 

“I think this story tells you about Markus as a thoughtful man. I believe it tells you Markus knew a lot more about himself than he was letting on.

 

“A few weeks after the Wembley final, Markus and Nicola were having one of their constant discussions about the further progress and development of the club.

 

“Markus was convinced that this season the Saints would gain promotion, if not actually win the League One title.

 

“Markus said to Nicola, ‘Starting this season I will buy you a special new watch every time we win a trophy, or a title, or gain promotion.’

 

“Nicola said ‘That’s fine Markus, but every time you must also buy the very same watch for yourself, so that we can both wear the watch commemorating every success.’ Markus readily agreed with this.

 

“Then, more recently, Markus spent a few days with Nicola’s family on holiday. He said he was going to physically go to buy the first two watches in the very near future.

 

“Nicola replied ‘Really, there’s no rush Markus, there’s a long season ahead.’ Then, nearly two weeks ago Markus flew into England for his first league match of the season.

 

“At this point he had not been well. In the event, Markus was not well enough to actually attend the game. But he still managed to attend Nicola’s birthday party that evening, Saturday, August 7.

 

“Markus said to Nicola ‘I wanted to show you, in person, the book containing a description of the model of watch I want to buy for you and for me.’

 

“Yet again, Nicola said to him ‘There is no rush.’

 

“As Markus was leaving that Sunday for Switzerland, Markus opened the car door so that he could show Nicola a photograph he had taken of the watch being advertised on an airport posterboard.

 

“Markus had only days earlier walked painfully across from one side of Zurich Airport to the other to buy the watch.

 

“Because the model of the watch was so new, he was told at the airport shop that it was only available from headquarters.

 

“Markus immediately phoned through an order for the watch, for his collection later from a shop in the centre of Zurich.

 

“That Sunday, after the first match of the season, was to be the last time Markus and Nicola saw or spoke to each other.

 

“On the Monday, despite Lore's plea for him not to travel alone, he drove himself from his main home the 80 miles to his apartment in Zurich.

 

“From there, he took himself to the shop to buy the new model of watch that he had reserved some days earlier.

 

“He returned to the apartment and spoke to Lore and said simply ‘I have got the watch, I have got the watch for Nicola.’ “He passed away just a little later that evening.

 

“It turned out that he had only bought a single watch. It seems that he never intended to buy one of the watches for himself.

 

“To Markus, it was so, so important that he got the watch for Nicola, even though it seemed at the time that he could have waited for nine months.

 

“Why did Markus not buy that watch for himself, why did he not buy the two watches as they had agreed?

 

“Only Markus knows the full answer to that one, but I’m sure we can all reach our own conclusions.

 

“It was a mark of this delightful man that he was pre-occupied with doing thoughtful acts for others, especially his dearest friend Nicola, even while he was suffering pain and discomfort.

 

Iknow this will upset some but i still cant bring myself to read it through completely, i was in the cathedral and was as upset as everybody and was looking forward if thats the right word to hearing some words about Markus. biks pathetic story didnt surprise me as people i know in the city tell me he is an unreliable drunk , who nobody bothers to call after lunch!! Calling markus an honorary Englishman was a crass thing to say in front of his family. i was hoping for something that could give an insight into Markus the man we didnt know,as all good eulogies do. the story started and i listened intently,but as it went on all i could hear was the name nicola, this story had obviously been given to bik verbatim and i thought it was cortese aligning himself to Markus instead of telling us something more about the man himself, i thought it was more about the emphasising of how close cortese was to Markus than anything of Markus himself. was there no story that could be told that didnt involve nicola. i didnt like it at the time and i dont want to read it again. there was an opportunity to learn something about this great guy and i think it was missed. but cortese, name was peppered in there enough

[itchen]

Iknow this will upset some but i still cant bring myself to read it through completely, i was in the cathedral and was as upset as everybody and was looking forward if thats the right word to hearing some words about Markus. biks pathetic story didnt surprise me as people i know in the city tell me he is an unreliable drunk , who nobody bothers to call after lunch!! Calling markus an honorary Englishman was a crass thing to say in front of his family. i was hoping for something that could give an insight into Markus the man we didnt know,as all good eulogies do. the story started and i listened intently,but as it went on all i could hear was the name nicola, this story had obviously been given to bik verbatim and i thought it was cortese aligning himself to Markus instead of telling us something more about the man himself, i thought it was more about the emphasising of how close cortese was to Markus than anything of Markus himself. was there no story that could be told that didnt involve nicola. i didnt like it at the time and i dont want to read it again. there was an opportunity to learn something about this great guy and i think it was missed. but cortese, name was peppered in there enough

 

Unlike you, I wasn't there. Although as you refer to a 'cathedral' are you sure you were? But I doubt anything happened in that service that had not been cleared by the Liebherr family. Why you should choose to be offended on their behalf escapes me.

 

Well, actually it doesn't. We get it. You don't like Cortese (yes, it does have a capital 'C'). Whether he has crossed you in your professional or private life has not been shared with us. But we get it. You've made your point. Can you let it go now?

[Wes Tender]

Iknow this will upset some but i still cant bring myself to read it through completely, i was in the cathedral and was as upset as everybody and was looking forward if thats the right word to hearing some words about Markus. biks pathetic story didnt surprise me as people i know in the city tell me he is an unreliable drunk , who nobody bothers to call after lunch!! Calling markus an honorary Englishman was a crass thing to say in front of his family. i was hoping for something that could give an insight into Markus the man we didnt know,as all good eulogies do. the story started and i listened intently,but as it went on all i could hear was the name nicola, this story had obviously been given to bik verbatim and i thought it was cortese aligning himself to Markus instead of telling us something more about the man himself, i thought it was more about the emphasising of how close cortese was to Markus than anything of Markus himself. was there no story that could be told that didnt involve nicola. i didnt like it at the time and i dont want to read it again. there was an opportunity to learn something about this great guy and i think it was missed. but cortese, name was peppered in there enough

 

You sound like a very bitter guy for some reason. I felt that the story told me a great deal about Markus Liebherr, but I guess you can't please everybody. You obviously have an agenda against Bicks, so pardon me if I dismiss your opinions as not worth reading.

[NorthamSteve]

Iknow this will upset some but i still cant bring myself to read it through completely, i was in the cathedral and was as upset as everybody and was looking forward if thats the right word to hearing some words about Markus. biks pathetic story didnt surprise me as people i know in the city tell me he is an unreliable drunk , who nobody bothers to call after lunch!! Calling markus an honorary Englishman was a crass thing to say in front of his family. i was hoping for something that could give an insight into Markus the man we didnt know,as all good eulogies do. the story started and i listened intently,but as it went on all i could hear was the name nicola, this story had obviously been given to bik verbatim and i thought it was cortese aligning himself to Markus instead of telling us something more about the man himself, i thought it was more about the emphasising of how close cortese was to Markus than anything of Markus himself. was there no story that could be told that didnt involve nicola. i didnt like it at the time and i dont want to read it again. there was an opportunity to learn something about this great guy and i think it was missed. but cortese, name was peppered in there enough

 

Get over yourself and read it.

[Junior Mullet]

This thread shows perfectly why some posters suggest this forum has had its day.

[saintscottofthenortham]

You sound like a very bitter guy for some reason. I felt that the story told me a great deal about Markus Liebherr, but I guess you can't please everybody. You obviously have an agenda against Bicks, so pardon me if I dismiss your opinions as not worth reading.

 

This.