Lack of Dean Richards tribute tonight

[NickG]

it was his club, the players were his employees

[trousers]

Things Charles Babbage didn't foresee when developing the difference engine

 

No.153: The SaintsWeb Forum

[um pahars]

Our club is being run efficiently at the moment, but that doesn't stop the bloke running it being an absolute pig headed, obstinate, contrary c n u t. And my god he is.

 

I have posted that I think the Club's response was poor (particularly the terrible programme tribute), so not having a pop at your stance, but could there be a case that Cortese wasn't involved in making the decision????

 

Obviously not sure who I think made a wrong call, but perhaps we should consider that it was someone below Cortese (and Cortese wasn't au fait with the details)????

[NickG]

that wouln't fit in with anti-Cortese agendas

[CB Fry]

I have posted that I think the Club's response was poor (particularly the terrible programme tribute), so not having a pop at your stance, but could there be a case that Cortese wasn't involved in making the decision????

 

Obviously not sure who I think made a wrong call, but perhaps we should consider that it was someone below Cortese (and Cortese wasn't au fait with the details)????

 

 

I think you're being overly generous. Not that many "details" to be "au fait" with really, and if he hasn't found the time to be au fait with a tragic story of a good player from our recent past then he's not a very good leader of a football club with a history and a part to play in the community.

 

And he's not a very good leader of a football club with a history and a part to play in the community. Efficient, yes, and will oversee a promotion I'm sure, which is the primary purpose and his decisiveness here is admirable and I support him for it. But tiny little things like this could be handled so much better.

[um pahars]

I think you're being overly generous. Not that many "details" to be "au fait" with really, and if he hasn't found the time to be au fait with a tragic story of a good player from our recent past then he's not a very good leader of a football club with a history and a part to play in the community.

 

And he's not a very good leader of a football club with a history and a part to play in the community. Efficient, yes, and will oversee a promotion I'm sure, which is the primary purpose and his decisiveness here is admirable and I support him for it. But tiny little things like this could be handled so much better.

 

Overly generous, LOL!!!! It's my new persona on here!!!! Perhaps you're right in that a decision on this probably was made pretty high up in the Club, with Cortese probably being involved. Just a shame that IMHO they have made a poor call.

 

Your last part resonates with me, in that whilst I fully accept that Cortese appears to be driven and focussed with regards the main priority of promotion, some of the little things around the edge could be handled so much better.

 

It shouldn't have to be an either/or situation and it should be eminently possible to manage both sides without detracting from the main priority of success on the pitch (i.e. how could a decent tribute to Richards in the programme detract from success on the pitch?). The two aren't mutually exclusive and ultimately in addition to success on the pitch, a decent spirit and sense of togetherness can only be good for the Club.

[saintfully]

Utter bo l l o cks. I, for one, expect Matthew Le Tissier's death to be treated in a slightly different way to Craig Maskell's.

 

For emotional incontinence there was an avalanche of it not so long ago when someone who was associated with the club for half the time than Dean Richards passed on and various lunatics on this forum and beyond started demanding a renaming of the flipping stadium and erecting statues outside.

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of stuff about "two seasons" here which is fair enough but you are missing the most vital bit of "context" in that the vast, vast majority of Saints fans in that stadium would have seen Dean Richards actually play, and bloody well too.

 

This is very rarely the case for dead footballers.

 

Your "two seasons" rule didn't seem to apply for a recent Saints related death that was, to pardon the pun, utterly flogged to death. That person got nowhere near "two seasons".

 

Any ideas why that wasn't just bundled into "all Saints day"?

 

And finally, no one is asking for a statue of Dean Richards, but a minutes applause is hardly a difficult thing to do.

 

Our club is being run efficiently at the moment, but that doesn't stop the bloke running it being an absolute pig headed, obstinate, contrary c n u t. And my god he is.

 

Thanks for that considered, but I think flawed, response. Craigs contribution to Saints might have been smaller, but that doesn't mean his life should be celebrated less.

 

Do you have a sliding scale of recognition for Saints players according to who you respect the most? What would you recommend as a tribute should the following die in consecutive weeks - Lawrie Mac, Le Tiss, CMFG, Dodd, Channon, Shilts? Do we have a minute for each or vary the length according your nominated respect points? Maybe we should have a vote, cause that would be really dignified!

 

All Saints Day recognises that each individual makes a contributions, that might appear to be different in scale, but are actually equally valuable. In case you hadn't noticed, football is a team game - this approach compliments that reality. Maybe if we had a bit less identification of heroes/villains and supported the entire team/club, the place would be a bit happier - and more successful.

 

As for emotional incontinentence - glad you agree with me. It would have been hugely embarressing to re-name the stadium or produce a statue at this time. Maybe in the fullness of time when the true value of the contribution can be measured?

 

Bottom line is I support Saints - I'm not a member of the Matt Le Tiss fan club, but I am a fan of Matt le Tiss because of his contribution to the Saints. Its not that complicated really.

[Tom & Gerry]

I agree there are exceptional circumstances and these are usually fairly obvious, but I don't remember there being a minutes silence for instance for Tom Parker, Derek Reeves or Tommy Trainer all of whom made huge contributions to Saints, but that of course was before Cortese was Chairman so there wasn't the fuss.

[Horley CTFC Saint]

Is the conversation on Solent. All commentators said it is a disgrace that all we have done is wear black armbands at Walsall and given him a few paragraphs in the programme.

 

thoughts?

 

Disappointing but pretty much true to form with the current Southampton FC really - the no past approach has been evident for a while

[CB Fry]

Thanks for that considered, but I think flawed, response. Craigs contribution to Saints might have been smaller, but that doesn't mean his life should be celebrated less.

 

Well, sorry, but yes it does.

 

There is a reason that Stoke has a statue of Stanley Matthews outside and not a statue of Dave Goodwin.

 

There is a reason why Wembley decided on a statue of Bobby Moore rather than a statue of Tony Daley.

 

There is a reason why Blackpool recently decided to name a stand after Jimmy Armfield and not Fred Pickering.

 

 

Do you have a sliding scale of recognition for Saints players according to who you respect the most? What would you recommend as a tribute should the following die in consecutive weeks - Lawrie Mac, Le Tiss, CMFG, Dodd, Channon, Shilts? Do we have a minute for each or vary the length according your nominated respect points? Maybe we should have a vote, cause that would be really dignified!

 

 

Well, this is just the most extreme end of the discussion. The other end of it (and just as silly as yours) is to tear down the Ted Bates statue and treat every single player as being of completely equal worth.

 

Hey, why don't we pay them all the same, from 17 year old 1st year pro to 30+ year old Goalkeeper who turned down a move to the Premier league to stay with us. Why doesn't Nigel Adkins play all players in the squad an equal number of times?

 

Oscar Gobern is the equal of Richard Chaplow. Aaron Martin is the equal of Jose Fonte.

 

Everyone is the same, everyone is equal, it's a team game after all. See, silly isn't it?

 

It's about being appropriate in the moment, not sliding scales. If Francis Benali dies next week, it's worth marking properly. If he dies at the age of 84 when no bugger watching Saints can remember him then it is worth bundling into some All Saints Day type thing.

 

I've said it a couple of times - Dean Richards is a player most fans now can remember watching play. That's why it was appropriate. This isn't some inside right from the 50's.

 

Do you honestly believe if, say, Alex O-C died tomorrow the club should do absolutely nothing until the official mourning day in November. Seriously?

[benjii]

I think we can all agree that the death of a current employee is a completely different matter.

[Saint_clark]

Disappointing but pretty much true to form with the current Southampton FC really - the no past approach has been evident for a while

 

What about the former players who were on the pitch before the Man United game then?

 

I think we can all agree that the death of a current employee is a completely different matter.

 

This.

[Deppo]

I think we can all agree that CB Fry is the best at mourning the dead on this forum. Maybe on the whole internet even.

[Paul75]

I think there should of been more in the programme as a mark of respect,but the funeral is normally the point at which family grieve and attempt to move on, maybe the clubs thinks thinking may of been that they had been a part of the mark of respect and had represention at the funeral was enough as he had been laid to rest,

[saintfully]

Well, sorry, but yes it does.

 

There is a reason that Stoke has a statue of Stanley Matthews outside and not a statue of Dave Goodwin.

 

There is a reason why Wembley decided on a statue of Bobby Moore rather than a statue of Tony Daley.

 

There is a reason why Blackpool recently decided to name a stand after Jimmy Armfield and not Fred Pickering.

 

 

 

 

Well, this is just the most extreme end of the discussion. The other end of it (and just as silly as yours) is to tear down the Ted Bates statue and treat every single player as being of completely equal worth.

 

Hey, why don't we pay them all the same, from 17 year old 1st year pro to 30+ year old Goalkeeper who turned down a move to the Premier league to stay with us. Why doesn't Nigel Adkins play all players in the squad an equal number of times?

 

Oscar Gobern is the equal of Richard Chaplow. Aaron Martin is the equal of Jose Fonte.

 

Everyone is the same, everyone is equal, it's a team game after all. See, silly isn't it?

 

It's about being appropriate in the moment, not sliding scales. If Francis Benali dies next week, it's worth marking properly. If he dies at the age of 84 when no bugger watching Saints can remember him then it is worth bundling into some All Saints Day type thing.

 

I've said it a couple of times - Dean Richards is a player most fans now can remember watching play. That's why it was appropriate. This isn't some inside right from the 50's.

 

Do you honestly believe if, say, Alex O-C died tomorrow the club should do absolutely nothing until the official mourning day in November. Seriously?

 

As others have said, a current player dying is a different situation to an ex-player so lets park that one straight away.

 

Regarding your other points:

 

i) You think that different players lives deserve to be celebrated differently. Who decides? How do you decide? If its just 'what you reckon' then it might as well be 'what Cortese reckons' or does his opinion not count? He only persuaded someone to buy the club and now works/runs the club? Oh yeah I forgot he's a foreign newcomer so he's not as big a fan as some of the other no-mark hangovers from a bygone era (where, IIRC, we ended up failing miserably and being relegated).

 

ii) Why don't we treat/pay everyone the same? Because how much we pay someone has fu.ck all to do with how much respect you give someone after they die.

 

iii) Dean Richards is a player most fans can remember. Yep, including me, saw him play many times - but I don't feel the need to pretend to be a super-mourner. So that makes us different. My opinion is that agreeing to remember former Saints on a single day accepts that people will feel differently about different players and provides a mechanism for those differences in feelings to be accommodated. That way you needn't get into weird arguments about who was more important than who and people can concentrate on the football.

[saintoaks]

Dont know if there are any other replies from the club, but this was the reply to me:

 

 

 

Many thanks for your email received today.

 

We were all shocked at hearing the news of Dean Richards passing on Saturday 26th February and the Club have recognised this with several acknowledgements for the player and our condolences have been offered to his family and former colleagues.

 

On hearing the devastating news the Club released a statement offering our condolences and praising Dean for his fantastic service to the Club during his time with Saints.

At the earliest opportunity available to the Club, at the game with Walsall on Tuesday 1st March, players of both teams showed their respect by wearing black armbands.

The tribute held at the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur fixture was arranged in conjunction with all four of the Clubs that Dean had played for. Claus Lundekvam attended this event on our behalf, representing both the Club and our supporters. The donation of a signed shirt to raise charitable donations has already been recognised by Southampton supporters as they take the opportunity to make their own contribution towards Gemma’s Hospice, the chosen charity of Dean’s family.

Tuesday’s matchday programme also carried a tribute to Dean along with a personal message from former teammate Jason Dodd on behalf of Dean’s colleagues during his time at the Club.

As you are probably aware the Club took the decision some years ago to pay their respects on the passing of all ex players, staff and supporters by holding a minute’s silence annually on All Saints Day on what we feel is an appropriate occasion for the Club to remember those who have served the Saints.I trust this goes someway to highlighting the Club’s response to what has been a tragic loss to not only Southampton Football Club, but to football as a whole.

Best regards,

 

Chris Hayler

Marketing Manager

[aintforever]

Typical boll*x you would expect from a marketing manager who probably never even knew who Dean Richard was. Try and list a load of half arsed token gestures to try and paint a picture that they actually gave a sh!t.

[Deppo]

I agree with CB Fry that how much you earn should be reflected in the respect that is paid to you after you die, not just in football but in life. Mother Teresa is a good example of someone that earned very little money due to her ascetic lifestyle (tree-hugging liberal hippy lifestyle more like), yet there was a tremendous outpouring of grief at her death. It just makes no sense. City bankers die every day and do they get mentioned on the news? No. Bloody ridiculous situation, if you ask me, given what they contribute to our economy.

[dickyhale]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2324059,00.html

[benjii]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2324059,00.html

 

Yeah, but what good is that to me?

 

I want my minute's silence so I can publically show everyone what a true gent I am.