Can't we all just get along?

[georgeweahscousin]

My take on the reaction to yesterday's Sun interview.

 

http://wp.me/p1mFFL-ba

 

I know, another thread. But didn't want it to get lost amongst the bickering.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Who was Andrew Bernstein?

 

I for one don't think this is about freebies.

[georgeweahscousin]

Who was Andrew Bernstein?

 

I for one don't think this is about freebies.

 

American philosopher.

 

I am not sure what to think to be honest. But think you might be right, could go a lot deeper than some tickets.

[david in sweden]

I agree with that totally.

 

Our club..any club with the best players, or the best manager still rely on a club with sound organisation and good financial control. Our recent problems when dicing with administration until the eleventh hour have proved that, and we are not the only club to have suffered in that way.

 

To have a chairman, a former bankman who understand money and knows how (or how not) to handle a clubs finances correctly surely makes Cortese almost unique in the football world. Though it sounds hard for some to criticise the "freebies"

comment ...I'm sure that MLT didn't walk away from the game either broke, or unemployed and I'm sure that Lawrie Mac invested his earnings in the right way.

If the club Chairman pays for his own ticket on a regular basis, then the other two gents ought to be able to as well.

I feel sorry for those " real fans " who don't have the fonances to buy there own ticket because of unemployment or debt.

 

As for the arguement, I think all fans would like to see all three gents sit down together and have a friendly evening together. Jeff Spelling ..ought to mind hid own business especailly as he rarely has anything good to say about Saints -

except to placate MLT when he is on the show.

[corsacar saint]

Terrific article, georgeweahscousin and I agree one hundred percent with what you say. Any sensible fan will too,enough bsaid.

[stthrobber]

Who was Andrew Bernstein?

 

I for one don't think this is about freebies.

 

I don't think it's about freebies either. In Matt's case he was the public face of a rival consortium, but he's also a club legend. I've been told by a few people that used to work at, or for the club in various capacities that NC has no interest in the club's history or its players.

 

I think it's about stamping authority and showing that "it's my club now, not yours and I don't need you".

 

It is a shame and the reality is that the article didn't actually need to mention either MLT or Lawrie

[um pahars]

In Matt's case he was the public face of a rival consortium,

 

And I may well be wrong, but I wouldn't say he was a rival in the sense of the term meaning he was in an opposing consortium vying to win, beat Marcus and being upset that he was outflanked (then again anyone could have outflanked Micky F!!!). He was merely doing anything in his power to try and save the Club from folding.

[stthrobber]

And I may well be wrong, but I wouldn't say he was a rival in the sense of the term meaning he was in an opposing consortium vying to win, beat Marcus and being upset that he was outflanked (then again anyone could have outflanked Micky F!!!). He was merely doing anything in his power to try and save the Club from folding.

 

I do seem to remember Cortese dissing Matt a couple of years back over his fronting the other group.

 

I honestly believe it's nothing more than ego at work here. Matt and Lawrie would be serious rivals to Cortese in the club darling stakes since ML's sad departure.

 

NC can take an awful lot of credit for what he has done for this club. It's been nearly 30 years since Saints fans can remember a prolonged period of success, but the architect of those heady days should be celebrated as such. Likewise, during our long years of struggles against relegation, the man whose goals kept us up should be equally celebrated.

 

That they are treated as outcasts is to me, to the shame of Cortese

[david in sweden]

in retrospect, I wonder just how long the " Administrator " was prepared to wait before " Pinnacle" got their act together

and come up with money?.It seemd to me that they couldn't get enough money together to even make a real bid, and only the fact that MLT was persuaded to front their bid, made it look in any way viable, or desireable.

 

I also seem to recall that the Liebherr " cash on the table " bid was made at the end of May ..in which case , if it had been correctly handled we would never had to have sold Surman ..or even Dyer for the paltry sum we were forced to accept from Swansea.

 

I'm sure we all know where MLTs heart lies, but I can't help feeling that he was " conned " into fronting an offer that was never really viable but back to the retrospective bit ....IF Pinnacle has succeeded..would there have been the same volume of funding available to devlop the club further ..and who would have been manager? Certainly not Pardew ..or Adkins either. Which would fairly certainly not have been guaranteed the JPT Final ..or even last season's promotion.

 

I think too, that some unsavoury comments about having " foreigners " (Liebherr) taking over the club, when some of the fan-base/ MLT /LM wanted an English / British owner fuelled the fires of discontent with Cortese, who was annoyed that the Liebherr bid was ignored for nearly two months, and only reluctantly accepted when it became obvious that Pinnacles bid was only " hot air ". I recall that no-one seem to mind the idea of Paul Allen (?) taking over Saints at an earlier juncture.

 

Now is time to move on....The glorious memories of the past are indeed glorious to those of us who can remember them, but they are ..PAST. Lawrie's sudden and much scorned departure to Sunderland was his mistake ..and our loss.

But he has ..apparantly been forgiven..and rightly so. MLTs contribution to SFC is UNIQUE ! No-one denies that, but even that legend will become tarnished if this " nonsense " debate issue continues. Let bygones be bygones.

 

Personally, I want to see Saints go on to new successes and back to the Prem. Other issues are not important.

Edited 25 September, 2011 by david in sweden

[VectisSaint]

Interesting really that this whole argument amongst (a very small number of) supporters is about NC and MLT. Arguably NC's comments were aimed more at Lawrie Mac, than MLT, certainly the freebies part. I suspect if MLT had not been mentioned there would be little argument. Stellings unwelcome intervention made things worse. Yet for some of us, perhaps those slightly older, Lawrie is as much of a hero if not more than Matt. In the end though I think Lawrie is his own worst enemy, and though I will always consider him as a genius, I would never put him above the Club. For me it is Southampton first and foremost - heroes are important (Mick Channon & Ron Davies for me), but it is Saints I support, not individuals.

[david in sweden]

Interesting really that this whole argument amongst (a very small number of) supporters is about NC and MLT. Arguably NC's comments were aimed more at Lawrie Mac, than MLT, certainly the freebies part. I suspect if MLT had not been mentioned there would be little argument. Stellings unwelcome intervention made things worse. Yet for some of us, perhaps those slightly older, Lawrie is as much of a hero if not more than Matt. In the end though I think Lawrie is his own worst enemy, and though I will always consider him as a genius, I would never put him above the Club. For me it is Southampton first and foremost - heroes are important (Mick Channon & Ron Davies for me), but it is Saints I support, not individuals.

 

Agree 100% Vectis.

 

I think that Spelling's rantings on air made it far worse, and I would hate to think that ...anyone ..put him up to it !

 

I also agree with your comments about LM, although there were some pretty angry responses to his sudden move to Sunderland, and as I recall ... quite a few people who still remember it with some bitterness to this day.

 

 

 

It's water under the bridge and we should move on and put petty arguments aside.

Edited 25 September, 2011 by david in sweden

[um pahars]

I do seem to remember Cortese dissing Matt a couple of years back over his fronting the other group.

 

He did indeed have a few digs about Le Tissier's involvement and I've never really been sure what it was all about. I think NC intimated that it had cost them time regarding their involvement, but I couldn't really see the issue.

 

As David says below your comment, MLT was certainly conned in to "fronting" the Pinnacle bid, but I'll afford him his naivety as I think he was only acting with the Club's best interests at heart (as in I saw him as willing to do anything to keep the Club going, as opposed to making a buck out of his involvement).

 

Le Tissier's involvement may have put the Liebherr bid back a bit, but it wasn't terminal and should surely be seen in its context.

[stthrobber]

 

Now is time to move on....The glorious memories of the past are indeed glorious to those of us who can remember them, but they are ..PAST. Lawrie's sudden and much scorned departure to Sunderland was his mistake ..and our loss. But he has ..apparantly been forgiven..and rightly so. MLTs contribution to SFC is UNIQUE ! No-one denies that , but even that legend will become tarnished if this " nonsense " debate issue continues. Let bygones be bygones.

 

Personally, I want to see Saints go on to new successes and back to the Prem. Other issues are not important.

 

Let's not forget that the whole reason this debate has arose was because NC mentioned it in his Sun article. He was the one who accused LM and MLT of wanting freebies.

[Leicestersaint]

I am delighted at the direction the club has taken since Markus bought us - NC has clearly been good for the club but he does sometimes seem to behave in rather truculent ways that bring no credit on him. Matt Le Tissier is a genuine Southampton legend and ought to be afforded some respect by NC.

[david in sweden]

Let's not forget that the whole reason this debate has arose was because NC mentioned it in his Sun article. He was the one who accused LM and MLT of wanting freebies.

 

IF we ASSUME that The Sun quoted Cortese correctly..not something they are noted for ...Cortese did state that he had issues with MLT and LM. I ASSUME that he was referring to their tactics in trying to defer the Liebherr offer, when MLT was fronting the Pinnacle debacle...but the Sun doesn't state that MLT was expecting " freebies" ...but it does allude to " others " un-named who did.

 

The " freebie " culture is far too widespread, as quite a few MP's found to their discomfort recently.

Why should footballers - even legends, be different?

 

I'd be first to admit that MLT s contribution to SFC was UNIQUE, and he was paid well enough for it, that he could refuse

offers from " bigger clubs ". So why should he ( or any other " legend " ) not be expected to pay for a ticket which many long-serving fans break the bank every week in order to watch the team.

 

No one has put into print that MLT demanded " free tickets " and there is no reason to suppose that he did.

 

This seems to be a wrong assumption that Jeff Spelling, amongst others has forwarded.

[Monk]

GWC, brilliant input.

[georgeweahscousin]

Thanks fellas. An affair that I am sure we aren't likely to see the end of anytime soon!