Southampton - getting their lucky break (10 Viewers)

[KersleyDigs]

It's difficult watching how Saints have evolved and gone from strength to strength since going into Admin and turning down SISU.

They are in talks with the Dalian Wanda group. If the takeover goes ahead they will be richer than Man City.

I am happy for them, my missus' family are all die hard Saints fans with season tickets for the last twenty years and they are a great bunch of fans who deserve success.

What this really does do for me is reignite my hatred for what the football league did to us fans. They without doubt denied us a fresh start that many other teams have had after admin and consigned us to further years of stress and struggle, instead of hope and resurgence....

I will NEVER forgive them for this

 

---

[Rusty Trombone]

It's difficult watching how Saints have evolved and gone from strength to strength since going into Admin and turning down SISU.

They are in talks with the Dalian Wanda group. If the takeover goes ahead they will be richer than Man City.

I am happy for them, my missus' family are all die hard Saints fans with season tickets for the last twenty years and they are a great bunch of fans who deserve success.

What this really does do for me is reignite my hatred for what the football league did to us fans. They without doubt denied us a fresh start that many other teams have had after admin and consigned us to further years of stress and struggle, instead of hope and resurgence....

I will NEVER forgive them for this

I'm not sure they denied us a fresh start. What would have been different?

 

[KersleyDigs]

We would have had new owners, probably owned the ricoh too!

 

[Buster]

Perhaps ,a new start , would be owners with a long term plan willing to form a partnership with the" fan base ", who are the heart ,soul and true owners of the club

 

[Rusty Trombone]

We would have had new owners, probably owned the ricoh too!

The FL didn't stop the chance of new owners did they? The Ricoh isn't for sale, but again not the FL's decision. The FL haven't helped the situation, they are pretty toothless, but I don't think they have denied us a fresh start.

 

[SkyBlueBlood]

The FL didn't stop the chance of new owners did they? The Ricoh isn't for sale, but again not the FL's decision. The FL haven't helped the situation, they are pretty toothless, but I don't think they have denied us a fresh start.

Completely disagree. The FL and FA have been spineless in the face of SISU (alleged) lies and legal threats and have been bullied into allowing this mess to happen.

Had we got the owners we deserved we would be at The Ricoh (whether owning it or not) and sitting in the play offs if not better.

 

[Spagbol]

The administrator made it worse, and the FL compounded the situation. You really have to ask what the administrator was thinking of feeding us back to the lions, and the FL issuing the golden share to a non existing company who were preparing to move the club out of the area. So jealous of the Saints, they got the fresh start we simply weren't allowed!

 

[SIR ERNIE]

The FL didn't stop the chance of new owners did they? The Ricoh isn't for sale, but again not the FL's decision. The FL haven't helped the situation, they are pretty toothless, but I don't think they have denied us a fresh start.

Kersley is right. This situation IS ultimately the fault of the FL. They are the governors of the game. They have rules and regulations in place which they have failed to enforce, allowing SISU to continue ownership.

The FL are an utter disgrace.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Kersley is right. This situation IS ultimately the fault of the FL. They are the governors of the game. They have rules and regulations in place which they have failed to enforce, allowing SISU to continue ownership.

The FL are an utter disgrace.

Isn't that rather like blaming the police or courts if a criminal escapes justice, surely the criminal is ultimately at fault. Once SISU became owners again the FL were stuffed, they don't have enough power to act. They are not going to stop SISU's ownership, however much most of us wish they could.

Taking it back to Southampton, I wish them well. Only time will tell if their supporters enjoy paying a lot of money to watch foreign millionaires play football. I would be content watching Championship football, with local players giving it their all, in Coventry.

 

[lordsummerisle]

It's almost as if there weren't loads of fans laughing at Southampton when they went into admin and stating how lucky we were to have to have been taken over by Sisu.

 

[Astute]

Isn't that rather like blaming the police or courts if a criminal escapes justice, surely the criminal is ultimately at fault. Once SISU became owners again the FL were stuffed, they don't have enough power to act. They are not going to stop SISU's ownership, however much most of us wish they could.

Taking it back to Southampton, I wish them well. Only time will tell if their supporters enjoy paying a lot of money to watch foreign millionaires play football. I would be content watching Championship football, with local players giving it their all, in Coventry.

The FL have bent the rules a few times on behalf of SISUE. The FL know that SISUE have lied to them. They know that our club could be playing at the Ricoh for free this season and for less than at Northampton for the 2 seasons after. Yet they say the reason that we are playing in Northampton is we had nowhere else to play. Yet they still do nothing. If they would have stuck to their own rules instead of bending them things would have been different. I would say that they were scared of litigation if they had done their job properly. Now they have left themselves open to other clubs being ripped apart like ours has.

 

[Astute]

It's almost as if there weren't loads of fans laughing at Southampton when they went into admin and stating how lucky we were to have to have been taken over by Sisu.

Lots of people like to see evidence before saying something is bad. This time they were wrong.

Some people like to try and see the good in what someone is doing......even if there isn't any. This is also wrong but they still stick up for SISUE saying that they might be right in their allegations although they love attacking people with litigation and Joy even more or less got called a liar the last court case by a judge.

 

[italiahorse]

Keep it simple.

Sisu took us out of Coventry and the FL stretched the rules to allow it.

 

[SkyBlueScottie]

I don't disagree with a lots than been said here but what do you think would happen if the new owners fell out with the council and ACL? Also did Fletcher not say that the Council vetoed a group of investors before Sisu came along. Why did they do that?

 

[robbiethemole]

I don't disagree with a lots than been said here but what do you think would happen if the new owners fell out with the council and ACL? Also did Fletcher not say that the Council vetoed a group of investors before Sisu came along. Why did they do that?

was that the American Manhattan Group, fronted by another Coventry lad..... Gary Hopkins ? the reason for the Council turning them down was they "only" offered £19m for the share of the Ricoh, the Council wanted £23m. the offer was a decent return on an investment of £9m by the Council.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

was that the American Manhattan Group, fronted by another Coventry lad..... Gary Hopkins ? the reason for the Council turning them down was they "only" offered £19m for the share of the Ricoh, the Council wanted £23m. the offer was a decent return on an investment of £9m by the Council.

Have you missed all the info that shows the Council investment was way more than £9m, or do you deliberately mislead?

 

[Grendel]

Keep it simple.

Sisu took us out of Coventry and the FL stretched the rules to allow it.

If they hasn't stretched the rules we'd be out of existence.

 

[SkyBlueScottie]

Have you missed all the info that shows the Council investment was way more than £9m, or do you deliberately mislead?

However much people say they invested its certainly a better return than what they got from Sisu....

 

[italiahorse]

If they hasn't stretched the rules we'd be out of existence.

No they would have to make a decision to take us out of existence. get back to the table or let someone else have a go.

 

[Grendel]

No they would have to make a decision to take us out of existence. get back to the table or let someone else have a go.

No they wouldn't. They could have pulled the plug a week before the season kicked off and we'd be finished.

 

[lordsummerisle]

Lots of people like to see evidence before saying something is bad. This time they were wrong.

Some people like to try and see the good in what someone is doing......even if there isn't any. This is also wrong but they still stick up for SISUE saying that they might be right in their allegations although they love attacking people with litigation and Joy even more or less got called a liar the last court case by a judge.

That court case that was years before Sisu took us over?

The same one pointed out by some at the time of the takeover? Ignored by the majority who were pleased we had hard talking businesspeople in charge of the club who wouldn't take shit off anybody?

Of course there was evidence at the time, people choosing to ignore it is their choice, but pretending that there was no evidence at the time is just trying to cover up their own stupidity and culpability.

 

[italiahorse]

No they wouldn't. They could have pulled the plug a week before the season kicked off and we'd be finished.

As I said they had a choice to start at the Ricoh or finish us.
Preferable start at the Ricoh and let the club go to someone else.

We'll be finished in 5 years with your heroes in charge regardless.

 

[RegTheDonk]

It's difficult watching how Saints have evolved and gone from strength to strength since going into Admin and turning down SISU.

They are in talks with the Dalian Wanda group. If the takeover goes ahead they will be richer than Man City.

I am happy for them, my missus' family are all die hard Saints fans with season tickets for the last twenty years and they are a great bunch of fans who deserve success.

What this really does do for me is reignite my hatred for what the football league did to us fans. They without doubt denied us a fresh start that many other teams have had after admin and consigned us to further years of stress and struggle, instead of hope and resurgence....

I will NEVER forgive them for this

Good luck to the Saints, I think they were very akin to ourselves when we were both in the top flight. Another team ignored by the masses, except perhaps for Le Tissier.

Don't know if having mega bucks will have so much effect in the long run...won't fair play rules effect them at some point (ie. you can only spend as much as you earn?)

 

[lewys33]

Hindsight is a marvellous thing. Fair play to Southampton. Can't help to think "what if ......."

 

[hutch1972]

It's difficult watching how Saints have evolved and gone from strength to strength since going into Admin and turning down SISU.

They are in talks with the Dalian Wanda group. If the takeover goes ahead they will be richer than Man City.

I am happy for them, my missus' family are all die hard Saints fans with season tickets for the last twenty years and they are a great bunch of fans who deserve success.

What this really does do for me is reignite my hatred for what the football league did to us fans. They without doubt denied us a fresh start that many other teams have had after admin and consigned us to further years of stress and struggle, instead of hope and resurgence....

I will NEVER forgive them for this

They along with Man city and villa are very lucky clubs , after all they only turned sisu away because the offers they put forward were unacceptable ( sounds familiar ) and not because they did not trust a hedge fund.

 

[shy_tall_knight]

No they wouldn't. They could have pulled the plug a week before the season kicked off and we'd be finished.

Don't agree, they would be able to sell the assets of the club such as the players for cash and then the club itself, to liquidate it
out of spite is possible but for pure cash as it is their master, a sale of club and players would happen IMO.

 

[jesus-wept]

Isn't that the crowd said to be bidding for City a couple of years ago not sure if they were introduced by Gary Hoffman or Richard Keys

 

[mds]

I would be content watching Championship football, with local players giving it their all, in Coventry.

Nice sentiment, but id rather us playing at as higher level as possible, with the best players possible!

Have you missed all the info that shows the Council investment was way more than £9m, or do you deliberately mislead?

FOI November 2013 How much did the council put in?
http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/11659/20121509
You have requested the following information;
1. How much money did the Council contribute to the purchase of land, building the
‘Ricoh’ Arena and other costs, please include relevant dates.
The Council acquired the site on the 25th
April 2003 with an onward sale to Tesco of
part of the site. The Council’s contribution at that time was approximately
£10,000,000. The Council used the sale proceeds from Tesco to construct the arena
with a £21,000,000 loan which was repaid by the Arena Company in 2006 on
completion of its lease.

 

[dadgad]

Completely disagree. The FL and FA have been spineless in the face of SISU (alleged) lies and legal threats and have been bullied into allowing this mess to happen.

Had we got the owners we deserved we would be at The Ricoh (whether owning it or not) and sitting in the play offs if not better.

Agreed. The FL and FA have been utterly supine. They have rolled over and made matters worse by 'awarding' us with lucrative ties in Norf London.

 

[Como]

One of the basic principals is that the owner needs to be a fit and proper person.

Any owner that puts a Club into Administration immediately fails that test.

Nobody of course knows what would have happened, who else would have taken over, but it is difficult to believe it could have been worse.

My local team is now the Broncos, Go Broncos. Very different rules, one thing is that they limit wages to effectively the TV revenue, so the Club make money from everything else they do. Now there are a lot of things I do not like but that rule makes a lot of sense.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Nice sentiment, but id rather us playing at as higher level as possible, with the best players possible!



FOI November 2013 How much did the council put in?
http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/11659/20121509
You have requested the following information;
1. How much money did the Council contribute to the purchase of land, building the
‘Ricoh’ Arena and other costs, please include relevant dates.
The Council acquired the site on the 25th
April 2003 with an onward sale to Tesco of
part of the site. The Council’s contribution at that time was approximately
£10,000,000. The Council used the sale proceeds from Tesco to construct the arena
with a £21,000,000 loan which was repaid by the Arena Company in 2006 on
completion of its lease.

Thanks, not really sentiment though, it is my opinion.

Thanks for the figures, so it was £9m plus £21m plus the Tesco proceeds, was that £67m?? so in all around £97m. I would class that as way more than £9m.

 

[mds]

Thanks, not really sentiment though, it is my opinion.

Ok

Thanks for the figures, so it was £9m plus £21m plus the Tesco proceeds, was that £67m?? so in all around £97m. I would class that as way more than £9m.

No argument from me, just giving the facts as the council see them, it all goes way over my head, sluggish old brain freezes up!