He's Baaaaaaaack!

Football management can lead to stress, but Pardew clearly fancies some more of that as SFC start on -10 points.

First of all, Southampton were saved from impending doom. A white knight riding a sterling stallion stormed St Mary's saving the day and now they have a new manager they will hope can take them forward. Alan Pardew was today installed at the south coast club and charged with not only overcoming a 10 point deficit but with getting the Saints promoted from League One.



Pardew has signed a 3 year deal and I can see him being there at least 3 years, with relegation being the only issue that could get in the way of a lengthy stay. The Saints realize they need to re-build and next season will be all about avoiding the drop and finishing in a decent position. Anything more will be a bonus. Liebherr doesn't appear to be in a rush, (unlike Norwich) to bounce back to the Colaship and Pardew will get time. A rarity in football these days. Saints fans are just grateful to be still in the game after a summer of administration. Norwich fans are still pissed and all associated with the club will be expecting to bounce right back up.

Southampton's new owner is clearly excited at the prospect of working with his new manager...

"Alan has a strong track record and impressed us with his vision, commitment and ambition. We look forward to working with him." -Markus Liebherr

So let's have a look at that 'strong track record' shall we?

After 299 appearances as a player for Palace and Charlton, Pardew's first step on the managerial ladder came at Reading. He had been in charge of the reserve team and was promoted to manager in 2000. In his first season, Reading made the play-off final but lost out to Walsall. The following year Reading won the league and were promoted to the Colaship (Division 1 back then).

An impressive campaign in Division 1 and a fourth place finish had many teams keeping an eye on his progress. He moved to West Ham in 2003 after resigning from Reading. In his second season at Upton Park, he gained promotion to the EPL.

In 2006, a four-nil defeat to Bolton saw Pardew sacked. West Ham had been on their worst losing streak for 70 years. Two weeks later he took over at Charlton Athletic. They were relegated from the EPL but didn't expect Pardew to save them, they were planning to bounce back. Two years later and Charlton were no closer to a return. He was canned early last season and Charlton never recovered, staying rooted to the bottom of the league and hurtling towards League One were they will start next season.


Saints have some good young players for Pardew to work with, like Adam Lallana above.

Pardew has a lot of experience at this level and works well with young players, of which Southampton have many. They also have some experienced players and I can see them doing well next year. Pardew's first game in charge of his new side will be at home to Millwall on August 8th.

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Saints Alive!

They're alive...ALIVE. Ring the bells, sound the horns. Southampton Football Club are saved. They were close to death, breathing was slow, the pulse was weak, but now they have received the kiss of life. From a BILLIONAIRE. Lucky, lucky bastards!

I would have brought you this news yesterday but we had a massive failure similar to the one experienced in Newcastle in 1996. But we are alive and so are the Saints! The administration still means that the Saints start League One life on -10 points but the future is bright for saints fans today. Who is their saviour? The toast of the south coast? The King of Saint Mary's? All will be revealed....


"I believe we have a superb opportunity to rebuild this great club. This will require resources, planning, hard work and patience." -Southampton's new top man.

The Swiss are coming, the Swiss are coming! The Saints new owner is Mr. Markus Liebherr. He of Liebherr holdings. They of a wide array of products from cranes and excavators to the fridge in your kitchen (Well not mine, I'm more of a LG kinda guy but in many). Well good for him and good for Southampton fans. I know I'd be beside myself if Norwich found themselves with the situation that faced Saints fans this summer.

One man who was relieved yesterday was Dutch manager Mark Wotte...

"I think it looks very good, and it's about time. It's been extremely difficult, there has been lots of worrying about the future of this great club but, hopefully, we can look to a better future." -Wotte.

No more worrying about the future for Wotte! Oh wait. Southampton's new messiah sacked Wotte earlier today! Wotte way to go!

A new manager coming in and the money of a billionaire. I am truly jealous. One thing I ain't jealous of is those 10 points, the points that will see the south coast club start at the bottom of league 1 next term. But I'm sure if they can get off to a good start, they can finish in a reasonable position.

In honor of Southampton's windfall, survival and rosy future, lets all enjoy a rousing rendition of the song that only Saints fans should be singing. Suck it Spurs...

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Southampton Goes Neutral

In what one would hope will eventually mark a turn of the tide for Saints fans, it would appear the takeover of Southampton Football club is nearly done.

Freshly relegated to League One and starting its new life amongst the muck & mire with a ten point administrative-induced deduction, news of the club moving to financially-secure hands has to be reassuring... If not just for its employees, who would very much like to be paid on a regular basis.

Going against the recent trend, the new owners-to-be (jinxed!) aren't cash-flushed Arabs, but rather some "member of the family behind the Swiss-based Liebherr Holdings group". The BBC is adament to point out, however, that that family member is not Isolde or Willi Leibherr. And thank goodness for THAT! I think we can all imagine what life with Isolde and/or Willi would be like. What, with Isolde's perpetual drinking (hide the schnapps!) and Willi's obsession with the Jonas Brothers.*

Liebherr Holdings, which besides being quite fun to say in a poor German accent, is "a multi-national company, which has been at the forefront of the construction industry worldwide for more than 50 years." Luckily enough, the Saints have a rather nice home ground in St. Mary's (opened in 2001), so their construction services won't be needed -- just the cash, thanks. Interestingly enough, parts of the stadium are slated to be closed off this season as part of cost-cutting measures.

Unfortunately for Saints fans, this means club legend Matt Le Tissier, who was fronting another takeover consortium, won't be returning to their rescue.

*I have no idea who these people are and those representations of their character are completely false.

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Saints Running Out Of Time.

Mismanagement, misadventure. Plain stupidity. Driving a storied football club into the ground can come about in many ways. In the case of Southampton, the troubled situation they currently find themselves in, could come to a shocking conclusion as soon as this Friday. Adminsitrator Mark Fry has confirmed that if a buyer is not found by the end of the week, the possibility of Southampton Football Club joining it's 114 years on this earth in history is a real one.


Just last week Matt Le Tissier was on TV declaring that the consortium he was fronting, the Pinacle group, was determined to take over the club. Lunch meetings with Kevein Keegan were reported on and Saints fans must have felt as if their summer was finally starting to improve. Not so. Southampton's famous hero and his mates were hinging their takeover on the Football League's 10 point deduction behind quashed. Never gonna happen.

Saints fans were also baffled by the consortiums so called 'investor'.

"Michael Fialka is a part of the group. A lot of time, effort and money has been committed and it would be silly for us not to see it through." - Matt Le Tissier speaking last week.

The Michael Fialka refered to is a 32 year old leasing agent from Barnet, who recently moved out of his mum and dads house. Hardly sounds like the kind of guy with the means to buy a football club does it? Anyway, the consortium have backed out. So what's next for Southampton?

Well, the club is selling all of the players that they can, to make a dent in the debt. Just today Andrew Surman joined Wolves. David McGoldrick left for Nottingham Forest yesterday and keeper Kelvin Davies is on his way to West Ham. Surely Adam Llana and Marek Saganowski will be next.

The entire squad may be looking for a new team if the administrators cannot find a buyer. The situation is dire and the Pinacle groups withdrawal has left the club back at square one, racing against the clock.

As we have made very clear, we are working to a very short timeframe, but wish to reassure everybody with an interest in Southampton Football Club that we are working around the clock to try and ensure the survival of the club. - Administrator Mark Fry.

Lets hope that someone steps up and saves the club in time. For a whole town of fans to suffer over the relentless stupidity of one selfish and quite frankly crap businesman is just criminal.

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Southampton: Now Free Injury With Your Insult

We mentioned last week that Southampton were getting a contingent 10-point deduction and a certain sending down this season as a result of the club going into administration (not to mention shitty play).

The club's 1-1 draw against Burnley on the weekend confirmed their sending down on their own ineptitude (and not the FA's hand) and means they start next season 10 points in the hole in League 1. At least things can't get any worse.

Oh, maybe not.

Now comes word that the club could fold completely in the next eight days if a buyer doesn't come forward. The money quote from the Guardian:

The players are understood to have been paid last week thanks only to £130,000 raised by fans under a Save Our Saints appeal... Southampton will play their final game of the season at Nottingham Forest on Sunday but the source says they will be forced to fold two days later unless one of the consortiums which have expressed interest in the club completes a deal.

Okay, so two potential buyers are in the fold, but there is seemingly a pressing need to get something done ASAP. You've been relegated and you might cease to exist in little more than a week.

Okay, so that's the bottom. Unless you count getting punched by police after the weekend match.



The best part is the person taking pictures as the stewart tries to stop him. "It's a free country."

Ha ha. Where do you think you are? The Netherlands?

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Breaking News: Saints receive their penance

As expected, Southampton will be docked 10 points for breaching league rules about insolvency. It's a big blow for the Saints, as they now have absolutely no chance of avoiding relegation (they were 4 points from safety with 2 to play).

One weird note: if they manage to finish out of the relegation spots somehow, the deduction is put in effect, but should they drop, the penalty will be applied next season as they battle in League One. I don't remember that being the standard, but it bears keeping in mind for the team as they still have something to fight for this season.

More importantly, this means that Norwich must focus on one thing, as two relegation spots are effectively set: the mission to overtake Barnsley! Come on, Canaries!

[BBC News]

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Saints Get Reprieve

Southampton have escaped an immediate 10 point deduction from the Football League this afternoon as the board decided that a full investigation into the south coast clubs finances was needed before any ruling could be made.

If I was a betting man I would say that the league is stalling on a decision and any deduction would be carried over until next season, allowing Southampton the chance to retain their Championship status this season. Not deducting points would cause outrage and several appeals on the behalf of penilized clubs such as Luton and Bournemouth. Deducting points now could push potential investors away and force the club to shut down. The implications of closure would affect the curent Colaship promotion race as well as the relegation battle. Closure would lead to all points gained against Southampton being void this season. Southampton's holding company went into administration last week and administrators have clearly stated that a buyer needs to be found before the end of this current season if the Saints are to stay in existence.

The full Football League statement can be read here.

Southampton play Watford this afternoon in a crucial relegation 6 pointer.

-Bigus

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Parent Move A Lowe Blow.

When a team goes into administration, they get to back away from the debts they have assumed and start again. Poor management, bad decisions at every level. It doesn't matter. Debts are restructured/wiped out and the way is made clear for a new investor to roll into town and start again. Acquiring the team at a snip of the previous value. The punishment for shafting your debtors and getting to start again is a ten point deduction from the league. However, Southampton and their bungling money man Rupert Lowe have discovered a way to avoid that. Blame your Parents.

Southampton Leisure Holdings own Southampton football club. Making them a 'parent' company. Southampton Leisure Holdings went bust yesterday. Rupert Lowe, SLH's chairman and former Saints chairman, resigned from his position and so did current Saints Chairman Michael Wilde. Today the administrators rolled in. However, Southampton Football Club could avoid a points deduction from the Football League as it was their parent company that went belly up, and not them.

The problem is that they are both the same thing really. Southampton Leisure holdings amassed huge debts, over 27 million quid worth from the football club, including the building of St Mary's Stadium. The club's failure to fill St Mary's and the money the club has swallowed led to this situation.

Fry: Looking for a quick sale.

Administrator Mark Fry took questions on the Southampton FC official website earlier today and detailed his urgent need to find a buyer for the club as soon as possible.

The decision to put the business into administration was taken because it was clear that the business was insolvent. We have to find a buyer before the end of the season because there is not sufficient cash in the football club to support it's ongoing trading beyond that time. - Mark Fry.

While this sounds cruel, in the interest of fairness, Southampton FC must be docked points. To not do so would just tell every club in the country to form a parent company and encourage irresponsible financial management. It would surely also lead to appeals from Luton, Leeds, Bournemouth and others whose failings were rewarded with point deductions. In Luton's case, they are likely to drop out of the Football League all together after falling into administration. The League will have a tough decision to make, as this case will set a precedent in football. League officials have suggested that a deduction is still possible regardless of the 'parent' trap.


Assets for sale. Andrew Surman will likely be sold.

St. Mary's was an ambitious move for Southampton. They moved there from the Dell back in 2001 and have never really established the support needed to justify such a grand arena. A huge leap from the 15,000 who enjoyed the football of Le Tissier and Mick Channon at the Dell. This season's support has been pretty poor and inconsistent. Southampton have drawn as few as 14,000 for home games. Terrible for a club who live in a stadium that accommodates over twice that number. Today Southampton have slashed ticket prices for their last few games in an attempt to get bums on seats for the run-in. A run-in that could see Southampton relegated regardless of any point deductions.

It's not just the club that will be sold. Southampton have some good young players at the moment. Players like Adam Lallana and Andrew Surman. They will have to be flogged this summer. The writing has been on the wall all season and it was no secret that Southampton were struggling. To add to their woes, the team has been awful. Jan Porrtvliet was the wrong man to hire as manager and his naive 'total football' approach to the Colaship made his Saints a pushover.

Football can be cruel off the pitch as well as on it, and I feel for Southampton, I really do. The stadium is great and Saints fans are a good bunch. I've always enjoyed going there and I feel sorry for the supporters who will now suffer because of the ineptitude of Rupert Lowe and his cronies. But rules are rules and to change them now because of one shady man who thought he could play the system would be wrong.

Southampton Leisure Holdings ARE Southampton Football Club and must be treated as such.

-Bigus

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