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D-Day looms for the Saints; and there’ll be no ‘Told you so, Rupes!’ from me…

7th April 2009 By Charlie Wyett Leave a Comment

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On the morning of December 5, 2008, I received a furious phone call from Rupert Lowe.

He accused me of being unprofessional and downright irresponsible for writing a story in my newspaper that day, saying Southampton were heading for administration.

The story – and it wasn't a very long one – was along the lines that Saints were ready to sell their two star players, Adam Lallana and Andrew Surman, in January, in a desperate attempt to generate some cash as they had very little working capital.

Mr Lowe insisted the story was “rubbish” and “bad journalism”. He claimed everything was actually far brighter on the South Coast after he had returned to the club to pick up the pieces from the previous administration.

What a hero.

While I was pretty sure of my two sources, I must admit that when January came and went without anyone being sold, I thought maybe Lowe was right. That I'd got it horribly wrong.

Now, not for one moment am I getting any pleasure from seeing Southampton fall into administration.

When clubs choose this path, the rules state that it is the football creditors – in other words well-paid footballers – who are first in the line to pick up the dosh.

As several Ipswich firms discovered to their cost a few years ago, local businesses are normally last in the line to get 5p in the �1, meaning it's the people on modest incomes who are forced to go home and tell the wife and kids they no longer have a job because the firm has shed jobs. Or gone bust.

When football clubs fall to their knees, they bring innocent people down with them. So, no, Southampton's plight is not nice.

While disillusionment has set in over the last year under the Lowe regime, resulting in some relatively poor crowds, they're a decent set of fans and in many ways, Southampton and Norwich are similar clubs.

Today, Neil Doncaster, along with our good friend David Sheepshanks and Colchester's Peter Powell – not the DJ – will be some of the people sitting on the Football League board to decide Southampton's fate.

There will no representation from Southampton. The other 71 chairmen are not needed, either, as they voted for the League's board to make these tough decisions.

Hardly surprisingly, there is a very strong feeling within the football community that Southampton are about to get what they deserve. A 10-point penalty. Certain relegation.

Mr Lowe has since resigned and the club's administrators are looking for someone to buy the club. So far, 17 groups have expressed an interest in taking over and while one of them will no doubt come from a group of Portsmouth fans with the specific aim of taking the Saints into Conference South, some of them will be serious.

The city's council will probably help out by buying the ground but the debts will still be huge. Those brave enough to get involved will have one hell of a challenge.

The League rules, as you are probably aware, state that football clubs – and not holding companies – must go into administration for the team to be deducted 10 points.

This is why West Ham have avoided trouble, even though their holding company is in administration. Apart from the Hammers Megastore, there's a few Icelandic banks involved in this one.

Mr Lowe was chairman of Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC which apart from a plot of land on the outskirts of Southampton, had all its assets tied to the club. Or so it seems.

In other words, Southampton Leisure Holdings was Southampton Football Club. And that's why the knives are being sharpened.

As a Norwich supporter, a 10-point deduction for Southampton is hardly bad news. With Charlton adrift despite their win on Saturday, it wouldn't surprise me if they call in the administrators as well.

I still maintain that if, as expected, one or two established Premiership clubs suffer relegation next month, then they, too, will be in the same position as Southampton and Charlton. Within two years.

The League's Board could make an announcement later today that Southampton are in breach of the rules. It might be a few days before we know for sure.

And if Southampton are deducted ten points, you can be sure that sport arbitrators are brought in to fight the judgement.

So, in a worst-case scenario, Norwich could be relegated on the final day of the season with Southampton one place above. And then we would have to wait a few weeks into June for a final verdict before knowing where we stand.

In any case, I think Norwich will not have to worry. Despite Saturday's poor performance, Bryan Gunn has still sorted the team out and there appears to be enough belief they will stay up.

As for Southampton, if they do suffer relegation in their own right, then the ten-point deduction will not be made. They'll get stiffed with it next season, in League One.

The 72 clubs voted for these tough rules and it's difficult to argue aginst them. In the past, too many clubs cheated by spending above their means before calling in the administrators.

And that reminds me. Norwich go to Ipswich on April 19.


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