After the press picking up the recent report by the Independent Football Ombudsman I feel that I should clarify the situation.

Some people will be aware that last summer a situation developed with my season ticket to watch Saints, something I had held since 1978/79 season, back then I kept this a private matter, issuing only one statement in August due to their being speculation on message boards, since then I have said nothing publicly, despite parts of the media asking me to do so at various times.

I chose to follow the correct procedures and i chose to keep this private, as the report stated i sought nothing apart from the re instatement of my season ticket and i had no wish to engage in a public argument with Southampton Football Club.

The report is very concise and documents the situation from start to finish, as it states both myself & the club have had several opportunities to give expanations and for their part the club chose not to do so, although it is also documented that they clarified that I was not barred from the ground only barred from holding a season ticket.

At this moment in time I do not know why the club chose this course of action, they initially accepted by season ticket payment only to refund it without any reason or notification, I can only assume that it was because of a statement issued in early June by The Saints Trust asking the club to re consider its stance over the season ticket repayment plan and asking for a meeting with Nicola Cortese regarding this matter.

Given the amount of supporters, both Trust Members who had contacted us or those who had expressed their dismay through the media and internet message boards, this was not an unreasonable or confrontational request, the Trust had been in regular meetings with the club customer services department up until May of 2010, at this point in time, I and The Saints Trust had been nothing other than supportive of Nicola Cortese and the club itself. Ironcally I  did not need to use the repayment scheme myself, I was in the fortunate position of having the money to buy the ticket in full, I was merely trying to put the case of those not so fortunate.

I do not wish this to be a public battle, as stated in the report I have been a supporter for nearly 40 years and a season ticket holder for over 30 seasons, I seek nothing but to continue to follow the club and see it succeed, indeed I have attended all but one of this seasons games, both home and away. I think my past  shows that whilst I have been willing to stand up and give my opinions, I have always had the clubs best interests and indeed that of its supporters at heart.

If the club no longer wishes to acknowledge supporters associations that is their right to do so, if the supporters themselves do not wish supporters representatives then again that is their right.

The facts of the situation are recorded in the IFO report and the IFO's subsequent ruling, I have nothing further to add at this point in time, Im hopeful that common sense will now prevail and that perhaps both the club and myself have leant something from this situation and it can now be resolved amicably.              

Photo: Action Images

eusebio added 11:11 - Feb 4 Free the Guilty one ! Oops I mean innocent One
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Crouchie added 11:18 - Feb 4 Why do you continue to put yourself forward as Trust chairman when the organisation is effectively dead? Also, absolutely no sympathy for you over the season ticket issue after the Silverspoons rip off. No ex players or food as promised, in a total dump with not enough toilets. I and many others wrote a polite email to you, simply asking for an explanation. Guess what? No response. What goes around comes around.

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BLEEDRED added 11:40 - Feb 4 What ever the rights and wrongs of this case , if the club will not give a reason then you can only come to the concussion that it is purely spite and vindictive on the part of the club. I'm sure Nick will admit he has made mistakes, but that does not give the right of some fans to get very personal with their comments. If I was Nick I would retire from public life , shut this site down then see if anyone else will take it over and suffer all the abuse. Is it worth it Nick ? its only a game of football after all. Let the club do what they want, is clear that fans to not want any form of dialogue with the club and if they are treated badly tough they will all just have to put up with it.

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eusebio added 11:41 - Feb 4 Yeah sut it down and get a proper job !!
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winchesterbob added 13:10 - Feb 4 While I often have a different view than Nick, I do appreciate the opportunity that his work provides for me to air my thoughts. I too went to Silverspoons and wasn’t that impressed, but I’m sure the arrangements were made with the best intentions. We were all victims of some sharp barrow-boy practice. Sometimes that’s the way the cookie crumbles, get over it and move on. I’m pleased the verdict reached by the Ombudsman was in Nick’s favour, had I have been in his position I would also feel greatly aggrieved. Nick’s victory is a victory for all supporters whatever you think of Nick as a person.

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sholingred added 16:18 - Feb 4 I know Nick loves the club,but to me,this trust is like a plc,big egos and people always trying to rock the boat,i would like it dispanded,always reminds me of Wilde lowe.We as supporters need to get behind Cortese and stop the politics,after all, this has nearly destroyed us and left us in div3.I like Nick and hope they let him take his ticket back.
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kcaj1164retsof added 18:52 - Feb 4 The new regime certainly do come over as being quite vindictive at times. Not only Nick's situation but also there was the Echo ban, the photography fiasco, not to mention, if reports are to be believed, the disrespectful treatment of some former players and managers. Perhaps a more user friendly approach might be desirable. After all no-one likes any organization to which one has an attachment to be badly thought of by the world outside and it surely isn't a pre-requisite to success.

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ourkid1984 added 22:55 - Feb 4 To be honest it's clear to see that the club acted wrongly to cancel the season ticket and should of been reinstated with maybe a bit of compensation. The Wembley issue is a totally different issue and should be dealt with properly and as it seems to of been a disaster from what I've heard from people who I've spoke to about the situation and just walking past on the day it didn't look great.

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VJC added 00:43 - Feb 5 If you didn't mouth off to the Echo and try to pass yourself off as the so often as the "voice of the fans" I might have some sympathy - as it is I trust my club you and your 'trust'
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NineteenCanteen added 02:22 - Feb 6 Having read this article I fail to see what purpose it serves and why you should feel the need to 'clarify the situation'. All you have done is repeat what probably everyone already knows. With regards the withdrawal of the interest free season ticket loans it would be interesting to know if you made your statement (assuming it was public) in which you say you asked for a meeting with Cortese, before you did the decent thing and approached him in private, if at all. Did you go public before you discussed the reasons for the withdrawal of the facility with the club in private? Given you have subsequently put much stall in doing things in private I am wondering if that sensible self-advice was applied in this instance? Or did your somewhat pompous and overblown position decide to take on the club in public without in the first instance trying to understand their point of view probably favouring instead, a victory for the fans and I assume through media pressure. A victory won by their 'elected representative' clinging on to an organisiation made totally redundant IMO with the collapse of SLHPLC. IMO all you have done is highlight the impotency of the IFO if a club rightly exercises its right to refuse to answer its questions or recognise it's findings. It would be interesting to know if you approached the club before your 'statement' given you were having regular meetings until May 2010. If you did go public before using your club contacts in private then I am not surprised the club may be aggreived and may have chosen to take the action they did but ultimately an action that he can only assume because of the impotency of the IFO as a regulatory body and the fact the club acted within their rights to refuse ticket purchase. Bottom line the club have not done anything wrong IMO and there is no need for some of the alarmist nonsense about precedents being set and I don't expect to lose my STs anytime soon or any other fan voicing opinions because we have spoke out on messageboards or phone in shows about some decisions. However, if you break the law (eg drinking in the stands) or perhaps help give the club some undeserved bad press without talking to them first then you can hardly expect the red carpet treatment in fact I think the ticket office blinds should be pulled down for a while as is the case for the bottled beer drinking boy from Totton. So did the Saints Trust which I assume means you, discuss this with the club in private before the statement was issued and if so with who and when did you meet? Its an important point and something that does need clarifying IMO so make no apology asking the same question several times in case you missed it.

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the_rover added 09:46 - Feb 6 It would be good to be able to read a two line statement issued jointly by the club and Nick saying that his Season Ticket has been reinstated and that the issue is resolved and no further comments will be made. Surely that wouldn't be impossible?
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BLEEDRED added 10:13 - Feb 6 yes it is !!!!
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NineteenCanteen added 19:29 - Feb 6 Rover, I agree with you except it would be nice if both parties made a short statement recognising how they may have handled things differently in hindsight because in my opinion there maybe apologies to be made from either side and unless that is recognised in public assumptions and sides will continue to be taken. Maybe I need to post this link to the main forum to get Nick to answer my question. I would like to know regardless if he gets his ticket back or not as it may help to understand the club's reasoning.

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