SFC DON'T LIKE US!!............or am I getting paranoid?

Regulars on Southampton World will be well aware that we dedicate each week to a Saints star. Well, in recent times, I have been in message contact on Facebook with both Kelvin Davis and Alex Chamberlain and told them about what we do. They had both seemed happy to come here and to answer any questions for them........and then suddenly ceased communication without explanation. It seems a great coincidence that they should both have acted like this and my thinking is that they mentioned it at the club.......maybe even sought permission.......and perhaps the club has decided to the players from coming on Southampton World and ordered them to my messages!!! To which my response is a resounding

By way of example, here are copies of the messages between Kelvin and myself.........

21st March from me:
Hi Kelvin
I am the Admin of a small website for Saints fans, and every week is dedicated to a different Saints star or ex-player. I am planning a Kelvin Davis Week, would you be willing to visit the site and maybe answer a few questions from Saints fans please?

21st March from Kelvin:
Hi Michael,
Will I need to register on the site?..

21st March from me:
It's done at the moment by registration, but no-one would be able to see your details. Does that cause a problem? So far, about a dozen ex-stars have registered and answered questions...

21st March from Kelvin:
No problem at all, When do you need me to register by?..

21st March from me:
This week is Paul Jones Week (the Welsh international keeper), maybe we could make your week after his, that would be 27th March to 3rd April? If you send me a message back to confirm, I will let our regulars know so that they can get a few questions together for you. I would suggest you register sometime this week so you can look around and get a feel of the site before Sunday. You can of course use any name to register but please, if you don't use your name, use an ID that people will recognise as being you. Thanks again..

23rd March from me:
Bad luck last night......didnt think our late goal should have been disallowed. Everything still ok for next week's Kelvin Davis Week?..

26th March from me:
Hi again Kelvin, Your week on Southampton World should be starting on Sunday, are you still up for doing this?..

27th March from me:
I'm whether you haven't been able to get back to me.......or whether you have decided not to do this after all. It is going to be a little late to arrange for this Sunday now so I will postpone it for a week or so to give you chance to get in touch. Best wishes...

Saint Mike

dont think you are being paranoid the one disappointment for me with NC is his attitude to the fans. A good example is we are the only south coast club that didnt have a fans forum on Solent, promises later in the season but never happened. This seems a typical response from the club and for me is simply down to NC's paranoia. His so called meetings with fans are just a select view an doubt whether any that have a season ticket in the Northam end will ever be invited, rules me out!

Very frustrating as the club is in the entertainment business and fans are an important part of that. Just dont understand why he wont communicate or allow players to do so.

Thanks though for trying, Kelvin and Oxo would have been good additions. How about trying some more ex players like Paul Wotton who wont be bound by the clubs restrictions and may offer some interesting in sights.

Thanks for your comments Matty, I am glad you see the picture as I do. It seems very odd that both Kelvin and Alex are in communication one moment and keen to come on here.......and then suddenly stop all communication. I see that Alex has also removed himself from my Friends List on Facebook!

The players I get to come here are, of necessity, only those I have some means of contacting. One or two have been Facebook contacts but the vast majority have come thanks to the co-operation of Tim Manns who runs the Ex-Saints Association and who kindly passes messages to his members for me provided he has contact details. It is then up to the player whether he comes here or not.........and I would say that approximately a third of the players Tim contacts has arrived on here. The list of such players is starting to run out, I think, but hope we may get a few more yet. I am hoping Tim may be able to point Chris Nichol and Rod Wallace in this direction.

Unfortunately I do not have a contact address for Paul Wotton, but I welcome your suggestion and have now emailed Yeovil in the hope something may come of it. For your info this is my email..........

Dear Sirs,
I am the administrator of a small website for Southampton fans, Southampton World. Each week is dedicated to an Ex-Saints player and quite a number of them have logged onto the website and answered a few questions from fans.
I am planning a Paul Wotton Week and hope you would have no objection to this. If possible, could you please let Paul know and ask him whether he would mind answering a few questions from fans on the website. Should you or Paul wish to check it out, here is the web address.......
www.ohwhenthesaints.net
Thanks and best wishes,
Mike

And here is an email I have now sent to SFC........

Dear Sirs,
I am the administrator of a small website for Saints fans, Southampton World. Each week is dedicated to an Ex-Saints player and quite a number of them have logged onto the website and answered a few questions from fans, which I believe can be only good for relations between players and fans.
I should like to extend this idea to include current Saints players of any level and hope you would have no objection to this. Should you wish to check it out, here is the web address....
http://www.ohwhenthesaints.net/t1518-saints-amongst-our-members
I should be grateful if you would let me know your views and whether you have any objection.
Thanks and best wishes,
Mike

I've got an email back from Yeovil giving me Paul Wotton's mobile number so I can contact him.........fingers crossed!!

Good job saintmike, I know a couple of argyle fans so if he does come on will ask them any questions, they still hold him in a lot of affection.

Hi Guys,
Hate to say it, but I've just registered on here from one of the other fans forums (Saints Mad). A couple of our regular posters (who are actually both Northam season ticket holders) have been invited and attended seperate Cortese ST holders meetings. Both posters were extremely impressed by NC's candour and ambition although both stated that NC seems to be uncomfortable in the spotlight and isn't really a touchy feely people person. It is only my opinion, but it seems that the decisions he makes try to be in the best interests of SFC, although he does make the occasional PR blooper. He may not want current squad members to participate in web forums in case questions are raised about the current management/financial running of SFC. He doesn't yet seem to have prescribed to the completely open way of running a business, which in the current climate (and also considering the way that Oxo is being pursued) may not be a completely bad thing!

You could well be right YS, but I am mainly annoyed because Kelvin and Alex were happily going to post on here and then suddenly ceased communication without any explanation. Surely it wouldn't have hurt them to say something!!

Being delighted with the response from Paul Wotton and Yeovil Town, it seemed to me that it might be possible to get more ex-saints who now play for other clubs interested in coming here by contacting them through their new club. So, in the last couple of days I have been sending out emails to clubs where former Saints now play.

I have to say that, so far, Spurs (Gareth Bale) and Norwich (Andrew Surman) have politely declined to let it happen. Arsenal and Newcastle have sent acknowlegements and said replies will follow. I am still hoping to hear back from Fulham, Blackpool, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Charlton, Swansea and Lewes.

The good news is that Rudi Skacel and Hearts have agreed to participate. I shall shortly start a new thread for questions for Rudi!!

Can you think of any clubs where ex-saints now play that I have forgotten?

SaintMike wrote: The good news is that Rudi Skacel and Hearts have agreed to participate. I shall shortly start a new thread for questions for Rudi!!

NO PROB GUYS

SaintMike wrote:You could well be right YS, but I am mainly annoyed because Kelvin and Alex were happily going to post on here and then suddenly ceased communication without any explanation. Surely it wouldn't have hurt them to say something!!

Fair comment! Probably anothe example of NC's poor PR decision making? It'll certainly be interesting to see what Paul Wotton says!

RUDI OF HEARTS wrote:

NO PROB GUYS

Rudi, good to see you here.

YS glad you posted and appreciate we all have differing views. Trust me given a choice NC or Rupert then its a no brainer. Just a shame that with the goodwill at the club and the fans this isnt built on and if he is not comfortable then someone on the staff ought to be to do that role, just not the clown who is on the pitch each week!

Glad to see Rudi here, brother in law is a Jam Tarts fan so sure he will have some questions.