|
  
|
OPEN LETTER
This is a letter from Duncan Holley - Southampton FC's official historian. It first appeared on the Saintsforever message board and is unedited, except for one small correction asked for by St Richard of Woolston. Neither Rupert Lowe nor the official site has repudiated the letter to date.
Duncan Holley writes...
19th June 2006
My name is Duncan Holley,
Some of you might recognise me from the fact that I have co-written a number of books on the Saints, commencing with the 'Complete Record' in 1987 and culminating with 'In That Number' in 2003. In the mid 90's, in recognition of my research into the history of the Saints, the club conferred on me the title of official historian. I was honoured but also pleased because it showed the club cared about its past, recognised its heritage but also acknowledged the importance of establishing the true facts and statistics of how we had progressed to where we are. Brian Truscott, the then secretary, was then very helpful in ensuring I was given the title.
When Rupert Lowe arrived as chairman, nothing changed and indeed when the new ground at St Marys was announced I wrote to Rupert Lowe, introducing myself and suggesting some sort of room might be put aside for some sort of museum in the new ground. I did not get a reply.
Despite this I had no real problem with Rupert Lowe as our chairman. I recognised we could not grow without becoming a PLC and, despite the misgivings over the reverse takeover, I confess to being fickle enough to put that to one side once I realised, at long last, we might actually have a new ground to be proud of. I also thought Rupert Lowe did the right thing by putting David Jones on gardening leave, as hard as it must have been to make such a decision. I also approved of his stance in attempting to open the debate towards bringing back small areas of standing into Premiership grounds, and wrote to him applaud his efforts. I certainly had no preconceptions about the man as far as his background or lack of a football pedigree was concerned.
However, around the time of Sturrock's removal I started to have reservations (I still don't quite believe the whole truth re Strachan has yet come out) and when Steve Wigley was appointed those reservations became very real concerns that Rupert Lowe was meddling in areas he shouldn't. I started to watch very closely everything he said and did and before long became fearfully convinced he was actually making footballing decisions, acting in a manner almost as if he was the manager and could do no wrong. Alarm bells started to ring.
At the end of October 2004 there appeared an article written by ex-manager Stuart Gray, in the Echo, which made allegations that confirmed my fears, as well as adding to them. Within 24 hours the Official Site wrote a particularly nasty article pouring scorn on and dismissing Gray's words, which I considered unsatisfactory. I wrote to Rupert Lowe expressing my feelings and asking him to answer Gray's allegations properly, as in my mind, the fans needed to know if they were true. (The allegations involved amongst other things, the signing of Delgado and the fact that Rupert Lowe favoured employing 'yes men'.)
Within 48 hours of me writing my mobile rung and I had an extremely irate Rupert Lowe on the line. He could hardly contain himself and as soon as he established that he was talking to the right person he let rip with a tirade of obscenities. The word he seemed to use most was 'ars*hole' and I was really quite shocked, not so much at the word itself (I have been called much worse) but the aggression in which he used it. He must have ranted on for about 5 minutes, going along the lines of what right I had to question him etc etc before he eventually let me get a word in. But as soon as I tried to ask him something relating to the Gray article he would go back into an obscene rant mode, repeatedly calling me an ars*hole, over and over again. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing to be frank, especially considering his position. At one stage he asked me if I was a shareholder and when I replied 'No', he said I had no rights to question him. When I said I spoke as a fan he replied 'You are not a fan you are just an ars*hole.' I was getting angry I must confess but I was determined not to lower myself and told him as such. I also told him I did not think it appropriate that he use language such as he was using and requested a rational debate without abuse. (To those who know me my apparent reserve must, at this stage, seem quite out of character and to be honest I think I was in a bit of a state of shock or at least on my back feet.)
He then made reference to the fact that the club had for the past season given me a season ticket, gratis in payment for services rendered and added because of that fact I should not question him. I immediately offered to pay for my ticket as I did not want to be beholden. The phone conversation went on for about 45 minutes, despite the fact that I suggested termination as soon as he got abusive. In fact I recall he only deemed to hang up when I heard his secretary say in the background 'I have Peter Kenyon on the other line Rupert?' When finally he deemed it appropriate to close the call I found myself quite shaken. I simply could not believe what had happened. I am no shrinking violet and can stand my corner but the level of abuse from someone who was in a position I would like to respect was unnerving.
I told a few people of the conversation that very afternoon and coincidentally one of them (St Richard of Woolston on S4E) met Lowe that evening at a function, and Lowe (not knowing Richard and I were acquainted) started bragging to him how he had 'sorted that historian chap out' and admitted quite cheerfully to Richard how he had called me an ars*hole and had not permitted me to get a word in edgeways.
Ever since that moment you will not be surprised to learn I have considered Rupert Lowe to be unfit to be the chairman of Southampton FC. Not necessarily because he is bad at his job (although I think he is) but more so because on a personal level I regard him as being totally unfit and even a little bit unhinged.
Since that call I have met many others who have had similar experiences. I think Rupert Lowe to be a first class bully and I also regard him as an autocratic egotist. Furthermore I think his destructive presence is very harmful to the future well being of our club. If he has any qualities (and I'm not saying he hasn't) their uses are by far negated by the blatant and nasty way he has bullied all those who attempt to stand up to him.
As a historian and a fan who not only loves my club and has studied and researched our great heritage it breaks my heart to see how almost singlehandedly he has destroyed what took more than a century to build up. I am talking about respect throughout the football world, fans that pulled together in times of crisis or hardship, board members who cared as deeply as the fans and a deep feeling of pride that came with being involved with Southampton FC. We might not be the greatest but we were the best. That scenario no longer exists.
Duncan Holley
|
|