Comment: Saints chairman can't see the big picture

7:00am Wednesday 11th August 2010 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Neil Meldrum

SAINTS BOSS: Nicola Cortese SAINTS BOSS: Nicola Cortese

IN case you hadn’t noticed, Mr Cortese, you aren’t in the Barclays Premier League any more.

You’re in League One. With little old Rochdale, little old Hartlepool, little old Brentford and little old AFC Bournemouth.

A ban on press photographers at St Mary’s will only damage your club – both in the present and the future and at a time when you should be crying out for positive publicity.

How things have changed.

Back in 1989-90, when, under Chris Nicoll, Saints finished seventh in the old Division One, I watched my boyhood heroes dish out a 4-1 thrashing to Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool.

We stood in the car park at the Dell before the match and watched the likes of Ian Rush, John Barnes and Peter Beardsley step off the coach from Merseyside.

But it was Rod Wallace (2), Paul Rideout and Matt Le Tissier who starred for Nicoll’s side. I was blown away – by the performance, the amazing fans, the ropy old Dell and simply how nice everyone at the club was.

For the rest of the 90s, it was my life. Every other Saturday we would turn up at the old temporary building that housed the Junior Saints staff and pick up our tickets. The club even had the Family Enclosure above the old Milton Road terrace. Alan Shearer would always stop to sign an autograph or two and chat with adoring youngsters.

It was a wonderful time.

Shunt the clock forward 20 years and I’m sat writing this piece with a stunning view over the pitch from the St Mary’s press box. I’ve had a pie and a cup of coffee and it’s all very nice, but it’s not the same.

This once proud club has been turned into a laughing stock, both by the shambolic previous regime and the control freaks of the current one.

Mr Cortese clearly thinks his club will make a buck or two by syndicating pictures taken by their own man. I’ve got news for you, Nicola: You won’t.

If newspapers hate one thing, it is the greed of people like you and we press people tend to stick together in defiance of arrogance.

Yes, the Echo has let its readers down today by not printing pictures of last night’s match.

But we will not be held to ransom by the likes of Nicola Cortese.

Good luck with the promotion bid, because if you fail, there will be plenty of papers standing by with a chuckle and sharpened pencil.

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Comments(29)

horsted says...
7:36am Wed 11 Aug 10

its a Southampton trait of today, they think they are above the rest, the whole club believes they are premiership class, they would not live with the teams and the owners of the past, AFCB FOREVER, the future is bright, the future is RED AND BLACK.

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cherrychris75 says...
8:41am Wed 11 Aug 10

Neil, think you're spot on.
I've similarities to you. You support Saints but have to be professional in your work with Cherries.
I support cherries but through my work i mix with all areas of Saints.
I think the designer suits and top of the range Aston Martin sums up Cortese. He's a banker in the real sense and all he sees is pound signs. However noone can understand the logic of upsetting the English Media because there will only be one winner and it's not Cortese.
I personally think all this will change by the time we play them in the league because the sponsors will only take so much of not being advertised, obviously the papers want to pick their own photos.
For me, as I have said to people from the club last night and this morning.
You can have your half full stadium and your millions. I'd rather have the drama that comes with being a Bournemouth fan any day of the week. We are going places with the 2 Eddies in control. The supporters are united, the players wear their shirts with pride and ditched the egos and I really believe some of the "bigger" clubs will look on us as a real challenge.

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Boscombebiz says...
10:29am Wed 11 Aug 10

Shameful. Another step towards alienating the supporters and general public who already think footballers are over-paid and over-estimated. Grass roots football is becoming more inviting now. I wont be going to another Saints game again.

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dc addict says...
11:04am Wed 11 Aug 10

It wasn't so many years ago that the Saints supporters used to applaud when Boscombe where in the lead at half time.
Things have changed with the fans as well as the scumbags who run clubs like Southampton and that is as much down to the AFCB fans as anyone.
I just don't see the point in the antipathy towards the Saints. They have been good to us over the years. Their fans know who they hate so why do we insist on going at them so much?

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AFCBade says...
11:21am Wed 11 Aug 10

dc addict wrote:
It wasn't so many years ago that the Saints supporters used to applaud when Boscombe where in the lead at half time.
Things have changed with the fans as well as the scumbags who run clubs like Southampton and that is as much down to the AFCB fans as anyone.
I just don't see the point in the antipathy towards the Saints. They have been good to us over the years. Their fans know who they hate so why do we insist on going at them so much?
Good to have some banter with the Saints fan but agree the hatred is going a bit far for me. Also booing Adam Lallana when he still looks out for AFCB scores is just daft.

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Loyal2AFCB says...
3:35pm Wed 11 Aug 10

No Mr Meldrum, you have not let your readers down by not printing pictures of last nights match. You have let your readers down by providing coverage in the run up to, and the aftermath of last nights match that was unashamedly biased towards the opposition. There should be no place for you on Bournemouth newspaper.

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Paul the Parrot says...
5:05pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Mr Meldrum, doesn't the Bournemouth Echo sell photo's taken by it's own official photographers?

I just had a look and correct me if i'm wrong but they appear to sell at in excess of £17 each!!!

And you call Mr Cortese greedy? Isn't it a bit like the pot calling the kettle black?

And in any case since when did newspaper hacks start taken the moral high ground?

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Paul the Parrot says...
5:06pm Wed 11 Aug 10

sorry "taking" not taken

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MartiB says...
7:12pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Photographers are entitled to sell 'their' photo's as they own the copyright.

What you fail to miss is Mr high and mighty decided that they will not allow any other photographers at their matches apart from their own. So that everyone has to buy their photo's. Unfortunately they have shot themselves in the foot as the agency who were supposed to be the official photographer for Southampton have refused to sign up to it.

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afcdibby says...
7:45pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Im sure i saw Mick Cunningham pitch side last night. If it was him, what was he doing with his camera?

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lionheart says...
8:20pm Wed 11 Aug 10

I think the agreement is that Mick can only use the photos in the AFC programme and website.

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northwalescherry says...
9:16pm Wed 11 Aug 10

This is a Bournemouth newspaper, why do we need to know about how badly the Stains are run?
Rubbish town, rubbish fans ........
Poor MrC had the horror of having to wear a bib with a scummers badge last night..hope he's washed his clothes several times!
Roll on the Posh
UTCAID ETC
UTCAID

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The irate commuter says...
10:58pm Wed 11 Aug 10

Jealousy is not a pretty thing

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Gary67 says...
12:51am Thu 12 Aug 10

Why do you need to print a photo?...

Especially after Bournemouth lost 2-0

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s-pb2 says...
12:51am Thu 12 Aug 10

Brentford fans are proposing the club should do the same as Saints , and ban all but club photographers for the game with the Saints. The game is scheduled for penultimate game of the season, where Saints could be going for promotion. Remember, Brentford fans actually own the club as well, so it isnt a pie in the sky thought!
.
Also why dont supporters visiting Soton just take pics with camera phones and send them in to local newspapers, or do what Plymouth do and do artists interpretations and draw the Saints defenders in as donkeys in football kits

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kinsonmac says...
10:40am Thu 12 Aug 10

poor old scummers failing to deal with and come to terms with reality again!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE NOT IN THE PREMIERSHIP ANY MORE!!!!!!!!! As for the photo thing what make them think we want to look at them anyway would rather have them on a toilet roll and wipe my A--- with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!

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Tirau Dan says...
12:06pm Thu 12 Aug 10

This idiot sat in the press box and wrote this insulting biased twaddle on full pay. No wonder Nicola Cortese has had enough. The Echo was using this unflattering picture and bashing Cortese for months.. if thats the best you pap snappers can do hire a cartoonist for your comic.

Cherries and Saints have always been mates... please fans this is just the press upset at for once being told to get stuffed by a club that doesn't need their money.

Good luck AFC B.
ps:
I dropped in to say thanks to many Cherry Fans who have dropped notes into The Daily Echo Saints threads and face book pages... RIP Markus Liebherr
I hope if AFCB is ever right on the brink that you'll find a Markus to save you.

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Paul the Parrot says...
12:26pm Thu 12 Aug 10

northwalescherry wrote:
This is a Bournemouth newspaper, why do we need to know about how badly the Stains are run? Rubbish town, rubbish fans ........ Poor MrC had the horror of having to wear a bib with a scummers badge last night..hope he's washed his clothes several times! Roll on the Posh UTCAID ETC UTCAID
"Stains", "scummers" what are you lot on - thats what Pompey call us please coin something original little skate boy!

PS Where has all this aminosity towards us come from? It stinks of small town syndrome

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wayneofafcb says...
1:03pm Thu 12 Aug 10

Paul the Parrot wrote:
northwalescherry wrote: This is a Bournemouth newspaper, why do we need to know about how badly the Stains are run? Rubbish town, rubbish fans ........ Poor MrC had the horror of having to wear a bib with a scummers badge last night..hope he's washed his clothes several times! Roll on the Posh UTCAID ETC UTCAID
"Stains", "scummers" what are you lot on - thats what Pompey call us please coin something original little skate boy! PS Where has all this aminosity towards us come from? It stinks of small town syndrome
Because a lot of your fans think that because you played us in a friendly when we had admin first time, we should bow at your feet. Not to mention the antics of your fans when we play you in friendlies at Dean Court. And so on. Because Sants suddenly developed a lot of local fans when you won the cup in 76. Glory hunters etc. No prob with people from Southampton and nearby area supporting Saints, can't stand locals who do.
Bad news on your owner's death, but all these bad feelings started due to the antics of your fans in the 70s and 80s towards AFCB fans. Even Reading fans call you scummers.

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wayneofafcb says...
1:06pm Thu 12 Aug 10

Ps more people live in this area than in Southampton, hardly smaller town.

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kinsonmac says...
1:49pm Thu 12 Aug 10

ok lets have a competition for a new and original name for s---------n?

stains, dockboys, boxlifters, cranies, west key spenders. lallana poachers. need i go on? anyone got any more? original one please

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Becky67 says...
4:02pm Thu 12 Aug 10

And to think there was a big cheer at St Marys when the news was announced that Bournemouth were promoted....

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northwalescherry says...
5:36pm Thu 12 Aug 10

But not as big as the cheers at DC when the stains got relegated.

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Paul Lucas says...
9:05pm Thu 12 Aug 10

I was full of admiration for the Cherries 'fans' who were at SMS on Tuesday. Good natured and in great voice, but reading this crap from this reporter and reading some of the other comments on here by supposed cherry fans it does make you wonder. Eddie Howe did a brilliant job of getting you promoted last season - do him a favour by getting right behind the team and leave other clubs out of it. P.S. Liked the Harry Rednapp song too:)

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meerkat82 says...
9:58pm Thu 12 Aug 10

what was the harry redcrap song?

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Paul Lucas says...
9:13am Fri 13 Aug 10

Chant rather than a song - "One Harry Rednapp, there's only one Harry Rednapp" - In actual fact if you look at the recent financial problems of all three South Coast clubs there is just one common denominator - HR!

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Neil Meldrum says...
9:42am Fri 13 Aug 10

Loyal2AFCB wrote:
No Mr Meldrum, you have not let your readers down by not printing pictures of last nights match. You have let your readers down by providing coverage in the run up to, and the aftermath of last nights match that was unashamedly biased towards the opposition. There should be no place for you on Bournemouth newspaper.
Thanks for your comments Loyal2AFCB... That would be the biased coverage that suggested Cherries had bridged the gap between themselves and their neighbours after Tuesday's impressive first-half performance, then...
Before you start telling me where I should and shouldn't work, perhaps you might like to go back through Tuesday's match report and reconsider your views on our coverage.
Neil

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laddergoat says...
6:44pm Fri 20 Aug 10

Is it because we beat you?

And with a team of youngster.

2-0 !!!!!!

Also I admire you Neil for having a go at someone when their best friend just died, bravo. Your a first class ****.

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laddergoat says...
6:44pm Fri 20 Aug 10

Is it because we beat you?

And with a team of youngster.

2-0 !!!!!!

Also I admire you Neil for having a go at someone when their best friend just died, bravo. Your a first class ****.

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