Death threats sent to Southampton FC chairman Michael Wilde

The threat to kill the multimillionaire businessman was made just hours after Saints boss Jan Poortvliet resigned from the club.

The chilling message was sent anonymously via email to a newspaper in Jersey, where 56-year-old Mr Wilde has a home with his family.

It is believed to have warned Mr Wilde he would be killed if he continued to turn up at Saints matches.

On the same day, a granite block was hurled through the window of the house which he has lived in since moving to the island in 2005.

The inquiry is being run by Southampton’s Football Intelligence Unit after officers in Jersey passed it on.

It is understood the email has been traced to a property in Southampton and investigations are now focused there.

The threat to kill football board chairman Mr Wilde, who also has a mansion in the New Forest, is the latest in a line of criminal incidents in which he has been targeted.

They come after the businessman returned to the helm of Southampton Football Club to share power with Rupert Lowe last summer.

The first happened in May 2008 when glue was put in the locks of his company’s office in Winchester.

Staff were unable to get in or out of the building and a note was left at the scene that read ‘Wilde out’.

The second happened in the early hours of October 19, the day after Saints’ 3-0 home defeat to Watford – a game in which Saints missed two penalties.

Mr Wilde’s home in the New Forest was then targeted by vandals, who reversed a 4x4 vehicle into the gates of the house, smashing them open, before driving off.

Twelve days ago Saints fans began protesting against the regime of Mr Wilde and PLC chairman Mr Lowe during the home defeat to fellow Championship strugglers Doncaster.

It also saw trouble spill over on to the pitch between Southampton fans, as well as an impromptu protest outside the ground.

A former lecturer, Mr Wilde made his fortune during the property booms of the last 20 years and is chairman of a major housebuilding company.

He became the club’s largest shareholder in early 2006 when he paid out more than £2m for an 18 per cent stake.

As a result, Mr Wilde was able to call an emergency general meeting to oust Rupert Lowe as PLC chairman in June of that year.

Mr Wilde, who made his money from property development, installed himself as football board chairman but resigned that post, as well as his PLC non-executive director’s role, in February 2007.

He made a U-turn last spring when he joined forces with Mr Lowe to return to power at Saints, forcing Leon Crouch – the second largest Saints shareholder and the man who helped him oust Mr Lowe in 2006 – to resign as football board chairman.

A spokesman for Hampshire police confirmed the investigation was underway and said it was “in its very early stages”.

He said: “We can confirm that officers in our Football Intelligence Unit are investigating an apparent death threat made against Mr Wilde following information from Jersey police. The threat was made on email on January 23.”

When contacted by the Daily Echo, Mr Wilde said: “I can’t comment on the matters raised because they’re the subject of an ongoing police investigation.”