THE SaintsForever website has shut down its popular message boards after the man who runs it was subjected to "a never ending stream of abuse."

Over the last eight years Keith Legg has seen SaintsForever become one of the most popular forums on the internet for Saints fans to discuss everything from tactics and signings to the price of pies in the concourses at St Mary's.

In a statement posted on the site to explain the closure of the forums, Legg said: "Unfortunately, this site has become more of a burden than a pleasure.

"I have to constantly deal with issues created by a minority of people who have it in for the site, or me in particular."

He added: "I have met many great people via this site and had some superb support over the years, which has made this decision all the harder.

"But when I receive a never ending stream of abusive emails, threats, lies spread about my private and professional life, damage to my property, abusive phone calls, anonymous letters to my employer and hacking attempts to the site and my emails... it really is not worth it when it affects me and most importantly, my family.

"Of course, all the above is done by gutless, anonymous cowards with little grasp on living in the real world and being able to act like normal human beings.

"Unfortunately the internet is a haven for these type of saddos and I can only see it getting worse.

"It has got to the stage where everyday I am dealing with problems caused on this forum and it's simply not worth the hassle.

"I set this site up to share my love of Saints and it has been a good laugh a lot of the time and I'm very proud of how it has grown and how thousands of fans have contributed to it.

"So many thanks to all the many people who have helped me over the last eight years."

Moderators who oversaw the forums launched an alternative set of message boards last night.

By early this morning 139 posts had been made in praise of Legg.

Typical of the postings was one from barcelonasaint. "Why do a mindless minority have to make someone's life hell and get some sort of perverted pleasure from forcing Keith to shut the site he started," he/she wrote.

"Thank you for all your hard work, Keith, maybe now you and your family will be hassle free."

Beuatiful South fanzine editor Daren Wheeler wrote: "Perhaps we could all now realise that, no matter how good this is, it's just an internet messageboard.

"It's not the last bastion of free speech, just a messageboard.

"With a clean slate perhaps we can all put some things into perspective...."

Barney Trubble replied: "Good post, Daren. Some people need to get a grip of reality. Why some took it all so serious and personal I'll never know.

"There is no way that being a member of a poxy message board would interfere with my life so much like it appeared to others."