SAINTS fanzine editor Daren Wheeler has called on the board to live up to Michael Wilde's manifesto promise on transparency.

Twelve months on from the boardroom reshuffle, fans are having to rely on Chinese whispers' according to Wheeler.

"We were promised a more transparent era, but we haven't got it," he said. "The fans are now the only real source of income the club has, and there should be more open-ness.

"There is a perceived crisis at the club - players are leaving, staff are leaving. But it's only a perceived crisis because the club don't tell the fans anything.

"Fans are having to rely on snippets from the media, from the internet, from friends of a friend'.

"The club should be more open, rather than leaving the fans to rely on Chinese whispers.

"There still does not seem to be any transparency in the club.

"The fans are still being held at arm's length by the club.

"It was nice the board reduced the season ticket prices, which was long overdue.

"But fans who bought their tickets are now seeing players leaving or wanting to leave left, right and centre".

Wheeler added: "I don't blame the board entirely for the current situation.

"We had two or three years of mismanagement and you can't blame the new board for that.

"I'd say 25 per cent of the blame goes to the new board and 75 per cent to the previous regime.

"The new board gave the manager a lot of money, but if they hadn't made money available then people would have said they didn't have any ambition".

Don't miss today's Echo for a special look at the Wilde regime's first year in charge.