THE remarkable game of musical chairs in the Saints boardroom was continuing today.

As revealed in Saturday's Daily Echo, acting chairman of the football club board Leon Crouch - the second largest individual shareholder of the club - will be voted off it by the executive directors.

Crouch will stay as a director of the PLC board, but his expected removal from the football club board by PLC chairman Ken Delieu, chief executive Jim Hone, operations manager Lee Hoos, finance director Dave Jones and commercial director Andy Oldknow is a further twist in the ongoing boardroom sagas at St Mary's.

Crouch told the Echo on Saturday that he received an email telling him of a board meeting this morning.

The communication - sent at around 4.30pm on Friday - said the discussion, mainly done on the phone as several directors have meetings away from St Mary's, would be "the removal of Leon Crouch as director and chairman of the club."

As recently reported in the Echo, the elevation of Oldknow onto the PLC board has given the executives a clear majority over the non-executives.

There are only three non-execs on the PLC board - Crouch, Patrick Trant and Keith Wiseman, who didn't know today's meeting was taking place until he read it in the Echo!

Crouch has had two supporters on the football board Saints managerial legend Lawrie McMenemy and Mary Corbett, daughter of ex-Saints president John Corbett.

The news of Crouch's expected removal leaves Saints having gone through three football club chairmen in 13 months.

Rupert Lowe held that position prior to his resignation last June, while Michael Wilde took it on before he, too, resigned in February.

The club are not expected to appoint another football club board chair today.

Crouch remains on the PLC board as, under club rules, a director can only be voted off against his will if every single other director votes against him.

Trant and Wiseman are not prepared to do that.

The Saints Trust, the largest Saints fans' group with over 1,600 members, is today demanding the executives break their silence with regards to the recent boardroom changes.

The Trust asked a series of questions over a fortnight ago following the revelation that Crouch, Trant, Wiseman and former non-exec Brian Hunt had stormed out of a PLC board meeting following Oldknow's promotion.

They failed to get a reply, and were furious that vice chairman Brian Bennett's comments were ignored, with a Saints spokesman saying Bennett wasn't even a season ticket holder.

Trust chairman Steve Godwin released a statement to the Echo today.

It reads: "On the day when Leon Crouch might be ousted in a boardroom coup led by the executive directors of the club, the Saints Trust once again ask for an explanation of the musical chairs going on in the boardroom.

"It is now over a fortnight since the Saints Trust asked for clarification of the recent changes to the structure of the Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC board following the recent board meeting and the reported walk out of the non-executive directors.

"In that time, nothing has been forthcoming from the club other than an attempt to shoot the messenger' and ignore the very real concerns of supporters, shareholders and stakeholders raised by the Trust's questions.

"When a club spokesman questions the integrity and validity of a supporter's right to ask questions then alarm bells should be ringing very loudly in supporters' ears.

"The Saints Trust is still deeply concerned that the board membership goes against the principles and promises of the manifesto and beyond that, the guidelines for good corporate governance.

"The new structure of the SLH Plc board of five paid executive directors and three non-executive directors is at odds with last summers manifesto, written by the current directors, which promised a board consisting of a non-executive chairman, three executive directors and up to six non-executive directors.

"Finally the question must also be asked again as to why Paul Thompson, Michael Wilde and Brian Hunt have not been replaced with independent non-executive directors.

"Are there any plans to replace Crouch once he has been removed from the board?

"By their own admission, the executives have been using the manifesto as their roadmap'.

"But if they have now abandoned the manifesto and are no longer using it as their roadmap' then they should be sharing their plans and direction for the club with supporters and shareholders alike.

"The board should explain to the supporters, shareholders and stakeholders of Southampton FC how this new structure is in the best interests of the both Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC and Southampton FC Ltd and how this helps Saints achieve the ultimate goal of regaining Premiership status.

"The executives employed by shareholders and empowered by fans should be open, honest and transparent about heir motives and the rationale behind the recent changes in the boardroom.

"Now is the time for them to come out and tell the supporters just why these changes have been made and what justification there was for doing so.

"The supporters of this club are neither stupid nor ignorant and it is about time those who are temporary guardians of our club came out and told us just what is happening at St Mary's.

"To date, the silence has been deafening."

Brian Bennett added: "Rather than try and deflect attention away from these important questions, the club and directors would be better off answering the questions and addressing the genuine concerns of Saints supporters.

"Not to do so simply suggests they do not have the answers."