Leon Crouch issued a statement after being removed as football board acting chairman this morning and it is printed below.

I feel both betrayed, angry and saddened by what has happened today at the hands of the executive PLC board.

The role of a non-executive director in companies big and small, is to exercise a steadying influence on executive board decisions.

That is what I, along with non-executive directors Patrick Trant and Keith Wiseman, have tried to do.

My predecessor Michael Wilde and I have both, as the largest shareholders, invested more than £4m of our own money. It was me who dug deep to sort out the Ted Bates statue shambles, and it was me who put my money where my mouth was by providing a substantial cheque to bankroll loan players.

As a lifelong Saints supporter, it was a privilege to help.

My untimely departure today as acting chairman is hardly a model for attracting new investment that the club needs so much.

Good people are leaving the club because of this counter productive backdrop.

The executives on the PLC board now appear to have unfettered power.

The non-executive directors, all passionate supporters of Southampton Football Club, are increasingly regarded by the board as irritants.

Patrick, Keith and myself have tried to instil objectivity and provide reality checks.

All those who share a love of this great club should now be alarmed at what is taking place behind closed doors.

I invested substantial amounts of money to build the Saints up for the future, not to make a quick buck or two.

There are easier ways to make money than investing in a football club, believe me.

I have always looked to balance up the need for short term profit and long term results, as well as acting as a conduit between the board and the club's most valued asset - its fans.

That is what non-executive directors do. They try to provide wise counsel and introduce potential new investors.

The divisions in the boardroom between the executives and non-executives are well documented now. However, I could not stand by quietly.

The sale of the brilliant Gareth Bale was a classic case of selling off the family silver. How are we to gain promotion if the skilful players are sold off?

Recently, Andy Oldknow was voted onto the PLC board, despite our objections. That appointment gave the executives a clear majority to vote through whatever they wanted.

As acting chairman, I was not kept in the loop regarding important developments. That is no way to run a business.

It is the fans who work hard during the week so that they can pay to watch their heroes carry their dreams on Saturday afternoons.

It is the fans who are the customers, and it is the fans who should therefore feel valued and respected.

Finally, I too would love to see a wealthy business magnate take over the club, buying the firepower to take us back to our 'home' in the Premiership. Yet life is not that simple. There are few fairytale endings.

All we can do is do what we believe is best for the Saints.

If that means challenging powerful men in highly paid salaried positions, who are answerable to shareholders and customers alike but who have no emotional ties to our great club, then so be it.

From my point of view, it has been a privilege to serve this historic club, and I am sorry I could not have done more to help.