SAINTS fan Doug Cholertonhas has claimed that the executive directors could be "taking advantage" of supporter "apathy".

Here is a letter Mr Cholerton has sent to the Echo outlining his concerns at recent events at the club.

For an industry that relies totally on its customer base, the current events at Southampton FC must be causing Shareholders and supporters a great deal of anguish.

We hear calls for supporter unity from the various Boards of directors, we are asked to trust' the senior personnel, yet are being treated with total disregard as though our loyalty will be given without question.

Sadly the bright new dawn promised in the Wilde manifesto pre anticipated EGM has still not been met in any shape.

We were promised greater transparency; in fact, currently it is now worse than under the previous regime.

The current boards of directors are hiding behind the takeover rules of the London Stock Exchange in not making any statements about the internal problems of the company/club.

I have previously e-mailed a director and received a totally meaningless reply.

The latest fiascos of removing the second chairman in five months, the selling off of both the Insurance arm and the loss-making radio station without reference to any shareholder input beggars belief.

Add to that the sale of many players with either a current history of ability or promising young players who may have ended up being the next Theo Walcott, and it makes you wonder how capable the board is and how far they are looking into the future.

Having removed the only real fan on the Board (Leon Crouch) a man with an alleged directness in his speech, one can only wonder at what safety valve or foil there is against the current non shareholding directors' aspirations to dismantle and sell off piece-by-piece any club asset.

Moving on to the supporter base, one can only wonder if an apathetic approach by many supporters is not in some way to blame for the current performance of the board, with the directors taking advantage of this apathy.

We have a situation where directors were taken on to do and perform a function without pay, and yet we now find that one in particular is taking a salary and lives in Portugal.

Our situation is dire for a club with our catchment area. Support will dwindle quickly if the new season starts badly.

We need to sign players but have no money.

I cannot hope to understand the mentality of the board who expect the customers to turn up in droves yet treat them so shamefully.

The attack on one of the Trust Committee members (Brian Bennett) as not worth listening to because he was not a season ticket holder shows the total lack of understanding of the board.

Not everyone is able to purchase a season ticket because of family financial demands.

Not every supporter is able to go to every game due to work commitments.

Where is the understanding of people who are supposed to know and appreciate their customer base, and want them to return as often as possible?

Too many of the staff are leaving, or not being replaced.

We shall soon be a shadow of our once great club.

When the directors finally wake up and realise that the income stream has gone because supporters are no longer prepared to buy tickets, replica strips or other merchandise it will be too late. Will the last director out please turn off the lights!

Some of the directors that many of us look up to have been so silent.

In fact the silence from Lawrie Mac and Mary Corbett has been deafening.

I can only assume that they are happy with the way the club/company is being run.

As a supporter, I am certainly not!

It really is time for the supporters to unite again, for the second year.

We find ourselves taken for granted by a board who are keeping their customers in the dark, selling off the assets and generally behaving in such a way that many who have not bought season tickets will not buy on a game by game basis until this board have gone.

Doug Cholerton, Northwich, Cheshire.