Markus Liebherr - A Southampton Fans Personal Tribute

At about 6.30pm last night I heard of the death of Markus Liebherr. It was an enormous shock, and as for many Southampton fans feels like a personal bereavement. At 3am, having awoken with tears in my eyes, I find myself compelled to explain why.

Just over a year ago Southampton Football Club was brought down by the vanity, greed and incompetence of many over many years. After 27 years in the Premiership to League 1 and administration and potential oblivion. Three months of pain seemed in vain as potential buyers came and went.

Markus Liebherr was blessed with a personal fortune from good Swiss engineering and a business that built and sold cranes, to container ports.

And he saw what we saw.. the potential of our club. The pride, the passion, the players who could be great, the facilities that were (almost) great and could be better. The training facilities that were good and could be better. The academy of young players who we raised...and left to be great at other clubs. And he bought our club. He became the owner (no pretence about what he was, he was the owner). But not in a brash way of many others. He was a shy man who clearly did not wish to seek the limelight. He attended matches not to receive acclaim, but to watch his team.

And better still he had a plan. Through his man Nicola Cortese, they had a 5 year plan to take Southampton back to the Premiership. But not just a "throw money at it" plan, a thought out, build from the bottom sustainable plan for new training facilities, new academy structures, better stadium facilities and a new way of playing football. And it is being put in place bit by bit. Sometimes they get it wrong (such as Nicola's ban on press photographers from the ground), but generally Markus, Nicola and Alan Pardew have worked towards that plan and delivered. Its been a year of pure joy as a Southampton fan, not just for the results, but the progress. And now this..

This season began with absurdly high expectations and a home defeat to Plymouth Argyle. It seemed as though dreams were evaporating, and doubts surfaced. Then this. It feels almost biblical in its moral judgment. How ungrateful do those doubts seem in the face of the loss of our beloved owner. Our clubs saviour.

Of course the shock is partly selfish. Does the loss of Markus mean the loss of his money? Is the club doomed again to the harsh realities of the market (like our near neighbours). But the club says not. His plan is secure, his wish that the legacy should endure. And believe me, we all hope desperately that its true.

So what should we do for the future to honour the man. Well first we grieve him and remember him with a proper memorial to recognise his immense and honest contribution to the new hopeful, family focussed, community orientated, fair playing club he has created. We think back to the pleasure he gained in the past year (particularly his beaming face at the JPT Final at Wembley in March, and the joyful Mexican wave of 40,000 Saints fans during the game).

And we use this experience to galvanise ourselves for the season ahead. I can think of no better reason. At the start of every home game, just think what a moments silence would do for team and crowd alike, and the words "For Markus". And how would our team react when the crowd sang Liebherrs name? No-one, amongst team or supporters who has lived through the last year would fail to be motivated. And when, within that 5 year plan, the Saints are promoted to the Premiership (if that really is such a promised land) we will say "For Markus".

I have a regret, which I had before he died and I now know I will have for years to come. I never met the man personally, and shook his hand and thanked him for what he did for me. And that is as much because Markus was clearly a shy and private man as my own lack of effort. I now know I can only shake his hand in a prayer, and I have and will again. He was, I think a good Christian man. I just know I would have liked him in person (and now in my head I always will).

And I would pay him the best compliment I can give to any man; he was honest, a gentleman and a true Saint (in every way).

Bill Acres