I KNEW it was too good to last. After 20 years in the doldrums Saints eventually sorted themselves out and became real contenders again.

An Australian coach was appointed who promised to preserve our attacking flair while stiffening our defence. We appointed a chief executive who came with excellent credentials and connections. This man told the faithful Saints supporters of his vision of the future at a 'Meet the Fans' evening in the Cabaret Room.

People came away from that meeting enthusing over Mr Howes' progressive ideas. From that time the club seemed to be run in a professional manner.

Information about the club was freely available in local papers and six-monthly question-and-answer sessions kept supporters abreast of the club's situation. The shop was doing roaring business and the whole scene smacked of optimism and profit. Two Wembley appearances and one championship later what have we got?

The team is playing stereotypical rugby with no enthusiasm and little direction. No matter how well the youngsters in the Alliance play they have no chance of promotion unless there is a huge injury list or international calls. The defence leaks like a colander because the players seem incapable of applying the coach's defensive system for 80 minutes.

After all this we hear the coach telling us what a great team Wigan are. So they should be. Every time Wigan have a vacancy for a top-class player, we sell them one (Andy Platt, Gary Connolly, Brett Goldspink - who next? Keiron Cunningham?). Nothing sticks in the throat more than this to a Saints supporter. It is unforgivable. When was the last time Wigan sold us an International-class player? Bill Sayer in 1966.

Meanwhile, Mr Howes takes his ideas to Leeds, leaving us with a restaurant that only opens at weekends, a cabaret room with no cabaret and a bar complex desperately in need of a revamp. So much for the 300-seat Italian restaurant and community leisure centre.

The present board is presiding over a regime that is exactly like the one our present chairman sought to change 15 years ago. If nothing is done to arrest this alarming slump in the fortunes of our club quickly, I can see us renewing our Easter Monday rivalry with Widnes in the near future, and I don't mean in the Super League. It could happen.

J. S. Barnett, Alder Hey Road, Eccleston.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.