Tomorrow Could Be The Last Day Of Portsmouth Fc

[jamboinglasgow]

5live saying that the lawyers of Portsmouth and the Inland Revenue (HMRC) have failed to come to agreement so it goes to the winding up court case with the club owing ?7m.

 

I think there will be some last minute deal but it could be nasty. I hope for their fans that the worst doesn't happen.

[shaun.lawson]

5live saying that the lawyers of Portsmouth and the Inland Revenue (HMRC) have failed to come to agreement so it goes to the winding up court case with the club owing ?7m.

 

I think there will be some last minute deal but it could be nasty. I hope for their fans that the worst doesn't happen.

 

I assume there'll be some sort of deal too - let's face it, there almost always is. But if by some chance there isn't, the FA Cup winners would've vanished less than two seasons later. That's even worse than the Gretna example in Scotland! Scary - but is anyone among the powers that aren't (I mean you, Lord Pleased Man of Soho Square; and you, Richard ******* Scudamore) going to wake up and do something?

[WavyGravy]

I assume there'll be some sort of deal too - let's face it, there almost always is. But if by some chance there isn't, the FA Cup winners would've vanished less than two seasons later. That's even worse than the Gretna example in Scotland! Scary - but is anyone among the powers that aren't (I mean you, Lord Pleased Man of Soho Square; and you, Richard ******* Scudamore) going to wake up and do something?

 

Why should they do anything? Not their fault the club has passed on from Schyster to Schyster. They aren't in this mess through bad luck. They are in the mess because too many people have seen Portsmouth as a way to make money. And it goes on far longer than the Arabs. Mandaric and Redknapp have a hell of a lot to answer for.

[Dot Cotton]

Dont like Pompey, **** ground and **** fans. Lived beyond their means and now face the consequences.

[shaun.lawson]

Why should they do anything? Not their fault the club has passed on from Schyster to Schyster. They aren't in this mess through bad luck. They are in the mess because too many people have seen Portsmouth as a way to make money. And it goes on far longer than the Arabs. Mandaric and Redknapp have a hell of a lot to answer for.

 

What they should do is have proper, rigorous fit and proper person tests for owners, look seriously at salary caps, and bring in real regulation over the game. UEFA are starting to; the Premier League are not. At present, it's a total lottery whether your club ends up owned by a shyster, an over-excited fan, a bottomless pit, or a good egg. To mix metaphors, the chickens are coming home to roost, big time: and what's incredible is the authorities are just sitting around waiting for it to happen instead of being proactive in terms of the future, and coming up with measures which could prevent it from occurring to many other clubs.

[shaun.lawson]

Dont like Pompey, **** ground and **** fans. Lived beyond their means and now face the consequences.

 

I don't like Pompey either. But the above comment is pure comedy coming from any Hearts fan.

[jamboinglasgow]

I assume there'll be some sort of deal too - let's face it, there almost always is. But if by some chance there isn't, the FA Cup winners would've vanished less than two seasons later. That's even worse than the Gretna example in Scotland! Scary - but is anyone among the powers that aren't (I mean you, Lord Pleased Man of Soho Square; and you, Richard ******* Scudamore) going to wake up and do something?

 

The implications are huge for English football. Gretna was the case of really a pub team being built up by a guy with money that they rode high to get to the SPL, problem was that they came from a place with very little fan base. In the world of Scottish football attendences are still key as the tv money is not huge.

 

In the premiership it is the opposite. Portsmouth is a small city and should be able to keep one football club afloat. The TV money they recieve each season is enough to wipe out most of the debt of the SPL. And yet they are in severe financial problems and could be the first club to go in an EPL season. It destroys the idea that the EPL is financially stronger overnight. The debt of clubs is coming back to haunt them. Problem is no one did anything about it when the times were good, football followed the credit boom and now the banks are going up the clubs are on shaky ground. The worrying thing is it could start a chain reaction in the EPL which is not good for the SPL as it means the less and less chance for clubs to get high transfer fees.

 

I agree with you that the powers in charge are just standing around pretending it is not happening. The premiership just signed a new ?1bn overseas TV deal, surely the premier league could find a way to pay HMRC. Its disgraceful that something like this is happening and those at the top are not doing anything. The premier league got suckered into the easy way, flashy foreign owners who promised much, but only one or two have delivered.

[Carl Weathers]

Dont like Pompey, **** ground and **** fans. Lived beyond their means and now face the consequences.

 

Great ground, great fans - and I'm not a Portsmouth 'fan'.

[Five to One]

Seems this is the Harry Redknapp way, not that it's all his fault of course. West Ham, Portsmouth, maybe Spurs next - he's been spending big there so far.

[Guest King]

So what would happen if tomorrow was the last day? A 19 team Premier League? What would happen with the fixtures

[shaun.lawson]

Seems this is the Harry Redknapp way, not that it's all his fault of course. West Ham, Portsmouth, maybe Spurs next - he's been spending big there so far.

 

I highly doubt it in the latter case - because THFC are run genuinely as a business, and have been something of a model club in financial terms for many years now. But I totally agree about Redknapp with regard to the other clubs: in more ways than one, he's Terry Venables, about ten years on.

[Guest King]

Seems this is the Harry Redknapp way, not that it's all his fault of course. West Ham, Portsmouth, maybe Spurs next - he's been spending big there so far.

 

Redknapp is an arse, dont forget Southampton.

[shaun.lawson]

So what would happen if tomorrow was the last day? A 19 team Premier League? What would happen with the fixtures

 

In that scenario, they'd expunge all results involving Portsmouth this season, have only two down - and I assume, have only one down from League Two into the Conference as well.

[Hungry hippo]

Great ground, great fans - and I'm not a Portsmouth 'fan'.

 

Agreed. Arguably the best fans in the league.

 

I'd be very surprised if the club don't negotiate an interim payment tomorrow.

[Guest King]

In that scenario, they'd expunge all results involving Portsmouth this season, have only two down - and I assume, have only one down from League Two into the Conference as well.

 

 

Ah right. Which would mean Southampton getting a bye in the FA Cup?

[I P Knightley]

I wish it had happened to West Ham before Portsmouth but there's going to have to be an adjustment and it will affect all clubs to some extent and not just those in the Premiership. Like all cases of financial shock, it will seep across the industry.

 

As someone's said, we won't have the likes of Wolves parting with millions for Berra in the same way. If it results in salary caps and greater regulation of club owners, it would be a good thing but we must remember that it would be administered by the same self-serving football authorities who have sat back and watch things spiral out of control already.

[Carl Weathers]

Agreed. Arguably the best fans in the league.

 

I'd be very surprised if the club don't negotiate an interim payment tomorrow.

 

I've always been impressed with the atmosphere there and really fancy taking in a game.

 

Fingers crossed they don't go **** up!

[shaun.lawson]

What the Premier League table would look like if Portsmouth went bust

 

(NB. I don't for a moment think it'll happen)

 

1. Chelsea P 24 GD +39 Pts 55

2. Man Utd P 23 GD +33 Pts 50

3. Liverpool P 24 GD +19 Pts 44

4. Arsenal P 23 GD +24 Pts 43

--------------------------------

5. Tottenham P 24 GD +19 Pts 40

6. Man City P 22 GD +12 Pts 38

--------------------------------

7. Aston V P 23 GD +11 Pts 38

8. Birmingham P 23 GD -1 Pts 34

9. Everton P 23 GD -3 Pts 29

10. Fulham P 24 GD 0 Pts 28

11. Stoke P 23 GD -5 Pts 27

12. Blackburn P 24 GD -20 Pts 25

13. Sunderland P 23 GD -10 Pts 24

14. Wigan P 23 GD -19 Pts 24

15. Burnley P 24 GD -23 Pts 23

16. Hull P 24 GD -25 Pts 23

17. Wolves P 23 GD -21 Pts 21

--------------------------------

18. Bolton P 23 GD -18 Pts 19

19. West Ham P 22 GD -12 Pts 17

 

Biggest winners in such a scenario? Liverpool. Biggest losers? Arsenal and Manchester City to a degree; West Ham even more so. Infinitely more likely must be some kind of deal though; or at worst, administration, which would just confirm the relegation everyone knows is coming Pompey's way anyway.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Shaun's "fit and proper" post is all well and good - however, it's a classic case of stable doors being bolted too late.

 

That said, I remember Wolves, Bristol City and Middlesbrough all either having last minute reprieves or even being locked out of their stadia due to winding up orders in the 80's. Portsmouth will survive in some form. God knows what that form will be though.

[shaun.lawson]

Ah right. Which would mean Southampton getting a bye in the FA Cup?

 

 

Yes - although they could conceivably reinstate Pompey's fourth round victims, Sunderland. Odd one for Saints fans, this: what would they rather? Beat Portsmouth in the fifth round (which I rather think they will, to be honest); or have them disappear altogether? I suspect most would go for the former, believe it or not.

 

I wish it had happened to West Ham before Portsmouth but there's going to have to be an adjustment and it will affect all clubs to some extent and not just those in the Premiership. Like all cases of financial shock, it will seep across the industry.

 

As someone's said, we won't have the likes of Wolves parting with millions for Berra in the same way. If it results in salary caps and greater regulation of club owners, it would be a good thing but we must remember that it would be administered by the same self-serving football authorities who have sat back and watch things spiral out of control already.

 

I agree. Bear in mind, though, that if West Ham go down, it probably will happen there, regardless of their new ownership. The three clubs in most danger are Pompey, Hull and West Ham.

[shaun.lawson]

Shaun's "fit and proper" post is all well and good - however, it's a classic case of stable doors being bolted too late.

 

That said, I remember Wolves, Bristol City and Middlesbrough all either having last minute reprieves or even being locked out of their stadia due to winding up orders in the 80's. Portsmouth will survive in some form. God knows what that form will be though.

 

Celtic too, of course! And undoubtedly, change would be long after the horse had bolted - but better late than never. What's gone on throughout the English game has, rather like in Scotland around the turn of the century but to an even more extreme extent, forced many clubs to live way beyond their means simply in order to compete. The alternative would've meant not being able to afford even average players in many cases; relegation, lower revenue, lower gates and all the rest of it. Football eats money like almost nothing else.

 

Had Southampton gone last summer, I had thought that'd wake the authorities up - but it might take it to happen to a Premier League club. Indeed, that the media have started talking about English football's economic time bomb is really only because of what's going on at Liverpool and Man Utd. In terms of almost all other clubs, and with venerable exceptions like David Conn, it's pretty much always been a case of out of sight, out of mind until now.

[John Findlay]

The implications are huge for English football. Gretna was the case of really a pub team being built up by a guy with money that they rode high to get to the SPL, problem was that they came from a place with very little fan base. In the world of Scottish football attendences are still key as the tv money is not huge.

 

In the premiership it is the opposite. Portsmouth is a small city and should be able to keep one football club afloat. The TV money they recieve each season is enough to wipe out most of the debt of the SPL. And yet they are in severe financial problems and could be the first club to go in an EPL season. It destroys the idea that the EPL is financially stronger overnight. The debt of clubs is coming back to haunt them. Problem is no one did anything about it when the times were good, football followed the credit boom and now the banks are going up the clubs are on shaky ground. The worrying thing is it could start a chain reaction in the EPL which is not good for the SPL as it means the less and less chance for clubs to get high transfer fees.

 

I agree with you that the powers in charge are just standing around pretending it is not happening. The premiership just signed a new ?1bn overseas TV deal, surely the premier league could find a way to pay HMRC. Its disgraceful that something like this is happening and those at the top are not doing anything. The premier league got suckered into the easy way, flashy foreign owners who promised much, but only one or two have delivered.

 

 

You are correct in saying Portsmouth itself is a small city. Mainly Portsmouth is built on the island of Portsea and has a population of approx 200,000 on this island. It is the most densely populated city outside London. However the catchment area of Chichester to the East, Fareham to the South, Petersfield to the North and the Isle of Wight comes to nye on 1,000,000 people. The club has suffered very badly from bad management since the late Jim Gregory hung up his football chairman's coat at the start of the 1990's. First his son Martin nearly ran the club into the ground and did the most foolish of things by selling it to one Terry Venables for an alleged ?1. The rot really set in with him. Milan Mandaric along with Harry Redknapp hammering in 90% of the nails in their coffin. The other 10% being done with the dodgy owners since along with a large dose of help from the English Premier League.

 

This is a proud club with quite an established history. One of the quirky facts about them being that they are the team who have held the FA cup the longest as in being the winners in 1939 and therefore being custodians of the cup for the duration of the second world war. The cup in that time being held in a safe at Havant police station for a while. They won two league championships in the immediate post-war(second world war) years and their honorary president at that time was none other than Lord Bernard Montgomery, known to most as Monty.

So if this club do go under it will be a tragedy for alot of people in Portsmouth and the surrounding area. There will be alot of tears shed and I will be one of those shedding them as it is the team of my two children from my first marriage.

 

 

 

John

[shaun.lawson]

You are correct in saying Portsmouth itself is a small city. Mainly Portsmouth is built on the island of Portsea and has a population of approx 200,000 on this island. It is the most densely populated city outside London. However the catchment area of Chichester to the East, Fareham to the South, Petersfield to the North and the Isle of Wight comes to nye on 1,000,000 people. The club has suffered very badly from bad management since the late Jim Gregory hung up his football chairman's coat at the start of the 1990's. First his son Martin nearly ran the club into the ground and did the most foolish of things by selling it to one Terry Venables for an alleged ?1. The rot really set in with him. Milan Mandaric along with Harry Redknapp hammering in 90% of the nails in their coffin. The other 10% being done with the dodgy owners since along with a large dose of help from the English Premier League.

 

This is a proud club with quite an established history. One of the quirky facts about them being that they are the team who have held the FA cup the longest as in being the winners in 1939 and therefore being custodians of the cup for the duration of the second world war. The cup in that time being held in a safe at Havant police station for a while. They won two league championships in the immediate post-war(second world war) years and their honorary president at that time was none other than Lord Bernard Montgomery, known to most as Monty.

So if this club do go under it will be a tragedy for alot of people in Portsmouth and the surrounding area. There will be alot of tears shed and I will be one of those shedding them as it is the team of my two children from my first marriage.

 

 

 

John

 

I don't think it'll come to the worst, John - but contrary to the absolute garbage regularly spouted on here, it is never, ever a good thing when any football club goes bust, or just enters administration, for that matter. The latter is quite appalling for local businesses, and the club's reputation within the locality. The former is a tragedy for an entire community, with generations reared on following the club. Football clubs are about pride, history, tradition and memories: they're named after places after all. For anyone to wish extinction on another club is incredibly foolish - and for Hearts fans to do it beggars belief given our near-death experience a few years back, and continued precarious existence now.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Celtic too, of course! And undoubtedly, change would be long after the horse had bolted - but better late than never. What's gone on throughout the English game has, rather like in Scotland around the turn of the century but to an even more extreme extent, forced many clubs to live way beyond their means simply in order to compete. The alternative would've meant not being able to afford even average players in many cases; relegation, lower revenue, lower gates and all the rest of it. Football eats money like almost nothing else.

 

Had Southampton gone last summer, I had thought that'd wake the authorities up - but it might take it to happen to a Premier League club. Indeed, that the media have started talking about English football's economic time bomb is really only because of what's going on at Liverpool and Man Utd. In terms of almost all other clubs, and with venerable exceptions like David Conn, it's pretty much always been a case of out of sight, out of mind until now.

 

Agreed. The difference is that United and Liverpool still have their cachet to trade on, hence why Liverpool are getting linked with another investor. As for Pompey, it seems incredible that they managed to find the only two sheikhs in the Gulf, outside of Dubai, who had no money!

[siegementality]

Seems this is the Harry Redknapp way, not that it's all his fault of course. West Ham, Portsmouth, maybe Spurs next - he's been spending big there so far.

 

You can't get a slice if you don't spend big, eh 'arry (allegedly)

[maroonedinoz]

Seems this is the Harry Redknapp way, not that it's all his fault of course. West Ham, Portsmouth, maybe Spurs next - he's been spending big there so far.

 

Its the BOARD who are ultimately responsible for teh fiscal side of things - not Harry Rednapp.

 

Worr

[Geeky Boy]

Its not just Pompey who could go out of business today. Cardiff and Southend Utd could also go under.

[I P Knightley]

What the Premier League table would look like if Portsmouth went bust

 

(NB. I don't for a moment think it'll happen)

 

Good work, Shaun.

 

Especially since it then leaves West Ham rock bottom.

 

I don't wish any ill on Portsmouth at all; it's a favourite family destination for days/weekends out.

 

However, if misery is heaped upon West Ham, I will have a wry smile.

 

Apologies for any typoes; I can't see what I'm typing due to the big editing toolbar sitting in the middle of the reply box.

[milky_26]

the problem i see is that fratton park only holds around 20k and with the wages they are paying, they just cant afford it without a bigger stadium. I don't want them to go bust but it might be for the greater good of the game if they did as it would hopefully force the other clubs that are in trouble to take drastic measures to try and avoid this happening to them.

[Sterling Archer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/8505321.stm

 

It would appear that they are screwed.

 

 

haha

 

[I P Knightley]

So that's the coffin built, the lid polished, Pompey laid out inside; 11 out 12 nails hammered in securely and the undertaker hovering with nail 12 and a mighty hammer at the ready.

 

It's kind of pathetic to see Avram of the Red Light pleading to thin air.

 

This business belongs to the fans, they love this club

 

I think he'll find that the "business" does not belong to the club, it belongs to whoever the geezer is that took it over a couple of weeks ago. A geezer who'll probably see more cashflow in the event of winding up than if he'd owned the company for the next 5 years.

 

What is true (and also sad) is that the fans have invested their whole lives (the proper fans, not the internet fans) in the club, only to see it go up in a puff of smoke.

 

Ah well. I'm slightly more concerned about the fact that I now need to boycott Cadbury's Dairy Milk. Galaxy's OK, but it's not all that.

[Sterling Archer]

I wonder if Avram's whores were paid for on expenses?

[Mark_Mywords]

It wasn't that long ago they were planning that fantastic £600,000,000 stadium. How times have changed.

 

[I P Knightley]

It wasn't that long ago they were planning that fantastic ?600,000,000 stadium. How times have changed.

 

 

 

 

 

I hadn't seen that. It would have been quite something, a bit like the Jolly Roger in Peter Pan! Instead, they've got (just out left of shot, the "Spinnaker Tower" which is of no use to anybody (although it probably cost a wee bit less than ?600mill).

[Prince Buaben]

What happnens to the players if they went under??

 

looking through the sqaud there is some not bad players there. Are they able to find new club and play?

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

What happnens to the players if they went under??

 

looking through the sqaud there is some not bad players there. Are they able to find new club and play?

 

If the club are liquidated, all contracts become null and void. I presume UEFA/FIFA would allow them to sign for other clubs outside of the window.

 

I think administration is the first stage, however.

[Prince Buaben]

If the club are liquidated, all contracts become null and void. I presume UEFA/FIFA would allow them to sign for other clubs outside of the window.

 

I think administration is the first stage, however.

 

I thought if the winding up order was passed then that was it, no administration first?

[Patrick Bateman]

I hope this is the end of the Premiership house of cards. It's tough on Portsmouth, but the whole set up has ruined football and someone has to pay.

[milky_26]

been given a 7 day stay of execution

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/8505321.stm

[Hugh Phamism]

Apparently they owe ?11.6M in tax to HMRC and they want it now......7 days to find another new buyer, or it's curtains for Pompey!!

[Jammy T]

Some of Avram's comments about the way clubs are run and that they should be for the fans were interesting. It would suggest to me that his friendship with Romanov isnt based on footballing philosophy. More a basketball thing I s'pose...

[willie wallace]

There last game could possibly be their cup tie against their greatest rivals.Southampton fans will be relishing in the thought of knocking them out of the cup for the final time.Remember the Pompey fans celebrating when they were losing to West Brom which meant Saints would go down.Should be an interesting day out.Hope it is on the telly.

[Hagar the Horrible]

New buyers might be waiting until they go into administration, as a lot of the debt would be easier to manage. They can then re-negotiate player contracts and start over, as-per Leeds. and start living within their means. Cardiff & QPR might not be too far behind them. Rangers too for that matter........

[jambopompey]

the club has been mismanaged for quite a while, they have not spent silly money but transfers that you would expect for a club that size in the EPL, they have also moved a lot of players on as well. the big question is where did all the monies go

[shaun.lawson]

the club has been mismanaged for quite a while, they have not spent silly money but transfers that you would expect for a club that size in the EPL, they have also moved a lot of players on as well. the big question is where did all the monies go

 

Sol Campbell, ?105,000/week for a club with gates of 20,000. Not silly money? WTF? There's plenty more where he came from as well.

 

Where did the money go? Towards your insane year-on-year losses. It's not rocket science. I appreciate all the changes in ownership, loans being called in, offshore bank accounts and so on is all pretty shady though.

[I P Knightley]

the club has been mismanaged for quite a while, they have not spent silly money but transfers that you would expect for a club that size in the EPL, they have also moved a lot of players on as well. the big question is where did all the monies go

 

Haven't mastered inserting an image on this new fangled JKB but:

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3554477424_215a39f2ae.jpg

[Dot Cotton]

I don't like Pompey either. But the above comment is pure comedy coming from any Hearts fan.

 

We carried this debt for a long time and still noone is knocking on the door wanting the cash unnlike Pompey so I will stick by my comedy moment thanks.

[Mikey Gardiner]

They have been given 7 more days to find the money and according to them they already have to interested parties ready to buy the club. Can't see it TBH.

[shaun.lawson]

We carried this debt for a long time and still noone is knocking on the door wanting the cash unnlike Pompey so I will stick by my comedy moment thanks.

 

No-one's knocking on our door wanting the cash purely because we got lucky, in that our owner guarantees our debt. Portsmouth's owners no longer can. Our finances have defied all logic for years, and are at odds with all other SPL clubs except Rangers, whose problems are well publicised. We're also probably the only UK club for whom not paying its players wages on time at one point did not lead to either administration or being on the verge of it!

 

Most British clubs are in debt - but Hearts' finances have been a shining example of how not to do it for a good decade or more now. That our finances are what they are leaves us stuck with an owner loathed by many, who has us tearing our hair out on an almost weekly basis.