Pompey Takeover Saga

[Tamesaint]

Lets fast forward 4 months to August 2010. The new season is about to start. What have Pompey got to do between now and then?? Only:

 

Find an owner.

Sort out their creditors.

Find a new manager 'cos I am sure that someone like Grant will not be around at the likes of Blackpool and Scunny.

Return their loan players.

Sell whoever they can to get some dosh.

Acquire some new players - either by begging , stealing or borrowing

 

Their appearance at Wembley will now be a huge distraction. Nothing will happen before May 15th. Nothing will get resolved with the coaching staff or with players's contracts until their thrashing by Chelsea has been got out of the way. 5 weeks of time which could be spent planning for next season will be lost and in the same way as our slow start to the season could well cost us a place in the play-offs this season, so Pompey's Cup Final distraction could prove costly next season.

 

Their last Cup Final appearance cost Pompey a fortune in bonuses. This appearance could prove to be an even more costly distraction.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

This is by no means an admission but why do you all think that you cant be the "best fans in the world" if you were to be fewer in number? Our fewer fans yesterday completely out-supported Spurs and to me thats all that counts. Thats why it hurts isnt it?

 

As for being fewer on this occassion, it is a fact that many genuine Pompey fans refused to go to Wembley and support the current regime in any shape or form. They also at present refuse to go to Fratton.

 

Also, can someone PLEASE explain why you buying a Stadium you couldnt afford and getting to keep is any different to us by players we cant afford and getting to keep them. Eventually our players WILL go, but you cheats will always have your stadium that you couldnt afford.

 

 

"Looney in reading" more like..

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Are they dead yet?

[JackFrost]

Lets fast forward 4 months to August 2010. The new season is about to start. What have Pompey got to do between now and then?? Only:

 

Find an owner.

Sort out their creditors.

Find a new manager 'cos I am sure that someone like Grant will not be around at the likes of Blackpool and Scunny.

Return their loan players.

Sell whoever they can to get some dosh.

Acquire some new players - either by begging , stealing or borrowing

 

Their appearance at Wembley will now be a huge distraction. Nothing will happen before May 15th. Nothing will get resolved with the coaching staff or with players's contracts until their thrashing by Chelsea has been got out of the way. 5 weeks of time which could be spent planning for next season will be lost and in the same way as our slow start to the season could well cost us a place in the play-offs this season, so Pompey's Cup Final distraction could prove costly next season.

 

Their last Cup Final appearance cost Pompey a fortune in bonuses. This appearance could prove to be an even more costly distraction.

 

and pay their footballing debts in full, otherwise the FL won't let them compete in the Championship

[Channon's Sideburns]

Spoke to a skate today whom I just happened to chance upon at work (proudly wearing his Jobsh!te shirt). He had been at the semi and was going to the final and was a season ticket holder,... He said he knew of people GIVING semi tickets away and there were big gaps in their end. He was blissfully unaware of what was going on at Notarf Krap and left bemused and not as happy as before I tried to explain some of the intracacies and the desperate state they were in. Seemed to me he was not alone amongst the blue few in not knowing their predicament. He thought administration/pay off debts cheap/championship/back to premiership. But when he left he was fearing Championship on minus points/relegation and league 1 football.

I pointed him in the direction of this site. We might be getting a new watcher.

 

Back in 97....

 

'Education, Education, Education' :-D

 

It's amazing this thread.

 

'Saints Web Forum - where takeovers become knightmares'

[Gingeletiss]

Lets fast forward 4 months to August 2010. The new season is about to start. What have Pompey got to do between now and then?? Only:

 

Find an owner.

Sort out their creditors.

Find a new manager 'cos I am sure that someone like Grant will not be around at the likes of Blackpool and Scunny.

Return their loan players.

Sell whoever they can to get some dosh.

Acquire some new players - either by begging , stealing or borrowing

 

Their appearance at Wembley will now be a huge distraction. Nothing will happen before May 15th. Nothing will get resolved with the coaching staff or with players's contracts until their thrashing by Chelsea has been got out of the way. 5 weeks of time which could be spent planning for next season will be lost and in the same way as our slow start to the season could well cost us a place in the play-offs this season, so Pompey's Cup Final distraction could prove costly next season.

Their last Cup Final appearance cost Pompey a fortune in bonuses. This appearance could prove to be an even more costly distraction.

 

It seems that these expenses/bonuses, are likely to be deferred! thus allowing these 'players' to take part in the final! This throws up a few more questions, because they will be 'footballing debts', that have to be paid in full. Again, it is my understanding, that the administrator cannot incur any more debts, so I hope the FA are keeping a watching brief on this one, as I hope that HMRC are as well.

[Sevvy]

It seems that these expenses/bonuses, are likely to be deferred! thus allowing these 'players' to take part in the final! This throws up a few more questions, because they will be 'footballing debts', that have to be paid in full. Again, it is my understanding, that the administrator cannot incur any more debts, so I hope the FA are keeping a watching brief on this one, as I hope that HMRC are as well.

 

Lets hope the HMRC look at this site, just to remind them what the lot down the road are doing

[Faz]

If the debts are currently £100m, how is that made up?

[Ponty]

If the debts are currently £100m, how is that made up?

 

Everything AA says is made up. That's how.

[Matthew Le God]

If the debts are currently £100m, how is that made up?

 

A big Lost style black smoke of mystery.

[teamsaint]

So:

 

would I be wrong to think that £30 m is the answer that the android started with.

 

This he thinks is both a "realistic " price, and would pay off the debts at 30 p in the £, and also be just right to get a CVA without HMRC voting for it.

 

Problems remaining are to pay off footy debts, ( parachute payments take care of that), and finding someone with £30m.

 

That about right?

[Gingeletiss]

Interesting! Have we discussed this yet?

 

Surely the fact Chanrai,kushnir,azoughy, yossifoff and Zahavi were all there on Sunday is further proof they have all been in on this from the start and IMO shows utter contempt for the fans that they have the nerve to show up as if they have done nothing wrong.

As for Zahavi I am still puzzled by his role in this saga.

 

 

So you have a convicted fraudster, a member of the Israeli mafia and 2 blokes who sued Arkadi Gaydamak and took Beiter Jerusalum as part payment on a settlement fee who went on to asset strip that club all sat together at a Portsmouth FC match which again was owned by Arkadi Gaydamak is this a coincidence. What were they doing just having a day out? FFS some people need to wake up and realise these parasites have raped our club.

[bluejob]

Blue job you may be a true supporter of that mob down the road

but can you at least be honest and admit your various owners and managers

have cheated the football world , HMRC and Small business's for a few years now.

 

And do you really think your players will be with you next season. as soon wembley ids done with they will be off like a shot. Even O'Hara is off to Newcastle

 

So be bold blue job and come on this forum and admit your boardroom and co have cheated the footballing world.

 

Owners yes, managers? Manager maybe.

 

No.

 

Yes I do admit it. What of it? I'm a victim too you know. You lot are a using this like a stick to beat your rivals with. It's endemic and you boys are hardly whiter than white on this score.

 

 

 

ps. I only have 3 posts a day so please excuse my tardy response.

[positivepete]

"At its meeting the board of the Football League considered an application for transfer of membership relating to Stockport County," said a League spokesman. "The board was unable to approve the application as presented due to concerns about the proposed business plan and ownership structure.

 

It will be interesting if the league apply the same test to P****y?

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/08/stockport-county-takeover-bid-blocked

[dubai_phil]

So:

 

would I be wrong to think that £30 m is the answer that the android started with.

 

This he thinks is both a "realistic " price, and would pay off the debts at 30 p in the £, and also be just right to get a CVA without HMRC voting for it.

 

Problems remaining are to pay off footy debts, ( parachute payments take care of that), and finding someone with £30m.

 

That about right?

 

Almost certainly taken by Chanrai to cover the cost of the Admin process

[Amesbury Saint]

I think they will start next season

 

- on zero points

- new owner

- out of admin

- half decent team for a ccc team

- and possibly in Europe

- with 12,000 at first home match of season

 

football clubs dont go bust as a rule

[aintforever]

I think it's all set up for Chanrai/Gaydamak to buy the club back and continue milking it until the parachutes are gone.

[pedg]

I think they will start next season

 

- on zero points

- new owner

- out of admin

- half decent team for a ccc team

- and possibly in Europe

- with 12,000 at first home match of season

 

football clubs dont go bust as a rule

 

 

But you forget that most rules don't apply to them! Cos they are 'special' (as in needs probably).

[Chin Strain]

So:

 

would I be wrong to think that £30 m is the answer that the android started with.

 

This he thinks is both a "realistic " price, and would pay off the debts at 30 p in the £, and also be just right to get a CVA without HMRC voting for it.

 

Problems remaining are to pay off footy debts, ( parachute payments take care of that), and finding someone with £30m.

 

That about right?

 

I reckon it's down to AA getting all the TV money up front (£32m parachute + £5m prize I think), selling players for c. £10m (max), flogging ground to anyone who will take it for £5- £10m. So...total of around £52m.

 

Deduct running costs of £4m per month for April and May (funded by Chanrai), plus the remainder of his loan (say, £15m), plus the AA fee of £3m, less football debts of c. £10m. So, around £36m.

 

Leaves around £16m for about £75m of creditors, or roughly 30 p in the £.

 

Figures may be iffy, but I think the theory is fairly sound.

 

So....AA then has a football club with no ground, no training ground, a wage bill of c £1 - £2m per month and a possible points deduction to give away to any potential owner.

 

Possibly a consortium of local businessman who are fans....but can't see anyone else jumping on the bandwagon.

[Sheaf Saint]

I think they will start next season

 

- on zero points

- new owner

- out of admin

- half decent team for a ccc team

- and possibly in Europe

- with 12,000 at first home match of season

 

football clubs dont go bust as a rule

 

They won't have a half-decent CCC team as all the parachute money will have gone on servicing debts, so they will have to get the high-earners off the wage-bill and replace them with untried youngsters and journeymen.

 

They will also definitely not be in UEFA cup as they did not submit their application at the beginning of the season.

[PompeyInReading]

However, for a club of Portsmouth's size, ground, resources and support, to have 7 consequtive years in the top-flight, make two FA Cup finals, winning one of them, qualifying for Europe, that is far more than the vast majority of clubs of similar size or even for plenty of bigger and better supported clubs have enjoyed.

 

Saints managed longer in the top flight and won the FA Cup and got into your Europe as well, but with a smaller ground and worse support.

 

So, theres hope for us yet.

[benjii]

Saints managed longer in the top flight and won the FA Cup and got into your Europe as well, but with a smaller ground and worse support.

 

So, theres hope for us yet.

 

"Worse support"

 

[PompeyInReading]

"Looney in reading" more like..

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

 

And presumably, you do, although you couldnt quite bring yourself to explain it.

 

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

 

I know one thing though I have never been as bitter to you as you seem to be to us and I can assure you there are no long, long threads about your team on our boards.

[bluejob]

And presumably, you do, although you couldnt quite bring yourself to explain it.

 

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

 

I know one thing though I have never been as bitter to you as you seem to be to us and I can assure you there are no long, long threads about your team on our boards.

 

 

Wot boards are you on PIR? Just curious cos I is banned from most of them....

[PompeyInReading]

"Worse support"

 

 

Correct, due to a smaller stadium, admittedly, but nonetheless smaller in numbers.

 

9,000 was it against Ipswich? Yes, I know protest, Branfoot etc etc. Ditto really except so far we have only managed to get as low as 16000.

[Crab Lungs]

Correct, due to a smaller stadium, admittedly, but nonetheless smaller in numbers.

 

9,000 was it against Ipswich? Yes, I know protest, Branfoot etc etc. Ditto really except so far we have only managed to get as low as 16000.

 

I remember not too long ago you actually got 2,700 or something for a competitive fixture.

 

Awesome support.

 

Though you'll probably pass it off as a larger attendance and that you only quoted that as the official figure so you could 'fiddle the books' on policing etc

 

Oh hang on, wait - fiddle the books? Portsmouth? Nah, no way.

[daveygwyatt]

And presumably, you do, although you couldnt quite bring yourself to explain it.

 

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

 

I know one thing though I have never been as bitter to you as you seem to be to us and I can assure you there are no long, long threads about your team on our boards.

 

pir, let me explain a few things.. firstly we didnt go out and get a stadium we could not afford... in the prem we managed the payments with ease, and i may be wrong but i dont think we missed payments at any time after , infact it was a mere 40k over our overdraft limit that put us in admin.:smt021

 

Now the reason we are so bitter, and its not just saints fans ( although i admit we are prob more bitter than most) is that saints and most other clubs in on the verge of admin did every thing they could to avoid it. we loaned out our senior players, and played what was really a youth team all season in order to sort out our finances... on top of this we closed corners of the ground, opened the ground later and did a whole host of other cost cutting measures..... BLOODY HELL OUR MANAGER WAS ON LESS THAN YOU KIT MAN !!..

 

So how did pompey act when they realised that a 55mil a season wage bill ( higher than arsenal) was not sustainable ? Ok so you sold a few players, but the debts kept building, so you brought in more players on silly wages, then you loaned several more players ( incurring loan fees and more wages).. Other teams in the relegation battle have stated that they could not match the wages you were paying and so they lost out on players to you. Does this sound like a club trying to live within its means?

 

You had a transfer embargo lifted in order to sell players to service debt, with a view to bringing in cheaper replacements!! that didnt happen either, all you did was sign more and more players ( more signing on fees and more wages!!).. I could go on and on but I dont think I need to, your club has done very little to avoid the situation, infact from the outside looking in it seems CRIMINAL how your club has acted.

 

Now I know its not the fans fault, but wake up mate ffs, because its fans like you in denial that give your lot a bad name.

[Frank's cousin]

And presumably, you do, although you couldnt quite bring yourself to explain it.

 

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

 

I know one thing though I have never been as bitter to you as you seem to be to us and I can assure you there are no long, long threads about your team on our boards.

 

The difference between the two is obvious: one club when in the prem took out a loan to build infrastructure for the future at a time when the repayments were more than manageable and whose financial problems were not due to this loan

 

the other club when promoted bought players and paid wages way beyond their income....

 

saints could afford the loan repayments but aditmedly were rightly deducted points because of spending aprox 5 mil for a promotion push in the CCC when we should have stuck it in the bank

 

It should be obvious that there is a difference

 

we have taken ourpunishment andthe reason that there is perhaps some bitterness is because despite pompeys actions being far worse, your fans the media **** redknapp all seem to think that you deserve sympathy rather than punishment and are getting off lightly as the Premier league look to save face - because theirself proclaimed 'greatest league in the world ' tagline is based on unsustainable debt and **** poor financial management

[Dark Munster]

Can't see Gaydamak agreeing to sell the land for 30% of his debt.

 

Not that there's a buyer lined up anyway. Or rather a bona fide buyer.

But what if Gaydamak's debt is just smoke and mirrors, just an excuse to extract money from the p**p*y carcass? He'll be happy to get 30% of this imaginary "debt".

 

they won fair and square yesterday. it is though the only thing they have done fair and square the last couple of years

 

With £18M in unpaid taxes and a bit less in football debts you could easily argue that it wasnt "fair & square" at all?

Spot on. Not to mention Crouch's disallowed goal.

[trousers]

I popped in to see my mum yesterday and she was talking about how well Pompey had done to get to the cup final (no, she wasn't doing it to wind me up, there are just more footballing neutrals in our family and I'm not one of the bitter brigade when it comes to 'hating' Pompey per se)

 

I tried to explain to her that Pompey 'cheated' their way to the final by fielding players they couldn't afford and that saints had tried to rescue their debt situation in the last 18 months before admin whereas Pompey had poured fuel on the fire in the same timeframe.

 

The reply was "yes, but it's not the players or fans fault is it?"

 

I gave up at that point for fear of entering a vicious circle but my sad conclusion is that 'most' neutrals who like watching a bit of football (and as far as the Pompey/saints admin sagas are concerned there are many more neutrals than those with a vested interest) are inclined to divorce the 'football club' from the 'boardroom' and cannot see why the fans and players should be penalised for something that was out of their control.

 

Maybe they've got a fair point? Maybe they haven't? But it seems to be a prevalent view out there.

[Foxstone]

I popped in to see my mum yesterday and she was talking about how well Pompey had done to get to the cup final (no, she wasn't doing it to wind me up, there are just more footballing neutrals in out family and I'm not one of the bitter brigade when it comes to 'hating' Pompey per se)

 

I tried to explain to her that Pompey 'cheated' their way to the final by fielding players they couldn't afford and that saints had tried to rescue their debt situation in the last 18 months before admin whereas Pompey had poured fuel on the fire in the sane timeframe.

 

The reply was "yes, but it's not the players or fans fault is it?"

 

I gave up at that point for fear of entering a vicious circle but my sad conclusion is that 'most' neutrals who like watching a bit of football (and as far as the Pompey/saints admin sagas are concerned there are many more neutrals than those with a vested interest) are inclined to divorce the 'football club' from the 'boardroom' and cannot see why the fans and players should be penalised for something that was out of their control.

 

Maybe they've got a fair point? Maybe they haven't? But it seems to be a prevalent view out there.

 

The same view is held by my Good Lady!

 

Might be a fair point but it is always guaranteed to give me the hump!

 

Punishment to fit "the crime" is all I want to see, and its not helped by that arse Androniku trotting out the same lines and excuses as the erstwhile Storrieteller either.

[Gingeletiss]

My good lady hates football, but even she thinks Poopey should of been wound up. Her view being, that if they were a normal company, they would have gone to the wall, so why is it right that Poopey still breaths. Like I say, she has no interest in football, but she has eyes and ears!

[trousers]

My good lady hates football, but even she thinks Poopey should of been wound up. Her view being, that if they were a normal company, they would have gone to the wall, so why is it right that Poopey still breaths. Like I say, she has no interest in football, but she has eyes and ears!

 

I think her view is understandable precisely because she has no interest in football. It's those, like my mum, who have an interest in football albeit a neutral one, that you tend to hear the sympathetic view from.

[rallyboy]

my mother-in-law was so pleased for them when they won the cup - so we brought that conversation to an abrupt halt and it never restarted.

 

As for fans not being responsible for what their clubs do, with our recent history, if Pardew started paying inflated transfer fees and crazy wages there would be alarm bells ringing and mutterings around St Marys.

We want success but not through risky business practice - and that can be debated but anyone who has seen their club close to oblivion doesn't want a repeat.

If ML stated that he would be bankrolling a risky Prem push and he had put a longterm structure in place then I would be assured, but no intelligent fan would see a player like Crouch tempted from Liverpool with doubled wages and think that was normal or good business.

It would be the equivalent of Rovers asking a million for Ricky and us giving them two.

 

Pompey fans have been naive, ignoring the crimes and enjoying the ride.

Now they have to do the time, and for vocally supporting Storrie through all the criminality without protest?

They were tainted and implicated by that.

No set of fans has ever stood by and let someone damage their club in such a manner - chanting his name as he raped the coffers....

Unbelievable.

[Weston Super Saint]

Correct, due to a smaller stadium, admittedly, but nonetheless smaller in numbers.

 

9,000 was it against Ipswich? Yes, I know protest, Branfoot etc etc. Ditto really except so far we have only managed to get as low as 16000.

 

ROTFPMSL

 

Are you saying that you're such a bunch of retards that you can't even manage to protest properly?

[L1Minus10]

Bottom line is they haven't been punished at all as of yet. The 9 points deduction is not having any effect on their league position is it ? I believe people just want fairness and consistency. We messed up last season and got punished this season because it made a difference this season. If they are relegated by moe than 9 points, the 9 should be applied again next year, along with any CVA related punishment. Will it though... will it ****.

[OldNick]

I think a lot of people fail to factor in self interest. All along i have mentioned that the PL chairman Dave Richards introduced one of the arabs to Pompey. He will do any thing IMO to keep out of the flak and so do what is required to help them whilst he is under their remit.

The FL have said nothing, but it is unfortunate that one of MM people has now taken over from malwhinney. MM has a lot of self interest in Poimpeys books not being really looked into IMO as well.

It is a den of snakes and only the HMRC or Fraud squad have a chance of giving Pompey their just desserts.

[Saint_John]

I seem to be the only one who thinks this will go back to the High Court before next season.

 

If you look back at the Leeds case in 2007, they obtained 75.1% on the CVA (and there were lots of question marks over the voting and certain loans).

 

Without anything in the press however, HMRC waited 27 days and 23 hours into the 28 day "cooling off period" before going back to the High Court questioning two creditors (Yorkshire radio and somebody else).

 

At the same time HMRC ADDED THE ISSUE of Footballing Creditors receiving 100% and the others only 8%. This meant that the court case suddenly became a 5 day case instead of 1 day case. This could not be arranged until after the start of the season.

 

HMRC do NOT like the Football Creditors rule and went to court in 2004 (Wimbledon) and lost on appeal and were willing to go back in 2007 (Leeds - I dont think the case took place).

They WILL take every opportunity to retest the rule in court.

 

As a newspaper said yesterday there are so MANY unanswered questions with the skates that HMRC is going to have a field day raising issues in court e.g "Associated creditors" for the 50% rule, money being transfer out before Admin etc. I think 5 days may not be enough.

[View From The Top]

And presumably, you do, although you couldnt quite bring yourself to explain it.

 

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

 

I know one thing though I have never been as bitter to you as you seem to be to us and I can assure you there are no long, long threads about your team on our boards.

 

The skates are and always have been bitter as they know that we always have been, and always will be, superior.

[Channon's Sideburns]

The same view is held by my Good Lady!

 

Might be a fair point but it is always guaranteed to give me the hump!

 

Punishment to fit "the crime" is all I want to see, and its not helped by that arse Androniku trotting out the same lines and excuses as the erstwhile Storrieteller either.

 

I find the best riposte to the neutral argument being this....

 

'Pompey avoided paying over £18M+ of tax to HMRC which cannot now be used for schools, hospitals and the elderly..still think it's nice for them to enjoy their day out at YOUR expense??'

 

Just so it's clear...as I run my own business - if I did what they've done...I'd be toast by now.

 

******* C H E A T S

Edited 14 April, 2010 by Channon's Sideburns

[Channon's Sideburns]

The skates are and always have been bitter as they know that we always have been, and always will be, superior.

 

...add to that the majority of their posters type only in 'text speak'. Reading their threads can give you a headache of Deidre Barlow proportions.

[Doctoroncall]

I popped in to see my mum yesterday and she was talking about how well Pompey had done to get to the cup final (no, she wasn't doing it to wind me up, there are just more footballing neutrals in our family and I'm not one of the bitter brigade when it comes to 'hating' Pompey per se)

 

I tried to explain to her that Pompey 'cheated' their way to the final by fielding players they couldn't afford and that saints had tried to rescue their debt situation in the last 18 months before admin whereas Pompey had poured fuel on the fire in the same timeframe.

 

The reply was "yes, but it's not the players or fans fault is it?"

 

I gave up at that point for fear of entering a vicious circle but my sad conclusion is that 'most' neutrals who like watching a bit of football (and as far as the Pompey/saints admin sagas are concerned there are many more neutrals than those with a vested interest) are inclined to divorce the 'football club' from the 'boardroom' and cannot see why the fans and players should be penalised for something that was out of their control.

 

Maybe they've got a fair point? Maybe they haven't? But it seems to be a prevalent view out there.

 

I think you should have spoken about it in her language - shopping!

 

Say that if she had a new credit card with a huge limit and she decided to get the bag of her dreams now even though it would cost ten times more on credit. She then finds out the credit has ran out but she still has the bag and is doing nothing to reduce the debt.

[holepuncture]

Interesting! Have we discussed this yet?

 

Surely the fact Chanrai,kushnir,azoughy, yossifoff and Zahavi were all there on Sunday is further proof they have all been in on this from the start and IMO shows utter contempt for the fans that they have the nerve to show up as if they have done nothing wrong.

As for Zahavi I am still puzzled by his role in this saga.

 

 

So you have a convicted fraudster, a member of the Israeli mafia and 2 blokes who sued Arkadi Gaydamak and took Beiter Jerusalum as part payment on a settlement fee who went on to asset strip that club all sat together at a Portsmouth FC match which again was owned by Arkadi Gaydamak is this a coincidence. What were they doing just having a day out? FFS some people need to wake up and realise these parasites have raped our club.

 

If this is true then it really is staggering. Further highlights the bizarre Israeli business feud which the skates are wrapped up to there necks in. I take it Gadymaks tickets didn't arrive in the post?

[sidthesquid]

Correct, due to a smaller stadium, admittedly, but nonetheless smaller in numbers.

 

9,000 was it against Ipswich? Yes, I know protest, Branfoot etc etc. Ditto really except so far we have only managed to get as low as 16000.

 

I stand to be corrected, but that game at the end of the Branfoot era was the only league we had under 10000 for since 13th May 1963 against Grimsby (8726) & that was because it was the middle game of three home games in five days to catch up after the terrible winter.

Could you boast the same level of support?

[sidthesquid]

And presumably, you do, although you couldnt quite bring yourself to explain it.

 

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

 

I know one thing though I have never been as bitter to you as you seem to be to us and I can assure you there are no long, long threads about your team on our boards.

 

This overspending on the stadium one is really pathetic. It probably goes down well on Mongo Skateland forums, but it is simply not correct. We NEVER defaulted on the stadium debt, we NEVER defaulted on our taxes, but we slightly overreached ourselves just as the banks got the jitters and withdrew our modest £4 million - not £40million, like you - overdraft facility. We then hired a dirt cheap coach, loaned out and sold everyone we could as we battled relegation with a team of untested youngsters until the bank bounced a cheque for £4thousand, whereupon the board decided the only proper thing to was resign and put the club into administration. I don't see much cheating there.

I really can't be Rsed to even start the list of things you have cheated on. But it's a fecking long list

[stevegrant]

So go on then, why is overspending on a stadium any different to overspending on players?

Long-term investment with long-term returns. If Pompey had spunked all that money on a new stadium rather than on player wages, they wouldn't be in this mess now. I say that with at least 99% certainty.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

This overspending on the stadium one is really pathetic. It probably goes down well on Mongo Skateland forums, but it is simply not correct. We NEVER defaulted on the stadium debt, we NEVER defaulted on our taxes, but we slightly overreached ourselves just as the banks got the jitters and withdrew our modest £4 million - not £40million, like you - overdraft facility. We then hired a dirt cheap coach, loaned out and sold everyone we could as we battled relegation with a team of untested youngsters until the bank bounced a cheque for £4thousand, whereupon the board decided the only proper thing to was resign and put the club into administration. I don't see much cheating there.

I really can't be Rsed to even start the list of things you have cheated on. But it's a fecking long list

 

Our board at that time was roundly condemned and hated for getting us into the situation but, cue a flaming here, they did act honourably and with integrity in petitioning for administration. They did the right thing. They were not so full of themselves that they went and racked up more and more debt, chasing the dream. They faced reality.

 

Whereas the behaviour at Skateland seems to be ( careful with my words here) almost criminal!

[FMPR]

Long-term investment with long-term returns. If Pompey had spunked all that money on a new stadium rather than on player wages, they wouldn't be in this mess now. I say that with at least 99% certainty.

 

Catch 22 though Steve, you need decent players to stay in the Prem. So do you spend on players to get the Prem money as a return or do you spend on a stadium and risk relegation as you cannot afford decent players to survive?

 

Both ways are right and both ways wrong. Just at the end of it the team that invested in the stadium has something solid other than trophys and memories.

[warsash saint]

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Why-Pompey-should-be-granted.6224543.jp?CommentPage=2&CommentPageLength=10#comments

 

10 delusional reasons why they should be allowed to play in Europe

[OldNick]

Catch 22 though Steve, you need decent players to stay in the Prem. So do you spend on players to get the Prem money as a return or do you spend on a stadium and risk relegation as you cannot afford decent players to survive?

 

Both ways are right and both ways wrong. Just at the end of it the team that invested in the stadium has something solid other than trophys and memories.

Hold on, it was not a case of buying players for survival though was it? You bought a team of all stars and some were on 90k a week. That is not what Saints or any other club with small means did. Dont try and make out that little old Pompey tried to skrimp and save and used a load of hardened journeymen.

The fact is you bought the success you had and now are crying like girls because you should pay up. Blaming everyone but yourselves.

Get some b#### and take any penalties you get, at the moment you have got away with murder and the authorities seem to be unable to do anything about it