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Pompey Takeover Saga

Fitzhugh Fella

By Fitzhugh Fella,
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stevegrant

stevegrant

Posted
Posted
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15870214.stm

 

I think the two loan signings the Skates made tell us how bad it is. Two unknowns, one just 18, from his old mucker and mentor to show willing doesn't suggest Appemort was given the run of the Prem for his first foray into the transfer market.

Joe Mattock's not that much of an unknown, to be fair. He's played for England U21s, although he's probably most well-known for this :lol:

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Stubby

Stubby

Posted
Posted
Someone on one of our boards yesterday posted that he's so sick of lurching from one disaster to another he'd take demotion to the Conference or lower just to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. Difficult to disagree with him.

 

Like I've said all along, the club itself will probably be ok, but if it isn't there are plenty of us who right now would almost welcome implosion followed by renewal.

 

F*ck it, if AFC Wimbledon can come back from the dead, anyone can....

 

Some of us have been recommending this for a very long time. You could have a club that isn't an total embarrassment. Start again with something you can believe in.

 

The trouble with many of you is that you would, as you say, "almost" welcome implosion followed by renewal. It's the "almost" that's keeping that disgusting club alive, and that's keeping you from an enjoyable football experience, starting at a lower level but looking up, instead of the slow death and painful humiliation of giving your hard-earned to a bunch of criminals.

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dubai_phil

dubai_phil

Posted
Posted

Ah so much to look forward to, not least the new songs for the game in a couple of weeks or so.

 

Pompey's going down with their owner in the nick...

 

Where's your owner gone (where's your owner gone)

 

Banged up away

 

Think we are getting to the stage where we may need a new Statue at SMS.... (or at least TSW Towers)

 

for FF, after all it was he that started this whole ball rolling

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saint si

saint si

Posted
Posted
Quite a good article written by a Skate fan here:-

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=16384

 

Well written, but you can hear the revisionism and the blame being placed at the FL already...

 

"The point is this: how on earth could anyone think that a man with so many question marks over him was a suitable owner for Portsmouth Football Club?"

 

Yes, skates, how on earth could anyone think that?

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Under Weststand

Under Weststand

Posted
Posted

Oh looks like its getting worse if thats possible, for Atanov & partner looks like Snoras is insolvent & to be liquidated with $1.3-billion missing.

"There is no point putting money into a plane thats not going to fly" kind of reminds you of our poopey

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-24/snoras-to-file-for-protection-from-creditors-after-insolvency.html

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hutch

hutch

Posted
Posted

According to some on the main board we're all nutjobs who post on here.

 

So here are a few rambling thoughts from a nutjob on the recent revelations:

 

It looks very much like CSI's long-term ownership of the few is dead in the water. They appear to have purchased the club from Chainrai conditionally on making stage payments, with Chainrai retaining his lien(s) until final payment in full. My guess is that they will default on future payments.

 

Chainrai has 3 things to consider if he decides to repossess the club:

  • Will he be able to find another buyer? My guess there must be serious doubt about that
  • How much more cash will he have to chuck in every month keep them afloat until he does? My guess somewhere between £250k & £500k a month
  • How much cash will he get back if he allows them to go into liquidation? Probably not enough, but maybe it's time to cut his losses

There are sounds of pennies dropping all over Portsea. But even the "enlightened" few are looking in the wrong place. Suggestions of "doing a Scum" and rebuilding from League 1 are just wishful thinking. Another relegation (or two) is the least of their problems. They really do need to take a close look at that old CVA thingy. £16m to be paid by January 2015. There is no obligation to pay a penny next year, or any time before the January 2015 deadline, but when it eventually comes I can't see them getting past that.

 

Unless Chainrai comes riding to the rescue again, I foresee serious cashflow problems now that Antonov's monthly subs are likely to have vanished. Lumpitt seems to be a respectable man, so will he wait for another winding up petition from HMRC around February, or do the decent thing before that?

 

Odd that in these dire circumstances their reaction is to put the blinkers back on and sign up more improvements for their squad. Or maybe not.

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Picard

Picard

Posted
Posted
Oh looks like its getting worse if thats possible, for Atanov & partner looks like Snoras is insolvent & to be liquidated with $1.3-billion missing.

"There is no point putting money into a plane thats not going to fly" kind of reminds you of our poopey

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-24/snoras-to-file-for-protection-from-creditors-after-insolvency.html

 

I see the reporter gives her email in case anyone wants to contact: mseputyte@bloomberg.net.

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Fowllyd

Fowllyd

Posted
Posted
Well written, but you can hear the revisionism and the blame being placed at the FL already...

 

"The point is this: how on earth could anyone think that a man with so many question marks over him was a suitable owner for Portsmouth Football Club?"

 

Yes, skates, how on earth could anyone think that?

 

Indeed. I particularly liked this little morsel:

 

"The Football League is monitoring the situation. Which is nice to know seeing as the FL passed Antonov through the Fit and Proper Owners and Directors test. No doubt they will do something next January. It took the Premier League from November 09 to January 10 to realise they had to do something for us under the serially absent Ali Al Faraj and his dysfunctional consortium."

 

As I posted a little way back, young Volodya passed the test because he had, at the time, no criminal convictions or charges against him. He may have had a dodgy reputation, but the F&P test isn't about reputation. As to the comments on the Premier League and Al Faraj, that's just priceless. Why did the Premier League have to 'do something' for Pompey exactly? It was Pompey who welcomed in the mythical Al Faraj with open arms - the Premier League's F&P test was hardly going to uncover wrongdoing by a non-existent owner. And, had either of these owners actually had money and ploughed plenty into the club, would this writer be bellyaching about whether said owner was fit and proper, or where their money came from?

 

That quote in particular gives the overwhelming impression that the writer's belief is that Pompey, having dug themselves into a hole, should be rescued and tended to - and not just the once but every time they do it. Isn't there some old saying about making one's bed and having to sleep in it?

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dubai_phil

dubai_phil

Posted
Posted
Indeed. I particularly liked this little morsel:

 

"The Football League is monitoring the situation. Which is nice to know seeing as the FL passed Antonov through the Fit and Proper Owners and Directors test. No doubt they will do something next January. It took the Premier League from November 09 to January 10 to realise they had to do something for us under the serially absent Ali Al Faraj and his dysfunctional consortium."

 

As I posted a little way back, young Volodya passed the test because he had, at the time, no criminal convictions or charges against him. He may have had a dodgy reputation, but the F&P test isn't about reputation. As to the comments on the Premier League and Al Faraj, that's just priceless. Why did the Premier League have to 'do something' for Pompey exactly? It was Pompey who welcomed in the mythical Al Faraj with open arms - the Premier League's F&P test was hardly going to uncover wrongdoing by a non-existent owner. And, had either of these owners actually had money and ploughed plenty into the club, would this writer be bellyaching about whether said owner was fit and proper, or where their money came from?

 

That quote in particular gives the overwhelming impression that the writer's belief is that Pompey, having dug themselves into a hole, should be rescued and tended to - and not just the once but every time they do it. Isn't there some old saying about making one's bed and having to sleep in it?

 

Not taking any political side in the mess, but doesn't that entiire thing read like "A Benefit Society" attitude?

We're in a mess so "The Government" (in this case EPL.FL) must do something.

They didn't want anyone asking questions when the times were rosy.

They didn't PAY any taxes to expect any return (oh sorry Benefit Society never do that anyway)

 

In other random rambling thoughts.

 

So Vlad is accused of being less than honest in his business dealings. So possibly his money came about by deception or fraud? So possibly that could be termed as stolen from others.

 

So since June 11th the few have been kept going with stolen money.

 

Maybe those Latvians/Lithuanians queuing in the rain for their money might like to know it was spent on mending a leaking tap in a toilet

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pedg

pedg

Posted
Posted

Up before a magistrate today

 

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/pompey_owner_in_court_today_1_3280778

 

POMPEY owner Vladimir Antonov is to appear before magistrates in London today.

 

One assumes it something that has to happen after the arrest and assume it will only be a 5 minute thing with no extra info coming out (unless he tries to make a dramatic escape....).

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trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted
Up before a magistrate today

 

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/pompey_owner_in_court_today_1_3280778

 

 

 

One assumes it something that has to happen after the arrest and assume it will only be a 5 minute thing with no extra info coming out (unless he tries to make a dramatic escape....).

 

Here's hoping it's the court I walk past every day (Southwark Crown Court). I feel a souvenir photograph opportunity in my waters...

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rallyboy

rallyboy

Posted
Posted

Vince Clarke! :lol:

So Westwood can be played by Andy Bell...just needs a little bit more glitz in the outfit and maybe a blue and white thong.

Putting the camp back in camponologist.

 

And as an aside, that's why some people think everyone on here is a nutjob or a pants-wetter and think the thread should be closed - they don't understand half the gags, and the detailed technical research confuses them!

 

 

Anyway my fellow nutjobs, pompey owner is in court later, his first step on the way to a lengthy jail sentence.

And you don't get to say that everyday. :)

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pedg

pedg

Posted
Posted
Here's hoping it's the court I walk past every day (Southwark Crown Court). I feel a souvenir photograph opportunity in my waters...

 

As its a magistrate I would assume not as I believe they have courts separate to the crown courts?

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dubai_phil

dubai_phil

Posted
Posted

OK just to make it even funnier.

 

There are a great deal of concerns about the EAW system and process. Most eloquently displayed by Julian Assange in his statement after he lost his appeal against Extradition.

 

In fact the concerns are such that there was debate in the Commons scheduled for Yesterday (although no vote was allowed).

 

Anyway, seems Vlad managed to (unlucky son) get himself into this tangle just as the method that can be used to whisk him away comes under sustained Legislative attack!

 

 

Extradition courts are also not allowed to take into account the quality of the evidence against the accused.

 

 

There is no way of removing an EAW once it has been issued. If the EAW is refused by one country, the accused is effectively unable to travel within the EU for fear of being arrested again.

 

http://www.theweek.co.uk/law/assange-extradition/35917/european-arrest-warrants-unjust-and-ripe-reform

 

 

It's always about the timing of the humour with poopey God Bless 'em

 

Hell even the Snail is on the campaign trail as recently as October!

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2053514/These-powers-MUST-Europe.html

 

And Wiki

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Arrest_Warrant#Controversy

 

So the people who caused the continuation of the sorry mess at poopey have been nailed by? Yep a sorry mess.

 

Ah bless

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Saint_John

Saint_John

Posted
Posted
Joe Mattock's not that much of an unknown, to be fair. He's played for England U21s, although he's probably most well-known for this :lol:

Both played in the pre-season friendly at St Marys

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2403609,00.html

 

In fact it was Mattock who made 2 very bad tackles on AOC, one 2 footed and the second very late from behind on his ankle that caused him to go off. From memory Steve replaced AOC and caused Mattocks alot of problems in the 2nd half by "playing close to him and then spinning off" down the wing.

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Goalie66

Goalie66

Posted
Posted

I love the quote by General Wolfe about the citizens of Portsmouth

 

Meanwhile, be warned. General Wolfe wrote to his mother in 1758, ‘The necessity of living in the midst of the diabolical citizens of Portsmouth is a real and unavoidable calamity. It is a doubt to me if there is such another collection of demons upon the whole earth.” Nothing has changed much since then.

Quite a good article written by a Skate fan here:-

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=16384

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pfc123

pfc123

Posted
Posted
Some of us have been recommending this for a very long time. You could have a club that isn't an total embarrassment. Start again with something you can believe in.

 

The trouble with many of you is that you would, as you say, "almost" welcome implosion followed by renewal. It's the "almost" that's keeping that disgusting club alive, and that's keeping you from an enjoyable football experience, starting at a lower level but looking up, instead of the slow death and painful humiliation of giving your hard-earned to a bunch of criminals.

 

Ok, to clarify, if were soon going to be on the Market again as part of some sort of Lithuanian government asset recovery sale, we just want someone straight to come in. If it means an owner with no real money to spend on ground and the team so be it- were just sick of being pawns in someone else's game of monopoly- and right now it feels like we've landed on Mayfair with a hotel on it and it's not ours...

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tony13579

tony13579

Posted
Posted

And on a back street in Pompey Mr Chinney slips in to Cash Converters..

Shop keeper.

Good morning Mr Chinney... Are we going to do a deal today? Shame those minibuses were repo'd just before you sold them to me. And that training ground, you didn't own it. That stadium, no loos, the gutters leak and the land, it is land locked.

 

Mr Chinney

I was hoping to sell you a football club , it keeps coming back. I have sold it twice before but it keeps bouncing back.

 

Shop keeper

I don't get a lot of call for these, I suppose if they are doing well in the league and the wage bill is under control and it has a strong academy I could pass it on to a wealthy construction equipment business leader... But you are not doing too well, are you?

 

Do you have a good 5 year plan, top training and management team?.... errr no?

 

How about The bestest fans in the world?..... Oh..... Johhny Westwood gets in for free, you give thousands of tickets to the navy but they don't turn up, you let kids in for free or a quid and the rest turn up if it's them down the road and you let four in for sixty quid..

 

There must be some value in the club, what about the club shop? Oh.... They are embarrassed to wear the shirts at the moment.... And you had to sell the away strip at below cost price..

 

What about the parachute payments. Oh.... Football creditors rule, CVA, Charities, all gone.

 

Well I'm sorry mr Chinney , I don't think we can do a deal today. Have a look around your pockets , see if you can bring me a Totton or Havant. Havan't are popular, they are playing international teams now...

 

 

Bye

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pedg

pedg

Posted
Posted
Ok, to clarify, if were soon going to be on the Market again as part of some sort of Lithuanian government asset recovery sale, we just want someone straight to come in. If it means an owner with no real money to spend on ground and the team so be it- were just sick of being pawns in someone else's game of monopoly- and right now it feels like we've landed on Mayfair with a hotel on it and it's not ours...

 

Problem is your ourgoings are currently more than your income so unless you can balance those you need someone with more money than sense to take over till they at least do. Not to mention the CVA payments as the elephant in the room.

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Guided Missile

Guided Missile

Posted
Posted

Things we said in July, 2011...

 

Thanks for taking the time to read what I actually wrote rather than just coming back with a knee jerk reaction. But I'm not trying to defend or glaze over anything. Chainrai's a scumbag who engineered the whole thing for his personal gain at the expense of both the club and it's creditors. CSI may or may not have links to Russian crime (rumafia.com says they do, an investigation by the Swedish government could find no evidence - so we don't know for sure.) That's not defending anything, just pointing out the facts. Like the fact that Antonov hasn't bought SAAB. The problem on here is that someone says something (like Phil with his comments about Antonov's wealth being the same as EIB's loan to SAAB) and it somehow becomes accepted fact that Antonov has stashed the cash when he doesn't even own the company.

With respect to us demanding a "respectable" club, what do you think our fans are doing by meeting with the PL and FL, setting up the meetings with Lampitt, writing articles that appear in various papers, magazines and websites highlighting our problems? Your lot bang on about us "blaming the PL" for our problems when what we were actually doing when we met them was pointing out that they approved someone as our owner on the basis of a photocopy of a passport! Partly as a result of that meeting the FAPPT rules were changed.

And the "bestest fans" thing is just silly. I've seen Saints fans on the main board claim you're the "best in the land". I suspect most clubs fans say the same.

 

The only way I can explain it is by saying that the people who wrote the Rumafia site didn't do their research properly. Antonov's bid to buy into SAAB was blocked by General Motors worried about claims that he was connected to Russian crime. However, a Swedish national debt office investigation found absolutely no evidence of this. Antonov may now still buy into SAAB. You can read about it here:

 

The firm said Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov was still interested in investing in it, but was awaiting a decision from the European Investment Bank on his clearance for an equity stake in Swedish Automobile, following the Swedish National Debt office recommendation to clear him two months ago.

 

 

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110627/ANE/306279900/1193

The article's dated 27th June 2011 so it's very recent.

So, given how inaccurate Rumafia's reporting on the SAAB deal with Antonov was do you think that some of the other stuff in there might not quite be 100% also?

or you could read that he can't because someone still thinks he is a crook here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/13/saab-antonov-idUSLDE76C0SS20110713
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Foxstone

Foxstone

Posted
Posted
Ok, to clarify, if were soon going to be on the Market again as part of some sort of Lithuanian government asset recovery sale, we just want someone straight to come in. If it means an owner with no real money to spend on ground and the team so be it- were just sick of being pawns in someone else's game of monopoly- and right now it feels like we've landed on Mayfair with a hotel on it and it's not ours...

 

I don't blame you at all for thinking that way - It might mean a few years in the wilderness but at least you can rebuild properly and I reckon you would get some sympathy from us "Pony Boy's" too..

 

Trouble is the imponderables surrounding Antonov's arrest, what money he used to buy you from Baloo and what Baloo might do if there is a default ( highly likely). Similarly, what money did he use to buy the likes of Huselkepp, Norris etc... And whether they become pawns in the game between the Lithuanian and Lativian Governement, Baloo and You...

And then assuming Antonoc has up until now (through Convers), put money in to keep the lights on at PFC - Will that curtailment in the money supply mean that again you can't pay the wages again ?

Then there are a host of other imponderables too.... CVA payments, Former owners etc...

 

How can you avoid that sheetstorm to be able to drop and rebuild properly?

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angelman

angelman

Posted
Posted

Chainrai is interesting. It seems that he might be back in the picture, although the Lithuanian government might disagree. I had a thought that he would let PFC fold last time, but it seems that he managed to get someone in to take over, and (potentially) got some money for it. How? Who knows what goes on in the murky world of business? If he was prepared to let the club fold last time, I imagine that the same would be true now and that getting an owner in, would be nigh on impossible unless it was a fan's consortium.

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pfc123

pfc123

Posted
Posted

I think a fans consortium or an enthusiastic but not necessarily megabucks individual is the best we can hope for really. If the worst comes to the worst we'll survive in some reduced form or another, and gradually work our way back up. It's too big a club to just be left to die. We'll be ok...

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