Are they going? Are they not? Do you care?

All I know is they are the only club where they encourage you to throw coins at the players.

No sympathy whatsoever.

We got relegated because of their spending in 2006 (coupled with the fact that we were shit). They won an FA Cup they couldn't afford. Now if they go into liquidation, and can't complete their fixture list, and if the results against them are cancelled, somebody may lose points and go down undeservedly, others may miss out on Europe (could be us).

We've seen it with Leeds, we're seeing it with Pompey, we're probably going to see it with Cardiff, an we'll see the same sort of thing again before too long.

At what point over the next few years do we say 'yeah you have been a plastic cockney from Wales, but apart from all the daft foot in mouth moments, you were right'.

I see Cardiff and Portsmouth being the first high(ish) profile clubs that will prove Gollivan right.

Discuss.ting.

With the West Midlands suffering more than any other part of the UK in the economic downturn, at least our major football clubs are being run well. With the likes of those mentioned earlier plus the likes of Southampton, Charlton, Palace, West Ham, Fulham. The Premier League could be well represented by Midlands clubs for the next few years.

Being devil's advocate, were Gollivan right then (excusing all their sickening attempts at PR)?

We are a club in the black, and doing extremely well considering nett expenditure. And despite what many posters on here said, including me, about their non-stop referral to the Leeds situation can we give the ex-board some credit for not spending beyond the financial returns of a club our size and stabilizing us.

I know many will disagree, but I think that most of the commercial decisions made by the outgoing board should now be congratulated, and most of the soundbites to the press (as well as the ticket pricing, away club membership, removal of concession tickets in the majority of the ground during the early years and other Karren Brady ideas) should be ignored for the good of the club?

Dave, Leeds gambled heavily and they failed. Now they're having to suffer the consequences of that failure but is it that much worse being top of League 1 than hanging on for grim life in the Premiership? I've seen enough of mediocrity in my long football watching career to be very much concerned by the sort of conservatism which has dogged our club for so long.

Under the present regime I have the feeling that it could just as easily end in tears as any other scenario but frankly I don't give a hoot. I hope we are bold enough to risk all and if ends badly then I'll shrug my shoulders and remind myself that it was never meant to be and that in the great scheme of things what ones local team achieves does really register too highly on the metaphysical Richter scale. I've had my fill of the Gary Pendreys and Martin Taylors of the footballing world and I'd really like to see one or two guys who can propel a football in the general direction of their colleagues.

As for Gollivan it might have brought us much needed stabilty at a time when that was about as much as we could dare hope for but I still think that entity is a complete c*nt. It has hardly been at West Ham for a fortnight and already it is raising the hackles of people who have worked their socks off for the benefit of that club. Were I am Hammers fan I'd be having sleepless nights following some of the Gollivanisms lately reported in the media. It (Gollivan) is a self seeking, crassly insentitive two bit porno movie about to reach its soggy climax in some rat infested East End gutter.

For me, Its was sad seeing what happened to Leeds. Of all clubs in Engaland they (at the time) Had aussies on their list. (found Emmerton and Kewell) and later Viduka. I see pompey going the same way in the end though, without having the time in the "big leagues" to grow any sort of overseas following.

To me, I like the premier league mediocrity, especially with the Honky/chinese owners. As I said in another thread people are starting to recognise the blues shirt out and about. With a chinese owner, thats shirt sales in a market we have never had before in Aisa. In addition, in the Prem I have see more games.

The poisoned dwarf and the underfed vampire this is Gollivan served their purpose, but it took a few years. When Yeung first came to the club I thought between him and Gollivan the club was dead. I can actually see us getting the right striker and given a year when a couple of the fab four have a lean year we might jag a good finish.

Im realistic. Yeung is no Abramavich and we are not even of the standard Chelski was when he stepped in.

If the new owners learn from leeds and pompeys errors, learn the nuances of the transfer market and sell the brand overseas, we will continue to grow. Far more than Gollivan had the ability to take us.

Therein lies their problem. Let that be a lesson to all Prem clubs.

Stan the Man is coming to hunt you down!



This issue was more that they were still paying for Viduka after he went to Middlesvilla.

From Sky News website:

Portsmouth FC Vs The Taxman: Match Analysis
1:29pm UK, Wednesday February 10, 2010

Joel Hills, business correspondent

Portsmouth Football Club failed to reach a settlement with the taxman ahead of its High Court appearance - but received a stay of execution when the final hearing was adjourned for a week.

Winding-up order could spell the end of 112-year-old club



Q: What is the nature of the case between Portsmouth Football Club and HM Revenue and Customs?

A: HMRC is chasing £7.5m of unpaid tax from VAT and PAYE (although it transpires that this has grown to £11.5m since the petition was filed). The PAYE debt relates to contributions the club has taken from its employees - its players and its groundstaff - and has failed to pass them on to the taxman.

Q: So can this still be settled out of court?

A: There was a chance that HMRC and Portsmouth could reach a negotiated settlement that would lead to the adjournment of today's hearing. But that relied on HMRC receiving the majority of the outstanding £7.5m debt up front, with further provisions in place for payments of the remaining balance.

Q: What's the latest development?

A: It's understood that the club has made some cash offers but not enough to satisfy the taxman. So HMRC will instead push for a winding-up order from the club.

Q: What is at stake at the hearing?

A: This is a final hearing and could lead to the end of Portsmouth Football Club. So in the absence of a last-minute deal, it looks at this stage like Portsmouth's future lies in the hands of a High Court judge.

Q: Would a winding up order mean full-blown liquidation of the club?

A Yes, it would spell the end of a club dating back to 1898. The court would not have the power to put the club into administration, which would have allowed the club to continue trading and protect it from its creditors. Instead, what we are talking about is the wholesale destruction of Portsmouth as a football club.

Q: What would happen to the players?

A: The players would have their contracts terminated and the assets of the club would be sold off. In all likelihood, very little would be recovered on behalf the creditors, which include the taxman and the players - who've already had their wages delayed on four occasions this season.

Q: So what are Portsmouth's options?

A: The club will try to persuade the court that it is under new ownership - its fourth owner in a year - and that it just needs more time to get its finances in order and turn things around. But in theory, this is a final hearing, and the judge may take the view that the club has had ample time already and so receivers will be appointed to immediately wind up the club.

Q: Is Portsmouth unique in this?

A: Unfortunately not - Cardiff City and Southend United are also listed to face winding-up petitions in the High Court for unpaid tax. But if it did go into liquidation, Portsmouth would become the first Premier League club ever to do so.

Birmingham City not guaranteed FA Cup bye should Portsmouth go under
Feb 17 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

BLUES would not automatically receive a bye to the semi-finals of the FA Cup if Portsmouth go into liquidation.

Pompey face a provisional winding-up petition in the High Court on March 1, the week leading up to the quarter-final tie at Fratton Park.

Should they go out of business and be unable to fulfil the fixture, the FA Challenge Cup Committee will then meet to decide the next course of action, an FA spokesman revealed.

As there has been no precedent, nor is there any rule covering such an eventuality, FA chiefs will only make a decision should they have to cross that particular bridge.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs had taken Portsmouth to court over an unpaid £7.4 million tax bill.

The club have until later today to file a “statement of financial affairs” proving they can pay their creditors.

Apparently Pompey have now aked the PL for special dispensation allowing them to sell players outside of the transfer window.

I'm guessing if Pompey go bust, the players are free to walk out with no transfer fees. I hope the FA tell them to feck off.

As has previously been stated, they've been living a lie for some time now, and deserve to be closed down.

Their place in the Premier League and the FA Cup win were achieved through fraud.

In a way, they shouldn't be allowed to keep players they can't afford, never should have signed, and can't afford to pay the wages for.

But neither should they be allowed to take transfer fees for those players outside the window, when no-one else is allowed to trade!

Anyway, the window is shut so no-one will be allowed to buy their players, even if they are given special dispensation to sell!

Perhaps there should be a new rule introduced: If a club fails to pay players' wages on time twice in a season, the players should be released from their contracts automatically. They would then be free agents, and therefore able to sign for new clubs whether or not the transfer window happened to be open at the time.

But do Pompey really believe they can get back sufficient funds from the sale of their players? Most of them who are not on loan are 30 or over. The only ones who may command a reasonable fee would be Boateng (£3/4million), Tosic who only signed in the last week (£1million), Ben-Haim (£2million) and Belhadj (£2million).

The English authorities have referred Pompey's bizarre request to be allowed to ignore the transfer embargo to FIFA.

How about Aruna Dindane, who was on McLeish's list? (of course, he is on loan, but at least they could shift him off the wage bill.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/fe...eague-transfers

Portsmouth seek permission to sell players outside transfer window

Portsmouth will need approval from both Fifa and the FA as well as the Premier League to sell outside the transfer window. Photograph: Daniel Hambury/Empics Sport

Portsmouth have asked the Premier League for permission to sell players ­outside the transfer window. However, the move will depend on their request being sanctioned by the Football Association and Fifa as well as the Premier League.

Portsmouth want to sell some of their players in order to pay their bills and the Premier League has confirmed that it has received a formal request from the cash-strapped club.

A spokesman for the club said: "I can confirm we have put in a request to the Premier League to sell players outside the transfer window. It is something we are exploring."

Pompey have not identified any specific players for sale but reports suggest the Algeria international Nadir Belhadj, the midfielder Kevin Prince-Boateng and the young defender Mark Wilson could be made available.

But Portsmouth face a race against time to gain permission to sell anyone. While the Premier League and the FA may make an exception for Pompey, it is unlikely Fifa will sanction the move.

The club are still understood to be in negotiations with two interested buyers but any deal will have to be done swiftly if either of the parties involved is to come to Pompey's rescue.

The club face a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs over an unpaid £11.7m tax bill on 1 March and will require a major injection of cash if they are to avoid extinction after 112 years of existence. Portsmouth lodged their statement of affairs with the high court yesterday in an attempt to prove they are still a solvent company.

The statement, a detailed look at the club's accounts, was prepared by accountants from Vantis and delivered in time for the 4pm deadline. Six members of the business recovery service had been working on the statement since last Wednesday when the club were given a week to hand the document to the high court.

Portsmouth will return to the high court on 1 March after HMRC officials have examined the document. But there are a number of potential problems for the club even if they gain permission to sell players now.

Belhadj needs regular competitive football as he is going to the World Cup while Boateng has already played for two clubs, but if Portsmouth are wound up it would present the Premier League with massive problems. Pompey would throw the competition into turmoil if they fail to fulfil their fixtures, something Premier League officials are desperate to avoid.

Simon Wilson, a partner with Zolfo Cooper, the restructuring experts, warns that despite handing in their statement of affairs, Portsmouth still face the very real threat of extinction and that going into ­administration is an unlikely salvation.

"Arguably, the level of debt associated with this case, will mean that it is unlikely that a suitable or willing benefactor will be found," said Wilson. "Portsmouth therefore face the very real threat of liquidation because it is increasingly unlikely that an administration order will be sought or granted.

"In this eventuality, the players contracts are no longer assets of the club and it would lose its membership of the Premier League. The role of the liquidator would be to realise whatever free and available assets still remain.

"The value of these assets would be nominal. While the unsecured creditors, including HMRC, would likely see no return from such a process, it is not in their interests to continue to support a business that is simply not viable and has no financial substance."

I think they're needing cash now, rather than savings for the future. Even if they do get permission from all parties, they're going to need to find buyers. Not many clubs have lots of cash at the moment, and those who do have it are likely to want better than the aforementioned. They may be lucky and find someone looking for a panic buy to push for a promotion or get out of a relgation. Then again, this is how Pompey got themselves in this mess in the first place.

In the latest turn of comedy events at Fratton Park, it is reported that a certain David Gold has offered Pompey a £10 million loan.

Absolutely nothing to do with the 4 points WHU have taken off them at all. No siree Bob.

Fifa could back Pompey sales plea

Fifa has indicated it will look favourably on Portsmouth's request to sell players outside of the transfer window, BBC Sport understands.

Pompey have debts of about £60m and are due in court on 1 March to contest a winding-up order by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

The Premier League will ask the other 19 clubs before making a decision.

It is likely any players sold would only be allowed to play in the Premier league, not any other competitions.

More to follow.

Story from BBC SPORT

I find this whole thing totally bizarre! I can't for the life of me understand why FIFA, the FA or the EPL would countenance overturning the rules to help out a club that has got itself into such an appalling mess over a period of several years and numerous changes of ownership!

It would only be equitable if they opened a window for all Premiership clubs.

If for example, Burnley bought a Pompey player and he scored the goals that kept them up (however unlikely that sounds) it would be totally unjust on the 3 relegated clubs. We'd be back in a Wet Span - Sheffield United situation.

Because the rest of the world and other sports all saw this sort of thing happening to the world game. The wages are redonculus. The Transfer fees are redonculus. The lack of a salary cap is redonculus. the FA/FIFA/EPL are doing this so they can safely bail one of the big four out when they inevitabally go broke over the course of the next few years without looking like they are playing favorites.

Heard David Gold on the radio discussing this. He tried to make out that it was a personal gesture (as opposed to a gesture in his role as Chairman (Joint) of a relegation-threatened club) in an attempt to "protect the integrity of the Premier League" by maintaining the 20-club status. Eventually, with very little probing, he agreed that it was more to do with the fact that West Ham would stand to lose 4 points if Portsmouth FC are liquidated on 1st March, so by keeping them alive he would be protecting West Ham's points tally. He said that his cash injection would be to stave off the winding up order, but that even so he would expect Portsmouth to suffer Administration and the accompanying 10-point penalty, with relegation a certainty, but at least the club would survive in some form.
I fail to see how the demise of Portsmouth will herald the collapse of the Premier League, or will undermine the integrity of the league. If anything it will surely act as a salutory lesson, far more apposite than any Leeds United example that is so often trotted out, for clubs to live within their means.
It would set a very dangerous precedent if Gold were allowed to toy with another club's finances in this way as a protectionist measure for the benefit of his own club. What next? Would West Ham be allowed to loan money to another club to buy Lionel Messi (extreme example) on the understanding that he plays against all the other relegation candidates, but not against the Hammers?
I expect this angle to this story will soon be overtaken by events, but David Gold continues to amaze with his peculiar view of football life. Could it be that Peter Pannu's suggestion of the onset of dementia in our former Chairman has some basis in fact?

Portsmouth's absurd appeal to the Premier League to sell players outside of the transfer window has been officially turned down by the Premier League - FIFA had given the go ahead.Reports that they need to prove access to £22m in investment by 1st March to avoid winding up order, and this planned on the assumption that they stay up - it is approx 6m more if they finish in the rlegation positions.

Maybe they need to take a look at David Gold's offer of a £10 million 'loan' ..given the circumstances and David Gold made no bones about it the 4 points WHU took of Pompey played a big part in his offer..clearly had WHU got nowt from Pompey this season then the offer wound not have been made,still that's the way of the world at times..!
K.R.O.

While there is a 9-point penalty imposed by the league for a club going into administration, there is apparently no penalty as far as the FA Cup is concerned!

We are talking here about a club that has consistently lived beyond its means over recent years, signing players it couldn't afford and for whom it hasn't even got the money to pay wages! David Moyes, for example, said yesterday on Sky that Portsmouth were signing players that he and Everton wanted to sign (he mentioned Defoe and James), but didn't because they couldn't afford them! No such scruples on the south coast apparently!

We are talking about a club that has stayed in the Premier League and even won the FA Cup by signing players that were way beyond the club's financial capabilities, whereas other clubs that were operating without resort to fraud, cheating, financial shenanigans, had to stand by and accept their fate.

And now the 9-point penalty merely confirms the relegation that was already a near certainty, but they are allowed to focus all their attention on the FA Cup, even though they are only still in the competition because of players signed through their fraudulent dealings.

Blues MUST knock them out of the FA Cup next Saturday if the competition that we hold so dear is to retain any degree of integrity and credibility.

However I fear that the whole country will be rooting for poor lickle Pompey to get to Wembley 'against all odds'! Certainly the media will be leading the clamour for the romantic dream to come true! Supporters of all other clubs should realise that were it not for Pompey's cheating, their own team might be the ones still in the Cup!

Once the dust settles, the old farts at the FA must sit down and think this through properly: financial cheating is penalised in league competitions by the deduction of points. In the knock-out competitions the only realistic course of action is to kick out of the competition any club guilty of financial mis-management.

Pompey's fall from grace has been quite alarming !, given just two seasons ago they won the F.A.Cup its even more startling!, but a series of catastrophic financial blunders as ''owners'' came and went in a complete miss-match of running a football club in a professional manner ,that has turned into a economic nightmare !, the Pompey fans must be wondering where and how it all went so horrendously wrong..??
K.R.O.

Today, a new twist in the tale:

Portsmouth ordered back to court
Portsmouth are to return to the High Court on Tuesday after Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs challenged the club going into voluntary administration.

"We're having to go to court to show that the debenture is valid," said Andrew Andronikou, the administrator in charge of the Premier League club.

"I don't understand the exact reason why this is, we're just following normal protocol.

"We're not unduly worried and expect the administration to proceed."

Story from BBC SPORT

Surely this qualifies as Punctuation Post of the Week?!,.?

Taking the piss,or just tongue in cheek ? Pompey are now selling financial advice to their fans if they visit Pompey's ''PFC Financial Services'' division,they are advised on savings and the site recommends ''Portsmouth FC'' credit cards......don't think they will be rushed off their feet...!
K.R.O.