Hi Pompey fans, Norwich fan coming in peace I have not been paying much attention to L1 this season as the team I normally keep an eye on are now in L2 but this weekend I noticed what was happening in the Colchester game (at half time) so had a quick peek at the league table. Sheesh I wish I had not! I am nearly speechless at just how far Pompey have fallen as I have not been watching every move in that part of the world. Now I have seen your plight I can't help but feel a certain amount of sympathy for you as fans. We thought we would go the same way a few years ago although under different circumstances (still came down to money though). 1. In a nutshell, what the hell is going on? Is this still a hangover from the PL and poor management from the owners of that time or is it something new? 2. Do you see any possible short term solution to reverse what is happening? 3. If you do drop in to L2, what do you think is going to happen to your magnificent club and amazing fan base?
Hi Thai, Thanks for showing sympathy with us - we as fans do appreciate it when other fans can see through the over spending and see the mess we are in for what it is. To summerise your questions, what the hell has been happening? This has been going on since the day Milan Manderic sold us to Sasha Gaydemek. Sasha bankrolled us and then withdrew all funding when our squad was on ridiculous money. We have then been fleeced by numerous other owners who were all looking to get a pretty penny out of portsmouth Football Club and leave us with nothing. Micah Halls blogs are worth a read, albeit a long on at that, to show the pure extent of how our club has been used a chess piece in a game of money between 3 or 4 individuals. his blogs also PROVE how money has been taken from the club, illegally, and how we have been used. The only short term solution to all of this is to wind the club up and start again in my eyes. We are in the process of being owned fully by the supporters trust and I believe this would become the biggest fan takeover in UK history of a football club - if it works then great, but I have my doubts about funding etc. You mean WHEN we drop into league 2 (Skybet offering 12/1 on us not winning again this season) I believewe will be getting gates weekly of 9-10k which for League 2 is great. We will have one the highest incomes of the league and I would hope once, and if, the supporters trust take over that we can find some stability, sign some players on longer than a month contract and hopefully work our way back up like we have seen from Swansea and our friends down the road. Unfortunately for us, all our previous regimes have not spent on any kind of infrastructure and we are in dire need of a new ground and training facilities. Its going to be a long, slow road ahead, but we as fans will be happy and singing our chimes in terrances all over the land in happy fashion because hopefully we will own the club and we cannot be used by some shady businessmen as their play thing anymore. Befpre any WUMs pipe up though - remember that if Abramovich, The Man City Sheikh or more importantly now, tony Fernandes were to walk away form their clubs then we would see another repeat of our demise. Football is all about money - it's so sad our national game is seen this way now.
Thanks for taking the time to write a good lengthy response, I was beginning to feel ignored and being taken for a wum. I knew things were bad from the PL days and as a knock on effect you ended up relegated, 10 points deducted in the Championship and relegated once more but was not following since last summer. I will have a look at that blog as suggested, thanks for the heads up Skybet offering 12/1 on us not winning again this season - Is the level of player now that poor? Really?? That is incredibly sad as I can still vividly remember Pompey in the Championship, playing at Carrow Road with Paul Merson & co destroying us and just about any team that dared stand in their way. On the reverse side, I have seen Pompey in the old division 4 as well, away to Peterborough for a midweek game, my first experience of the impressive away following (you went up that season ) Good luck with the supporters trust, if that is the way forward (and it appears that it as likely to be a decent option as things stand) but The only short term solution to all of this is to wind the club up and start again in my eyes - should never be allowed to happen. Now I have no allegiance to Pompey whatsoever but to see a club with such a rich history fall to such depths is a mightily scary prospect and you are on the money with if Abramovich, The Man City Sheikh or more importantly now, tony Fernandes were to walk away form their clubs then we would see another repeat of our demise. Many people have said the same but the fans of those clubs don't want to hear it, never mind even contemplate it and I dare say you guys were perhaps the same when the good days were handed out on a platter for a few years. From this point onward I will be keeping a closer eye on what is happening down in Fratton Park and hope you can turn it round and make your way back up the leagues (as long as it's not at our expense )
Mike sums it up very well - a long story of money mis-management and skullduggery has left us on the brink of total demise. Looking at our situation and league position it's impossible not to feel sympathy for Appy & Guy - neither have been given a fighting chance. Admin has dragged on way too long in another example of how the justice system seems to be built to line the pockets of people who don't do a great deal of work and bill exhorbitantly for their time....just want an end to this one way or another now.....have never enjoyed a football season so little - the only highlight has been watching Swansea play football as it should be with a team of players who did not cost the earth and seem a real team - another partially fans owned club - clearly the way ahead. PUP and roll on summer.
We won;t be playing Norwich for a long time Thai - so need to worry about us beating you! On paper, we have a decent squad - but we have had something like 60 debutants this season - we can only sign players on monthly contracts and loans as we are still in administration. Don't forget that when/if we do come out of administration we will AGAIN be given another 10 point deduction! We need to be out of Admin before the start of next season otherwise we will not be allowed to play in the football league. The Football League, FA and Premier League seem to be more concerned about the money coming in - they keep fining us with points etc even though it was them who PASSED these dodgy owners (one didnt even really exist) through the fit and proper tests. Why is no one in the authorities that was supposed to stop this being held accountable? We also have to remember that in the modern game you are a fan. You pay your £30 or whatever each Saturday and buy a programme and watch 90 minutes of football. The clubs owners, 9 times out of 10, will not give a damn about the fan. We have seen this - we get a lot of stick for "cheating our way to the cup" and "it's our fault we over spent" - but we, the fans, have NO SAY in any of those decicions. As fans, we pay people to run our football clubs correctly. Just feel safe you have Deliah and Steven Fry on your board who love your club! We had businessmen who wanted to make some money. Football has become a sad affair.
A very honest summing up there mike. We really are looking into the abyss. The administrator has said that the Administration will be extended into mid August. WAIT A MINUTE! - Answers to a question I posed on another thread indicate that Football League rules stipulate that you are not allowed to start 2 consecutive seasons in administration. Having been in admin since February 2012 that would see us thrown out of the League. The Conference are well known for not taking any nonsense when it comes to financial irregularities, which means the Southern League as the highest possible place for us. I'm sure they wouldn't allow us straight into the Premier Division, so, realistically, The Southern League Division One South and West could be where we find ourselves next season, even if the club doesn't get wound up.
A very honest summing up there mike. We really are looking into the abyss. The administrator has said that the Administration will be extended into mid August. WAIT A MINUTE! - Answers to a question I posed on another thread indicate that Football League rules stipulate that you are not allowed to start 2 consecutive seasons in administration. Having been in admin since February 2012 that would see us thrown out of the League. The Conference are well known for not taking any nonsense when it comes to financial irregularities, which means the Southern League as the highest possible place for us. I'm sure they wouldn't allow us straight into the Premier Division, so, realistically, The Southern League Division One South and West could be where we find ourselves next season, even if the club doesn't get wound up.
As the Fratton end chanted against Hartlepool - "We're waiting for you, we're waiting for youuuuuuu.....Torquay United we're waiting for you"
and for that I am sorry, liked our games with you guys. and I thought I felt a tinge of a sadness for you when I started this thread! Something I was going to touch on, there should be some kind of investigation in to this aspect of what has gone on, not that it will help your cause but it might be the just thing to do. Yes, sad but very true As much as I think we would welcome a significant cash injection, most of us are very pleased with what we have. It's never going to reap the big rewards but hey, we have never been used to that anyway so what the hell. Would rather see the club exist the day I pass away than be run in to the ground like you have. We were close to it when we dropped in to L1, just a matter of a day or so of going in to administration and the prospect of a long hard recovery, and we managed that without foreign intervention - that man responsible now look after the Scottish FA You have now made me feel utterly miserable so god only knows how you Pompey fans must be feeling, seriously I could easily shed a tear for the fans if this happens. I hope the other lot up the road have eased off with the piss taking as this cannot be viewed as being funny by anyone in my opinion, not if they are a genuine football fan at any rate.
Hang on Devo.........you have jumped the boat a bit there my friend..........PKF have not said our Admin "WILL" extend into August, it has merely been extended to August 17th if required. This is because of the adjournement last week has taken us past our original admin expiry date of last week. provided the judge does not keep agreeing to the farcical delays Portpin are trying..........then I would fully expect to see the PST installed within 6 weeks or so BP
I hope you're right BP. At the moment I am finding it very difficult not to change my avatar.... please log in to view this image
Well my friend........there is more chance of survival the more people pledge to our great club! if the fans really want their say, and really want our club to survive they have to pledge........what ever they can afford!
