Iâm going to open this up to debate as I'd be most surprised if there aren't those on here with strong, differing opinions on the subject. Should the PST continue in its pursuit of becoming the new owners of Portsmouth FC or should it keep the money to bankroll the formation of a new club? (letâs, for the sake of argument, call it AFC Pompey) If the PST were to withdraw there are three possibilities as I see it. 1. Chainrai or a Chainrai puppet will step in to âsave the clubâ and the PST disbands, having given it their best shot. 2. With Portsmouth FC under the control of the Chainrai brigade, the PST sets up AFC Pompey, which successfully applies to join the Southern League Division One South and West for the 2013-14 season. 3. No-one buys Portsmouth FC, which goes into liquidation, leaving the PSTâs AFC Pompey as the sole football Club representing the City. In scenarios 1 & 2 Portsmouth FC will soldier on this season, but with it being too late [after the transfer window] by the time things are sorted, relegation to League Two is inevitable. The difference in quality between League One and League Two is a lot smaller than between the Championship and League One. If the current team [currently the League One whipping boys] is not strengthened then it will struggle in League Two. I donât think Iâm exaggerating in thinking that, without investment, Portsmouth FC could well be fighting a battle to stay out of the Conference this time next year. For scenarios 2 & 3; If those who have pledged money to the PST come good and support the new side, then Iâm sure the funds will be easily enough for AFC Pompey to win the Southern League Division One South and West at the first attempt, gaining promotion to the Southern League Premier Division. Should the original Portsmouth FC continue to exist, but suffer relegation from League Two next season, that would leave only two divisions separating the sides. There are those on here who have pledged money to the PST. There are those for whom £1,000 is out of reach and Iâm sure there are others who simply donât wish to risk parting with that amount of cash. Regardless of your personal situation, where would you place your hat? Do you want the PST to buy the club and do its best to turn things around? If Portsmouth FC went into liquidation would those of you who pledged to the PST allow them to keep your money to set up AFC Pompey? What do you think is the best way forward, as far as having a football club within the city is concerned? Plough what ever money is available into keeping the current club afloat? Or Start again in non-league and work back up the ladder? Possibly the most difficult question: What about scenario 2? Would you continue to support Portsmouth FC or would you switch your allegiance to AFC Pompey?
Chanrai cannot pass the FAPPT. FL have said so. He can't bring in another stooge as the governing bodies are now savvy to him acting as a shadow director. If the PST don't get in, it's liquidation. Trust or bust.
This question is the nub of your post really - a) keep Pompey or b) start again. I want the PST to rally the troops and effect the buy-out of Portsmouth FC and have to admit I am firmly of the view that it can be done. I can't see the fans who have pledged £1k will pledge that amount to start up an AFC. Chanrai was never going to invest in the club, all the evidence from his previous tenures proves that beyond doubt. His interest is purely in getting back i) the $24m debt owed to him by Gaydamak Snr and ii) the £6m he forwarded to Falcondrone to purchase the club from Ali Al Fahim and, iii) the small amount of funding he provided to keep the club going after he placed it in administration. If Chanrai had any interest in maintaining the club as a going concern he would have restructured the business during his first tenure - he didn't, he just kept it ticking over while looking for a buyer. Every single one of us could see that the business needed to be restructured immediately after relegation from the PL. Anyone who couldn't see it doesn't understand how businesses work. He appointed a rookie CEO, arranged the CVA first payment to April 2012 and allowed the rot to continue seeping through the club. Liquidation would have suited him fine, there would be a point where the land could be sold to private developers and Chanrai would have got the money he wanted. Let's not forget, he can afford to wait it out. For me, the PST have made one serious error in all this - they failed to understand the power of leadership and keeping the supporters on-side. They are silent far too often - leading to claims that they are not as transparent as they should be. Having worked in the voluntary sector I've seen the power of public relations, it's very persuasive. Would I support an AFC? Only vaguely, if Pompey ceases to exist something precious will have been lost.
Perhaps the aim of the PST is to acquire Fratton Park and the surrounding land and then liquidate the club in the manner that Rangers were, and start again at the bottom of the football pyramid. It would be rid of all the outstanding debt then and have Fratton Park as an asset!
That is the last resort option or Plan B as it is well known over here. Portsmouth city council have said they will purchase the ground in the event of liquidation and the surrounding land is now owned by the PST. We've got teh **** more wrapped up than the scare mongrers like to think. I do agree with 3rd eye on the leadership issue. For all the hard work the PSt have put in, now is the time we really need a leader.
They won't be able to do that. With liquidation the ground will be sold to pay off the creditors. The only reason Chanrai is still hanging around is because he smacked a morgage (debenture) over the ground to become a secured creditor. That's why he doesn't want liquidation, he will be paid off but at a very reduced amount. If anyone from the PST tried the same trick they would be treated very harshly.
PST to save the existing club....slow re-build that sees us back in the Championship in the next 5 seasons - we are getting gates of 12-13K struggling - if we were succesfully challenging that would be closer to 17K I believe - we are worth perservering with no question. PUP
Yeah the PST's PR is pretty awful to say the least. Has this 'prospectus' actually been released yet? There's a link on the website to it I think but the link doesn't work (there's a surprise ) Realistically, I think Plan B is the best option and it might be worth the PST focusing their money on that. I'm not sure. Either way, I'd still support AFC Portsmouth. I'd hope we'd have a less cliche name than AFC Portsmouth though (people would be like "Oh, you're trying copy AFC Wimbledon? How cute")
Yeah, it has been. You can find it here:- http://www.communitypompey.co.uk/files/PST-Prospectus.pdf However, the comments about their PR is bang on the mark. I sent in my £100 quite early, so was waiting for the request for the remaining £900. It was only going on the News website about a month ago that I even realised the prospectus was out! They were meant to send copies in the post, but never received mine. They have our email addresses so had they (entirely sensibly) wanted to keep costs down and email people copies rather than printing and posting, then they could have done so. Did they? Did they feck. It is a bit of a concern as I wonder how many people like me who are no longer locals and don't check what's going on regularly enough might also be blissfully unaware (and £1,000 better off!). Still, for the reasons that EastneyPFC's outlined, I'd really like to see the PST continue with their bid. Although what's currently happening at the moment is anyone's guess. I appreciate there's probably commercial and other sensitive reasons why they can't elaborate on the delays but just coming out and saying exactly that would be something! As an aside, I thought I'd just have a quick look at the Saints board to give myself a little cheering up. I should have known better. Someone's already brought up that the FA Cup is meaningless because of Pompey's "cheating". Sigh. Still, they've gone on to say in another thread that they expect the Saints "Yoof" will get revenge on the Chelsea fans (who threw a seat? flare?). What a lovely chap.
Indeed. Sure they use Twitter but not everyone uses that. Old Red Eye or whatever his name is was apparently someone from the PST and commented on the News website but he hasn't been seen in yonks. I dunno if they use Facebook as well as Twitter but even still, their PR is a joke. Considering how the News is gonna publish anything official from them, they have a perfect mouthpiece. And I'm not sure if there's some impartiality clause which means they can't liaise with the actual club. If there isn't, there should be weekly updates on the Portsmouth FC website. Also, I saw on Twitter that in response to someone's tweet they said the 15th wouldn't be decisive. Why is that? Keep us informed. Tell us all clearly why the 15th won't be decisive rather than just telling a single person that it won't be decisive with no explanation given. Seriously, pull your finger out PST. The proposed board members are meant to all be business owners yet they fail at basic PR. The kind of PR that is crucial for convincing people that they are worth their support (financial or otherwise) Frankly, I can't blame anyone for being reluctant to pledge £1000 to these jokers.
"Old Red Eye" is Scott McLachlan - he was a member of the PST board and their spokesperson, he mainly responded to comments on the News website and wrote occasional articles/updates on the PST website. He resigned as both quite some time ago and is now on twitter as Walkthe92 - he is undertaking a fund raising venture by walking round every league club in the country. i don't know which charity it's for though. They have also had at least 1 other spokesperson since then and it's possible from something he tweeted, that Neil Allen might become the next spokesperson. The News will publish just about anything that's newsworthy - as will any local newspaper - whatever town they were in a supporters trust would get local coverage from the local paper. You have to add into the mix though, that of the "reporters" at Portsmouth News, the majority are actually Pompey supporters. You'll find the same at Express FM. Mark Mudie for example is not only a Pompey supporter he is also a member of the PST. However one of his colleagues, Joe Michalczuk, does not support the PST bid, he thinks Chanrai should have been allowed to come back and invest in the club. Makes for a lot of interesting sniping between PST supporters, Joe Michalczuk and Neil Allen from the News. The reason I put reporters in "quotes" is that they are not investigative journalists, which is what a lot of News readers keep demanding from them. As for the delays in the court - it is the Administrators, PFK, who asked for the adjournment - the PST were taken by surprise (that much was very obvious) and they were not party to whatever the reason was for the adjournment. They might have a bit more insight now but that will not be for public consumption. Whatever the reason was I notice that Chanrai and Portpin have also been silent since December 14th so can only guess that it is something going on between Portpin and the Administrators. But I agree with you Lapras, they should be reassuring the supporters and pledgers a lot better than this.
To answer devo's original question and get back on topic.......its in every ones best interest for the PST as preferred bidder to be able to complete on the purchase and redevelop our great and historic club. Its our chance to be a community led club that for too long has been driven and owned by greedy owners with no interest, respect or understanding of our once great club, the city or its people. Starting from afresh is complicated in its self. Who starts it, who funds it, who owns it, where do we play???????? The list could go on, and will..........its the last resort. My own thoughts are that, we may well go down to the wire, I am lead to believe there are complications in the PT bid, there are issues that will not be resolved between the PST and Portpin.....so it will go to court on Jan 15th, but as reported earlier, a decision on the 15th will not be fast coming, its merely to get every one back together. A further court date will be sort...........and so it goes on. So, with this in mind, the next questions are this: 1/ what happened to the supposed funding which the FL sort as a guarantee at the beginning of the season in order to let PFC take its position in L1? 2/ do we have funding in place to complete the season? 3/ with the likely hood of a resolve to our ownership not happening until after the Jan transfer window.......how many players will leave? 4/ how will we replace them.......other than with players either too old to play or players who no one else wants that might give us a fighting chance? again........the questions could go on........but in all honesty, I think we are all resolved that using the players we have and are likely to have we will be relegated again..........the big question is whether we play L 2 as PFC or whether we are liquidated and fall out of the FL and have to implement plan B!!!!! As a life long fan, with previous family ties to this club......I really hope we pull through what is with out doubt our worse time in our history. I know of at least two other individuals who have been connected in football previously ...........that would pick up the reigns and buy our club if it were not for the likely challenges of chainrai and the costs involved in making thee resolves............I really don't think that liquidation will happen.......but we can never say never until the PST or some one else sign on the dotted. Keep the faith fellow fans, PUP BP
Wow, interesting choice to make, devo ! I would support either a continuing PFC (under the PST) or a newly formed 'AFC Portsmouth' in the future. As long as the team continue in one form or another. BUT, I would much prefer the continuation of PFC, even if it means possible relegation to Division 2, and even the Conference.
How about merging with a local non-league side such as Gosport Borough? They are already at level 7 of the pyramid. If you started again you'd have to start at level 9 or 10 (Wessex League). Another option is to create a new club anyway in case anything happens to PFC. I believe Barnsley did it and of course Wimbledon did it in protest.
Congratulations against Chelsea mid-week, Stamford Brook R! It was quite a game. As you've now got Harry as manager- the January window will be a busy time for you. Who've you been linked with? Two days ago, a QPR supporting mate of mine said Sneijder was being linked to Rangers! Any truth in that? Good luck for the season- and please stay up and free up another relegation spot for Southampton!
