Pay Up Pompey,Pompey Pay Up!

[pauld]

So Portsmouth back in court on Tuesday, for HMRC's challenge to the CVA Andronikou put together but the great man himself won't be there - not worth disturbing his holiday in Cyprus for apparently:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/pompey-braced-for-showdown-with-taxman-2040763.html

Well, it's only Pompey's future at stake, after all 

[leefer]

So Portsmouth back in court on Tuesday, for HMRC's challenge to the CVA Andronikou put together but the great man himself won't be there - not worth disturbing his holiday in Cyprus for apparently:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/pompey-braced-for-showdown-with-taxman-2040763.html

Well, it's only Pompey's future at stake, after all 

I love the passion in your posts Paul...i can tell you fucking hate the bloke!

[Samdy Gray]

He's still seething from being called a busybody, Leefer.

[donkey]

I love the passion in your posts Paul...i can tell you fucking hate the bloke!

He ain't alone.  He just knows more about this than me, and usually phrases it better.  We should all hate Andronikou with a passion.

[leefer]

He's still seething from being called a busybody, Leefer.

Oh well....nothing wrong with passion!

[pauld]

He's still seething from being called a busybody, Leefer.

It was a misquote - he meant to say "fantastic body". And what on earth gave you the impression I don't like him leefer?

[jonny72]

Its no good.....I DO feel sorry for them; well the fans and players anyway.  Whatever went wrong and whoever is to blame, they are one of the oldest clubs with a great history.  Its all part of the disease which has taken root in football since the early nineties, and its very sad.

As I've said before, I don't agree with the argument that fans are blameless. The Portsmouth fans knew damn well the club were over spending, but didn't give a shit as it was buying the success they wanted. Even when Andronikou was appointed it was the same, from reading their forums they thought it was a great appointment and put the comments of our fans down to us being bitter and twisted. Obviously they've changed their tune somewhat now but it's a bit late for that.

A lot of our fans still have their heads in the clouds, we're losing up to £3m a season and are solely reliant upon Fitton putting his hand in his pocket each month. Our number one priority isn't a central defender who has leadership qualities nor a striker who scores lots of goals, its somehow managing to get the books to balance as quickly as possible.

[donkey]

A lot of our fans still have their heads in the clouds, we're losing up to £3m a season and are solely reliant upon Fitton putting his hand in his pocket each month. Our number one priority isn't a central defender who has leadership qualities nor a striker who scores lots of goals, its somehow managing to get the books to balance as quickly as possible.

But if we get those two players we will have a better chance of promotion and the money that comes with it.

(I agree with your overall point, btw).

[pauld]

As I've said before, I don't agree with the argument that fans are blameless. The Portsmouth fans knew damn well the club were over spending, but didn't give a shit as it was buying the success they wanted.

As I've said before, though, they didn't know the scale of it. In fact, it would seem even the people doing the over-spending didn't know the scale of it. And both fans (who couldn't have known) and those doing the overspending (who should have known better) did think it was being underwritten. Since then, and as a result of the arse falling out of the Gaydamaks' finances, they've basically become the plaything of Israeli money lenders, including their last and soon to be once again owner. It's a bit much to expect your average match-going fan to even follow what's gone at Portsmouth now that it's all out in the open, much less see that it was likely. In fact, I don't think anyone could have predicted that coming.

Even when Andronikou was appointed it was the same, from reading their forums they thought it was a great appointment and put the comments of our fans down to us being bitter and twisted.

That would be from a very selective reading of their forums. Some might have thought it a good appointment (notably mr_bishiuk on their fol site has until recently been his sole cheerleader but even he's gone quiet now), but the vast majority were very wary of him from the outset and very welcoming to Swindon fans tipping them off/providing background info

The club as a business entity may well deserve it's fate; the fans certainly don't.

[Batch]

As I've said before, I don't agree with the argument that fans are blameless. The Portsmouth fans knew damn well the club were over spending, but didn't give a shit as it was buying the success they wanted.

I'm not so sure that is any different from any other club. Including our own. A sizeable majority are happy to go along, watch the footy and assume everything is OK. We've all been there, only realising we were up shit creek after the fact.

[Ardiles]

As I've said before, I don't agree with the argument that fans are blameless. The Portsmouth fans knew damn well the club were over spending, but didn't give a shit as it was buying the success they wanted. Even when Andronikou was appointed it was the same, from reading their forums they thought it was a great appointment and put the comments of our fans down to us being bitter and twisted. Obviously they've changed their tune somewhat now but it's a bit late for that.

A lot of our fans still have their heads in the clouds, we're losing up to £3m a season and are solely reliant upon Fitton putting his hand in his pocket each month. Our number one priority isn't a central defender who has leadership qualities nor a striker who scores lots of goals, its somehow managing to get the books to balance as quickly as possible.

I do agree with that.  Portsmouth fans are not blameless here.  The feeling you get is that, over the last few seasons, their fans felt they had risen through the ranks on merit alone and had earned their place at the top table.  And the truth...in terms of long term potential, they were not a Premiership club.  They were the footballing equivalent of the hick from the south who took out a sub prime mortgage on a condo he could not afford.  Then the bailliffs came calling.  It was a mirage.

The only hint of sympathy they get from derives from the fact that we have been in a similar situation before.  Wind the clock back 20 years, and we were arguing forcefully that our fans should not pay the price for off the field misdemeanors perpetrated by the board.  Different situation in many ways, I know, but it's still the fans who suffer unduly.  In their case, I think a few years of belt tightening and a serious reality check should sort them out.  I have a feeling that our paths could well cross in the not too distant future, which would be no bad thing.  I used to enjoy our encounters.

[leefer]

I do agree with that.  Portsmouth fans are not blameless here.  The feeling you get is that, over the last few seasons, their fans felt they had risen through the ranks on merit alone and had earned their place at the top table.  And the truth...in terms of long term potential, they were not a Premiership club.  They were the footballing equivalent of the hick from the south who took out a sub prime mortgage on a condo he could not afford.  Then the bailliffs came calling.  It was a mirage.

The only hint of sympathy they get from derives from the fact that we have been in a similar situation before.  Wind the clock back 20 years, and we were arguing forcefully that our fans should not pay the price for off the field misdemeanors perpetrated by the board.  Different situation in many ways, I know, but it's still the fans who suffer unduly.  In their case, I think a few years of belt tightening and a serious reality check should sort them out.  I have a feeling that our paths could well cross in the not too distant future, which would be no bad thing.  I used to enjoy our encounters.

And juicy affairs they were too.

[jonny72]

Everybody knew Portsmouth were spending well beyond their means, which should have raised questions as to whether it really was being properly funded or not. I'm not aware of those questions ever really being answered satisfactorily which should have set alarm bells ringing. It's the same as with Chelsea or Man City or even Swindon Town. I can see things going wrong at Brighton as well, no one is sure where the money has come from but their fans are happy to ignore the questions they should be asking as it is buying them the prosperity they want.

I'm not sure why the Portsmouth fans should be getting any sympathy anyway - they've had two FA Cup finals, a season in Europe and plenty of seasons in the Premier League. They've had the good times and now they have to take their medicine the same as every other club that couldn't afford to compete at the top level. Why should anyone feel sorry for them?

[pauld]

All those are arguments why the business should "take it's medicine", I'm still struggling to see how the fans are to blame. What were they supposed to have done to prevent the mess that they didn't do?

[reeves4england]

I feel sorry for them in terms of the uncertainty over their future, but not over their on-the-pitch predicaments as some people seem to suggest we should. If Pompey were relegated to League One I might find some sympathy for the fans. Feeling sorry for them because they dropped into the Championship is ludicrous as it is where they should be.