Portsmouth FC in yet more trouble - administration again?

[Elbel1]

FM TIME

 

5 England MF Jamie O'Hara (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) - £5M

23 Germany MF Kevin-Prince Boateng - £7M

26 Israel DF Tal Ben Haim - £3M

32 Algeria MF Hassan Yebda (on loan from Benfica) - £3M

39 Algeria MF Nadir Belhadj - £5M

 

How could Portsmouth sell players that don't belong to them?

[durhamunigeordie]

Anyone think there is any chance we might act quickly and buy someone off them with next season in mind? PL clubs may be reluctant to do so due to the fact that they cannot actually play for them until next season and so perhaps this could be an opportunity to nip in and buy someone like belhadj, beh haim, prince boateng?

 

(I don't believe for one moment that we will just wondering really if there is any of their players people would like to see!)

[ChrisJbarnes]

would be a good opportunity to purchase some back up players at knock down prices. Which may well appeal to Ashley!

[leffe186]

It's a pity that probably the most interesting player is a left back, the one position you guys don't need. Boateng might be interesting, plus one of the forwards.

[Pilko]

Spartak have offered them £250,000 to end Owusu-Abeyie's loan deal early.

[cubaricho]

It's a pity that probably the most interesting player is a left back, the one position you guys don't need. Boateng might be interesting, plus one of the forwards.

 

Had the same thought myself.  Was watching their match the other day and Belhadj(sp?) kept ending up in the box getting on the ends of chances then I read that he's actually a left back (may have been playing as LW though at the time), was pretty .

[LooneyToonArmy]

Premier League - Niemi paid £450k for 90 minutes on bench

 

Portsmouth have released Antti Niemi after the goalkeeper picked up nearly half a million pounds without making a first-team appearance.

 

The Daily Mirror reports that the Finn signed a contract worth £14,000-a-week in August, but played just twice for the reserves and spent one Premier League match on the substitutes' bench - over the eight months he was at the club, Niemi received around £450,000.

The 37-year-old was rewarded handsomely despite spending his time at Fratton Park as third choice keeper behind David James and Jamie Ashdown.

 

Cash-strapped Pompey are in administration and narrowly averted being wound up after a catalogue of financial mismanagement left them with an unpaid £11 million tax bill.

 

Administrator Andrew Andronikou has already axed 85 jobs at the club and is now looking to slim down the playing staff.

Left-back Nadir Belhadj is expected to join Russian outfit CSKA Moscow, while on-loan striker Aruna Dindane cannot play because another appearance would trigger an automatic £4m bid for the Lens player.

 

Earlier this month defender Dusko Tosic went on loan to Queen's Park Rangers after the Premier League refused to ratify him as a Portsmouth player following his arrival on a free transfer in February.

 

Former chief executive Peter Storrie has also left the club. He was paid a reported seven-figure annual salary despite bearing, in Andronikou's words, "a large part of the responsibility" for Portsmouth's plight.

 

The club's finances were plunged into chaos last summer after Franco-Russian businessman Sacha Gaydamak sold the club to Sulaiman Al-Fahim.

 

The Premier League's bottom club Portsmouth are all but guaranteed to be relegated after being deducted nine points for going into administration.

 

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/31032010/58/premier-league-niemi-paid-450k-90-minutes-bench.html

[Liam Liam Liam O]

 

David James says 2008 FA Cup win began Pompey crisis 

 

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James says victory in the 2008 FA Cup final set the club on the road to financial ruin.

 

"It has had a terrible effect on the club over arguably the last 18 months," said James, whose side face Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.

 

"Qualifying for Europe was financially and physically damaging for the club."

 

Portsmouth, who appointed David Lampitt as its new chief executive on Friday, went into administration in February with debts of over £60m.

 

Two years ago, Harry Redknapp delivered Portsmouth's first FA Cup success since 1939 with victory over Cardiff at Wembley.

 

But with several players collecting bonuses for their success, James says the Cup victory began the process of financial meltdown.

 

"To offer people the opportunity of big bonuses to qualify for Europe seems like a pretty safe bet, simply because you do not anticipate a club like Portsmouth winning the Cup," said James.

 

"Had we not won the FA Cup, bizarrely it would probably have done us a lot better, because we would not have qualified for Europe and would have been able to build on two decent years of progression.

 

"Having won the cup, the financial impact was crippling and then as a squad we just were not kitted out to be able to sustain the European, as well as league and cup campaigns which followed.

 

"We ended up suffering on both fronts."

 

Despite his misgivings about the 2008 Cup success, James is relishing the prospect of taking on Spurs at Wembley.

 

"Winning the FA Cup on its own was a tremendous achievement," he added.

 

"This year we have got a semi-final against decent opposition, and if we can give ourselves a chance of winning the cup again, that would not be for the lure of getting into Europe - it would be winning another trophy for Portsmouth."

 

If Pompey do make the final, they may have to do without several of their players, who will be making their final appearances for the club in the semi-final because of expensive trigger clauses in their contracts.

 

Administrator Andrew Andronikou has revealed that "five or six players" would be eligible for bullet payments if they played another game.

 

These could be cash payments of up to £100,000 or the guarantee of a contract renewal for next season.

 

"These bullet payments mean that they can play in the semi-final, but not play another game after it, unless they waiver those payments," said Andronikou.

 

"That would be tragic for the player if the team is in the FA Cup final, but it will be the players', or their agents', decisions. They are going to have to forfeit those contractual obligations or they cannot play again.

 

"As the club is in administration and as the administrator, I am not in a position to allow these payments or indeed to allow the players to automatically renew their contracts for next season."

 

Meanwhile the club announced on Friday that Lampitt, the Football Association's head of football integrity, would be replacing Peter Storrie, who stepped down on 12 March.

 

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to take up this new challenge with Portsmouth," he told the club's website.

 

"The club has been through some tough times this season and I intend to bring some stability and transparency to operations.

 

"Pompey have some of the best fans in the country and they deserve their great support to be matched by equally high standards of governance at the club."

 

Lampitt, a qualified chartered accountant, will take up the post once his period of notice has been agreed with the FA.

 

FA chairman Lord Triesman said: "David Lampitt has been with the FA for six years and has made an outstanding contribution to our regulatory obligations.

 

"It is a great tribute to him that one of our oldest and most famous clubs should look to his expertise and personal character to bring it through a time of great difficulty.

 

"Portsmouth's fans should take comfort in a wise long-sighted appointment, and I wish David every success."

 

Pompey are on the brink of relegation to the Championship, having been deducted nine points on 17 March for going into administration.

 

Andronikou was appointed on 26 February with the aim of cutting costs and finding a buyer for the Hampshire team, currently owned by Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, who took control in early February.

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/8612358.stm

 

Pretty shocking that.

[Village Idiot]

Why did they sign Niemi at all? They had James, Begovic and Ashdown at the time. 

[Guest toonlass]

Pretty sure that they said on the radio today that Middlesbrough are not going to play Gary O'Neill again because it would trigger an appearance fee to be paid to Portsmouth! Cheap smoggie bastards willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces!

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Pretty sure that they said on the radio today that Middlesbrough are not going to play Gary O'Neill again because it would trigger an appearance fee to be paid to Portsmouth! Cheap smoggie bastards willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces!

 

From the BBC

 

Middlesbrough boss Strachan clarifies O'Neil absence 

 

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan says financial reasons caused the omission of Gary O'Neil at Plymouth on Monday.

 

O'Neil, who has made 99 appearances for Boro, has a clause in his deal triggering a £1m pay-out to former club Portsmouth when he reaches 100 games.

 

"I do the footballing side; other people do the financial side," Strachan told BBC Tees. "We talked [about O'Neil] and this is the best decision."

 

The midfielder signed a new contract in December to stay at the club till 2012.

 

Middlesbrough have not explained what future O'Neil now has on Teesside.

 

Reports from Portsmouth have suggested the financially stricken south coast club believe Boro are seeking to renegotiate the payment.

 

But Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb said: "I'm surprised by the comments attributed to a Portsmouth spokesman.

 

"All of our payments to Portsmouth related to Gary's transfer are up to date and I can assure the club and their administrator that should any further payments become due under the terms of the transfer then we will, of course, honour them."

 

First-team captain O'Neil joined Middlesbrough from Portsmouth in August 2007 for a fee of £5m, and has made 34 appearances this season.

 

 

[NG32]

Pretty sure that they said on the radio today that Middlesbrough are not going to play Gary O'Neill again because it would trigger an appearance fee to be paid to Portsmouth! Cheap smoggie bastards willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces!

 

Just lack the cash....lots of clubs will be the same.

[Cajun]

How good is Gary O'Neil? I thought he looked a very good young player at Pompey. If they can't afford to play him and he is any good we could do with a centre mid...

[NG32]

How good is Gary O'Neil? I thought he looked a very good young player at Pompey. If they can't afford to play him and he is any good we could do with a centre mid...

 

Would tek him like.

[Guest toonlass]

How good is Gary O'Neil? I thought he looked a very good young player at Pompey. If they can't afford to play him and he is any good we could do with a centre mid...

 

The Boro fan on the radio was having a right go, saying he has been one of their best players this season and that there is no way he should be dropped at this stage of their season. I dunno how good he is, but found it funny that the Boro fans had been laughing at us for Ashley's actions, and weren't so long ago chanting Steve Gibson's name, and yet he is prepared to risk a chance of them getting into the play-offs for the sake of £1 million!

[Stifler]

If I was Portsmouth I would refuse to renegotiate, I mean they will have to play him at some point, and they have nothing to lose

[Liam Liam Liam O]

If I was Portsmouth I would refuse to renegotiate, I mean they will have to play him at some point, and they have nothing to lose

 

Or sell him in under half a dozen games time.

[Disco]

I hope to fuck they beat their bent former manager and assistant at Wembley even though they have fuck all chance.

[Mowen]

I hope to fuck they beat their bent former manager and assistant at Wembley even though they have fuck all chance.

 

 

Even though my missus has a ticket in the Spurs end

[Mowen]

Pretty sure that they said on the radio today that Middlesbrough are not going to play Gary O'Neill again because it would trigger an appearance fee to be paid to Portsmouth! Cheap smoggie bastards willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces!

 

It's not that tight. A million pounds. A million fucking quid for one game! He'd have to score a shitload of goals.

[Raconteur]

 

 

"These bullet payments mean that they can play in the semi-final, but not play another game after it, unless they waiver those payments," said Andronikou.

 

"That would be tragic for the player if the team is in the FA Cup final, but it will be the players', or their agents', decisions. They are going to have to forfeit those contractual obligations or they cannot play again.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/8612358.stm

 

Pretty shocking that.

 

I just read that article on the Beeb, and what you've highlighted is exactly what jumped out at me too.

 

Seems very cold that the administrator is putting it all back on the players (and their agents) - essentially saying "You can play in the FA Cup final if you want, all you have to do is sign this waiver releasing us from our contractual obligations".

 

Makes one wonder about the whole "under-strength" teams argument too - is bullet payments (when in administration) a legitimate reason for not playing your best team? "Five or six players" puts it more in the Fulham controversy rather than the Wolves debacle, but it sounds like something Gold and Sullivan might bleat about...?

 

Also makes you wonder whether there are any "restraint of trade" implications that they are so fond of in Brussels...

 

[brummie]

I find David James's stance on this whole situation to be a bit fucking nauseating, to be honest.

 

It's hard to take him seriously when he pontificates on the situation, given the fact he's happily taken his 80k a week over the whole period.

 

I get similarly fucked off when i read his Observer column, where he speaks at length of how he drives some energy efficient Euro bubble car, as if he doesn't also have a range of supercars to use when he's doing something other than posing for the press.

 

And for all his hand-wringing and "we feel your pain" and "we want the kitman there so he can unblock the bogs" shite over the redundancies at Portsmouth, he's still there kerchinging it all the way to the bank with a weekly salary which would pay 5 or 6 of them for a year.

[Mowen]

He was opposed to the '39th game' on the basis that it would increase football clubs' carbon footprint. I believe he wrote a column explaining this whilst on a summer training camp in spain somewhere.

[brummie]

He was opposed to the '39th game' on the basis that it would increase football clubs' carbon footprint. I believe he wrote a column explaining this whilst on a summer training camp in spain somewhere.

 

Thick people who think they're actually quite bright are a bigger menace to society than that Baby Bio plant food shit the kids are all snorting.

[Mowen]

He was opposed to the '39th game' on the basis that it would increase football clubs' carbon footprint. I believe he wrote a column explaining this whilst on a summer training camp in spain somewhere.

 

Thick people who think they're actually quite bright are a bigger menace to society than that Baby Bio plant food shit the kids are all snorting.

 

It's all relative though isn't it. If you've only ever seen the likes of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Andy Cole interviewed you'd think James was a prince among men when it came to intellect in football.