Pompey At Home

[One Robbie Reinelt]

and what did you do about that ?.................................

Whilst drifting in & out of consciousness, I managed to locate in my pocket an unpaid bill & an old Albion leaflet explaining the latest Falmer march down Brighton seafront to save our then ailing club. In my weakened state, & still victim to the throat hold, I summoned the strength to hoist both bits of paper above my head for all to see &, as if by magic, all the Pompey supporters vanished in a puff of smoke never to be seen again ... works every time!

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Whilst drifting in & out of consciousness, I managed to locate in my pocket an unpaid bill & an old Albion leaflet explaining the latest Falmer march down Brighton seafront to save our then ailing club. In my weakened state, & still victim to the throat hold, I summoned the strength to hoist both bits of paper above my head for all to see &, as if by magic, all the Pompey supporters vanished in a puff of smoke never to be seen again ... works every time!

 

[Triggaaar]

I was speaking to our neighbour who is a Pompey STH and he said "not sure what i will do on Saturday afternoons if they go down"

So he wouldn't support them if they were in League 1? Typical.

Bloom must be praying that Pompey go bust as we could pick up a lot of their fans as i am sure they won't go west!

What obstacles would there be to prevent them starting again? How much is their ground worth if it's not used for football? Surely they could just rent it, or if it's cheap enough, have a new owner buy it. Fill it with fans in the conference and use the gates to get the best players and walk the division.

 

[Lakedry]

I for one won't be supporting another pro club....

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

So he wouldn't support them if they were in League 1? Typical.
What obstacles would there be to prevent them starting again? How much is their ground worth if it's not used for football? Surely they could just rent it, or if it's cheap enough, have a new owner buy it. Fill it with fans in the conference and use the gates to get the best players and walk the division.

They don't own the ground. In fact they don't have any concrete assets.

 

[Triggaaar]

All fans of any club (Brighton, Plymouth, Port vale, Wrexham, Wimbledon, Luton - the list goes on and on - AND Pompey) can do is turn up, support their team, enjoy any good times that come along and hope that the club they love is not one day screwed over.

I'm mostly in agreement with you. When a ruthless **** (like Archer) steals the money from your club, it's difficult to stop them. But you can at least try. There were times I went to the Goldstone, protested, and then come 3pm, went home, as I refused to let him have my money. All those owners are interested in is money, so don't give them any.

In truth we woke up far too late to the damage being done to our club. Perhaps Pompey fans have done the same. But its not until the fans and the club are completely f***ed over that they can start to really do something. That happened when we lost our ground and its about to happen to pompey fans as they lose their club.

We started fighting before we lost our ground. Pompey had already been in administration twice, and they were owned by someone that may not have existed, yet they've done very little (other than buy expensive players and celebrate).

But I do still have sympathy for most of their fans. While a lot of Brighton fans fought to keep our club, most didn't. Most Brighton fans are just lucky that the others fought. It's just surprising that Pompey haven't had a few hundred hard core fans fighting the cause. But that doesn't mean they deserve to lose their club.


All that said, I have more sympathy with their creditors. I think Pompey should have to start again, and I think they should do so with good grace.

 

[Triggaaar]

How much is their ground worth if it's not used for football? Surely they could just rent it, or if it's cheap enough, have a new owner buy it. Fill it with fans in the conference and use the gates to get the best players and walk the division.

They don't own the ground.

Obviously. They wouldn't need to rent it or buy it if they owned it. Our ground was worth £24m to retailers (back in the 90s). What's Fratton worth? Is it worth more for housing/retail than as a ground?

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Well, we know the tune...presumably the words will be "Pay up Pompey, Pompey pay up..........."

More seriously, I'm on the side of those that feel sorry for the fans. They've turned up, paid good money to see their team, and supported their club - same as any of us. It is good that HMRC is challenging that 'football debts first' thing for football clubs going into liquidation - let Gandamac (or whatever his name is) have the parachute payments.......but at 2p in the £.......

Wheeeeeeeeerrrrres the money gone , wheres the money gone

 

[halbpro]

Obviously. They wouldn't need to rent it or buy it if they owned it. Our ground was worth £24m to retailers (back in the 90s). What's Fratton worth? Is it worth more for housing/retail than as a ground?

Depends on whether or not the council lift the condition that states it can only be used for sporting use. I believe in the past someone indicated it was an open secret that they'd be willing to lift it if the club flopped. Given that land on the island is at a premium and that Fratton Island sits about fifteen minutes walk from Fratton Rail station which has very good transport links, I'd imagine it'd be worth a very good sum either as housing or to extend the industrial estate which it faces on two sides.

 

[Triggaaar]

Depends on whether or not the council lift the condition that states it can only be used for sporting use. I believe in the past someone indicated it was an open secret that they'd be willing to lift it if the club flopped. Given that land on the island is at a premium and that Fratton Island sits about fifteen minutes walk from Fratton Rail station which has very good transport links, I'd imagine it'd be worth a very good sum either as housing or to extend the industrial estate which it faces on two sides.

Good info, thanks. Presumably the fans would be onto the council to keep it as a ground, as there would still be a club and fans, and whatever level. So even if liquidated, they should still have a ground to use (as it can't be used for much else).

Even if liquidated, there's a chance they can still continue as Pompey and keep their history. They'd have 21 days to submit a business plan.

 

[halbpro]

Good info, thanks. Presumably the fans would be onto the council to keep it as a ground, as there would still be a club and fans, and whatever level. So even if liquidated, they should still have a ground to use (as it can't be used for much else).

Even if liquidated, there's a chance they can still continue as Pompey and keep their history. They'd have 21 days to submit a business plan.

The biggest contributing factors will probably be the amount of cash the land could go for (I believe the council own the land the ground's on, but not the land around it?) and how long it is until the next council elections. Anyone up for re-election soon probably won't want to piss off that many people in one move.

Portsmouth may not have that many fans filling Fratton Park, but I bet there are enough who consider them fans to make up quite a sizeable chunk of the electorate. Given the typically low turnout of local elections annoyed fans could quite easily swing the vote if they were so inclined.

 

[Triggaaar]

Portsmouth may not have that many fans filling Fratton Park, but I bet there are enough who consider them fans to make up quite a sizeable chunk of the electorate. Given the typically low turnout of local elections annoyed fans could quite easily swing the vote if they were so inclined.

Indeed. Pompey may have been pathetic at fighting up until now (political fighting that is, you mugs), but there's still time for them.

What exactly are we supposed to feel sorry about? Is there much chance they won't be able to carry on at Fratton Park? Portsmouth also benefits from being a complete shithole, so even without a ground you'd think there would be some cheap land somewhere for them to build on.

 

[halbpro]

Indeed. Pompey may have been pathetic at fighting up until now (political fighting that is, you mugs), but there's still time for them.

What exactly are we supposed to feel sorry about? Is there much chance they won't be able to carry on at Fratton Park? Portsmouth also benefits from being a complete shithole, so even without a ground you'd think there would be some cheap land somewhere for them to build on.

The problem is that there's not a lot of land on the island, so a lot of it is at a premium. There's green spaces about, but the council own them all. If they move just off the island (much as we had to go just outside of Brighton to find space) there's some good spaces they could use, although the transport links aren't ideal.

I don't know if they'd have Fratton Park taken away from them, but drawing the kind of gate to justify keeping it if they reform in the Conference would be tricky. It's not just keeping the ground, it's having the funds to make it viable to run.

 

[Triggaaar]

If they move just off the island (much as we had to go just outside of Brighton to find space) there's some good spaces they could use, although the transport links aren't ideal.

I know nothing (feel free to quote and abuse). I'm just guessing there would be some suitable land somewhere.

I don't know if they'd have Fratton Park taken away from them, but drawing the kind of gate to justify keeping it if they reform in the Conference would be tricky. It's not just keeping the ground, it's having the funds to make it viable to run.

Well it can't be used for anything else, unless the council change the rules, which would not go down well with voters. So what funds do they need exactly, it can't cost much to maintain? Am I missing something here?

 

[halbpro]

Well it can't be used for anything else, unless the council change the rules, which would not go down well with voters. So what funds do they need exactly, it can't cost much to maintain? Am I missing something here?

Electricity, water, gas, that sort of thing. A ground of that size and age can cost a lot to run, although I would imagine they could bring the costs down a lot if they mothballed a stand or two. You also have to take into account that I believe the council (or someone) is renting them the ground, and that can't be cheap either.

 

[Bwian]

What

1998. 1998. 1998. 1998.

This is the third time they have taken this route, they have dismissed warnings made back in the 1998 winding up order petition about the necessity and importance of financial management.

Then again a few years ago - and now again. They are a serial offender on this case and as Keith Hill the Rochdale manager stated so concisely why should other clubs manage to their means and be penalised for it on the playing field.

Those same Pompey fans who loved to tell us how shit we were for years. We were shit becuase we could only afford to pay for shit. Our benefactor focused on paying for things outside of players.

In fact Rod Thomas was paid for by us - the f***ing fans - because although we could have bought him through the club it would have meant not paying tax, or other bills.

Sorry. WE created the momentum for things to change at the Albion because we did not want to go down the road of self-destruction. WE harried, marched, petitioned, demonstrated, cohersed and challenged everything around us.

If there was even a sniff of this happening at Portsmouth then I would feel for them. They have basically been shagging around, getting their leg over with whoever they wanted whenever they wanted. And now that their kids are being taken off them and the wife is leaving them they are crying and begging for pity.

Sorry. No pity from me. We suffered for 20 years to get through the times of hardship. In their times of hardship they have bene in the Premier league, winning an FA Cup and lapping every piece of it up. No. Off you go the bottome of the Southsea Sunday league and face crowds of 1200, preferably in a ground 80 miles from Fratton Park - and let's see how you deal with that.

No time for them whatsoever.

It only took 80 posts before their THIRD administration got mentioned.

3 administrations in 14 years should equal expulsion from the league. We were threatened with expulsion and we never entered administration once, despite all of the shit that was going on at the height of our troubles.

I'm normally quite supportive of clubs in need but Portsmouth can eff off as far as I'm concerned. They are worse than our two time administration chums from Croydon and to be worse than them takes some doing.

I know a few Portsmouth fans who, whilst they were screwing all and sundry financially, were quite happy to take the piss out of 'Little ole Brighton playing at a shit-hole of an athletics stadium'. They really do not get an ounce of sympathy or support from me. Their club was quite happy when they were luring potential Albion fans to their club when we had sod all at the time to offer them. I hope the tables have turned and West Sussex football fans choose The Albion over the cheating bar stewards at Fratton.

If Portsmouth get kicked out at the end of the season then that will be the right decision. Once in administration is bad enough. Twice is disgraceful but three times should mean you're not fit to trade as a football club/business and the choices are taken away from you.

 

[Triggaaar]

Electricity, water, gas, that sort of thing. A ground of that size and age can cost a lot to run, although I would imagine they could bring the costs down a lot if they mothballed a stand or two. You also have to take into account that I believe the council (or someone) is renting them the ground, and that can't be cheap either.

Although the rent might be expensive at the moment, if they're in the conference the owner could only charge what the club can afford. It's not like anyone else will be offering more. Basically they'd face the same sort of bills as other conference clubs, except they'd have bigger crowds and more merchandise sales, so they'd do better.

 

[Bwian]

Electricity, water, gas, that sort of thing. A ground of that size and age can cost a lot to run, although I would imagine they could bring the costs down a lot if they mothballed a stand or two. You also have to take into account that I believe the council (or someone) is renting them the ground, and that can't be cheap either.

As we well know (or rather, as Dick Knight well knows). That's why our ticket prices were as high as they were at Withdean and that led to many people refusing to go there at the prices being asked. The club ran up debts whilst at Withdean but it wasn't because of paying silly money to players to the detriment of other creditors.

 

[halbpro]

Although the rent might be expensive at the moment, if they're in the conference the owner could only charge what the club can afford. It's not like anyone else will be offering more. Basically they'd face the same sort of bills as other conference clubs, except they'd have bigger crowds and more merchandise sales, so they'd do better.

If I were an owner who wanted to secure the use for another purpose I'd keep the rent fixed at the current rate, saying that it's fixed in the lease or something similar. All perfectly legal and above board. This would likely force Pompey to move on in whatever shape they'd be in at that point, doing a ground share with someone whilst they try and secure new facilities for themselves.

Now at this point the ground is sitting idle which is hardly ideal from a PR stand point, but eventually people will start to go "Well we need that land, we need to redevelop it." Ideally you'd plant a question in the local Pompey paper, maybe six months to a year after your perfectly reasonable rent, which would obviously be comparable to the rent other football teams in a similar situation pay, forces the team out. Questions start to get raised about the ground being used for other purposes and the council, stating that Fratton Park has been unable to find another football team wishing to take up the tenancy, "reluctantly" are looking at lifting the restrictions on its use as a sports only facility and would welcome discussion and planning applications from potential developers.

It's a reasonably long game, and you might be better of waiting two years, but it should get it through with minimal political mess. Obviously time it so that it's just after the elections, with the new development hopefully being either complete or well under way by the time the next election comes around. You can then use what was potentially a political nightmare into a vote winner by spinning it as "revitalising" the city.

 

[sams dad]

It only took 80 posts before their THIRD administration got mentioned

May I refer you to post no. 30

It appears that it is the third ( or maybe even the fourth ) time that the cheating bastards have been in administration.
When the Albion were in financial difficulties, they sold their best players to pay some of the debts. Pompey could have sold players during the transfer window ( they had offers ) and paid some of their creditors. They chose not to, so f*** 'em.