Fowllyd

My money would be on David James, not least as he used to write a column for the Observer. Then again, that would make him the most obvious suspect. Hmm, maybe it's a very clever double-bluff on his part...

I don't begrudge the Nectar points, but I think we could make far better use of the magic beans.

That really takes the biscuit (or maybe the fish cake). Can this fool truly believe that yet more loans will be a wonderful thing? And does he or she not realise that the Sky money will be paid directly to other clubs who are still owed by Pompey? And what are these directors' loans? As far as I know Gaydamak and Chainrai aren't directors. This really does just get funnier every day - I never want it to end. Edit: it's just occurred to me that Singha Beer must be the name dear old Corp Ho uses on The News web site!

No, their OS has to keep on pretending all is well - you might say that, like many of the poor deluded supporters, it's in "La la la I'm not listening" mode!

It's on here: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Pompey-players-finally-paid.5965200.jp but still nothing on the BBC site.

I think that if the PFA had stumped up the money they'd be making a lot of noise about it. Chances are it's yet another loan, as had been suggested previously; I should think it took a lot of looking for them to find anyone willing to lend to them. In the meantime, we're all waiting with bated breath for Mr Jacob's announcement which will make the fans very happy...

That's a great one - was it really done by a skate?

Sky blue pink I remember well, though without the embellishments. When we asked what was for tea, my mum used to say we'd have bread and point. That meant you'd get a slice of bread, and you could point at whatever you wanted to put on it - but you couldn't actually have any. In Newcastle I've heard the expression "Well I'll show me arse in Woolies!" as an expression of (normally fake) amazement.

Not sure if this has been posted before: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Time-for-Azougy-to-talk.5962526.jp An interesting analysis of the numbers - plus the fact that Azougy has apparently denied saying the things quoted in the Guardian a day or two back.

It's a FIFA rule, so I'd guess it applies internationally.

Assuming it's true in the first place, it'll be because he's a solicitor and therefore is entitled to hold client monies in an account which exists for that purpose. It's much the same as when you buy/sell a property - the money goes to your solicitor's account, and they then pay off everybody who needs to be paid (including themselves, natch). I seem to recall that Pompey staff were paid from the same account last month. There's no mention in the statement from Jacob about where the money came from, or indeed where any putative additional funds are coming from either. All the bland reassurances have been heard before - I still reckon they're deep in the poo and not about to get out of it.

No, I think he proved his lack of height.

I've got both the BBC and News web sites sitting on their respective Pompey main pages, and there's not a whisper about wage payments. Like you, I reckon they'd be shouting it from the rooftops if they'd actually paid them. The only bit of news in the News is that Grant is considering recalling Nugent from his loan at Burnley. Can he do that if it's a season-long agreement (I'm not sure whether it is or not though)?

Whilst I agree with a lot of what you say, it's hardly the case that we were jumped on at the first sight of problems. We were deducted 10 points by the Football League after we went into administration, as per FL rules. Nothing more draconian than that. As for Pompey, I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that the Premier League are desperately hoping that they scrape through the rest of the season, ending up in the CCC and thereby becoming the FL's problem. Whether this is the case or not, though, the PL can't actually stop Pompey from trading - that will be down to their creditors. Or indeed HMRC.

Yes indeed. In fact, even if you could imagine a combination of Help Me Rhonda, Tommac and LLS you still wouldn't get close!

Apologies if this has already been posted, but here's the Guardian's report of the latest fiasco - it also quotes some of Azougy's blathering. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jan/05/portsmouth-player-wages-missed-deadline And, for some extra light relief, how about this, also from today's Guardian - just scroll down to the third article in the column... http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jan/06/west-ham-united-straumur-investors Priceless. And it just keeps getting better.

I think Tony Soprano could be a good person for them to approach for a short-term loan. He may not want to get involved in anything quite so shady though.

Dunno, but they can't play football very well!

Hate to be a pedant, but it's: "Watch out where the huskies go, And don't you eat that yellow snow!"

I know what you mean, what with Harding, Murty, Lambert, Jaidi, Hammond and Connolly... If only we'd signed just one of those for keeps, eh.

That's a very interesting piece indeed - thanks for posting the link. I found these paragraphs both enlightening and astounding: It seems from this that the powers that be at Pompey aren't the only ones burying their heads as deep in the sand as they'll go. Muddle through? With the debts they have? A few million from player sales will make a small dent in that, plus they must surely be losing money hand over fist every week. It seems to me that those posters on here who reckoned that the PL are hoping that Pompey survive the season and are relegated, thus handing their particular red-hot potato to the Football League, are spot on.

Hilarious as I'm finding all this, I can't say I'd want to see the Skates disappear altogether. As others have said, something will rise from the ashes, even if PFC does cease to exist in its present form. So it's a D for me - somewhere in the Blue Square next season would do nicely.

Today's News has its front page half-covered with a pic of a bespectacled middle-aged man, with the accompanying blurb: "Staying mum - the Pompey money man and reports of fraud". The pic's not Storrie, so I guess it must be either Jacob or Azougy. You can see it on their web site's front page - , but the link just goes to a page to subscribe to the paper. Even though I'm in Horndean, I can't be arsed to buy a copy, but I'm sure it'll all be online sooner or later.

Long-tailed.

Or just plain Fish Fingerers - yes, I think I can see Mr Westwood in his Cap'n Skate's Eye role. It's not a nice image, mind.