As Verbal highlights above, if the Football League don't issue a statement in response to this ultimatum to the football creditors (i.e. the players) then they would be sticking two fingers up to the very rule that they've been fighting tooth and nail in court to retain over the last few years.
If, somehow, Pompey convince the players to render the Football League's own rule worthless and then, somehow, the Football League deem it appropriate to give Pompey the golden share for next season then we'll need to change one word on the title of this thread: 'saga' to 'farce'.
Surely this ultimatum from both Birch and now Fanshawe has put Pompey into a check-mate situation?