trousers

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/crawl+out+of+the+woodwork ;-)

Erm...not sure how I can agree with something that I don't know the reasoning and background to. But, looking at it on the surface (which is all we can do on an internet football forum) "ambivalent" is probably a bit too emotive as a description for Cortese's attitude towards season ticket sales I would venture. I think 'calculating' would probably be a better description given his business acumen.

I'm only going on what OldNick is telling us.... ;-)

Dang....I've been out analogied again... ;-)

Would you rather spend £100 of your hard earned cash on your kid's Christmas presents or £1,000 that you'd stolen from the old lady who lives next door? What would make you feel better? Giving them something bigger and better by immoral means or buying them something you could afford?

And those people will probably attend next season on a 'pay as you go' basis thus contributing to the club's takings, albeit via a different route. Whether they will spend as much at the club on a PAYG basis compared to what they would have spent as a season ticket holder is open to debate of course, but I don't think any of us will know for sure.

I've never crunched the figures but I would imagine there's an optimum number of season ticket sales they would be aiming for rather than an absolute maximum. Collectively, the casual/semi-regular spectators add as much to the coffers, if not more, than season ticket holders do (over the course of a season). I would imagine there is a 'maximum revenue' pivot point which is a fine balance of season ticket holder numbers and 'pay as you go' punters. What is that figure? Who knows?

Pompey (new owner syndrome and all that...)

Walked past Convers Sports "head office" today..... http://www.converssport.com/contact-us It's part of a serviced office complex. Lots of small companies based there it would seem. Space available for anyone interested in a central London office location... http://www.officespacefinders.com/office-property-Bank-5 Looks quite nice from the outside mind you... Make of that what you will. That is all. IMHO of course

I partially agree. But disagree that this would somehow have been different if wholly under public control. The main perpetrator in this case appears to have been mentally predisposed to behave the way he (and his accomplices) did. Indeed, there are reports this morning that he was on a decent wage and that he saw it as a cushy well paid job. So using the 'poor paid and trampled upon private sector worker' plea doesn't wash in this case (as far as I can tell)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_finance_initiative

Only when coupled with ineffective and inept regulation (regulators which, entirely coincidently of course, happen to be public sector organisations. Indeed, the whole whistleblowing process in this case fell down when a private sector employee reported the malpractice to the public sector regulator. I knew this would turn into a private vs public debate sooner rather than later which is why I initially said the blame should be shared across both sectors in this case to try and figure such a debate. I failed)

I'm going to take a slight detour into the office tomorrow via their 'Lombard Street' head office (it's not on the main 'posh' part of Lombard Street but in a small side road extension of Lombard Street across the way from Bank tube station.) Will post a photo of how plush their reception area is...

You absolutely certain it wasn't 1 second past midnight?

They'll only do that if they feel their consumers will stop buying their products. Can you seriously see your average 15 year old punter in Croydon High Street not buying (or nicking) a can of coke just because Blatter is of debatable character? That would require a level of intelligence in said general public.....

http://www.dubov.co.uk/contact-me/ Hmmm....just down the road from where I work....I'm popping out for a stroll at lunchtime and may be some time....

bbc_matt Matt Slater So accidental owner has off-loaded #Pompey 2 another Russian of whom we know little...fingers crossed, #pfc fans, fingers crossed

Spot the deliberate mistake.... A statement from the club said: ‘Convers Sports Initiatives plc, controlled by London-based Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov, has today completed the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Portsmouth Football Club following approval by The Football League. ‘London-based businessmen Vladimir Antonov and Roman Dubov, Chairman and President respectively of Convers Sports Initiatives (CSI), together with their partner Chris Akers, the former CEO of Leeds United and Sports Internet Group, have bought the Fratton Park club for an undisclosed sum from Hong Kong businessman Balu Chainrai, his brother Deepak and Levi Kushnir. ‘Mr Antonov, 35, Mr Dubov, 36, and Mr Akers, 46, manage the commercial development of a growing portfolio of sports teams, franchises and rights through CSI, including: the Russian Ferrari race team, the Spyker Squadron motorsports team and North One Sport, the global promoters of the World Rally Championship (WRC), the Isle of Man TT race series, the Velux 5 Oceans Race and Clipper Round the World sailing events. ‘In November 2010, CSI acquired a controlling interest in PowerPlay Golf the exciting new golf format which is now played in over 25 countries. In February 2011 CSI acquired North One Sport and in the same month purchased a majority stake in DBG Convers, a specialist in developing social new media solutions for sports and entertainment brands and personalities including world heavyweight boxer David Haye. In March 2011 CSI secured a 65% share of Executive Sport Limited, the parent company of the high profile “Leaders in Football” conference. In May 2011 CSI purchased a majority stake in Sports International Ltd, the holding company of popular online platform SPORTPOST.com. ‘Commenting on the Portsmouth FC acquisition Mr Antonov said: “We have conducted extensive due diligence and held detailed negotiations with a number of clubs in the English Premier League, Championship, League One and Scottish Premier League over the past twelve months. We ultimately selected Portsmouth Football Club because of its history, loyal fan base and its potential to return to the Premier League. “The supporters are amongst the most passionate in the game and that gives the business a strong foundation to build on. “We look forward to working with all those connected with Portsmouth Football Club including the management, players, employees and sponsors as well as developing close ties with the City of Portsmouth and the community. “We would also like to thank Mr Chainrai and his executive management team for their stewardship of Portsmouth Football Club through one of the most difficult times in its history, pre and post-Administration last year.”

colinfarmery Colin Farmery by bbc_matt LAMPITT: . I’m very pleased that it is now complete and we can start to put plans in place for the future."

My bloody iPhone and O2 get my wrath this morning... - the iPhone changing every other ****ing word to something unintentional - a perfectly decent 3G signal 2 years ago on my train into central London (between Clapham Junction and London Bridge) is now so intermittent and unreliable. Have O2 turned down their signals due to supply not being able to meet demand FFS? Progress my arse

"If you really want rid of this tawdry Stalinist dictatorship, then it is all down to you" Those who might successfully influence this process — not immediately, but over time — are actually the last people Blatter would expect. It’s you. The punters. Fans who have been schooled over many years to regard themselves as disenfranchised and feeble. They have the one thing this tawdry enterprise is all about: the money. For while Blatter may be able to see off a room of grumpy journalists, Members of Parliament, his lone opponent in the election and the odd disgruntled national FA, there is one group he cannot do without, and they are already anxious at being tainted by association. In recent days, FIFA sponsors adidas, Coca-Cola and Emirates Airlines have all issued statements expressing their concern that the image of football — and, by osmosis, that of their product — is taking a battering. Now imagine if they believed that by being linked to FIFA they were actually losing customers and that the only way those customers would return was by ending the discredited regime of president Blatter? Oh, it’s an ambitious project, all right, but it still stands more chance of succeeding than another well-intentioned speech from our man on the Kent coast. Political organisations are brutal. When the previous Government hiked the top band tax rate to 50 per cent, a pundit appeared on Sky News and facetiously advised Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, to retire to a locked room with a bottle of whisky and a revolver for what he had done to the British people. Panicked apologies from the station followed after the first commercial break. Yet, once Brown had proved unelectable, that was pretty much the metaphorical advice he received from the party he had served in Parliament for 27 years. Lord Lucan would have liked to disappear from public life with as much efficiency as Brown since the 2010 General Election. And Blatter will be gone, too, the moment he becomes a financial liability, because the accumulation of wealth is FIFA’s principal motivation. So how does the message get through to, say, Coca-Cola? It starts at your club, with the supporters group and a boycott of the product. From there, apply pressure for it not to be sold within the stadium which, if it is not being bought anyway, actually makes business sense. Now make Coca-Cola aware of this policy. Make it a national issue. Get other supporters groups from other major leagues involved. Spread the word regarding other sponsors. There are so many more of you than there are of them. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1392887/If-really-want-rid-Sepp-Blatters-tawdry-Stalinist-dictatorship--Martin-Samuel.html#ixzz1O0hQl1ZY

As I posted the other day, and the sentiment repeated in Martin Samuel's two page article in the Mail today, WE (the great get-up-and-go public) have the collective power to oust Blatter at the drop of a hat. Stop buying FIFA badged games/ products and, more importantly, stop buying coca cola and any other products from FIFA's sponsors. Simple. As. That

Indeed. Although there are massive failings on both sides of the 'private/public' divide in this industry. Again, it's people using to protect their own arses. In Shoesmith's case, she wasn't found 'not guilty' last week in terms of how she was running her department, rather ed balls didn't follow employment law in sacking her. We have laws that are supposed to protect employees and patients but the balance is all wrong. The people in charge are so fearful if "human rights" laws that they end up not making any decisions at all.