saintbletch

To be fair I've read a great mix of opinions on here as to what would happen to Pompey. And what I've taken away from the expert, and lay commentators on here is that most appear to believe that PFC is mortally wounded. If they don't die now then even if they get cash, then either their debt and/or past sins will come back to bite them. The idea that they will "find a way out of this" will be of no comfort to them. They will either not exist or have a really **** few years.

We have a winner! The cash is in the post. Honest.

Good shout. I'm a sucker for a well-formed lyric and an acoustic guitar. As I was listening I was thinking of and the bloke on the panel said he thought yer man was similar to DR. BTW what accent has that DJ got - English, Australia, West Coast America? Very odd.

One way Pompey might try to avoid a painful death is to reschedule their debt according to a debt expert on South Today. He basically said that whilst the shear amount of debt would put most investors off buying Pompey, if the creditors to Pompey (Gaydamak, Chainrai, et al) agree to structure the debt and repayment schedules in a very attractive way, it might be more encouraging to an investor. For example they might accept very long repayment schedules or perhaps structuring the amount based on the division Pompey eventually free-falls into, effectively sharing the risk with the potential new owner. If you were a creditor then you might accept these otherwise unacceptable terms on the basis that in 9 days time you might get 'k all. Not sure it'll change anything much but perhaps we should stop thinking about £60M+ and instead consider that it could be something more manageable.

As someone said below, I also wonder if there might be a whistle-blower. Perhaps in order to not face the charge of being a Director of a company that is trading insolvently. What about the previous Finance Director, didn't she resign her Directorship and is now just the Finance Manager? Presumably they were insolvent before she resigned?

Did you add that due the courts being busy at the moment they'd actually get a 9 day adjournment? If not then technically it's a roll-over.

OK, so who had "Adjourned for 7 days" in the what will happen sweepstake?

Fatty Foulke looks like a Cornish pasty. Just me?

Frank Riebery's scars remind me of the lines you get on Frazzles.

A good read. Funnily enough I hadn't made the connection that both 2008 cup final teams had winding up orders being heard today. They've both certainly materially benefited from living beyond their means.

Is Sacha's cliam over the land around the ground security for the debt the club owes him? Could he put them into admin, assuming it was in his interest? Or does he just own the land? The phrase I hear used is that he "controls" parcels of land around the club.

I think it's quite possible that HMRC decides to set aside the short term cash advantage in order to send a message. What has happened at PFC over the last 4-5 years amounts to systemic withholding of (alleged) personal and business taxes. Hull rumoured also to be in a bit of strife might look at the Pompey situation and infer that they can not pay the VAT once, be warned, arrange a staged payment, miss these payments, be served with a WUO, appeal, be served with another WUO and then make a small gesture to get offered another staged payment plan. Buying themselves, what, 6-9 months of breathing space, collecting VAT to aid cash flow all the time and not having to pay it out. The bank of HMRC - the only place you can guarantee to get credit these days.

Ha. So the money Pompey can pay HMRC could be the money they have collected in VAT outputs - i.e. the money they will have to pay HMRC at the end of the quarter. Robbing Peter to pay Paul. If that's the case then it's simply moving a cash flow problem, it isn't clearing the debt at all. I suspect the HMRC boys will be well aware of that though.

Elbow - Cast of Thousands

This is true. We should also remember that they are simultaneously talking to potential investors. How are they going to keep the investors talking if it isn't "public knowledge" that they are "hopeful" of negotiating a deal? Much of what is currently being said in public is for the benefit of potential investors IMO.

I can't get this image out of my mind of Scudamore from the Premier League being like one of those hapless wrestling referees being duped by one tag team partner into ignoring the other partner 'beating' the crap out of his opponent. Scudamore telling the Pompey fans' delegation that Chainrai is not the owner in their eyes as he is yet to pass the FAPPT and at the same time allowing the same bloke to so obviously be in control of the club and enter into negotiations with HMRC to prolong Pompey's existence. It might suit the PL to turn a blind eye to try to get Pompey to limp across the line but it shames the supposed pinnacle of our footballing tree.

Very good indeed!

Japan - Quiet Life

Cheers, I'll check them out.

Ha. Or put another way. "Despite the fact that, as an individual, I have been cheating the public revenue with my personal tax situation and am the Managing Director of a company that has initially withheld VAT payments and then subsequently threw the HMRC's leniency in its face when my company then failed to meet specially arranged staged payments, I'd like you to look in your heart and be lenient." Good luck with that.

Only got one EP by Ride - "Today Forever". I love the track "Unfamiliar". What else would you recommend?

Well, it turns out our tickets were sent to my mate's address - despite the fact that I wrote the application letter, it was my cheque and my address on it. All's well that ends well. FAO Block 5 and Lets B Avenue, if you're going to break in to my house and make yourself a cup of tea please put the milk back in the fridge. Oh and for reference the downstairs toilet flush is handily placed on the right-hand side of the cistern and one of you needs less iron in their diet. See you in Exeter! COYR.

The main number rings. Then I press 9 and a male voice tells me that all operators are busy and that I should try again later and I'm disconnected. Occasionally it rings for 20 seconds and then the same message and disconnection. As I say I'm not surprised at the demand. My mate is going to have to take up the reigns now, I've got to leave the house (Key's under the flower pot Block 5). Thanks for the advice I'm sure we'll get the tickets somehow.

Good luck with the calling today. I suppose everyone is hitting the phones for Pompey tickets and I no longer even get placed in a queue. Just told to try later and the line goes dead.

Thanks for the advice. We'll persevere on the phone.