rallyboy

PS. Hey Harry, we've got millions of pounds washing through the club, how about we set up a top academy? HR. Why, we're not down to the bare bones are we? PS. No, we're in pole position to build a future, you can scout the best talent for miles around, we can poach all the players from little Saints and plucky Brighton, those two losers are screwed bigtime!... HR. Sounds boring. PS. Not at all, it's a challenge, and you will be seen as the messiah who created a new era - it could even lead to the England job...a knighthood... HR. Well Pete me old mucker, that all sounds cushty for sure, but what's in it for Rosie? PS. Rosie? HR. Rosie Lee - me! PS. The chance to make history, to build a club from the academy up, a new ground, a new era, they might name a stand after you... HR. Any cash? PS. Well you'll be VERY well paid, plus your image rights, and the boss will buy something random off you in Monaco for £200K, but more importantly your CV and coaching reputation would look amazing when you go to the inevitable England interview. HR. England?...That must be well paid...it might be better than playing the computer game on the sofa... PS. Yes, you can make your mark on the national game like your old muckers Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst did...think of the legacy... HR. Tell you what Pete, that's terrific, and let's just hold that whole academy thought for the moment, because I've got another idea... PS. Set up several academy bases, maybe strike a deal with a big European club, a network of coaching excellence? HR. Sort of - how about we just trade as many players as possible, dozens of them at a time, quantity over quality, get a lorry to move them, pay ridiculous wages, and put ourselves on win bonuses, and a cut of all deals, plus add-ons? PS. And plough the profits back into club development and build a world class academy? HR. No! Are you aving a larf mush? Forget the academy thing, it's a crazy idea! PS. So you'd rather chuck millions down a black hole, wreck your own career prospects and line our pockets before investing in the future? HR. Yep. PS. I'm in. And so it came to pass that the club that took the decision to buy an FA Cup and pay for prossies instead of wisely investing money gathered from the maiming of children, theft from pensioners and local charities, did moan about their bad luck when the blatantly predictable happened. And football did feel sorry for them. Not.

interesting statement below from one of the dissenting councillors, all he wanted was the meeting they were promised with Birch. He makes it clear that the councillors were rushed into a vote and had no chance to ask about conditions that couldn't be met and why the price of the club had nearly doubled since the loan was requested. When the loan was agreed in August one of the conditions was that the club should be purchased for £7.66m. If this condition couldn't be met then the loan should be refused. There was scope for 'minor amendments' yet the club is now being purchased for a staggering £13.56m - I would contend anyone to argue that this massive increase in the purchase price is a minor amendment. In simple terms it just seems that pompey have ignored the PFA and their members, ignored the stipulations of the Football League about football creditor debt and the only way out is to divert the PP money from the football debts to the council. They just keep storing up problems for the future. I reckon they will be trading insolvently again by October. Cost of fan buyout - £13.56M Amount raised by fans - £1.3M I make that 10% ownership, less than Harris offered them for free.

is someone misleading councillors about housing potential? So the Dell holds 228, Highbury is home to 655 properties - yet they only want to budget for between 40-80 at Fatpipe Meadows? As already pointed out, from that document it is clearly a non-starter for any loan - tis worthless wasteland rendered useless by contamination and offers no security to the lender. What are they up to this time? If this nonesense is designed to support the court case, it doesn't help the loan. Or is the council trying to discourage all developers? Which doesn't help Robinson - unless his surveys already show that this council report has been made-up during a temp's teabreak.

The fact that they still need this loan confirmed makes it quite clear that the Trust is not ready to complete, despite the official line about 'bring it on, we are fully funded!' But this rubber-stamping exercise could be a tetchy affair - it only takes one mischievous councillor to stand up and point out the screaming herd of elephants in the room - pompey cannot meet the council conditions for the loan. Will someone be brave enough, or will they sit quietly to avoid the abuse that is heaped on anyone who draws attention to the actual facts? My money is on the loan being quietly approved with little reference to the issues surrounding it, and once the Lidl bubbly is cracked, some local politician will waddle into a photo opportunity and perform tricks for votes. It will be a celebration, hurrah for the taxpayer, bravely taking risks to shaft themselves again. but there's no risk rallyboy you nutjob.... No, of course there isn't, the council will pick up the tab WHEN it goes wrong, it won't be local taxpayers getting shafted again... This loan is nothing more than a borrowing suicide pact between the council and taxpayers - the property developing trust can't afford to repay it in the timeframe without creating more debt. Can the council help finance the local association for the blind, or the Salvation Army? No, those greedy selfish ****ers can jog on, the council have important people to help - and those old ladies visiting the city as tourists can pay to have a **** from now on. At a time when services are being cut and wards closed a local council is happy to set itself up as a low-interest bank propping up a criminally negligent business that has habitually raped the local community. Nice call councillor. But no one will challenge this for fear of losing votes, the facts will be ignored. The fantasy business plan initially offered has proved to be hopelessly out of step with events, and today is even the chance for someone to challenge the figure of £300M a year that the club brings into the city. But the bestest can't be questioned, even though their version of transparency seems cloudier than Ms Winkelman herself.

so Plymouth have a travelling support approx twice the size of pompey's. I guess they must just be glory hunters, you wait until Plymouth are struggling, then we'll find out what they are made of. They might not have won tonight but at least the other results went their way.

Anyone else struggling to keep up? My understanding was that Sodje was a battling hero who was going to smash opposition forwards and give everything for the shirt....so is he now a villainous borderline-perv who let the plucky lads down and will be fined all of his wages? And The News itself was a villain in 2009, but isn't the paper now a fan-supporting hero of the publishing world?... Though as the paper is the only one to decide who is in which catergory as each day dawns, can we believe that they are now heroes?... Or are they spinning their own spin, within the spin that they are spinning for The Trust? I guess that the manner in which they glossed over the horrific detail of the administrator's report for three days before cherrypicking the more palatable elements and reporting developments from August as news would suggest that they are still the Trust's heroic media partner of choice. Odd approach though - they've had long enough to dedicate a business reporter to this story who has a basic grasp of the facts. Which means only one thing. The Daily Nutjob still leads the way as the 24-7 international online news portal of all things blue and few. It's the thread that inspired and assisted Hall's 'trailblazing' investigations - I'm sure he'll give us a mention in his thank-you speech when he takes his plaice on the top table at the Skate of the Year Awards. Where The Nutjob leads, others follow. Whether that is three days later, or six months later if they don't really understand the report and need to edit the content to suit the agenda of the easily-led.

is that ethical as in building a new business on debt from day one, dressing up a property deal as a fan buyout, threatening anyone who asks for actual details, and attempting to negotiate down for a second time football creditors who have already given up thousands to help the club survive? Yes, that all sounds very ethical. Shouldn't she be up in Eastleigh helping them lose that seat? Oh no, the bakery closed didn't it. Must be a Greggs there....

yes, there is an alarming gap opening up between PP to come, and the football creditor total.... That problem is all of their own doing, there was enought to cover it before the last couple of spending sprees. They risked their entire future to buy a point at SMS, and a point at home to Bournemouth. Time will tell how wise that gambling approach was. And those smug Nutjobs all pointed out that they were borrowing from the future and ignoring debt but hey, what do we know? The Trust will need at least £3M in cash to meet the shortfall of those FC debts before they even think about buying a stadium or funding a CVA. Serious question - Is there anyone out there who can demonstrate how the Trust business plan is viable? It seems to become less realistic with every passing month. I recall doing a rough guesstimate a while back and seeing how they could be solvent in about year four if they service the debt carefully and keep a strict wagecap, but now I don't see how they could survive into year two. The only way that I can see the Trust still being in business by Christmas 2014 is if they blow off more debt and shaft more people. Honest trading will lead to liquidation. We've all pleaded before, please someone, put the beast out of it's misery. It no longer has any dignity nor quality of life.

Final whistle isn't just for the Oldham game. Unless they find a miracle the season is over. Cups stolen in previous years are but a distant memory. Keep on losing and they'll go straight through League Two. Even if they survive the court case they've had it. Don't know what word sums up their situation really...

I've suspected for a while that Birch has been borrowing from the future, risking wages because he knew that there were PPs on the horizon. The fact that the PPs were due to go to football creditors wasn't his problem because he'd be long gone by then. Unfortunately for him it's taken so long that it is starting to become his problem. He can still see his fees in the account so that's okay, but whatever else happens there can't be much of a cashflow future beyond the last home game. We had the perfect weekend the other week and another pompey loss today will finish their season, it will be over. Fact. End of. Bar the maths... What odds on Lee Barnard scoring to all but confirm their relegation, and Rickie scoring his 100th goal to beat Pardew's team? Surely we couldn't have another weekend that good.... I'm hoping to see Barnard celebrating wildly in front of the massed ranks of the blue army - if he can see them from the pitch.

it's a bit much when the league can't seem to clarify the deadline - poor old Guy doesn't know whether they will be wound up at the final whistle of the season, or at the AGM. The men in blazers have a lot to answer for, firstly imposing all those nasty owners on the poor club, and now punishing them twice for the same crime. I'm struggling to see how that late date for the court could be any worse for the Trust. There is no time to sort things out. Birch must be buried under problems - the court case, the charge on assets, the lack of Trust funds, Harris and his merry band - would you deal with all that on no fees? I think not. So I don't buy the capped fees tale - it's up there with players costing nothing. I miss those squirrel barbecues under the stars, the Slaughter in Gibraltar trip stowed away on a fishing boat, and those cycle adventures to away games, they were good for team bonding. They will have to call on every mason and secret society favour in the legal system to wriggle off this hook - and they used up too many of them the last time they walked from court. If you keep gambling everything, it's only a matter of time before your luck runs out. The net is closing.

pompey's wages were high, as they reached from gutter to sky, when the figures came back, they didn't quite stack, so they shafted local businesses, charities, the taxman, continued gambling their future on overpaid players and got into bed with loan sharks and organised crime while ignoring the debts, pleading poverty, and paying their manager to bother prossies behind a skip in Horton Heath.

The gobby few still like to boast, that Thierry loved them the most, but will that keep them warm, when their pitch is a lawn, and fapipes is nothing but toast? or for the post-watershed market - He answers to Uncle or Mr, admitting he couldn't resist her, but his tactics were wrong, as he tugged at the thong, and played one up front on his sister.

River of Hope revisited. As the sun set today on another day of mobility scooter racing, it may have been just a single tear that ran down a ruffian's cheek onto a threadbare blue and white scarf, but it spoke volumes. For as we huddle tonight on the fire escape of history with the long shadows dancing across the spot where Avram proudly ranted, they are no longer tears of pain being shed, but a physical sign that things are at last getting better. The hand of history is on our shoulders, a corner has been turned, the scent of ownership hangs heavy in the air - and that means that Thursday could be the greatest day not just for pompey, but for the whole sporting world as the Trust leads football fans of all colours and creeds to the promised land. Imagine a world where pompey are debt-free and hailed as the biggest fan-owned club in the world - well dream no more, that is all just about true now. For that little glinty brave droplet that fell from a youngster's face upon the hallowed ground that costs £20 to park your coach on, was in response to the news that a court date to set a court date, had been set - and that little tear opened the floodgates all across the proud city as news spread of the fantastic non-adjournement victory. That small child's tear swelled the famous river of hope and turned it into the mighty flood that will burst it's banks and wash the criminals from Fratton Park, allowing HMS Trust to sail in on the morning tide of pluckitude. Today there was no more the glorious success of adjournement, this time it gave way to the doubly glorious success of non-adjournement! And that's where our street ruffian comes in. Muddy of face and passionate of nature, he is the future of the sleepiest giant in world football. Tales of packed parks and dock strikes fill his little head, allowing him to dream the undreamable. And that's what this battle is all about. This good fight isn't about the majority shareholding of the property developers, or the greedy villainous creditors still banging on about their money, no, this is a fight to preserve a child's dream. Because this small chap is only old enough to know the unsavoury side of modern football - a once proud sport now sullied by commercialism, and people demanding that their invoices are paid. He wants a club to support tomorrow, and the next day, and perhaps in April too - even if he doesn't recognise the bloke on his club calendar. And that's why he needs your support. Tomorrow the Trust takes a massive step towards owning quite a lot of something that hasn't really been clarified. They will proudly stand up to a judge and claim the keys to a new beginning - they will literally grasp destiny. It will be a new blue dawn that doesn't include criminals or debt, a fresh start for a generation of children who deserve a future. Oh yes, to others it might just be a mad notion that will be lit by the morning sunshine over the brave old fortress, but for the faithful, tomorrow Justice Closing Down Sales will hand over the keys to a small child's dream, and that's all any of us would ever want. So for that reason alone, we all need to wipe the tears from the scarf and support the Trust. And also, any scummah c@nt who doesn't support it will have their f^cking car torched.

Putting liquidation and civil war aside for a moment, crunch time is here. They head next for the mother of all must-win 6-pointers. Defeat at Oldham on Saturday (with Lee, Lee, Lee Barnard scoring the winner and celebrating Orient style) would leave pompey at least 12 points from safety - with S****horpe at home to Hartlepool as well, it could be 13 points from safety. So I reckon they are potentially 4 days away from pencilling relegation firmly onto their calendar of mystery players. Yes, technically another defeat won't relegate them - but in reality their season could be over by Saturday teatime.

not saying it isn't true but do we have any proof that the administrator has capped his fees? I could have missed the statement in all the excitement... I've heard these things before that start as a pub rumour and before you know it portsmyth is portsfact. The 'fan buyout', the '100% fan ownership', 'the lowest wagebill in the division' - all blatant myths that were held up as facts. If Trevor Bodge has capped his fees, I bet he hasn't capped the legal fees or agreed to cover them - and I bet they are now doing bugger all work. People with high hourly rates tend to become less-driven when working for free. Not a good point in the adventure to lose the full focus and attention of the man running the show.

I saw the Whitecaps game and I also saw Tschen La Ling play in a friendly and score a towering header at the Archers end - he looked really good. Those games also get confused with the famous Spurs reserves full house at The Dell when KK made his debut. 4-4?

Amount of debt paid off by the club in 33 months? - not a single penny. Amount of wages paid by the club in the same period? - effing millions. Number of people in football who realise this, outside of this forum? About 10.

by my reckoning it is exactly two years and nine months today since the creditors voted yes to 20p in the £ and saved the club. Much of football and many of the few think that the debt was cleared and they have just been unlucky again. Amount of debt cleared in 33 months? - not a single penny. Number of players through the wagebill this season? - more than fifty. The fact that they are still allowed to compete in league football is a scandal - as is the fact that company law allows them to continue trading as a business.

please can we plough through this page fairly quickly so we don't linger on that top post - Kraken's disturbing fantasy image of the right honourable Minister for Pastries and Pies. It may well make his honourable member stand up in the commons and pass something, but I'll give that particular tugboat a wide berth ta. Call me picky but I prefer my women less-bouncy castle and more swimming pool lilo. And less annoying. That said, if I ever fancy a go on something that looks like the interior of a high-mileage, ex-Hertz Mondeo after the airbags have gone off, accompanied by dirty talk about the PFA, there's only one penny slot that I'll pop my loose change into. But it would have to be the last money box in town - so please fill this page.

Hassan has lost track of the facts - and I note that he is being sponsored by the word finally. if PKF can finally force the sale of Fratton Park and finally relinquish Balram Chainrai's hold on Pompey then the PST will be taking control of a financially-sound club. Do tell me Mr H, where is the money coming from to pay off the old debts, the new debts, the shortfall to football creditors, AND to cover the day-to-day running costs of this financially-sound club? From 16k gates in League Two?

107!

small finger? When there's a sticky bun up for grabs those dainty little fingers look like a bunch of bananas descending upon it. Also Penny forgot to apologise for getting her facts all mixed up! Maybe later, after dinner... That Echo piece has just reminded me, a while back I mentioned the swing in league positions, I was especially looking forward to the magic 92 number. By my reckoning the lowest we plummeted with the points penalty was 54 places below them. We are now 52 places above. For those that still say they've got away with it without punishment, I say a 106 place swing in our fortunes looks like a pretty good spin-off. Though in an ideal world, a gap of 54 would be a nicer way to officially bury the trauma of the past... Worth repeating - 106 places.

However ordinary, everything has to be dressed up as a little victory. Remember the initial adjournement celebrations? The party has gone a bit flat by the 4th one. Well I see the desperate hunt for anyone who will offer them a training pitch has now been spun into something quite different. he is delighted to have landed the venue ahead of other contenders HMS Collingwood and the University of Portsmouth. Yes, there was quite a competition for that role, they had the pick of top class venues all across the Solent region, the other two will be really miffed that they didn't get 'selected' after pompey made their choice! As for Penny, did you say she was casting the first scone? Seems unlikely that she would throw any cake away. They have now taken the decision to hang onto players rather than get some income. We gave away Surman at a knockdown price to cover running costs, didn't Coventry have a firesale too? Even in administration and with a mass clearout, pompey have chosen to hold onto players instead of taking offers. I suspect creditors might have chosen the cash option. So once again it's not bad luck, and it's not unfortunate timing - if they hit a further cashflow problem now, it is entirely of their own making. Keep the players to gain sporting advantage, and if things get tight, hope that the running costs will be covered by others.

moneypenny carefully selected her venue for accusing the PFA of lying. I wonder if she'll be repeating the accusation outside of the safe haven of parliament? Or perhaps she'll apologise for getting it so wrong in her ruthless attempt at snuggling up to voters? Either way she has upset the PFA and their members, all for some cheap headlines. The Trust could do without friends like her. Overall though, no change - potless dreamers still planning to borrow their way to glory.