rallyboy

one of the great myths - there were no financial problems prior to 5pm on the day we won the cup. These laughable claims that everything was fine and dandy and then the lovely child-maiming clan lost money in the recession and had to bale out....it's just delusion in the face of facts. Mandaric bought their way out of the Championship with contracts unsustainable against such a small ground. His reward was the Prem money that could be used to balance the books. This is where the sensible plan stopped - any club that has bought it's way up needs to address those debts and budget accordingly. They didn't balance the books. Instead they went even more overboard on the spending and were running up debt in the build up to 2008. Mandaric saw the writing on the wall but couldn't interest genuine companies in a semi-solvent business, so he sold the club to an arms dealer to be used as a vehicle for 'financial shenanigans.' The arms dealer even misled the football authorities as to ownership (as revealed by Storrie) and made 'good use' of the club accounts. He then fell out with Chanrai and the worms all spilled out of the can - and I'm sure Mr Hall can fill us in on the rest, once he's checked through all the links posted on this thread. And that's why the cup win was illegal. The club was not owned by those that were on the deeds, and the great insolvency train had already left the station. For Cotterill or Appleton to moan about their 'jobs changing' is exposing them as naive. UnAppy was approached by people linked to organised crime and offered a job. One click on Google would have told him they were linked to money-laundering and denied entry to the UK banking system because of criminal links and through misleading UK authorities. He chose to work for them knowing it could go pear-shaped - it went pear-shaped. Difficult to complain later and expect sympathy. So yes, he did have a difficult job, but it was the one he signed up for. And no, he didn't do tremendously well against all odds, he did quite poorly. Don't believe the hype.

that's a casino.

yeah, I'll be getting that bloke to do maths for me. Portsmyth, home of the pub simpleton who writes deluded stories for the even dimmer. Tell us the one about the dock strike and the SS tank commander again. Birch sounding rather negative. These cutbacks could involve redundancies but PKF could not put a figure on how many people could lose their jobs, nor a timescale of when the redundancies could be made. The News understands potential lengthy and costly court action over the valuation of Fratton Park with Portpin could be a factor in the need to trim back the budget. Does that mean he doesn't have enough money to cover a legal battle so he has to save cash - or will he try and delay the action until the next PP is in and give that directly to his lawyers? Either way the money needed to run the club next season is evaporating faster than support for a statue of Jimmy Savile. Trev is only worried about short term, the Trust needs to look at the bigger picture and they can see their future capital being spent every day. And this is what some of the few don't get, Trev's fees and the crazy wages being paid are wrecking the future. Any fan who thinks it's great to outbid other clubs had better not moan next year when they run out of cash - Appy and Birch spent it on Howard and you all cheered, you idiots. If redundancies are needed then surely a massive clear out of players is the first step? People earning £4k-£5k a week who are not really needed? Let's see if Trev is serious about cost cutting, or as suspected has actually gone native and now believes that he is one of the bestest and most passionate administrators in the world, and the way to prove that to the east is by trading insolvently. If this case re the ground goes ahead there are several possible outcomes. 1. Birch loses and the club and PFK have a HUGE problem, and no progress has been made. The Trust bid would be dead. 2. Birch wins and Chinny walks, the Trust has to stumble ahead, underfunded and ill-prepared. 3. Birch wins and nothing changes because Chinny doesn't really bother to respect things like the law, he would make it very difficult for the Trust, which cannot afford to move forward anyway. It would be a massive gamble to chuck hundreds of thousands at this case, especially as Portpin have already sown seeds to support their claim. But the Trust's legal team say we have a really good case you Nutjob! Yes they do, mainly because they want you to proceed and give them lots of money. It's as if the financial and legal people gathered around the corpse are more interested in their own businesses than saving the poor thing. Fatcat Birch should halve his fees, those greedy creditors should write off the last .4% - their cash is needed to buy success. How are they getting on with that £13M that pours into the city for EVERY home game? Fantasy Island.

well that has livened things up a bit, Appy not only bales out but has a pop at the Trust as he goes - bit naughty, but quite telling. And The News lets slip - the wage of Appleton, believed to be more than £200,000 a year – a high level for League One. So, they WERE paying over the top for a manager, and Talksport is reporting as fact that someone is on £8K a week - amounts suspected by Nutjobs but always denied by the few. This was spun as the bloke on a pittance bringing in players that didn't cost the club a penny. I do hope that the fans haven't been told fibs all this time. With Birch suggesting that he will now save wages rather than take on an external appointment AND that Tweet earlier mentioning the dreaded L word, has the BDO takeover come at an unfortunate time for the good ship pompey? Following our Dubai correspondent's teasing report, could we guess that any troublesome outstanding business needs wrapping up if you want to complete a smooth takeover? Difficult to buy a business if you don't know what you are getting, especially if one of the firm's administrators has gone a little bit native and is incurring vets bills for nail-clipping rather than executing the sick dog with a spade. Perhaps there is mounting pressure from above for Trev to sort it one way or the other? It will be interesting to see what happens when the monthly contracts are due for renewal, I wouldn't be surprised at a clearout. Then again nothing surprises me in Fatpipe City anymore, so they might just take on even more wages. But there is change in the air, it does start to feel like crunch time is around the corner....again.

Trousers has sussed me out so I may as well come clean, especially as I could do with some help - does anyone have experience of writing a prospectus? I said I'd do this one a while back but it's more complicated than I realised, they want loads of stats and stuff, but they don't like the comedy bits I keep adding. I've plucked fantasy figures out of the air and made up all the budgets and projections and they seem more than happy with that approach, but it just doesn't look very impressive. I believe that it's only aimed at a small group of easily-led individuals so I'll put a big picture of a puppy or a kitten on the cover, but it just has no substance. Also the editorial team has recently changed the agenda and are very touchy about any mention of property development. Any ideas on how it could look more workable? Usual client approach, they've had a couple of years to put this together but only now is it urgent.

look at your watches, we are at a very delicate time now.... Currently Appless is a loyal hero because he has achieved an amazing amount. He has kept the club together and done a better job than anyone else could have done in the crisis he stepped into. While scummahs mocked his record, he rose above it, he even laid on a free holiday for random players. They had a points penalty to overcome and while mere mortals would have surrendered to the pressure, the eyebrowless coaching god took it in his stride and ushered his battling troops down a division withous a fuss, or a fight. Since that relegation he has stood firm and turned Fatpipes into a packed fortress, it's only the inability of refs to cope with pressure that has let them down. He has already spent next years money and assembled a squad that any Dockyard League club would envy. So at 6pm tonight he is the mighty blue army's heroic leader, the man who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them against the world, they write folk songs about him....a statue beckons. Give it an hour and see if he has miraculously become a filthy judas - a villain who has abandoned them for a smaller club, but more of a sacking than a resignation because he had lost the dressing room - boo, nasty Michael! They don't need him anyway, offloading him just opens the door for one of the big names to come in and awake the sleepiest giant that the world of fairytales has ever been. So hold tight my Nutobs friends, the tugs are moving into position, the blue spin machine is about to perform the pluckiest of U-turns - it's Cotterill all over again, they haven't all spotted that he's useless until he leaves. Cue hilarious Nige to Fratton myths emerging from Portsea pubs - I give that one another hour.

So it looks like PKF have bigger fish to fry at the moment. No doubt the cash cow of pompey will be one of their great assets. Appleton denies any approach from Blackpool, while their chairman says he has got his man.... Either he is appointing someone else, or UnAppy is telling fibs. ‘I try to keep my own focus and, on Monday, when I was hearing all these stories I basically took myself away and gave myself a little bit of time to be on my own and focus on the game. Perhaps he took himself away to a service station on the M6 and happened to run into officials from Blackpool, but has since forgotten about it? 'No comment on speculation' would have sufficed. It's rumoured that he only got the West Brom job because of an insurance mistake, and he only got the pompey job because they were desperate. The stats show that he has done quite a poor job but if the rumours are true, he is now being offered a lifeline. If he turns down a pay rise and the opportunity to work at a club near to home where you don't have to take in your own toilet rolls, then the man is an idiot. A poor coach he may be, but he isn't stupid. And if he goes, where does that leave he 51% fan-owned Property-Developing Trust?* With a nice blank canvas! Clear out the overpriced deadwood, set a sensible budget, recall the youngsters. That approach might lead to League Two, but they would have a fresh start and the chance to trade solvently like proper businesses do.....until the property developers turn out to be more interested in the property than bankrolling three promotion pushes...then I guess we'll be asked to offer sympathy again to the poor fans who have fully supported this dangerous course of action. Show me a club that has benefited from detaching the ground from the rest of the business and I'll get you a signed copy of Avram's Lonely Planet guide to UK brothels when it launches at Waterstone's flagship lap dancing book bar. *we can take it for granted that Portpin have been seen off. It's just one simple legal case that will be sorted within the next six weeks and then it's plain sailing! And I thought we had problems. At least we don't pretend to be the Galatasary of the south. To follow their lead I guess we need to be ignoring the league table and calling SMS a fortress. Hopefully the ref for the Swansea game doesn't freeze at such a big occasion etc...

I'm not sure that Birch is in the strongest bargaining position. He can now offload UnAppy's meagre wage and leave a more capable coach like Whittingham in charge - but pushing his luck with cash demands could scupper any deal. From Blackpool's point of view they just seem to want someone cheap who will live nearby - any footballing qualifications beyond that will be a bonus. If pompey do get some cash from Blackpool you have to take your hat off to them. They might not have a clue in the transfer market or an understanding of basic maths, but when it comes to selling really poor managers there is no one to rival them. Getting money for Cotterill was bizarre, the best deal they've done since they stuck two fingers in the taxman's face. And what becomes of the heroes if Appy departs? Blackpool won't pay the money for the likes of Howard so he won't be able to rip the heart out of the battling squad. The West Brom favours will stop, and IF any new owners come in they can have a complete clear out with no manager fighting against the budgetary constraints that should be in place. Meanwhile the Trust and Portpin mutter under their breath about Trevor's fees. The fees that were agreed ages ago and tick along nicely everyday. And all the time they drag out moaning about them, the fees gently rise and soak up the money needed for next season, if there is a next season. IMO the only thing keeping them competitive is Birch allowing Appy to pay over the odds. If he leaves, the squad could dismantle, thus leaving them staring down the barrel of League Two. Meanwhile, when is Phil going to spill the beans on our next conspiracy theory, and more importantly, why is he wearing a pompey tie in his latest PR shot?...

In defence of PES, if I'd handed over hard-earned season ticket money and it was used by the manager to **** prossies, or I'd donated to a charity and the club had stolen the cash from dying kids, then I'd be looking for a swift change of subject too. pompey, the club that stole from the taxman, just as a drop in tax revenue closed a vital cancer ward at QA. pompey, the club that laundered money stolen from pensioners. pompey, the club that used money made from maiming children to buy a cup, and didn't even pay their captain. pompey, the club that shat on veterans and kept money belonging to the British Legion. No capital letter for that shower of sh!t, they have no shame. And on the other side we have Saints, the club that is regularly outclassed in the Premier League, overcharges for parking, treats programme sellers badly and makes Lawrie McMenemy pay for his tickets. Yeah, we are just the same. Highlighting our obvious issues is just a distraction, the myths that follow are hilarious, all thrown out there to distract from their own car crash in waiting. So how's the property developing Trust getting on? Not quite the cast of Ben Hur is it? I see no money, nor prospectus.....just a handful of well-intentioned but terminally-naive men huddled in a pub corner with no budget and no workable plan, too ashamed to admit that they are clueless and have got into bed with property developers in a desperate effort to try and see off their last loan shark. Hopefully they can hang onto in demand Appleton, the coaching genius that has taken them back to their roots, has spent next year's CVA money, and has linked himself with every bus out of town. The plucky bestest few deserve him. Then again if he does abandon ship I guess the ridiculous wages he has paid out on a pile of crap won't be his problem. Just like Cotterilll and Grant before, he can leg it and leave them to sort out the mess - still a hero. Start a clean phoenix club if you have a shred of dignity.

Fans are just being conned into this fairytale version of the future because their cash is needed. Once again the dim are being taken advantage of, but if they won't ask the awkward questions then they bring it upon themselves. Wakey wakey Portsea! - just admit that this ongoing Trust nonesense is no longer a fan buyout, it's clearly become a property deal. Call me sharp, but the clue for me was when I saw that the main money was being put in by property developers. It's just a hunch, but I suspect that as property developers they might be interested in developing the property... And when I say 'ongoing', is anything actually going on? I've seen glaciers carve valleys faster than the Trust takeover has progressed, Birchy could have converted dinosaurs into unleaded before he completes this deal, new universes have formed and distant suns have imploded since his last three deadlines came and went - and still the Trust claims they are less than four weeks from seeing off Portpin and taking sole ownership. Some of them actually believe that they will be walking up Frogmore Road with the keys before the end of the month... And they wonder why we mock. I still have a small secret hope that we can stay up this season, but I wouldn't vocalise it for fear of being ridiculed. Then again the whole city seems to be happiest when living in a cliched soap opera, and this current plotline about the loyal bestest owning the plucky club is good for ratings. Shambolic potless consortium resorts to desperate fundraising methods in an effort to emulate bigger clubs like Exeter is less attractive as a tagline on the cover of the prospectus. As for UnAppy... A future England manager? The man who has turned their fortunes around like no one else could and is heralded as a hero by many of the few? Or perhaps a bloke who cannot judge and motivate players, cares little for youth, has no understanding of budgets and doesn't care what company he keeps? He's even sent his eyebrows out on loan. Would I want him near a team that I supported? I'd rather go for a night out with Lee Barnard and Liam Lawrence - with Scott Allan as the designated driver. Meanwhile Birch needs to get his act together, his lack of action has brought this thread to it's knees. Since Ho's street cred sank with no survivors, Nutjobs cannot survive on Appy's post-match madness alone, we need financial chaos as well. Come on, we need a laugh - maybe he could organise another free training camp/holiday? Get Cotterill to do the flights and Avram to arrange leisure time.

poor plucky pompey will battle on, despite being barely able to muster a squad of underpaid strangers, they'll put up a heroic fight in the face of adversity, roared on by the famous blue army. While the loyal manager gives 110% - despite being wanted by clubs up and down the land. Meanwhile the finishing touches are being added to the greatest fan buyout of all time - with no property developers involved whatsoever. Tis the stuff of fairytales.

sorry I've not been around, I've been in demand. When I say in demand I mean that there were several massive jobs up for grabs and I was headhunted for all of them. That's the sort of headhunting where they interview lots of other people, and you cover your shattered pride by making out that you didn't want the job that you were not offered. It's all part of the hero/villain thing - keep up. Or perhaps I've just been stranded using a steam-driven laptop that is reliant on the ability of wheezy hamsters to run the internet connection while my computer is purged of Avram Grant jokes. A situation that doesn't lend itself to lengthy rants - but fear not Nutjobs, should I not be offered that monthly deal extension on POL, I shall be back. Meanwhile I'm standing in for Ho on their site while he's at the Kidderminster toy fair, calling myself Frattoniser..... So, I hear that Cortese has interviewed Redknapp, the training ground has been scrapped, and Lambert has already signed for Everton on a free because Nige didn't sign the contract properly - and Ramirez has got rabies, it's all been hushed up. The taxman hasn't been paid by Saints since 2009 and the pompey Trust has already agreed terms with Chanrai who has taken £500K for the ground. So there.

Bump? - what sort of bump? Do you mean.... 1. The noise of the Trust coming back down to earth when they finally grasp the figures? 2. The sound of a prossie's arse banging against the outside of a skip, paid for by season ticket money? 3. The noise made by a mythical cheque from pompey landing on a charity's desk? 4. Ho's laptop slamming shut when he was found out as a fantasist? 5. Appleton's job application landing on a doormat in Burnley? 6. Tumbleweed colliding with one of 7,000 empty seats at a vital pack-the-park fixture? 7. Kanu's legal claim dropping into the middle of the Trust takeover negotiations? 8. The sound of a club dropping back into the relegation zone after buying their way into mid-table? 9. A lump in the ground behind The Fatpipe Rd End where all unpaid bills have been buried and forgotten? 10. The first indication Joe Cala gets when a cruise ship collides with his underwater Saab dealership?

what a depressing day - we might not have a team right now but at least we still have a fanbase. 13,051 for the Property Developing Trust's big party? Perhaps the few can see the way it's going and have abandoned ship. I can't face Appy's massive plucky quotes yet as I'm going out, think I'll save that entertainment for tomorrow.

is that just a mad press release - or a vital little piece of Chanrai's grand jigsaw? Look at exhibit C your honour, a piece of A4 that states that on 4/9/12 a consortium offered $20M for the ground (and 10p for the CVA) - Mr Birch chose to decline that offer, but it clearly values the ground at way in excess of the £2.75M offered.... Everything happens for a reason.

so the property developers' plan seems to be, buy the spare land for a million or two (?), and get Portpin to accept £2.75M. We all realise that that fatpipedream is not going to happen, but I guess they consider that ownership of the other bit will be useful at some point, even if someone else owns the ground. Whereas the Trust plan seems to be, ask people to buy them big presents, and try to stay friends with them. In previous years the owner of the ground always needed cooperation from the neighbouring landowner to consider a redevelopment. Chanrai doesn't care about a new ground, so he could now turn the tables and control ALL redevelopment by using the ground as the ransom... The value of it increases if a neighbouring developer needs it quite badly - if they've done a deal on the other bit then they are already on the end of Chinny's little fishing rod with a hook hanging out of something delicate. You really wanted to tie those two deals up together and quickly if you wanted a bargain. If the PDT (property developing Trust) can't wrestle control of the Fatpipe Arena, how long will the property developers hold onto wasteland that could be earning cash, before they give up on the Trust masterplan of a full redevelopment? - and will the figures actually stack up, even if they do get the land soon? They will never get it for £2.75M, so you have to guesstimate that they need to put at least £6M on the table to bundle all the land together. While I'm sure they will be as helpful as possible to their junior partners in the great fan buyout, they will want a return on that fairly sharpish, and there's no way they're selling it back to the Trust for the price it cost them. The charge on the ground is everything to Chinny, it is the only ace in the pack, and he won't be giving it away.

As has been highlighted, however they dress it up to please the few - Fans form a Trust, put in money and buy club = fan takeover. A consortium led by property developers putting up the main money supported by a couple of thousand fans, gathered under the banner of a Trust = A property developer consortium takeover. The Trust seems reluctant to publish the precise detail of their arrangements with their property developers friends, is it similar to the council gifting them land and letting them make £20M? Put yourself in the position of the property developer. Priorities - First. Make money from the land, and keep the club onside - if they pay their way. Last. Fund the club back to the PL. Chancers might be a harsh term, but where have these property-developing supporters been for the last two years when everyone was desperately seeking funds? They only wandered into town when they saw the opportunity to piggyback the Trust all the way to a land deal. Ironic thing being that if you study the CV of your average loan shark you often find that their career path includes a spot of high-risk development. Despite the fact that Portsea is now decked in bunting and the Lidl own brand Blue Nun corks are popping, Chanrai's position as creditor leaves him in control. They have to negotiate with him, they cannot force him out of the deal. And now he's annoyed. RB Tips for the day. 1. When getting into bed with property developers, read the small print VERY carefully, then read it again - as you might find yourself without a ground. 2. Don't hang party bunting near a naked flame. 3. Be wary of a wounded loan shark, he'll be back - either for his money, or your lungs to wear as a waistcoat.

as my learned friends suggest, the fact that the PFA are involved in talks indicates to me that the Trust is trying to renegotiate the already renegotiated heroic player agreements. Mainly because they want the PPs to use on new players, and they want to ignore the former players. Nice. And there was me thinking they would be paying football creditors in full, what a bombshell...pompey fail to pay debt. As for MoneyPenny and friends... Mr Lansley said: ‘I am grateful to my honourable friend. I think she makes an important point and I am aware of the the way in which she has supported the Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust’s trailblazing bid. We need to impress upon the football authorities the need for stronger scrutiny of clubs at all levels and transparency about ownership. That'll be the alternative definition of trailblazing I guess, the one that means following in the footsteps of other clubs. And as for stronger scrutiny, yes that is needed, to prevent some clubs laundering money for organised crime. But I forget, all that the club did wrong was begged organised crime to take them over, the naughty league didn't stop them and liquidate the club instead. Yes, they need a new FaPPT to prevent stupid clubs making stupid decisions, but at what point do clubs become responsible for their own actions? Or is it always the FL's fault for letting them act in an underhand, criminal and insolvent way? I guess that makes the police responsible for every crime in the UK.

Just heard David Lampitt on 5Live - remember him? He was the guy who spent way more than pompey had, dished out unsustainable contracts, looked after the charities so well and left the club in ruins. Well he's still doing stand-up... At Supporters Direct we promote a sustainable model. Wow! That's the biggest U-turn since the Jimmy Savile Fan Club reviewed their statue campaign and Nike read the cycling press. Thanks Davy but if I need financial advice I'll ask Ridsdale before you - how is that whole quality over quantity thing going for you? I tried it myself with a post last night, but it's difficult to generate the same laughs mate, you may want to rethink it. What a clown, the red and blue of Hampshire finally unite to laugh at Lampitt. Meanwhile the Trust just need to tick a couple of boxes and they're home and dry. Unfortunately they don't have a pen, and Chinny owns the boxes. And Mr Hall's latest piece suggests that the owners and CEO of the club got into bed with loan sharks, and then under pressure, allowed others to run the business - a clear breach of Fifa and FL rules that could result in a massive penalty. Is Mr Hall a witness for the defence or the prosecution?

Stalemate.

That is unfair, the ref was overawed by the big occasion and it's pompey that has to pay the bill - I bet he had an email telling him to do it as well. They only ask to have a level playing field, bet they get another points penalty for the same offence as well, the authorities have really got it in for them, they haven't hit Man Utd, and they are in debt too. The News makes a good point, there were loads of Appy managerial offers, numerous they were! Clubs were queueing up to try and scoop the services of a manager who had embraced a points penalty and steered the 2nd highest paid squad in the championship into the division below - he was the hot ticket, the coaching genius that smaller clubs like Wolves and Birmingham tried to pluck away from the faithful. But he only had eyes for the packed park and wasn't going to abandon his post - he stood firm against the financial storm of the summer, proudly leading his troops from the tempest to glory, via a holiday in Gibraltar. Or maybe that's just more tiresome and cliched spin, aimed squarely at the dim and the unimaginative. This is quite a boring adminstration now - it's been run by Lord Lucan, and the Trust seems to have shut shop. AA was more fun, he didn't bother with libel laws and wasn't really troubled by UK law or regulations. He would have seen the fan bid off by now. Surely this is the time for the Trust's massive PR and fundraising effort? There was a chink of an opportunity to open the door on a deal, Chinny looks to be on the back foot and even though he still holds the cards, an educated and targetted media campaign would benefit the Trust. Yet nothing is happening. Are they saving up to buy a white flag? Don't tell me, their professional team is quietly working 24-7 on a masterplan that will deliver the club into the hands of the most passionate fanbase in Europe. Dedicated they may be, the Trust has put a lot of hours in and I understand and respect their aim. But I have seen NO quality or long term validity in their plans, and their current silence makes you wonder if they are shrewd players with a handful of aces up their sleeve - or just a clueless bunch of waifs and strays who have been coaxed way out of their depth by the thought of doing the right thing. Better order that white flag and some armbands. Bring on a phoenix club, this one is broken.

are you suggesting that Andronikou may just be using this platform to attack the company that got the gig instead of him? While everyone has an agenda - AA has about three. Interesting that he 'claims' that Chinny has been passed FaP, and that the only delay to takeover is now a negotiation of the admin fees. I'm not sure administrators do too much haggling, so that shouldn't slow things down. Unless of course Birch is too busy signing autographs, which brings me onto another point - which is, just like Avrams' favourite granny, old, but worth revisiting. When pompey fans claim that their admin was the same as ours... How many people on here queued up to get Mark Fry's autograph? Because the Andronikou signing session sums up the mentality on Portsea better than anything else. Even putting aside Fahim being welcomed in his little skimpy top, and Storrie's name being chanted - too many people down there would cheer a turd in a shirt if it said hero on the back. They need to throw off the shackles of stupidity, stop following like sheep, and make some decisions without consulting their local paper for who is a hero today, and who is now a villain. If they had asked about the finances before, questioned the last few managers' records, and not believed all the hype chucked at them, the few could distance themselves from this debacle and claim some innocence. But I see no significant distance between them and the crooks - they want the cup, but they don't want the debt, and they don't want to pay the captain who lifted it. They still want to celebrate the historic 4-1 victory over a team from the third tier, but they don't want to pay the players. The few are implicated. You may not have shot the clerk, but it's stretching things to deny any knowledge of the crime when you've pocketed your share of the cash and been caught wearing a balaclava, sat outside the bank at the wheel of a stolen 1975 Transit. So for that reason, when it comes to being sympathetic to the poor plucky bestest fans who still give it large, I'm out.

Would that be the same rumour as when they clearly stated last week that they owned it, before the agent said they didn't? That Bournemouth match was amazing. I remember setting the alarm and getting up in the middle of the night to catch the highlights of the biggest game of the day. When I turned it on I had to check the channel, I thought I'd stumbled across Boca Juniors against River Plate, we were sweeping ticker tape out of the living room for weeks. Next door got up and asked me to turn the TV down as the crowd noise was deafening, I had to explain that it was turned down, but the set had been overawed by showing such a massive game. And then when they showed that shot of all those flares being lit on the Fatpipe End, people over the road from me were getting up because they thought it was morning. It was no coincidence that Galatasaray, Celtic and Newcastle all disbanded their fan clubs the next day because they realised their support lacked numbers and passion. Having said that, did anyone else think it went a bit quiet when Lee Barnard scored?

Let's not forget that they had ample opportunity to sell players pre-admin. That would have sorted some debt, but damaged them on the pitch. Lampitt refusing to sell players clearly supports the theory that they were more interested in a competitive advantage than trading solvently. A repeat of 2010 and Illegal Cup Run II. Known in technical circles as the **** the creditors approach. Bearing this in mind, sympathy for their self-induced plight should now be offered at .4% of genuine sympathy, less expenses, spread over a decade or two. This could be downgraded further in the next token CVA that will never be paid from Admin III Actually I think it is IV or V - but like all pompey accountants and managers, plus the guy who scrawled the Trust's business plan on the back of a scratchcard, I've lost count. Maybe the scratchcard was their business plan?...

Dim pompey player confused by his own multiple-choice question in bland post-match spin shock. Question on Appleton. ‘He’s a great manager but he has had a lot to deal with. He’s put together a good squad of players – and I don’t know how he’s done it. Answer. 1. He used his charisma. 2. He plundered West Brom reserves. 3. He outbid other teams who are solvent, using money that is needed to pay creditors, as part of a longterm and planned strategy to gain an unfair competitive advantage, thus supporting the theory that the club has been cheating for a decade. In other news, a ruthless loan shark walks away from £17M. He sighs, blames himself, and puts it down to experience. Not a single person gets sued, threatened, or shot.