JackanorySFC

This is spot on. Swiss Ramble is massively respected and I believe his figures rather than someone's random air plucking figures. For a total (up until the start of this season, one SR expected us to make a profit in) net spend of £33m Cortese has delivered an extremely valuable asset for the Liebherrs. Also, this started by WC stating we have lots of debt, this is (thankfully) very obviously not the case.

According to the April published financials for year ending June 2012 it's £41m - £2.5m in cash? Still more than £15m of course but no where near £70m.

Good point. I expect those add ons will be commensurate with appearances, goals, Champs league qualification etc so we'll stick with £12m for now eh? ;-). Cost still spread out on financials over period of contract.

Just to confirm - that £24m of liabilities has since been converted to equity and will show on our accounts at the end if June 2013. The only reason Swiss Ramble (and others) know this is because Premier League rules show we must publish accounts every 6 months (I believe). Our financial situation is incredibly strong and we should show a profit this year, increasing next year due to new TV contract.

According to Premier leagues rules I believe accounts have to be released every 6 months. The Swiss Ramble reported that during our Championship season the Liebherr's had bank rolled us by another £8.7m (heavily offset by the promotion money) and had converted that into equity. Now equity (not debt) totalled £38m. Player purchases (such as Gaston as you have mentioned) are not required to be shown up front. They are spread (quite rightly) over the period of the players contract. So, for example, Gaston cost £12m, that over 6 years is £2.4m per year on the accounts. According to Swiss Ramble we are expected to show a profit for 2012/13 and are well run with only one outstanding debt, the £3.2m BVI loan.

According to this year's accounts all the Liebherr debt had been turned into equity and the only outstanding debt was the BVI loan for £3.2m I thought? Not many clubs that can say they don't have to service a debt?

Yep, that's what I'll probably do to be honest. Nothing to lose.

Hi, any mechanics out there.... I have an 06 Audi A3 1.9 TDi, my 5spd manual gearbox has gone (crack/ hole in it, oil everywhere), getting it replaced on Friday. Just bought a 2nd hand gear box off a salvage yard with 30k miles on it that I'm getting fitted along with a drive shaft (that snapped at the same time, not high on my list of "great moments" that). The 2nd hand Gear Box (model code GQQ) has cost me £500 (with 3 month warranty), just wondering if there is any sort of market for broken gearboxes so I can get some of my outlay back? Do places recondition them, or is it simply scrap? Cheers.

Ha, seems people can read anything into it judging by our polar opposite reading of that article (not a criticism btw, just an observation).

In a way just confirms the long term commitment from the Leibherr Estate more than anything else. That has to be the priority?

Same here mate, bolt from the blue. Hopefully it'll be nipped in the bud, could be a power play from Cortese to persuade the Liebherr's to release more funds in the summer? Nothing at all to suggest this was on the cards, very worrying.

Absolutely true. Especially after being stung by going ahead with one of his staffers Qatari "Dream League" story a few months ago and his apology following on from that.

As I thought, Tony's got this bang on by the looks of things. Seriously, don't dismiss stuff you see in papers purely because you don't like what you're hearing. The guys on The Times Sports desk double and triple check everything, especially something involving a "sensitive" character like Cortese and this is highly likely to have come from a very senior source at Saints or the Liebherr family/ organisation and confirmed by a 2nd senior source. I don't like the idea of of it but you can't ignore it. Interested to see the BBC article in a minute.

Tony Evans is a superb Sports editor and has unbelievable contacts. However having a contact as high up at Saints as to know about this would be something else considering our "closed shop" approach. Would be (personally) quite amusing if NC leaked it himself to get his pay signed off next season considering his history with the National Press though I seriously doubt that though. For the record basically Cortese can do no wrong with me, think he's been brilliant for a club and a major part of our progress up the leagues. Love his uncompromising attitude, seems like he'd fight for us under whatever circumstances. However.... There are already those on here that are saying this is completely made up, shoddy journalism etc. This story would have to have been double checked so it's true, the fact that Tony has put his name to it just confirms that even more. Hopefully it will be sorted quickly and quietly, which I have every faith it will be. Just like the players contracts we get sown up, on that note maybe Cortese is just holding out for a new watch and his contract to be reprinted on blue paper?

Ahhh, been wondering who the loon was near me that keeps screaming: "GET. IT. FOOOORWARD" all the time. Cheers, oh, btw, I would genuinely rather go down playing our cultured game than stay up playing anti football like Stoke and West Ham.

Interesting info' that actually. Still need to cough up when the PP's come through...

I find your kit deal with Sondico "the Primark of football shirts" absolutely hilarious! Disgusting small time football club your mob, I hope you've wasted a grand on them.

Match Day prices released: £5 for U16s £15 for 17-22 & 60+ £20 adult

Well it didn't take Micah Hall long to get his pledge money back di it? First months salary will see to that. Seriously that's shocking jobs for the boys stuff, makes them look completely tin pot as a club and Hall (serious investigative journalist) a sell out desperate to get his pledge money back ASAP. Honestly I can't get over how small time that is, they have opened a can of worms with this, everyone will be coming out of the woodwork looking for jobs now!

I did Melbourne and Sydney in 06/07 Ashes. Despite having already lost the ashes by the time I got out there it was a quality trip. Melbourne and Sydney both brilliant cities. Stayed in Hostels, book up as early as possible (esp Sydney for NYE). Tickets I found easy enough to get off touts for face value, esp at the MCG (even on boxing day). Sydney was tough on the last day and had to go in the home end, this isn't a problem though. Be prepared to see how 50 years of terrace evolution makes the Barmy Army completely outwit the Aussies (or "Boony army" as they were back then), basically their songs consisted of "foour nilll, foour nilll" at the MCG and "fiiiive nillll, fiiiive nillll" at the SCG. Some great characters that travel out there, loads of football lads although some of the Barmy Army "full timers" annoyed me with their self entitlement, god knows what "Jimmy" will be calling himself now - could be a lynching if he starts the old cigar chomping "now then now what we need is a Barmy Army wicket, Can Jim Fit It?"! Watch out for the weak lagars in the grounds, jeez, the exchange rate is pretty scary, back when we went we were waving $ notes at the Aussies singing "we've got 3 dollars, to the pound". Won't be much of that this year! Enjoy, I'm still planning on doing a full tour, Perth Brisbane and Adelaide have to be visited whilst I'm still young enough... Oh, don't forget to take a St Georges flag with SOUTHAMPTON FC on it. Up the Saints!

I genuinely can't get why they would lie so blatantly about something like that? Surely they must realise in the digital age we live in anyone can get a pic of the game that day from a variety of angles, and sure enough, 2 days later we see the pic during the game of the South Stand showing approx 50% of the lower tier empty. It was a decent attendance, should have been happy with 16k home fans considering how poorly they've been supported since their first season in the Prem', instead readingpompey or whatever his name is resorted to blatantly lying and making up a complete fabrication. I'm genuinely interested in what motivates the loons to do this, is it simply a case that if they tell themselves something is fact often enough it becomes fact in their simple brains? He's not been seen on here since being outed. Just have to wait for the next nutter to start making stuff up, sad fact is you know there will be one. Could be an idea, sweepstake for the next PortsMyth on SWF? I'm going for ST sales sell out by end of May despite absolutely zero supporting evidence and a website and ticket office offering season tickets for sale there and then. Weirdos.

No doubt the Northam end will spend the entire 2nd half sing "on the pitch on the pitch on the pitch", booing during the announcements telling everyone to stay off the pitch then when some do go on the pitch chanting "w**ers, w***ers, w***ers", at them. Same ones that made cut throat signs at away fans by the netting, then try and pass it off as "banter" outside the ground when fronted. Gutless Morons.

Whilst only being a nipper during the Nicholl/ Branfoot era I seem to remember Askham getting plenty of flack prior to the sale to Lowe's Retirement home company? Certainly he wasn't ignored in terms of the cause of the problems during Branfoot's reign.

Ha ha, yet another Portsmyth exposed. They are simply compulsive liars, literally making stuff up all the time, it would be funny if it wasn't so desperate and pathetic.

Well at least some are asking questions, no one seems prepared to answer though?