Weston Saint

Any idea who will lead the line in place of Lambert? Assume Jaidi for Seabourn. Is Wotton starting (please say no)

Thanks updated

A great season (after our disasterous start and the -10) has left us all wanting more but where did we lose out on a playoff place. Below are the teams in present league order with points gained and goals scored (Saints figures first) Norwich - 4-1 (4-2) Leeds – 3-3 (1-1) Millwall – 2-2 (2-2) Swindon – 0-6 (0-2) Charlton – 4-1 (2-1) Huddersfield – 3-3 (6-3) Colchester – 1-4 (1-2) Bristol Rovers - 3-3 (7-4) Brentford – 2-2 (2-2) MK Dons – 6-0 (6-1) Walsall – 6-0 (8-2) Brighton – 1-4 (3-5) Carlisle – 4-1 (4-3) Oldham – 4-1 (3-1) Hartlepool – 6-0 (6-3) Yeovil – 6-0 (3-0) Leyton Orient - 4-1 (4-3) Exeter – 4-1 (4-2) Gillingham- 3-0 (4-1) incomplete Tranmere – 3-3 (4-2) Wycombe – 4-1 (1-0) Southend – 3-0 (3-1) incomplete Stockport – 4-1 (3-1) Interesting feature is we have scored against all teams over home and away apart from Swindon. More worrying is that only Yeovil & Wycombe failed to score against us so room for improvement perhaps. Swindon, Colchester and Brighton are the only teams who scored more against us than we did against them, home/away combined. We gained 34 points out of a possible 66 from teams in the first 12 positions (11 teams excluding ourselves) 51.5% We gained 46 points out of 66 from teams in bottom 12 (exl Gillingham away and Southend home to come) 70% Where did we really lose it? Brighton, Swindon and Tranmere stand out but it was deninately the -10 that did it for us this season. Well done to the Team and Management. The pressure will be to maintain the momentum next season. We are always going to have silly results but good teams can absorb them by consistant performances.

They acted for the club, the club is responsible. Too easy to blame a previous regime. And try telling that to the creditors!

Just not acceptable! Now bottom of the table and 3 points adrift.

How do you know and what are the terms.

Simple answer to Administration. End of season relegation by two divisions based on where the team would be at the end of that season. For Portsmouth who relegated irrespective of the points deduction - Championship but 2 down so Division 2. Saints would have been starting this season in Conference. Make teams think twice about overspending. Take away the special football creditor status as well It will also make teams fight to avoid relegation (rather than give up that season) to avoid too drastic a fall. Also before any team can be considered for a season they have to produce a certificate from HMRC that taxes are paid and up to date as at 4th April each year and filed with PL or FL by 1st June that same year. Radical I know but too many clubs are living beyond their means and treating Administration as a savour to avoid their full responsibilities.

44-4 with top four out! What is going on with Hampshire!!!

Last time I spoke to his father on the Celtic issue he said neither Adam or his Agent were aware of any Cetic interest and certainly no approach. In fact he said it was absolute rubbish

When you sign an unknown it is not unusual for the period of contract to be short, in Antonio's case until end of 2009/10 season. To prevent the player moving on at the end of that period when he has proved he has a good future it is normal to put into the original contact a club option to extend it for another period, in this case another year. It is in the contract Antonio signed. He cannot refuse, it was not an option on both sides. It explains why Pardew did not sign him in January for a small fee or have an option to sign at the end of the loan period. There was every chance Reading might extend as has been proved right Antonio is strong but far from being a good player at a higher level. I would have liked him to stay for another season but he does make a lot of wrong decisions on the field and does not yet have a good football brain. However he may learn. That is what has attracted Reading to keep him on their books. Let us hope Reading are happy to let us continue his development with a further loan period.

A legal precedent has been set. HMRC will have to come up with a new legal argument. You just cannot abuse the court like that. They will not only throw the case out but award costs in full.

25/3 off 6 overs - what a shambles.

Durham 264-6 off their 40 overs Think that might be about 30 runs too many but let's see. Leicester scored 282 Lancs scored 290 Kent 246 T20 experience has taken batting targets to new levels.

Hampshire won the toss and will field Durham team P Mustard†, ID Blackwell, BW Harmison, WR Smith*, DM Benkenstein, GJ Muchall, BA Stokes, GR Breese, LE Plunkett, WRS Gidman, C Rushworth Hampshire team MA Carberry, JHK Adams, JM Vince, ND McKenzie, N Pothas*†, SM Ervine, LA Dawson, DG Cork, H Riazuddin, DR Briggs, Tomlinson

minimum of 69 overs remain less 2 for changeover unless that comes at Lunch or Tea. So Lead of 227 means scoring rate of 3.4 per over.

There is no crisis at Portsmouth FC. We do not have any debts of mass destruction. It is a conspiracy set up by HMRC and the Premier League. We have FIFA on our side. Peter Storrie will take this club forward to new heights.

146-3 at tea

Good post FloridaMarlin. Just as I would expect from someone with your background.

Thanks, that makes sense and puts a few more pieces of the jigsaw together.

No.

No Nick, HMRC agreed the Administration. They cannot go back on that. What they might do is challenge Chainria's position as a secure creditor and he will have to join the long list of unsecure creditors or they might re raise the issue of whether he is a creditor at all, something they hinted at the last court hearing. They might also be able to challenge the accounts and identify the real debt

Add to that, it is the new owners who have to make up the football debt to 100%. That will be money they cannot use to invest in the club. Football debt £10m say 30% CVA = £3m So the new owners will have to find £7m immediately just to get a chance for the club to compete.

My information comes from 3 sources, one who was trying to assist in finding finance abroad, one who was a creditor and constantly in touch with the board and one who was actually sat with Lowe, an ex board member, on the day Admin was declared. As for Mark Dennis, what would he know. He hated Lowe and worshiped Crouch. All his information came from Crouch. As for Barclays, I believe the decision was made the week before following a visit from someone with clout but not part of the board. Lowe was unaware until the cheque bounced. My own view is that Lowe, who had a very poor hand, tried to play poker with Barclays knowing they had a fair bit to lose (overdraft money) and they called his bluff. With the benefit of hindsight thank God they did.

When Lowe came back in we were a club heading for Administration and as FF says Lowe expressed his fears to Salz some weeks before. To give Lowe his due when he came back he knew the game was nearly over and he and Cowan tried everything to try to save the club from liquidation. I am reliably informed that including offering to convert much of the stadium debt into equity from Aviva, something I understand they rejected, an attempt to get investment from Hoddle's academy principlals but highjacked before it got off the ground by a ruling at the top of football. Even at the deadline date for Administration, to take the points drop that season, the board still thought they had the support from Barclays and were very shocked when they withdrew their support. It was on that day they sought an Administrator. The shares were immediately suspended and the few hours between the suspension and Admin being announced was spend persuading Lowe to step away from the business with immediate effect, something he did with reluctance but understanding. Lowe & Cowan were in the driving seat but Wilde and his appointees fatally damaged the business. I did not like Lowe. He was arrogant, he could not communicate and he did not listen but anyone who suggests he delayed Administration on purpose purely out of spite really do not understand what went on in the club in recent times.

Don't forget that although we can sign up to 4 oversea's players for T20 we can only play a maximum of 2 in any one match.