Jump to content

Pompey Takeover Saga


Fitzhugh Fella

Recommended Posts

64

Matty C

Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 12:38 AM

Ok, spoke to a couple of very well placed people and have found out the company of the guy with the money is registered at the South African equivalent of companies house as Realties Mitts Corporation. That's about all I have at the moment but I am sourcing more info as we speak. Been told he's a serious guy and could even be news over the weekend. Be glad to get it sorted, these last few days have been one long anagram. PUP PTID

 

Here we go again! Or is the clue in the enlarged word.

 

Realities Mitts is an anagram of 'Testes Limit Ira' so does that mean the IRA are taking them over or is that a load of balls?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Realities Mitts is an anagram of 'Testes Limit Ira' so does that mean the IRA are taking them over or is that a load of balls?

 

I think I am on to something ... Realties Mitts Corporation is an anagram of 'Procrastinate Miser Loo Tit' so they are being taken over by someone who just wants to delay the inevitable liquidation but is not willing to part with any money and is a tit who spends much of his life in the loo. In other words Balloo is definitely getting involved again to stave off the end game and to get those loos fixed at the packed park. He surely would be a tit to do that wouldn't he?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

64

Matty C

Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 12:38 AM

Ok, spoke to a couple of very well placed people and have found out the company of the guy with the money is registered at the South African equivalent of companies house as Realties Mitts Corporation. That's about all I have at the moment but I am sourcing more info as we speak. Been told he's a serious guy and could even be news over the weekend. Be glad to get it sorted, these last few days have been one long anagram. PUP PTID

 

Here we go again! Or is the clue in the enlarged word.

 

The company is named after its founder, Walter Mitty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Reading that, I start to wonder whether Chinny may be right.

 

PKF carried out the advice to CSI when they bought the club. CSI is in admin, but one area they could "earn funds" would be a legal battle for damages IF it turns out that PKF were negligent in that advice.

 

Get the club Liquidated as asap and move on, cover backsides, make specific public utterances.

 

Interesting new angle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

64

Matty C

Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 12:38 AM

Ok, spoke to a couple of very well placed people and have found out the company of the guy with the money is registered at the South African equivalent of companies house as Realties Mitts Corporation. That's about all I have at the moment but I am sourcing more info as we speak. Been told he's a serious guy and could even be news over the weekend. Be glad to get it sorted, these last few days have been one long anagram. PUP PTID

 

Here we go again! Or is the clue in the enlarged word.

 

Sounds like the troll's great white hope from about 3 takeovers ago. South African Mining Interests.

 

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/south-african-gold-mining-company-move-portsmouth-210272

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1084692/Portsmouth-set-randy-strike-gold-South-African-takeover.html

 

Pretty sure he was named but Gawd knows what page it was on.

 

Crabby? Have you finished your editing of this yet? We need to find this one out and also find out why it did not happen last time.

 

I am sure there was something not quite right about them back then

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reading that, I start to wonder whether Chinny may be right.

 

PKF carried out the advice to CSI when they bought the club. CSI is in admin, but one area they could "earn funds" would be a legal battle for damages IF it turns out that PKF were negligent in that advice.

 

Get the club Liquidated as asap and move on, cover backsides, make specific public utterances.

 

Interesting new angle

 

I'd be very surprised if PKF didn't litter their due diligence report of PFC with caveats galore.

 

The report that was done for the takeover of Saab (or was it Stryker?), when CSI was looking to buy them, was peppered with loads of arse covering caveats IIRC. (although that wasn't done by PKF)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just saw an interesting article headline on the Times online website although im not a subscriber so cant access it

 

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

Here is the link if anyone has the means to read the full article although it is written by the chairman of the trust.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/footballleague/article3338832.ece

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just saw an interesting article headline on the Times online website although im not a subscriber so cant access it

 

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

Here is the link if anyone has the means to read the full article although it is written by the chairman of the trust.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/footballleague/article3338832.ece

 

 

 

Sounds like a desperate estate agent or cockney market salesman!!!!! Nice (don't subscribe when the telegraph is free online)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm warming up Emma Bunting as we speak...

 

Hung in the steet? I can think of a few positions and most would involve a gag.

 

Not kinky that way but don't want her to think she's there to sing...although if the day was that joyous everyone should sing.

 

I'll get on with my work now shall I?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

 

 

102505284_Football__264502c.jpg

The Portsmouth fans would be a huge asset to a new ownerJamie McDonald/Getty Images

 

Ashley Brown

March 3 2012 12:01AM

 

Saturday Soapbox

Portsmouth are the largest undeveloped “big” club left in England. Buying Pompey could be a simpler deal than you might think. In fact, it could be the football club deal of the century for a bold investor with working capital who is prepared to make a medium to long-term investment.

Too many characters and too much baggage are obscuring the deal on offer. No one said it would be easy, but there is a real opportunity at Pompey.

Behind the headlines are important facts; the club could be available for a knockdown price. Next to it lies 10½ acres of development land for sale. Portsmouth City Council’s government-approved planning brief for the land allows for retail, residential and stadium development. All of this combined with support of commercial partners, the local authority, local people and the inability to build more or less anything without including a new stadium is an interesting opportunity for the right bidder.

The club’s balance sheet has improved in the past two years. The main debt still weighing the club down is the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement due after the club’s exit from administration in 2010. However, this can be neutralised by the remainder of the club’s parachute payments from the Premier League.

With an excellent young manager, several good young players in the first team and eye-catching talents in the youth set-up, Pompey are a low-cost investment with a prospective upside. The Pompey Supporters Trust is ready to help an honest owner to develop a sustainable business plan that can deal with the historical problems.

The fact that Pompey are the biggest bargain in football is still not the best reason to buy the club. Before “crisis-club Pompey”, the clichéd sobriquet of choice was “sleeping giant”. The giant has stirred in the modern era, if not quite awakened.

After the dubious distinction of becoming the first former champions to drop to the fourth division, crowds of more than 25,000 broke all records. In 1981, third-division Pompey took 15,000 fans to Anfield for a second-round League Cup tie. The famous Pompey chimes are as loud and proud as ever, despite the disastrous past few years.

The fans would be a huge asset to a new owner — and fan involvement is the key to Pompey’s future. Portsmouth owners, by and large, have followed the same path to ruin by signing expensive players and raising costs above income without investing in the infrastructure of the club.

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.The club have a huge catchment area, with eight million people living within 90 minutes of the ground.

Imagine spending your whole life watching your team miss open goals. That is what it is to support Portsmouth. It doesn’t have to be like this.

For years we have prayed for an honest owner who has the common sense to know that when you build a cathedral you start with the foundations — not the stained-glass windows. Despite the club’s knack of biting the hand of friendship, goodwill abounds on all sides. Loyalty and passion from the fans are guaranteed, but there is one compelling reason to buy Pompey beyond hearing thousands of people singing your name or giving you the Freedom of the City — it could be an absolutely outstanding deal.

Ashley Brown is chairman of the Pompey Supporters Trust.

Edited by St Chalet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hung in the steet? I can think of a few positions and most would involve a gag.

 

Not kinky that way but don't want her to think she's there to sing...although if the day was that joyous everyone should sing.

 

I'll get on with my work now shall I?

 

Think that is probably a good idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I am on to something ... Realties Mitts Corporation is an anagram of 'Procrastinate Miser Loo Tit' so they are being taken over by someone who just wants to delay the inevitable liquidation but is not willing to part with any money and is a tit who spends much of his life in the loo. In other words Balloo is definitely getting involved again to stave off the end game and to get those loos fixed at the packed park. He surely would be a tit to do that wouldn't he?

 

......loot it would work? Cluck all left to loot, mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

 

 

102505284_Football__264502c.jpg

The Portsmouth fans would be a huge asset to a new ownerJamie McDonald/Getty Images

 

Ashley Brown

March 3 2012 12:01AM

 

Saturday Soapbox

Portsmouth are the largest undeveloped “big” club left in England. Buying Pompey could be a simpler deal than you might think. In fact, it could be the football club deal of the century for a bold investor with working capital who is prepared to make a medium to long-term investment.

Too many characters and too much baggage are obscuring the deal on offer. No one said it would be easy, but there is a real opportunity at Pompey.

Behind the headlines are important facts; the club could be available for a knockdown price. Next to it lies 10½ acres of development land for sale. Portsmouth City Council’s government-approved planning brief for the land allows for retail, residential and stadium development. All of this combined with support of commercial partners, the local authority, local people and the inability to build more or less anything without including a new stadium is an interesting opportunity for the right bidder.

The club’s balance sheet has improved in the past two years. The main debt still weighing the club down is the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement due after the club’s exit from administration in 2010. However, this can be neutralised by the remainder of the club’s parachute payments from the Premier League.

With an excellent young manager, several good young players in the first team and eye-catching talents in the youth set-up, Pompey are a low-cost investment with a prospective upside. The Pompey Supporters Trust is ready to help an honest owner to develop a sustainable business plan that can deal with the historical problems.

The fact that Pompey are the biggest bargain in football is still not the best reason to buy the club. Before “crisis-club Pompey”, the clichéd sobriquet of choice was “sleeping giant”. The giant has stirred in the modern era, if not quite awakened.

After the dubious distinction of becoming the first former champions to drop to the fourth division, crowds of more than 25,000 broke all records. In 1981, third-division Pompey took 15,000 fans to Anfield for a second-round League Cup tie. The famous Pompey chimes are as loud and proud as ever, despite the disastrous past few years.

The fans would be a huge asset to a new owner — and fan involvement is the key to Pompey’s future. Portsmouth owners, by and large, have followed the same path to ruin by signing expensive players and raising costs above income without investing in the infrastructure of the club.

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.The club have a huge catchment area, with eight million people living within 90 minutes of the ground.

Imagine spending your whole life watching your team miss open goals. That is what it is to support Portsmouth. It doesn’t have to be like this.

For years we have prayed for an honest owner who has the common sense to know that when you build a cathedral you start with the foundations — not the stained-glass windows. Despite the club’s knack of biting the hand of friendship, goodwill abounds on all sides. Loyalty and passion from the fans are guaranteed, but there is one compelling reason to buy Pompey beyond hearing thousands of people singing your name or giving you the Freedom of the City — it could be an absolutely outstanding deal.

Ashley Brown is chairman of the Pompey Supporters Trust.

 

Oh dear.

 

Amateurs.

 

At least get a Marketing Expert to look at this sort of nonsense before you make yourselves look stupid

 

Should do a Dickens re-write bit tbh it takes the p1ss itself so not worth the effort

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

 

 

102505284_Football__264502c.jpg

The Portsmouth fans would be a huge asset to a new ownerJamie McDonald/Getty Images

 

Ashley Brown

March 3 2012 12:01AM

 

Saturday Soapbox

Portsmouth are the largest undeveloped “big” club left in England. Buying Pompey could be a simpler deal than you might think. In fact, it could be the football club deal of the century for a bold investor with working capital who is prepared to make a medium to long-term investment.

Too many characters and too much baggage are obscuring the deal on offer. No one said it would be easy, but there is a real opportunity at Pompey.

Behind the headlines are important facts; the club could be available for a knockdown price. Next to it lies 10½ acres of development land for sale. Portsmouth City Council’s government-approved planning brief for the land allows for retail, residential and stadium development. All of this combined with support of commercial partners, the local authority, local people and the inability to build more or less anything without including a new stadium is an interesting opportunity for the right bidder.

The club’s balance sheet has improved in the past two years. The main debt still weighing the club down is the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement due after the club’s exit from administration in 2010. However, this can be neutralised by the remainder of the club’s parachute payments from the Premier League.

With an excellent young manager, several good young players in the first team and eye-catching talents in the youth set-up, Pompey are a low-cost investment with a prospective upside. The Pompey Supporters Trust is ready to help an honest owner to develop a sustainable business plan that can deal with the historical problems.

The fact that Pompey are the biggest bargain in football is still not the best reason to buy the club. Before “crisis-club Pompey”, the clichéd sobriquet of choice was “sleeping giant”. The giant has stirred in the modern era, if not quite awakened.

After the dubious distinction of becoming the first former champions to drop to the fourth division, crowds of more than 25,000 broke all records. In 1981, third-division Pompey took 15,000 fans to Anfield for a second-round League Cup tie. The famous Pompey chimes are as loud and proud as ever, despite the disastrous past few years.

The fans would be a huge asset to a new owner — and fan involvement is the key to Pompey’s future. Portsmouth owners, by and large, have followed the same path to ruin by signing expensive players and raising costs above income without investing in the infrastructure of the club.

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.The club have a huge catchment area, with eight million people living within 90 minutes of the ground.

Imagine spending your whole life watching your team miss open goals. That is what it is to support Portsmouth. It doesn’t have to be like this.

For years we have prayed for an honest owner who has the common sense to know that when you build a cathedral you start with the foundations — not the stained-glass windows. Despite the club’s knack of biting the hand of friendship, goodwill abounds on all sides. Loyalty and passion from the fans are guaranteed, but there is one compelling reason to buy Pompey beyond hearing thousands of people singing your name or giving you the Freedom of the City — it could be an absolutely outstanding deal.

Ashley Brown is chairman of the Pompey Supporters Trust.

 

Smiley-ROFL.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

 

 

102505284_Football__264502c.jpg

The Portsmouth fans would be a huge asset to a new ownerJamie McDonald/Getty Images

 

Ashley Brown

March 3 2012 12:01AM

 

Saturday Soapbox

Portsmouth are the largest undeveloped “big” club left in England. Buying Pompey could be a simpler deal than you might think. In fact, it could be the football club deal of the century for a bold investor with working capital who is prepared to make a medium to long-term investment.

Too many characters and too much baggage are obscuring the deal on offer. No one said it would be easy, but there is a real opportunity at Pompey.

Behind the headlines are important facts; the club could be available for a knockdown price. Next to it lies 10½ acres of development land for sale. Portsmouth City Council’s government-approved planning brief for the land allows for retail, residential and stadium development. All of this combined with support of commercial partners, the local authority, local people and the inability to build more or less anything without including a new stadium is an interesting opportunity for the right bidder.

The club’s balance sheet has improved in the past two years. The main debt still weighing the club down is the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement due after the club’s exit from administration in 2010. However, this can be neutralised by the remainder of the club’s parachute payments from the Premier League.

With an excellent young manager, several good young players in the first team and eye-catching talents in the youth set-up, Pompey are a low-cost investment with a prospective upside. The Pompey Supporters Trust is ready to help an honest owner to develop a sustainable business plan that can deal with the historical problems.

The fact that Pompey are the biggest bargain in football is still not the best reason to buy the club. Before “crisis-club Pompey”, the clichéd sobriquet of choice was “sleeping giant”. The giant has stirred in the modern era, if not quite awakened.

After the dubious distinction of becoming the first former champions to drop to the fourth division, crowds of more than 25,000 broke all records. In 1981, third-division Pompey took 15,000 fans to Anfield for a second-round League Cup tie. The famous Pompey chimes are as loud and proud as ever, despite the disastrous past few years.

The fans would be a huge asset to a new owner — and fan involvement is the key to Pompey’s future. Portsmouth owners, by and large, have followed the same path to ruin by signing expensive players and raising costs above income without investing in the infrastructure of the club.

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.The club have a huge catchment area, with eight million people living within 90 minutes of the ground.

Imagine spending your whole life watching your team miss open goals. That is what it is to support Portsmouth. It doesn’t have to be like this.

For years we have prayed for an honest owner who has the common sense to know that when you build a cathedral you start with the foundations — not the stained-glass windows. Despite the club’s knack of biting the hand of friendship, goodwill abounds on all sides. Loyalty and passion from the fans are guaranteed, but there is one compelling reason to buy Pompey beyond hearing thousands of people singing your name or giving you the Freedom of the City — it could be an absolutely outstanding deal.

Ashley Brown is chairman of the Pompey Supporters Trust.

Am I right in thinking he's basically saying 'Spend £50m and you can be popular in Portsmouth'?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.

 

"You have the right to remain silent, but anything you do say will be taken down and may be used in evidence. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

 

Erm, can someone quickly remind me what the definition of 'cheating' is again....?

Edited by trousers
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw this on the Pimpley News Site, highlights include:

 

15 - In 1917 Portsmouth was the first town in the country to open clinics for the free treatment of venereal disease.

 

20 - The Portsmouth ball-valve is the most common type of valve used in toilet cisterns.

 

21 - ‘Seedy at times, grim in places, but colourful and tinted with the hues of history’ – cricket commentator and author John Arlott writing on Portsmouth in 1969.

 

30 - Estimates of the number of prostitutes working in the port and garrison town at the end of the 18th century vary between 2,000 and 20,000.

 

38 - Pompey Lil was a well-known prostitute who worked in Portsea in the early to mid-20th century. She was said to have no teeth and a false eye, but was ‘ever so nice’ and ‘well spoken’.

 

I reckon we could add at at least 10 takeover/cheating related facts? Here's one:

 

51 - In June 2011, Antonov become Portsmouth FC's fourth "crook owner" in only two years after his £17 million "DFS like, bought on tap" takeover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw this on the Pimpley News Site, highlights include:

 

15 - In 1917 Portsmouth was the first town in the country to open clinics for the free treatment of venereal disease.

 

20 - The Portsmouth ball-valve is the most common type of valve used in toilet cisterns.

 

21 - ‘Seedy at times, grim in places, but colourful and tinted with the hues of history’ – cricket commentator and author John Arlott writing on Portsmouth in 1969.

 

30 - Estimates of the number of prostitutes working in the port and garrison town at the end of the 18th century vary between 2,000 and 20,000.

 

38 - Pompey Lil was a well-known prostitute who worked in Portsea in the early to mid-20th century. She was said to have no teeth and a false eye, but was ‘ever so nice’ and ‘well spoken’.

 

I reckon we could add at at least 10 takeover/cheating related facts? Here's one:

 

51 - In June 2011, Antonov become Portsmouth FC's fourth "crook owner" in only two years after his £17 million "DFS like, bought on tap" takeover.

 

 

In other words, she was "the Bestest Prostitute in the whole World "

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

 

 

102505284_Football__264502c.jpg

The Portsmouth fans would be a huge asset to a new ownerJamie McDonald/Getty Images

 

Ashley Brown

March 3 2012 12:01AM

 

Saturday Soapbox

Portsmouth are the largest undeveloped “big” club left in England. Buying Pompey could be a simpler deal than you might think. In fact, it could be the football club deal of the century for a bold investor with working capital who is prepared to make a medium to long-term investment.

Too many characters and too much baggage are obscuring the deal on offer. No one said it would be easy, but there is a real opportunity at Pompey.

Behind the headlines are important facts; the club could be available for a knockdown price. Next to it lies 10½ acres of development land for sale. Portsmouth City Council’s government-approved planning brief for the land allows for retail, residential and stadium development. All of this combined with support of commercial partners, the local authority, local people and the inability to build more or less anything without including a new stadium is an interesting opportunity for the right bidder.

The club’s balance sheet has improved in the past two years. The main debt still weighing the club down is the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement due after the club’s exit from administration in 2010. However, this can be neutralised by the remainder of the club’s parachute payments from the Premier League.

With an excellent young manager, several good young players in the first team and eye-catching talents in the youth set-up, Pompey are a low-cost investment with a prospective upside. The Pompey Supporters Trust is ready to help an honest owner to develop a sustainable business plan that can deal with the historical problems.

The fact that Pompey are the biggest bargain in football is still not the best reason to buy the club. Before “crisis-club Pompey”, the clichéd sobriquet of choice was “sleeping giant”. The giant has stirred in the modern era, if not quite awakened.

After the dubious distinction of becoming the first former champions to drop to the fourth division, crowds of more than 25,000 broke all records. In 1981, third-division Pompey took 15,000 fans to Anfield for a second-round League Cup tie. The famous Pompey chimes are as loud and proud as ever, despite the disastrous past few years.

The fans would be a huge asset to a new owner — and fan involvement is the key to Pompey’s future. Portsmouth owners, by and large, have followed the same path to ruin by signing expensive players and raising costs above income without investing in the infrastructure of the club.

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.The club have a huge catchment area, with eight million people living within 90 minutes of the ground.

Imagine spending your whole life watching your team miss open goals. That is what it is to support Portsmouth. It doesn’t have to be like this.

For years we have prayed for an honest owner who has the common sense to know that when you build a cathedral you start with the foundations — not the stained-glass windows. Despite the club’s knack of biting the hand of friendship, goodwill abounds on all sides. Loyalty and passion from the fans are guaranteed, but there is one compelling reason to buy Pompey beyond hearing thousands of people singing your name or giving you the Freedom of the City — it could be an absolutely outstanding deal.

Ashley Brown is chairman of the Pompey Supporters Trust.

F-me that is cringe-worthy. Is glue sniffing still popular in LITTLE POOPEY as the writer and most contributers are still sniffing UHU by whats been written.Its been a PANTOMIME, but most of them are still living in it!!! DELUDED!!!! FFS :facepalm:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

F-me that is cringe-worthy. Is glue sniffing still popular in LITTLE POOPEY as the writer and most contributers are still sniffing UHU by whats been written.Its been a PANTOMIME, but most of them are still living in it!!! DELUDED!!!! FFS :facepalm:

 

I think their problem is they have spent the last few years sniffing *UHY* (geddit?) and now they are going cold turkey on PKF :smug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Typical 'paint yourself as being picked on' piece. Bits like:

 

"Daily, we find ourselves attacked in the press by PKF.

 

 

Can someone point me at these daily statements by PKF attacking them as I can't find them.

 

Plus

 

"You can imagine our surprise, then, when CSI got into extreme financial distress and we were forced to once again become reluctant owners.

 

 

Strange I can't remember them becoming the owners again. Creditors yes but not the owners, that is unless AA who is in charge of the CSI admin works for them and that CSI and pompey were a single entity in reality, surely not!

Edited by pedg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just saw an interesting article headline on the Times online website although im not a subscriber so cant access it

 

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

Here is the link if anyone has the means to read the full article although it is written by the chairman of the trust.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/footballleague/article3338832.ece

 

 

Read this in the swimming pool this morning... Usual guff... Basically portraying them as a fantastic bargain, with little outlay someone could awaken the sleeping giant... Bangs in about a possible fan basic 8 million people within an hourif Pompey... Forgetting that there are Saints,Brighton,,Bournemouth,reading and all the London clubs also within an hour.....basically, a whole load of guff....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Portsmouth: Sleeping giant, South Coast area, seeks white knight with keen eye for bargain

 

 

 

102505284_Football__264502c.jpg

The Portsmouth fans would be a huge asset to a new ownerJamie McDonald/Getty Images

 

Ashley Brown

March 3 2012 12:01AM

 

Saturday Soapbox

Portsmouth are the largest undeveloped “big” club left in England. Buying Pompey could be a simpler deal than you might think. In fact, it could be the football club deal of the century for a bold investor with working capital who is prepared to make a medium to long-term investment.

Too many characters and too much baggage are obscuring the deal on offer. No one said it would be easy, but there is a real opportunity at Pompey.

Behind the headlines are important facts; the club could be available for a knockdown price. Next to it lies 10½ acres of development land for sale. Portsmouth City Council’s government-approved planning brief for the land allows for retail, residential and stadium development. All of this combined with support of commercial partners, the local authority, local people and the inability to build more or less anything without including a new stadium is an interesting opportunity for the right bidder.

The club’s balance sheet has improved in the past two years. The main debt still weighing the club down is the Creditors Voluntary Arrangement due after the club’s exit from administration in 2010. However, this can be neutralised by the remainder of the club’s parachute payments from the Premier League.

With an excellent young manager, several good young players in the first team and eye-catching talents in the youth set-up, Pompey are a low-cost investment with a prospective upside. The Pompey Supporters Trust is ready to help an honest owner to develop a sustainable business plan that can deal with the historical problems.

The fact that Pompey are the biggest bargain in football is still not the best reason to buy the club. Before “crisis-club Pompey”, the clichéd sobriquet of choice was “sleeping giant”. The giant has stirred in the modern era, if not quite awakened.

After the dubious distinction of becoming the first former champions to drop to the fourth division, crowds of more than 25,000 broke all records. In 1981, third-division Pompey took 15,000 fans to Anfield for a second-round League Cup tie. The famous Pompey chimes are as loud and proud as ever, despite the disastrous past few years.

The fans would be a huge asset to a new owner — and fan involvement is the key to Pompey’s future. Portsmouth owners, by and large, have followed the same path to ruin by signing expensive players and raising costs above income without investing in the infrastructure of the club.

In 2008 this approach peaked and troughed with the club winning the FA Cup and bankrupting themselves in the process. More than 200,000 fans celebrated the Cup win on Southsea Common, oblivious to the looming disaster of the next four years.The club have a huge catchment area, with eight million people living within 90 minutes of the ground.

Imagine spending your whole life watching your team miss open goals. That is what it is to support Portsmouth. It doesn’t have to be like this.

For years we have prayed for an honest owner who has the common sense to know that when you build a cathedral you start with the foundations — not the stained-glass windows. Despite the club’s knack of biting the hand of friendship, goodwill abounds on all sides. Loyalty and passion from the fans are guaranteed, but there is one compelling reason to buy Pompey beyond hearing thousands of people singing your name or giving you the Freedom of the City — it could be an absolutely outstanding deal.

Ashley Brown is chairman of the Pompey Supporters Trust.

 

Loved the bit about 8 million potential fans in a 90 min radius, yes thats known as Southampton, Brighton, Aldershot and Reading fans and as Cameron said you dont change your teams alegience

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Loved the bit about 8 million potential fans in a 90 min radius, yes thats known as Southampton, Brighton, Aldershot and Reading fans and as Cameron said you dont change your teams alegience

 

Yeah i liked that one as well. This area also covers large parts of Surrey, Berkshire, Kent maybe even South London where most would support London clubs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am I right in thinking he's basically saying 'Spend £50m and you can be popular in Portsmouth'?

Pretty much :lol:

 

Alternatively, you could spend £50m and probably buy us (with all the assets and infrastructure in place) debt-free. Tough choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stopped reading after the first sentence.

 

Last undeveloped big club. What does it mean? Undeveloped? Yes. Big, clearly not. So why the frankly bizarre delusion and insulting assumption they're bigger than the rest of lower championship, L1 and L2?

 

They've won a few trophies, all but one of them more than sixty years ago. Numerous teams have won more than that, and yet nobody regards them as 'big' clubs - Huddersfield and Preston are good examples. It's clear enough when you look at Pompey's history that their periods of success (which for the sake of argument I'll take as top-flight football) represent a minority of their history. For a big club it would be the majority, preferably overwhelming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An hilarious post from the admin of Pompeyonline:

 

It's a cracking deal for the right investor, definitely. It's as I've always said, if somebody is prepared to come in and spend out initially, but has a bit of time to see the project through long to medium term, then there's a lot of money to be made out of Pompey. Just needs somebody with that money and time, and who isn't come sort of shady character!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

View Terms of service (Terms of Use) and Privacy Policy (Privacy Policy) and Forum Guidelines ({Guidelines})