Spare a thought for Portsmouth FC

[Professor]

Everything thats currently wrong with English football. After our club could have been wound up its one thing to sympathise with fellow football fans faced with possible loss of their team, but the CVA route out of administration is simply too easy. All of us have to partly fund it, as HMRC are owed £37m of taxpayers money. The PFC CVA is only paying ordinary creditors 20p in the £, many of these being local Hampshire businesses. In the meantime the Premier League's stitch-up sees players, agents and other clubs getting 100%! Thats 100% of fees that are already massively over-inflated.

 

The administrator has only accepted £24m of HMRC's claim, a decision that has stopped HMRC from blocking the CVA. If they go to law, which the news suggests they will, a successful outcome would be a step to making football more healthy.

 

Glad as I am for Leibherr's saving of our club, it was private ownership and the owner walking away that brought PFC down, something that is a risk for any other club with a single owner. Saints fans should temper their enjoyment of these coming years with half an eye on developments in club ownership rule changes as well as hoping that Marcus enjoys good health.

[OldNick]

perhaps we should make the club a listed company then........ohhhh

[Pancake]

Did you miss the ****ing huge 1,000,000 viewed thread?

[Shroppie]

Did you miss the ****ing huge 1,000,000 viewed thread?

 

TBF, this is Saints-related isn't it? We're basking in the joys of Marcus's ownership and it is my honest belief that he has a totally different moral approach to football club ownership to certain individuals down the M27, if he ever gets bored or falls out with the club, how quickly could things evaporate?

[StuRomseySaint]

TBF, this is Saints-related isn't it? We're basking in the joys of Marcus's ownership and it is my honest belief that he has a totally different moral approach to football club ownership to certain individuals down the M27, if he ever gets bored or falls out with the club, how quickly could things evaporate?

 

Liebherr and Cortese do not want, and will not allow the club to live outside it's means. Which is good in the way, when they get bored, they can sell and someone else comes in.

 

P*mpey lived way beyond their means ( wages at 90% of turnover at one point ) , they were always going to go bust without cash donation from their owner... which never happened.

 

I think people need to now stop thinking of us a one of the wealthiest clubs in the land. Our owner is, but it is quite clear that the club is being run as a business, and to turn a profit, which means we won't be spending money left, right and centre. Which of course is a good thing for the long-term sustainability, but people need to get out of their heads that we are going to be the new Chelsea/Man City, because I just don't believe that's in the owners minds.

[hypochondriac]

I agree with Stu...

[Shroppie]

Liebherr and Cortese do not want, and will not allow the club to live outside it's means. Which is good in the way, when they get bored, they can sell and someone else comes in.

 

P*mpey lived way beyond their means ( wages at 90% of turnover at one point ) , they were always going to go bust without cash donation from their owner... which never happened.

 

I think people need to now stop thinking of us a one of the wealthiest clubs in the land. Our owner is, but it is quite clear that the club is being run as a business, and to turn a profit, which means we won't be spending money left, right and centre. Which of course is a good thing for the long-term sustainability, but people need to get out of their heads that we are going to be the new Chelsea/Man City, because I just don't believe that's in the owners minds.

 

I'm in agreement with you. We're very lucky at the moment.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Liebherr and Cortese do not want, and will not allow the club to live outside it's means. Which is good in the way, when they get bored, they can sell and someone else comes in.

 

P*mpey lived way beyond their means ( wages at 90% of turnover at one point ) , they were always going to go bust without cash donation from their owner... which never happened.

 

I think people need to now stop thinking of us a one of the wealthiest clubs in the land. Our owner is, but it is quite clear that the club is being run as a business, and to turn a profit, which means we won't be spending money left, right and centre. Which of course is a good thing for the long-term sustainability, but people need to get out of their heads that we are going to be the new Chelsea/Man City, because I just don't believe that's in the owners minds.

 

On this, I agree totally with you. Not that you can see this, as I believe you have blocked me.

[Professor]

I agree as well. But the problem down the M27 was that the owner thought he'd passed it on to someone he could trust, and he turned out to be a man of straw. At Chelsea, they thought Abramovich had written off his £100m plus debt but turns out he hasn't. Their fans hang on the idea that his son is keen on the club, but if Abranovich goes, who knows. I feel that Saints are much stronger and the way ML took the club on was so much better than whats happened at PFC or at Chelsea. I see no reason as a Saints' fan to worry until succession becomes an issue and I'm not suggesting that PLC status is right as that caused many of the past problems but I can't help wishing there was some local involvement in the ownership of the club, or better still, a league requirement along those lines for every club.

Edited 18 June, 2010 by Professor
typos

[St Landrew]

Liebherr and Cortese do not want, and will not allow the club to live outside it's means. Which is good in the way, when they get bored, they can sell and someone else comes in.

 

P*mpey lived way beyond their means ( wages at 90% of turnover at one point ) , they were always going to go bust without cash donation from their owner... which never happened.

 

I think people need to now stop thinking of us a one of the wealthiest clubs in the land. Our owner is, but it is quite clear that the club is being run as a business, and to turn a profit, which means we won't be spending money left, right and centre. Which of course is a good thing for the long-term sustainability, but people need to get out of their heads that we are going to be the new Chelsea/Man City, because I just don't believe that's in the owners minds.

 

 

Agreed. It's my understanding that Saints will not be too tight on the purse strings, while the club lingers in League One and the Championship, simply because the aim is to get out of those leagues, by the front door, as quickly as possible. However, the Premier League will be a different matter. Prudence and good business practice will be the order of the day.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

Agreed. It's my understanding that Saints will not be too tight on the purse strings, while the club lingers in League One and the Championship, simply because the aim is to get out of those leagues, by the front door, as quickly as possible. However, the Premier League will be a different matter. Prudence and good business practice will be the order of the day.

 

Wouldn't it be funny if, when we finally return to the Prem, Markus takes off a false face and it turns out it was Rupert Lowe guiding us all along. Second thoughts, perhaps not...

[La BoIS Saint]

Wouldn't it be funny if' date=' when we finally return to the Prem, Markus takes off a false face and it turns out it was Rupert Lowe guiding us all along. Second thoughts, perhaps not...[/quote']

 

I remember that from Scooby Doo!

[SaintRobbie]

 

Glad as I am for Leibherr's saving of our club, it was private ownership and the owner walking away that brought PFC down, something that is a risk for any other club with a single owner. Saints fans should temper their enjoyment of these coming years with half an eye on developments in club ownership rule changes as well as hoping that Marcus enjoys good health.

 

I agree that we need to monitor a single owner, but it is the best way to ensure success. In our case we now have zero debts, no ground mortgage, a complete infrastructure and youth set up. We have a large fan base. We can survive if ML pulls out, let's face it our rebuild has cost little so far. I think you're being too pessimistic. Regardless, ML is going nowhere for now.