Snak

Tal Ben Haim ligger efter sigende på de 30k, Huseklepp har jeg set sat til 17k og Lawrence 20k.

Sådan som jeg har hørt det, er det CSI der sprængte lønloftet med en af deres signings, og så kan det ikke være TBH.

Den nye administrator sagsøger den gamle. Det kan kun ske hos os.

http://www.telegraph.co.…lvency.html

Men det er sq forståeligt nok - meget forsimplet ser jeg Birch som manden, der rydder op på godt og ondt (forsimplet fordi han selvfølgelig er ansat til et bestemt job: at varetage kreditorernes interesser). Men det er da noget svineri af UHY bare at tilbageholde penge - hvad med alle de små kreditorer, der nu i bedste fald får 4p/£ ?!

Jeg må tage hatten af for din afbalancerede og nøgterne tilgang til hele miseren. Der er godt nok en del Pompey-fans på Twitter, fora etc., der stadig ikke forstår, hvad det handler om (som fx, "Lawrence ud? Så skal vi have en ind, der er bedre!"). Det ville være det samme med andre klubbers fans, hvis de var i samme situation, så det er næppe noget specifikt med Pompey-fans.

Indrømmet, jeg spillede nok også offerkortet en smule, da Mawhinney i sin tid omskrev regelbogen for at straffe os. Jeg syntes, det var vildt unfair. I tilbageblik var det sq ok - vi burde ikke slippe, bare fordi vi havde fundet et smuthul...

Først mål for den Norske lejesvend.

Det blev til et nederlag på 1-3 til Boro i går på Fratton Park. Jeg aner ikke ret meget om kampens forløb, så indtil videre går jeg ud fra, at Boro bare var bedre på dagen. Rygterne siger at Jason Pearce græd da han var henne ved supporterne for at sige tak for støtten under kampen. Det kan man så lægge i, hvad man vil. Ligeledes forlyder det at Stephen Henderson lånes ud på mandag, så mon ikke at det bliver tilfældet? Det er selvfølgelig surt at miste sine bedste spillere på den måde, men hvis det er det som skal til for at redde klubben eller i det mindste købe tid, then so be it. League 1 er trods alt et bedre alternativ end total lukning af klubben - selv om sidstenævnte som tidligere nævnt også har sine positive sider.

Så har der været lidt kritik af Birch fra supporterne, der går på at han er lidt for ivrig efter at snakke om "liquidation" i medierne. Personligt tror jeg på at det er en blanding af den nøgne sandhed og mind games. Birch siger tingene som de er, men han er utvivlsomt også ude på at presse både interesserede parter (hvis der er nogen der er så dumme) og kreditorer til handling. Især Chainrai har £17m god grunde til ikke at lade klubben gå konkurs, så han må helt sikkert føle presset lige nu, også fordi at Birch har sagt at han ikke vil sælge klubben til Chainrai (men det bestemmer han vel reelt ikke selv).

Hmmmm... vi får se, hvad der sker i de nærmeste dage.

Sakset fra Saints-forum, der har sakset det fra Pompey-forum:

The meeting with Birch earlier.
Just to update you all. (I didn´t take notes but will put down the main points and ask for a more thorough report from Bill later)

- Birch will be asking the Football League to release a sum of money that would keep Pompey going until the end of the season. If the FL say "no" then the club´s money will run out in early/mid April unless player deals can be done.

- On the topic of player deals, clubs have expressed an interest in the players that Pompey don´t want to lose. Birch has tried to offload the other high earners but hasn´t been able to. There is a chance that he might try to agree mutual severance packages with players if it comes to it.

- There are no serious buyers currently interested in buying the club. Birch was hoping that the statement he released during the week would flush out any potential buyers.

- However, Balram Chainrai is interested in buying the club and wants to meet with Birch.

- Out of interest, Birch asked the group if Chainrai was the only alternative then would we prefer the club to go forward with Chainrai or risk liquidation? Two tentative hands were raised in favour of Chainrai with the rest saying no.

- Birch also suggested that rather than channel funds and energy into trying to keep the club afloat (as it will be going into a black hole), it would be more productive to save up for starting anew.

My personal view, reading between the lines is that Birch believes that this will be the end and he wanted to guage fans´ opinion on liquidation.

Speaking to Ken Malley from FSF after the meeting, he told me that if we were to start a new club then the deadline for registration is 1st of May.

Given that there is this three week period to set up the new club, the old one would effectively have to be liquidated at the start of April for a new one to be in place for next season.

I think that´s the bulk of it. I think Birch said it best when he stated that the club is 100m in debt, stands to make a huge loss over the course of the year, doesn´t own a ground, doesn´t own the land around it, doesn´t own an academy and the playing squad is valued at around £2 million.

Anyway, here are the full notes from Bill Gillon of PompeyOnline, so credit to him for taking them.

Birch has held meetings with the Football League, and learnt last Tuesday
that the club will receive no further funds over and above which is already
normally due. Birch had hoped for an advance on subs, but the Football
League have said the cannot help any further.

Despite media hints to the contrary, Birch knew about the situation
regarding Gaydamak´s money.

The club will only be liquidated once Birch does not see cash in the club to
go forward, at which point he would bring the club to an ´orderly close´,
which is part of his duties. Despite talk and rumour to the contrary, Birch
is not working solely for the interests of HMRC, but to achieve the best
result for all creditors and the club.

He made the statements he did earlier this week to, partly, flush out people
who have been hovering about and looking at the club and, also, to help
concentrate minds.

He is still talking to the Football League and is hopeful that, by Monday,
he will have had it confirmed that the club will continue to receive it´s
scheduled monthly distributions. He hopes the club will receive 500k in
April, which will ensure things look better as regards getting the club to
the end of the season.

He is talking to Michael Appleton as regards the player situation.

A final option might be to break player contracts, but this is a last resort
and it would be treading a fine line, as the Football League could terminate
our membership.

The question was asked as to whether Chainrai was preparing a bid, and Birch
confirmed that he expected to hear from him. He stated that he felt a bid
would only go forward if Chainrai´s debenture was deemed valid. Birch, no
matter what, wants a successful conclusion come what may.

There is other interest in the club, and Birch is meeting other people next
week. As things currently stand, there is no concrete ´hot to trot´ certain
commitment.

Club costs equate to £3.5m to see the club to the end of June, with a buyer
having to fund a loss of £5-10m next year under current contracts and
situation.

A lawyer´s letter has been sent to Chainrai/Portpin, which was sent on
Friday. This is to request that Chainrai give his view and justification for
the debenture. Birch is now awaiting a reply.

There was an issue with the planned price reductions for the Middlesbrough
game. Birch has organised working groups for each part of the club
operations, and final arrangements for the price reductions had slipped
through the net during a busy and short time frame, which Birch apologises
for.

A discussion took place as regards Chainrai. Gerald Vernon-Jackson confirmed
that Chainrai had been talking to him and planned to speak to the
administrators. Birch asked for opinions, and a show of hands, as to whether
people would prefer a club under Chainrai or liquidation, only one person
was in favour of Chainrai involvement (out of around 15-20 people there).
The question was also raised as to whether people would be in favour of
Chainrai involvement alongside the Trust and, again, this was dismissed as
any fan involvement was felt would be minimal and easily overuled.

It is confirmed that, as things stand, Chainrai and CSI are the majority
creditors.

As regards Gaydamak´s land, Birch has tried to make contact and left
messages with Bruce Van Den Berg but, as things stand, has had no reply.

It is confirmed that David Lampitt is dealing with Genoa about monies owed.

As things stand, the club has money to survive until mid-April but, as
mentioned earlier, it is hoped that, next week, the situation will mean the
club will, at least, be able to see out the season.

It was decided that, in order to make an attempt to seek information and
intent, that a request is made via Gerald Vernon-Jackson to arrange a
meeting with Conference representatives and Chainrai. The representatives
would be made up of board members of the Trust plus current Conference chair
Tony Goodall.

Speaking to Ken Malley from FSF after the meeting, he told me that if we were to start a new club then the deadline for registration is 1st of May.

Given that there is this three week period to set up the new club, the old one would effectively have to be liquidated at the start of April for a new one to be in place for next season.

Det kunne godt se ud som om at det bliver svært at overholde den deadline. Når det er sagt så kan jeg ikke se, hvorfor en ny klub i princippet ikke vil kunne eksistere sideløbende med den nuværende. Men tak for klippet. Det opsummerer fint hvordan situationen er lige nu.

Ashdown fortæller lidt omkring situationen med spillernes lønnedgang:

http://www1.skysports.co…74/7568957/

Spillerne har mistet noget løn (det var jeg faktisk ikke klar over, før jeg læste denne artikel) ligesom de har udskudt 25% af deres løn fra nu og til sæsonafslutningen. Eftersom spillerne er football creditors (hvad sker der mon, hvis HMRC får den regel omstødt i retten?!), vil de være garanteret de mistede 25% ved sæsonafslutningen, medmindre klubben opløses - skulle det ske, mener jeg, at spillernes fagforening går ind og dækker de mistede penge. Så facit er, at spillerne har mistet en månedsløn og fået udskudt 25% af deres løn til sommeren.

Derfor synes jeg, det er godt at se, at Ashdown anerkender, at der er mange i klubben, der har det værre end han selv. Han virker oprigtigt berørt af det hele :-/