Football was back on the agenda yesterday and what an eventful game it was with disallowed goals, a missed penalty, a red card, a squeaky bum finish but Pompey won on a ground where so many of the top sides failed in the open months of the season.
Looks like there was a good following at Turf Moor too and they more than made themselves heard. It may not be the start of the great escape which needs ten wins in the last twelve game but it has certainly dented the Clarets hopes of survival.
A good pick up though for the FA Cup quarter final next Saturday with Brum at Fratton Park which is a chance to at least leave the season with something to be proud of.
AA Calling
No not Alcoholic`s Anonymous but Administrator Andrew Andronikou who will in Toast be known as AA and probably elsewhere knowing how our short titles catch on.
Anyway we have been visited by the Administrator and there is nothing left!! The equipment had been returned to whence it came, the staff sacked and the cat left with no food, these are indeed hard times and we are all learning the stark realities of Administration. It is no a matter of sitting back and thinking we are alright now the liquidator has been banished from the door; the club has to be stripped to the bare bones to allow it to run at minimal cost while efforts are made to satisfy the various creditors of the company.
The objective is to get a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) signed by all concerned and get the club sold again. Then rebuild slowly to escape the Championship within three seasons. The downside is no CVA could lead to further points deduction next season and the possibility of dropping even further as others have. So looks like Moggy will have to go hungry for a while.
Without doubt stormy waters are ahead for Pompey before a new owner can be found and that will doubtless lead to some tough decisions by AA in trimming the numbers employed by the club. There are already rows of empty desks in the clubs offices and sadly there will be more to come. His job is of course to satisfy the creditors requirements as far as is possible.
We all know what a good job the staff on the shop floor do at the club but are their jobs safe? The fans are behind you.
Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe said Portsmouth’s plight demonstrated that football faces ‘tough challenges’ and called for greater scrutiny of club takeovers.
‘We want to see much greater scrutiny of takeovers so that new owners show proof of funds and a clear business plan going forward. Owners come and go but our clubs were built on the fierce loyalty of fans.”
Why do we have to be sacrificed though before someone acts?
I must admit there is some good humour about to make us all laugh and the Frattonise rumour of the National Trust buying the ground as an ancient relic is the best. I like the piece about the North Stand toilets being oldest working loos in the country. Great stuff from the now online vintage fanzine.
Getting away from it all
With all the hype around the club at least seven will be able to get away from it all this week having been called up for a round of international friendlies.
Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda – have been selected in the Algeria squad to face Serbia on Wednesday, March 3.
Hermann Hreidarsson has been selected in the Iceland squad to play Cyprus on the same night, while Tal Ben Haim will be with Israel as they take on Romania.
Loan stars Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Ghana) and Aruna Dindane (Ivory Coast) will also be looking to star in games against Bosnia-Herzegovina and South Korea respectively.
Utility star Marc Wilson could win his first cap for Ireland after being selected on Monday in Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad to face Brazil at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Add to that youngster Florent Cuvelier has also received an international call-up to the Belgium under-18 side, who face two matches against Poland on Tuesday and Thursday.
Short stuff?
Reports suggest that Defender Dusko Tosic could have one of the shortest Pompey careers after it was divulged that the Premier League withheld his registration – preventing him from playing in league games. He was on the bench at St Mary`s but the FA confirmed that the club was safe as different regulations apply to their competition.
With Ricardo Rocha’s red card yesterday he may be needed in the FA Cup again next Saturday, bit of a conundrum. As I said to the Observer last week there are too many bodies involved in English football and what a farce if a player can play in Cup games but not league matches!!
As we do not hold his registration he would leave on a free transfer when his real value could be in the £millions. With the transfer embargo back in place what is going on? No doubt AA will sort in out eh.
Linvoy Tickets
We told you a couple of weeks ago about the Fans’ Football Night with Linvoy Primus will take place at Fratton Park`s Victory Lounge on Tuesday, March 23.
Former Blues defender Primus will be joined by Pompey players past and present for an evening of football chat and banter, with archive film.
Sam Matterface of Sky Sports News hosts the event, which starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £10 pre-paid and £12.50 on the door. There will be a bar and refreshments.
The evening is in support of Linvoy`s charity, Faith & Football. For more information and to book call 023 9277 6823.
Vital regular UKTony had suggested we book a table but on enquiring was told the seating would be laid out concert style. He booked six tickets but the last I heard he still had two left so if you want to go PM Tony and if his have gone ring the club on the number above. Should be a good evening now the club has some sort of future.
Messages of support
Chix has been sorting these out and loads more can be found in the forum. From all Pompey fans I can say a big thank you to all the supporters around the country for their messages of support. Here is a sample –
As a Spurs fan, but come on we are all members of the same big family, we are all football fans, I offer my sincere condolences to you guys. You are amongst the best supporters out there and don’t deserve this, somebody or bodies should be asked to answer some very difficult questions. I watched a TV interview this morning with your John Westwood, what an impressive guy, living proof that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, I in company with others, no doubt, misjudged him due to his outrageous appearance. In closing I wish you guys GOOD LUCK, I have no doubts that you will bounce back.
Frank
This is where your new start begins, I know its easy for me to say but you’ll pull through this. good luck guys all the best.
Yorkshirepride1
Sad day surely. Offering you some support from Ewood park, Blackburn. Cheer up, mates! This is a new beginning.
Rovers_till_i_die
Archived articles
The boys at Vital towers have been busy archiving articles and I know some have said to me I can`t find this or that. Well look right at the bottom of the screen and you will see they are not categorized into years.
I was searching for something only the other day but could not find it and this is why. Crucially for those doing the Stoke ticket quiz it was the details of Stanley Matthews career at Fratton Park. It would have helped you if the article had been there.
PUP
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