Pompey just cannot, or should that be will not, be cut any slack by the media with them determined to continually get the boot in – according to latest ‘reports’, in today’s Mirror, Pompey are facing ‘financial crisis’, again, with the threat of an ‘administrator coming in’ on the cards…
People might have seen something a few days ago about Standard Bank, a South African backer, wanting their £25m loan back? All banks are looking to call in debts, but if an agreement is in place can they actually look to call this in before the terms of the agreement – would they even go ‘public’ with this wish, if so would it really be in The Mirror! Well today this red top is claiming that they are going to ‘demand their £25m loan back’, and could do so within the next few days as despite monies coming in for the sales on Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe they have not seen any of this, as the money went on ‘paying other clubs who were owed money from previous transfer dealings’.
It went on to say that the clubs concern is such that Pompey are ‘believed to have contacted the Premier League for help’ and, as this Bank has the power to do so, an ‘administrator could be appointed to reclaim their millions’, which in itself could bring a 10 point penalty…
Does this actually mean anything?
It is in the Mirror, this usually says enough! How many times has this, and other red tops, made ‘claims’ against Pompey which have either been shown to have no basis or substance or just are based on ‘assumption’ or ‘guess work’.
I know there is a saying that ‘there is no smoke without fire’, but with all the smoke that has been portrayed by the media over the months the club would be burnt to ashes by now with the amount that has been dished out by the media!
Although my initial reaction to most is, and on this occasion was ‘Jesus Christ we are in trouble’, I soon shrug my shoulders and think ‘can you really believe it?’ They, the media, print and say so much, and so far so little, if any has actually come off to be fair…
Is there any substance to the stories that money is owed to this South African Bank, is this the reason for South African businessmen visiting the club back along?
It is highly probable that we do owe money to them, well lets be honest we do, and a lot of banks are owed money and they are now desperate to get it back – but show me a club that does not owe money to someone, but I also feel it is highly probable that they would get this back at some point, and within the agreed time period! When a loan is taken out an agreement on repayment terms is in place, we would have done this here, and surely would not have gone beyond this repayment agreement… ‘Demanding’ it back and within days or weeks as opposed to months, particularly as raising this until the summer is not possible seems odd, but would be a major problem though. With premier league money for next season coming in over the summer a large chunk of this, if not all of this would go that way.
‘If’ there is any basis to their claims then those running the club have a lot to answer for, and have potentially put the future of the club at risk once again and it is very much squeaky bum time, as getting that sort of cash in a short space of time would appear unlikely. But until something with ‘concrete evidence’ is ever labelled against the club – which is not often that forthcoming – I will continue to take what the ‘Pompey hating media’ continue to print with a pinch of salt, time will tell what the score is here…
As always, lets see what happens eh, and not just take what the media tell us as gospel – although to be fair I think most of us have now realised what they say, and what actually is the truth are more often than not completely different things!
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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