When you are struggling you need two things, luck and to take your chances when they come along.
Izale McLeod got his luck when he went down under the challenge of Preston defender Chris Robertson and after consulting his linesman referee Whitestone awarded a spot kick. McLeod then turned villain by blasting his penalty against the cross bar.
After that Pompey really did not create much and only long shots from Scott Allan and Jake Jervis troubled keeper Stuckmann. The second half was little better for long spells until Pompey at last began to threaten in the last ten minutes. Why does it take so long for the pressure to be built?
The closest Pompey came in that time was through Allan who had a couple of efforts one which it appeared rather luckily diverted over by Stuckmann. The other question would be though why did Pompey only play with one up front for the final thirty minutes?
But a point is a point and it was good to see the crowd up to 12,500 especially so close to Christmas. Shame there was no early present to raise the festive spirit. Enjoyed the sight of the Blue Santas too especially those well into their eighties!!
Off to Hartlepool next Saturday – great sense of humour at Football League HQ – and they are on a terrible run at present. Then we have two home games against new opposition to Fratton Park – Crawley Town and Yeovil Town.
High Court farce
What is going on? Does anyone know the real truth about what is happening? On Friday I wrote an honest if understandably biased report on the proceeding and I was criticised in some quarters for being too pro the Trust.
Let me explain a few things. Firstly I do not want to see any party who has provided goods and services to Portsmouth Football Club go unpaid. If a company or individual enters into a contract then that contract should be satisfied. The problem is that previous owners of PFC have all done and then having not paid their creditors attempted in various ways to recoup their own personal losses.
Secondly the report was written as the dust began to settle and in hindsight I should have written it today when more (but not all) information has been uncovered. I was not there and read the various Twitter feeds in an attempt to unearth the story. The statement from Portpin came out after I had published.
Some believe that I am too pro Trust and that they syndicate these articles, which of course is not true. The Trust do have a business plan for the club which is published in a very abbreviated version in their Prospectus. They have attempted to answer Tim`s searching questions in some detail and even cleared to replies with their solicitors before letting me have them. If fans have any more questions then let Rug or myself have them and we will get the answers.
The Trust have not told us how many fans have trumped up their £1,000s which I think is a mistake. However whatever the number it is not enough, 200,000 celebrated winning the FA Cup four years ago and now less than 2,000 have put their hands in their pockets to help save the club. That does not stack up and shows that too few trust in the Trust.
How can the Trust change that? Probably only by taking over the club and making a good fist of it and ensure that in the future NO creditor goes unpaid!
The delay is caused by the supposed lack of capability of REL ltd to buy Fratton Park and Portpin wanting to bring in another administrator in Brendan Guilfoyle. Whether or not property developer Stuart Robinson could raise the money to buy the stadium is probably clouded by the floating charge of £2m that Portpin claim to have on the ground. Something I was never aware of or it appears Trevor Birch. Portpin are certainly correct that this period of administration has been too long and far too costly but that will not be helped by a new face.
Where does this leave the Trust? In my view they need to tell the fans everything they can about what is going on. I know it is all very complicated after discussions with Ashley Brown but the fans need to know what is going on and fast.
Rant over
….and back to football. Toast has always talked of our utmost respect for Toffees boss David Moyes and yet again yesterday he proved why. After Everton star Marouane Fellaini headbutted an opponent an incident missed by ref Mark Halsey Moyes came out and said his player should be punished.
Makes such a refreshing change from the standard ‘I did not see the incident!’
KK retires
Noticed this week that Irish international Kevin Kilbane has hung up his boots after a long and successful career. He actually started his career at Preston and finished at Coventry with many calls between and had a lovely left foot. 110 caps for Ireland too.
KK seems to have been around forever and Pompey is one of only a few clubs he didn`t play for.
All change
Fans are often asking how many players have Pompey this season. Well I gather the answer is forty three. But with January around the corner we can with the club still in administration that there could be a wholesale change of the squad in the new year.
Guy Whittingham has said that with Luke Dowling his head of recruitment has lined up a whole new first-team squad. Crisis management I think it is called.
..and finally
Heard from the Preston fans as they left the ground –
‘For a 0-0 draw that was quite entertaining considering the weather’ and another fan who admitted ‘my hands are freezing!’ Now I doubt anyone else at Fratton Park yesterday would agree with the first and I thought Northerners were tough!!
PUP
Share this article
