nPower Football League Thread 2012/13

[Lineker]

Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch has warned that the club could be liquidated within the next fortnight.

The League One club are trying to negotiate with eight senior players, but their refusal to compromise over wage demands has left Pompey on the brink of extinction.

Nwankwo Kanu has also lodged a claim for £3million in back pay and Birch says it is the players who have the future of Pompey in their hands.

"The club is heading for liquidation in just a few weeks, perhaps two weeks if these players don't leave or compromise on their wages," Birch said.

"We still have players like Ben Haim, Dave Kitson and Kanu on our books.

"Kanu has served the club notice that he wants to leave but before doing so he wants the money he says is owed to him by the club. These players hold the survival of the club in their hands.

"I must stress it is not their fault as the players didn't get the club into this trouble, but they do now have the ability to get the club out of this mess.

"The problem with everybody is that this club has cried wolf so often that no one believes it will happen, no one believes they will go out of business, but they will in two or three weeks.

"It is that serious now. The trouble is 'Portsmouth fatigue', but the truth is that the club is now fighting for its life."

Looks like it's endgame.

[Crybaby Bunting]

They deserve to be liquidated, if anything because they're looking like they're just going to progressively sink down the leagues forever until they just can't ever pay off their debt. Just start a phoenix club just like everyone said should happen at the start of the mess once they realised they were way over their heads with the debt problem.

And it's funny that both David Kitson and Liam Lawrence (the players they signed whilst in administration and selling off their youth players) are players they desperately need to shift in order to survive.

[DavidMarrio]

Doesn't help when the players they need to shift are on stupid wages. Ben Haim's meant to be on something like 30 grand a week which is ridiculous

[Lineker]

Ben Haim is ridiculously greedy.

[Adam]

They do deserve to go bust, they really do. I feel for the fans but the club I will never have any sympathy for.

[Crybaby Bunting]

I just don't see why they haven't folded already, surely the TV money and parachute payments that they received from the Premier League should have ended by now, so there's basically nothing to pay the creditors. Tal Ben Haim's wages probably cost more than they earn in ticket money in a week, and if not him then the other seven players should tip it over the line.

With all the creditor debts (because they never arranged a CVA thus couldn't leave administration) unpaid football debts and stupid wages they were only going to fold at one point or another.

[Matt]

I can't imagine Kanu's contract is cheap either (though it's clearly heavily based on appearance fees since they didn't play him all last season). They could help themselves by selling Varney to us, though, instead of arguing the toss over £100k... especially since they could get nothing in a few days time. >_<

Saying that Warnock says 2 people are expected to sign in the next 24 hours and one of them is having a medical today, so one would assume one of them will be Varney since he said that Rodolph Austin's move probably won't be completed this week.

[Lineker]

Aldershot manager Dean Holdsworth has turned down a chance to take over at Crawley Town.

[Lineker]

Portsmouth Football Club is likely to have "no alternative" but to close on 10 August unless senior players agree to transfers or wage cuts.

Joint administrator Trevor Birch said: "The facts are straightforward, the players have to leave and conclude compromise settlements."

The club has seven senior players left on its books and is due to start its League One campaign on 18 August.

Portsmouth entered administration in February.

It was the second time in three seasons the club had been in administration and followed the issuing of a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs the previous month, freezing the club's bank accounts.

The Football League has docked Pompey 10 points and imposed financial restrictions - which include paying all football creditors in full, unless an alternative agreement is reached - and restrictions on playing budgets, future borrowing and loan repayments for the next five seasons.

Pompey Supporters' Trust and Portpin are both interested in buying the club.

But both offers are on condition the wage bill is reduced through player sales and compromise agreements.

Birch added: "Both interested parties have made it clear that they won't take on the club unless there is movement from the players.

"We will continue to do all we can to facilitate these deals but the club's future hinges on the willingness of certain players and their agents to sign up to compromise agreements that are affordable both in terms of the amount and timing of repayments.

"Unless we make significant progress on this front by 10 August then we are likely to have no option other than to close the club.

"We are making good progress with three or four players but despite many conversations and offers over the past few weeks, some players and agents still don't understand what's at stake here."

Birch has previously metioned the importance of reaching compromise deals over players but this is the first time a deadline date to escape liquidation has been set.

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor earlier told Sky Sports News that some players had been "unfairly intimidated", but admitted all parties had to agree to lose out if the club was to stay in business.

Striker Luke Varney has agreed a deal to join Championship side Leeds United on a two-year contract and is just waiting for paperwork to be completed.

Tal Ben Haim, Greg Halford, Erik Huseklepp, Dave Kitson, Liam Lawrence, David Norris and Kanu remain on the club's books.

Administrators have already told staff they face being made redundant.

Poor fans.

Sheffield United have granted Crawley Town permission to speak to academy manager John Pemberton over their vacant manager's position.

[Crybaby Bunting]

The fans will be able to create a new football club and continue the legacy.

Poor creditors

[Lineker]

The Pompey Supporters' Trust - which is attempting to buy the stricken club - has urged Portsmouth's players to meet them, to thrash out a deal.

Just seven senior players remain at the club but if they do not leave or reach a compromise on their wages Portsmouth will be forced to close on 10 August.

But the PST say they are still hopeful a deal can be done with the players.

"We urge the players to sit down with our representatives so we can explain our deal," said a PST statement.

Administrator Trevor Birch released a statement on Tuesday adding that of the seven players remaining only three or four had not agreed to a compromise.

And the PST have reiterated his warning that if the club is liquidated, the players will get nothing.

The players who, on a going concern sale are treated as 'football creditors' and must be paid, lose all such rights under liquidation and will be treated as ordinary unsecured creditors. It is unlikely that there will be any significant dividend in a liquidation.

If the club goes into liquidation it will also lose its league position, and its right to the £11m of parachute payments from the Premier League.

The PST has been working on its bid for four months and has raised what they call a "substantial seven-figure sum".

"We are ready and able to see this process through and buy the club. We have made a good offer and are making good progress in raising funds," said chairman Ashley Brown.

"The one remaining hurdle is the payment of football creditors, but if they don't shift we simply cannot do a deal outside liquidation."

David Norris, Greg Halford, Erik Huseklepp, Liam Lawrence, Dave Kitson, Tal Ben Haim and Kanu remain at the club.

Norris, Huseklepp and Lawrence are close to leaving Fratton Park while Halford is not one of the high earners left on Pompey's books.

However, Ben Haim who is on wages of £36,000 a week, along with Kanu and Kitson are the highest paid players at Fratton Park.

And it is those players who Birch says are crippling the club and damaging the chances of survival.

"Luke Varney has gone and I think there will be two or three more by the end of the week," Birch told BBC Radio Solent.

"So that leaves two or three. But the one or two that are left are likely to be the problem.

"They didn't cause the problem, but they can solve it."

Former owner Balram Chainrai - who along with the PST is attempting to take control of the club - has always said he will not let the club be liquidated.

Chainrai still has around £18m secured credit on the club but would lose nearly all of that if the League One club go out of business. However, Birch says his promise to save Pompey can now not be guaranteed.

"The offer was always conditional on the administrators reaching a compromise with the players," added Birch.

"Chainrai cannot take it on regardless of what the spend is going to be next season."

Birch also rejected suggestions Pompey should just 'start again' and relinquish their Football League status and has vowed to fight to save the club before 10 August.

"You cannot have those conversations until it actually happens," said Birch. "Nobody knows what league we'll start back in. It took Aldershot 17 years to restore their league status."

Former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp says he intends to help the club's battle for survival. He says he'll speak to veteran Kanu who's lodged a claim for three million pounds in pay.

What a decent, honest man Harry is

[supergrass]

Noble indeed Mr Redknapp. There are some great bits in that article, like suggesting Redknapp might somehow know how much all these overpaid players are on who ran the club into debts.

Or how he proved Tony Adams wrong by virtue of the fact that Kanu is still at Portsmouth 6 years after Adams said he was finished...yes, 6 years of generally doing not a lot, scoring no goals, collecting a big wage. You win again 'Arry.

[Matt]

Apparently Blackburn's £3m signing Leon Best may be out for the season after picking up an injury in a friendly. Ouch.

[Lineker]

Apparently Blackburn's £3m signing Leon Best may be out for the season after picking up an injury in a friendly. Ouch.

They're fucked now :/

[Matt]

Whoever +1'ed my post is so getting banned.

[Adam]

Apparently Blackburn's £3m signing Leon Best may be out for the season after picking up an injury in a friendly. Ouch.

I feel for Leon Best but that is frankly hilarious. I'm only laughing at Steve Kean though, and it certainly wasn't me who +1'd you!

[Lineker]

Best is indeed out until at least the New Year - scans this morning confirmed cruciate ligament damage.

A black footballer's dismissal by his club was unfair racial victimisation, a tribunal has ruled.

Mark McCammon, 33, claimed Gillingham FC refused him treatment for an injury, docked his wages and fined him for not turning up during heavy snow.

At the employment tribunal in Ashford, Kent, he alleged he and other black players at the club were treated differently from white players.

The League Two club said it was "hugely disappointed" by the decision.

A statement issued by Mr McCammon's solicitors said: "He was astounded that the club went to such lengths to both dismiss him and win their case before the tribunal.

"Mr McCammon hopes that his success will make other players feel free to raise legitimate complaints of discrimination."

At the hearing, the striker said the club had tried to "frustrate him out" by refusing to pay private medical bills to help him regain his fitness following injury when he still had eight months left on his contract.

He said he was instead offered the choice of undergoing the same operation on the NHS rather than privately, which was "completely out of character" for a Football League club.

The former Charlton, Swindon, Millwall and Brighton player told the tribunal: "The way the chairman approached the matter was that he saw my injury as a way to get rid of any financial obligations such as my wages he might have as a result of my contract."

He also claimed he and two other black players were ordered to come into the ground amid "treacherous", snowy driving conditions otherwise their wages would be docked, while some white players were told they were not required.

The tribunal heard this resulted in a confrontation with manager Andy Hessenthaler, whom Mr McCammon claimed lost his temper with him after he had accused him of being "racially intolerant" over the decision to order them in.

Mr McCammon was subsequently ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing and later received a letter saying he had been dismissed for aggressive conduct towards the manager and racism, the tribunal was told.

The Barbados international striker signed a three-year contract with Gillingham in 2008 and was released three seasons later.

Gillingham FC said it was in discussions with its lawyers to decide on the club's next course of action and whether to appeal.

[Matt]

Paul Scally's a huge prick anyway.

[Lineker]

Peterborough are urging football's governing bodies to consider allowing the use of rail seats, which give fans the option whether to sit or stand.

The Championship club has given its backing to the Football Supporters' Federation Safe Standing Campaign.

And the club has offered its ground for an experiment with the tip-up seats like those used in Germany.

"If they wanted to use London Road as a pilot site, we'd be happy to oblige," said chief executive Bob Symns.

He recently paid a visit to German club Hannover 96 to see the seating first hand and believes they are a compromise for fans who want the right to stand and the game's authorities, who remain concerned about safety in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy.

"I hope we can persuade the powers that be to look seriously at the rail seat option," he continued.

Terraces were banned following Hillsborough and a law introduced five years later requires grounds in the Premier League and Championship to be all-seater.

However, clubs promoted into the Championship from League One are given three years to bring their grounds up to standard.

Peterborough still have terraces at their ground but will have to become all-seater if they remain in the Championship after next season.

"Our existing terraces are safe and well-managed, but as of next summer they will be deemed unsafe.

"That's unless, heaven forbid, we went down, in which case they would bizarrely be deemed still safe to use," said Symns, in his programme notes for Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Aston Villa.

"Having see a new option in Hannover, I am convinced that a standing area fitted with rail seats would be even safer still and I cannot see any logical reason why we should not be allowed to build a new London Road end, incorporating such an area."

The FSF proposal calls for 15% of football grounds to become approved standing areas - 10% for home supporters and 5% for away fans.

The Scottish Premier League relaxed its rules on standing last year and other English clubs including Aston Villa, Arsenal and Derby have also indicated a willingness to consider proposals about how safe standing areas could be accommodated in their stadiums.

"The demand from supporters to stand is not going away and football clubs are expriencing all sorts of problems trying to manage that.

"We hope all parties can work together towards the sort of safe solution they've already found in Germany, Norway, Sweden and many other parts of the world," said FSF campaign co-ordinator Peter Daykin.

[Matt]

I really wish safe standing would be introduced, it'd be a hell of a lot safer than the current situation where everyone just stands up anyway despite there being seats.