News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


Pompey Fail To Avert Winding Up Proceedings

Started by White Noise, February 10, 2010, 06:53:35 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

White Noise

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/10/portsmouth-administration-avram-grant


Portsmouth face administration as they fail to avert winding-up proceedings

Jamie Jackson at Fratton Park

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 February 2010


It never rains but it pours. Portsmouth manager, Avram Grant, was sent to the stands on the night the club's lawyers failed to prevent this morning's winding-up hearing. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Portsmouth could become the first Premier League club to enter administration today after talks between their lawyers and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs failed to avert this morning's winding-up petition in the high court. News of the unsuccessful negotiations emerged on a tumultuous evening which featured four red cards and a late equaliser for the home team in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

If a request from Portsmouth this morning to have an adjournment to prepare an appeal is not granted, the petition will be heard. The club could then be ordered to pay the outstanding £7.5m VAT bill to HMRC or have an administrator appointed, who will begin to settle with the club's creditors.

The Pompey manager, Avram Grant, who received a red card for approaching the referee to protest against a penalty decision, asked the high court to remember the unique role of a football club. "It's not a clear, normal business," he said. "It's not like an apartment that you buy without feelings. Here there are feelings, of players, fans, and also mine. The court needs to think it [also] belongs to 250,000 people. I think the club needs to stay alive – this is even more important than football." Regarding his sending off Grant said: "I told the referee it was not a penalty [when Matthew Kilgallon appeared to foul Aruna Dindane], that's all. I am a polite person."

Grant offered a wry appraisal of the referee, Kevin Friend.

"I think he doesn't see so clearly," he said. This was a reference to the award of a penalty for Ricardo Rocha's foul on Darren Bent and his subsequent attempt to send off Hassan Yebda before Rocha admitted he had committed the foul. Grant suggested decisions were going against his team because referees "have been affected" by the troubles at the club. Sunderland's Lee Cattermole and David Meyler were also sent off.

Tom

Does this mean that they will get docked ten points? If so they will be going down for sure.
Fulham for life!

BestOfBrede



Tom

Quote from: BestOfBrede on February 10, 2010, 08:07:31 AM
If they go bust we get deducted 6 points !!
What?  ???  Does that mean every team would get deducted whatever points they got against them?
Fulham for life!

mrska

Quote from: Tom on February 10, 2010, 08:19:51 AM
Quote from: BestOfBrede on February 10, 2010, 08:07:31 AM
If they go bust we get deducted 6 points !!
What?  ???  Does that mean every team would get deducted whatever points they got against them?


Yes  we'd lose  6 points...  but im sure they'll sort something...  but  it could just be a stay of execution

BestOfBrede

Yes - typical 1st time for yonks that we have beaten a team Home & Away and what happens?
They go bust !!

Fulhamish eh?


WhiteJC

Quote from: Tom on February 10, 2010, 07:17:47 AM
Does this mean that they will get docked ten points? If so they will be going down for sure.

if they go bust, they won't be playing anyone any more, any points gained against them will be removed from each teams total, i.e. we loose 6, and only 2 teams will be relegated.

Portsmouth will only loose 10 points if they go into administration, points won't matter to a club that doesn't exist, they'll become a modern day Acrington Stanley

finnster01

Going into administration and going bust are two completely different animals.
Pompey will not go bust, at least not until the season is over. The league just will not allow that to happen. In fact, they might loan the funds needed to stay afloat until season end. The league can't have a prem team go bust during the season for many reasons. One is a PR nightmare when they are trying to close out a billion pound media deal, but equally important is the integrity of the competition. It is not fair to have some teams play Pompey twice whilst others only played them once, regardless of docking points. It means some clubs would end up playing 37 instead of 38 games, what about teams suffering key injuries in Pompey matches? What about schedules? What about fatigue? Etc. I just don't see the club going bust mid season. Administration and 10 points deduction they will let happen to set an example, but bust, I don't believe that ever will happen.

Many examples of leagues bailing out clubs in other leagues until season end, last one being the Inverness Caledonian Thistle affair in Scotland
If you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you are most likely dead

cebu

Quote from: BestOfBrede on February 10, 2010, 08:40:47 AM
Yes - typical 1st time for yonks that we have beaten a team Home & Away and what happens?
They go bust !!

If that's how it works, we need to win at Anfield and Old Trafford!  :D


Logicalman

Quote from: finnster01 on February 10, 2010, 01:06:35 PM
Going into administration and going bust are two completely different animals.
Pompey will not go bust, at least not until the season is over. The league just will not allow that to happen. In fact, they might loan the funds needed to stay afloat until season end. The league can't have a prem team go bust during the season for many reasons. One is a PR nightmare when they are trying to close out a billion pound media deal, but equally important is the integrity of the competition. It is not fair to have some teams play Pompey twice whilst others only played them once, regardless of docking points. It means some clubs would end up playing 37 instead of 38 games, what about teams suffering key injuries in Pompey matches? What about schedules? What about fatigue? Etc. I just don't see the club going bust mid season. Administration and 10 points deduction they will let happen to set an example, but bust, I don't believe that ever will happen.

Many examples of leagues bailing out clubs in other leagues until season end, last one being the Inverness Caledonian Thistle affair in Scotland


I tend to agree with you there Mr. Finn, but won't the FA have spent all their money bailing out the cheats to ensure they don't even get a winding-up order issued?  Surely Brooking and his pals will look after their own first?   ha ha

Logicalman

#10
... in any case, they got another 7 day reprieve  http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/8505321.stm though it doesn't look too good ....


Portsmouth have been given a seven-day stay of execution after getting more time to fight a winding-up petition.

The club now has until 1600 GMT on 17 February to file a "statement of financial affairs" proving it will be able to pay its creditors.

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs had taken Portsmouth to court over an unpaid tax bill amounting to £7.4m.

If Pompey file the statement, the earliest the case could return to the High Court is Friday 19 February.

Court registrar Christine Derrett said she feared the company would continue to trade and build up more debts that would not be paid.

"I am very concerned about the financial status of this company," she said. "It seems to me there's a very real risk that this company is undoubtedly trading while it is insolvent.

"I'm obviously conscious that, by making a winding-up order, it would have very severe consequences not only for the company as a business but for the supporters themselves, but that's not a consideration that I strictly take into account."


Gregory Mitchell QC, who represented HMRC, said: "It's quite clear, beyond any doubt at all, that this company is insolvent.

"They have failed to provide any evidence at all as to their solvency. There are many debts and they are unpaid."

As well as the VAT bill Portsmouth is disputing with HMRC, it also owes £4.7m in unpaid PAYE and National Insurance which were not part of the court petition on Wednesday.

More to follow.