THE man holding the purse-strings at Fratton Park says it’s ‘touch and go’ whether Pompey will survive its second administration in two years.

Trevor Birch of accountancy firm PKF told a meeting of Pompey fans last night that the club only had enough money to survive until the middle of April.

It has accumulated debts of between £40m and £50m, which include old debt from the last time the club went into administration, in 2010, and around £8m which has been run up in the last two years.

And despite the club’s bank accounts being unfrozen, staff have still not been paid, redundancies have been announced and there have been cuts to working hours and players are due to be asked today to defer their wages until the end of the season.

Mr Birch said: ‘This is because the cash is going to run out quite quickly, by the middle of April.

‘At the moment it is going to be touch and go.

‘We’ve got very little income to play with.’

There is also a possibility, he added, that if Pompey are relegated again the Premier League could decide to ask all the Premiership teams whether the club should get the remainder of its parachute payments – the money it is paid when it is relegated from the top flight.

He also told fans he does not want to start selling the first round of 2012/2013 season tickets early.

He said: ‘What we’re reluctant to do is take money from supporters and then the worst-case scenario happens, the club is liquidated and the fans’ money is then used to pay for the administration.’

The future looks bleak, and Mr Birch said there is no potential buyer waiting in the wings to save the club.

But what began as a stark assessment of the precarious position the club is in turned into a talk of hope.

He said: ‘I can’t believe I am saying this, but my gut feeling is that we will be able to sell.’

Mr Birch was asked by fans about the land surrounding Fratton Park, which still belongs to former Pompey owner Sacha Gaydamak, and which became a ‘ransom strip’ during negotiations to save the club last time round in October 2010.

It is vital to the future of the club because any development of Fratton Park would need to use it.

Mr Gaydamak used the land – and a debt – as a bargaining chip as he and former Pompey owner Balram Chainrai were business rivals.

Mr Birch said: ‘That’s something we’re going to have to address pretty quickly to attract new owners.’

He added that negotiations between Mr Gaydamak and prospective owners could become easier, as Balram Chainrai is no longer the owner.

But Mr Birch said: ‘I haven’t had a conversation with [Mr Gaydamak’s people] about it yet.’

Fans were reassured when Mr Birch said it would be he who sets the selling price for the club, and not Mr Chainrai, who still holds a debenture – similar to a bank holding a mortgage – over the club.

And he added: ‘I’m an officer of the court and I can sell it for whatever I think it’s worth, whatever I can get for it.’

And when asked whether he would be prepared to address the fans again before the end of the season, he nodded and said: ‘I’ll do whatever people think is the right thing for me to do.’

The meeting was held in a cold Victory Lounge, though the administrator got a warm reception from fans when he arrived shortly before 7pm.

Mr Birch was accompanied by joint administrator Bryan Jackson,

The pair were given a round of applause by fans at the end of the meeting, and stayed to speak directly to those who attended the meeting and had extra questions.

Fans’ favourite Erik Huseklepp will today join Birmingham on loan for the rest of the season.

Pompey are moving their top goalscorer off the books in a bid to slash their wage bill.

The Norwegian international was informed of the move yesterday by then-chief executive David Lampitt.

The News understands the developments came as a shock to Huseklepp, who had not asked to leave Fratton Park.

He is now travelling to the midlands for training with his new team-mates.

The deal will be for three months, taking Huseklepp until the season’s end, with a view to a permanent switch.

A BUYOUT of Pompey by its fans would be taken seriously, said its new administrator.

At a meeting which he described as ‘positive’, Trevor Birch also said he would encourage any prospective private buyer of the club to engage with fans’ groups.

He gave Premier League club Swansea City as an example of a successful club run in part by its fans.

The Pompey fans at Fratton Park’s Victory Lounge last night were unanimous in declaring Mr Birch and Bryan Jackson ‘refreshing’ in terms of their approach to fans.

Pompey Supporters’ Trust chairman Ashley Brown said: ‘It’s a big job to be done and we’re still in a lot of trouble, but what we have now is an administrator who is honest and well qualified to get the club out of this trouble.’

The trust’s Mick Williams added: ‘The man’s got football experience and that’s what we need.’

Colin Farmery, who runs fansonline.net, said: ‘If anyone can get to the bottom of what’s gone on at Pompey, and sell the club, Trevor Birch can.’

]]> 1.3550524 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:07:37 +0000 http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/csi_is_out_of_the_frame_says_birch_1_3550522

POMPEY administrator Trevor Birch last night firmly ruled out a return for owner Vladimir Antonov.

Mr Antonov is due to stand trial on charges of bank fraud, and his assets were frozen by the Lithuanian government after an international arrest warrant was issued for him.

After this, funding for his firm Convers Sports Initiatives was stopped, and in turn the cashflow to Pompey dried up.

He recently posted on his Facebook social networking page a statement that implied he wanted to make a return.

It said: ‘This people just robbed me and my family! And I’m going to prove it!

‘If I’ll get a compensation from them after legal battle I’ll invest to Pompey again! One way or another!

‘Anyway Pompey in my heart forever!’

Fans raised the issue at yesterday’s conference. CSI and Mr Antonov were supposed to be the owners who took Pompey into a new era of financial prudence, openness and success on the pitch.

But instead the club has been sliding headfirst into administration since CSI was itself deemed insolvent at the end of last year.

Mr Birch said: ‘There’s not a cat in hell’s chance of him coming back.

‘The company he invested in, CSI, is still in administration.’

Mr Antonov also seemed to imply that any money owed by Pompey to CSI’s creditors would be reduced to zero in order to save the club.

He said: ‘If CSI creditors is a problem for PFC future, I can assure you that all of them will sign full write off their debt to ZERO to save our club.

‘If you all think that we were a problem then my apologise to all and we are fully ready to convert our debt to an equity with ZERO financial interest!’

Portsmouth Football Club – the first to fall.

As misfortune would have it, they were also the second to take a tumble.

Yet many others are waiting in the wings while the Blues continue to dominate the stage.

According to Trevor Birch, the demise of Pompey reflects ‘fragile’ club models which are becoming common place in football.

The high-deficit approach is everywhere.

Chelsea, Manchester City and QPR are just some also relying on benefactors to continue plugging debt abysses.

It is a lack of self-sufficiency which, ultimately, has cost Pompey dear – twice.

First came Sacha Gaydamak, heralding in the spiralling debts which eventually saw the club enter administration.

Then arrived Convers Sports Initiatives, resulting in the Blues entering administration for a second time in two years.

These remain depressing times for Pompey fans as they seek a sixth different owner since August 2009.

Other clubs, though, operate the same policy which has led to such a scenario.

And, according to Birch, these remain just as susceptible.

The Blues’ administrator said: ‘It is difficult to make a definitive statement (about what has gone wrong) because I am only talking subjectively from what I have seen from the outside.

‘But, undoubtedly, the fragile nature of the ownership structure seems to have caused the club problems.

‘When you are running a high-deficit model, which they (Pompey) have done, it is totally reliant on the strength and stability of those owners.

‘That seems to have been a bit fragile.

‘You have to have somebody who is continually pumping money in on a guaranteed basis and it doesn’t seem to have had that.

‘It always seems to have been robbing Peter to pay Paul in the way it has been run.

‘You cannot just say it is here. Look at other clubs running high-deficits using the benefactor model.

‘Chelsea and Manchester City, you could say, if those owners walked away they would be in a different position.

‘These guys go and that’s it. If an equivalent funder doesn’t come in then the actual basic business model doesn’t work.

‘So you will have a liability rather than asset which is going to lose you X number of money a year.

‘That, in my opinion, is the unstable nature of football at the moment.

‘We have the greatest league in the world in the Premier League but you could say there is an encouraged instability and it is not self-sustainable.

‘It is reliant on these mega benefactors.

‘Which is why Uefa and the authorities are trying to bring prevention in by way of the Financial Fair Play regulations.

‘Rather than cure it, it is about prevention.

‘If you have to break even then maybe clubs don’t get into this situation. It has to be a level playing field.’

The Financial Fair Play regulations take effect in 2013 and permit losses of up to £37.5m over a two-year period, with the aim of eventually breaking even.

In a recent report among Europe’s top clubs, 78 had spent more than their entire income on wages.

One of which came from the Premier League in Manchester City, recording a loss of £121m.

And Birch believes such a high-deficit approach adopted by them and, to a lesser degree Pompey, is perceived as generating an unfair playing field.

He added: ‘The reason why you get a 10-point deduction for administration is not because you have put the club into debt and people haven’t been paid.

‘It’s the fact you have been able to pay players more, therefore getting better players and distorting the transfer market by inflating transfers.

‘Therefore, the performance on the pitch has been distorted.

‘The punishment is not about good husbandry or good housekeeping, it is about keeping a level playing field in terms of competition.

‘At the other end of the spectrum, where is the difference with the owner putting money in the team?

‘What that also does is distort the playing field, but there are no sanction against that so that’s why they are trying to bring in Financial Fair Play.

‘The 10-point deduction is about penalising those clubs trying to compete against major benefactors.

‘Otherwise, the natural position of some clubs – if they didn’t over-extend themselves – might be in the lower league.’

THERE are two things which are needed to save Pompey.

The first is a new buyer, and the second is the club’s fans.

Administrator Trevor Birch made no bones about telling fans that the future of the club lies in their hands.

Talking to The News after yesterday’s Fans’ Conference at Fratton Park he said: ‘We have run out of cash.

‘We need to get extra income from fans.

‘We have six home games in five weeks and we need the fans to go along and support their club.

‘We’re facing a huge task and this club may yet be squeezed into liquidation.’

The administrators and the club are hoping that each home game will now attract a sell-out crowd, beginning with the Leeds match on Saturday.

Mr Birch was keen to stress to fans in the meeting yesterday that every penny spent on buying tickets to Pompey’s matches will go straight back to the club.

There had been a perception that money spent by fans would somehow get into the pockets of former owner Balram Chainrai or former administrator Andrew Andronikou from UHY Hacker Young.

‘Every penny will go into the running of the club,’ stressed Mr Birch.

He has urged fans, staff and players to adopt a ‘siege mentality’ to get them through to the end of the season.

The Pompey Supporters’ Trust has already been urging fans to Pack the Park and sell-out home games in order to help the club survive.

PST chairman Ashley Brown last night welcomed Mr Birch’s comments about fans needing to get behind their club.

He said: ‘I think Trevor made it very clear that any money that comes into the football club stays in the football club and helps them run it between now and the end of the season.

‘There now should be no excuse for people not to come along and support their football club.

‘I think most people here at the meeting trust what Trevor is saying - the money doesn’t go to Chainrai or Andronikou - so my message to them is to come back and support the club.’

David Norris is targeting a Pompey return within the next fortnight.

The midfielder hasn’t kicked a ball since being sent off against West Ham.

He was subsequently banned for three matches for that dismissal.

It was a period the Blues used to send him to a surgeon to resolve a double hernia problem.

Norris has now missed the past six matches at a time when Pompey’s paper-thin squad is ravaged by injury,

But the summer signing believes he could be back in the next two weeks to boost Michael Appleton’s options.

He said: ‘It’s getting there, I’m looking at a couple of weeks.

‘It was a bit slow at first but is now getting a bit better day-by-day.

‘I am outside, I am running, twisting and turning a little bit with the ball.

‘I’ve got sprinting, checking and more ball work to do – then I’ll need a week’s training with the boys as well.

‘That is what will be expected of me and hopefully I’ll be okay in a couple of weeks.

‘I’m feeling stronger and my fitness will obviously need topping up but I am getting closer now.’

Norris was given a red card following a challenge on Winston Reid on January 14.

Since then Pompey have picked up four points from a possible 16.

In addition, the 10-point deduction for entering administration has plunged them into a relegation battle.

Along with Luke Varney, Norris has been a frustrated spectator during that time.

Varney, who suffered a medial knee ligament injury back in December, is also feeling his way back to fitness.

And Norris is desperate to get out playing with his team-mates again.

He added: ‘It has been so frustrating not being able to join the lads during an important time.

‘It wasn’t a straight-forward hernia operation because when I went into it I wasn’t in the best of shape.

‘Still, your body will let you know when you are ready and we will see how it goes.’

POMPEY host Leeds at Fratton Park on Saturday.

Michael Appleton’s men will be looking for three points to boost their bid for Championship survival.

Defeat at Barnsley last weekend coupled with the points deduction has piled on the pressure.

Liam Lawrence is expected to miss the game, with his latest calf problem.

The Blues skipper is targeting the Middlesbrough match on March 3 for his return.

Kelvin Etuhu, Luke Varney and David Norris are all injured while Kanu and Greg Halford are also struggling.

Appleton will, though, be able to call on West Brom man George Thorne, who is confident he will get better and better with match time at Pompey.

In attack, following Dave Kitson’s red card at Barnsley, Marko Futacs and Erik Huseklepp may be tasked with carrying the goal threat.

But can Pompey triumph in adversity and see off Neil Warnock’s Leeds?

Post your thoughts below.

]]> 1.3549535 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:13 +0000 http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/live_updates_pompey_supporters_groups_meet_trevor_birch_1_3549445

Join The News for live updates of Pompey administrator Trevor Birch’s question and answer session with supporters’ groups.

We’ll bring you the question and answer session as it happens. Sheanne Mulholland will be your host from 6.55pm.

{http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/news-special|Join the administrator Q&A from Fratton Park}

Pompey have once again found themselves in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

But Friday, 17 February, 2012, may just be a landmark date for the right ones.

The Blues’ official descent into administration has again put the club at the top of the sports news agenda.

Round-the-clock news channels have been majoring on the development, Pompey have found themselves the focus of angry column inches and radio stations have been lamenting that joke of a south coast club, and questioning how it again finds itself in such trouble.

It’s nothing we’ve not heard before, of course, and nothing that wasn’t expected.

It seems a little information can be a dangerous thing when it comes to having an opinion of how the club came to be in its current predicament.

What did arrive as a brilliant bolt from the royal blue, however, was news from the High Court on the identity of the club’s latest administrator.

Yes, step forward and take a bow Mr Justice Alastair Norris, because his decision not to appoint Andrew Andronikou’s UHY Hacker Young in the position may be the best news the club has heard in a long time.

The decision to instead opt for Trevor Birch’s PKF has been greeted with real enthusiasm from the Fratton faithful.

Why? Because it would appear to break the link between debenture holder Balram Chainrai and the club’s administrators.

Pompey fans had been quick to air their concerns about the close proximity between the pair – a view echoed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

They believed UHY’s appointment, given the fact they oversaw the club’s last administration and that of parent company Convers Sports Initiatives, would not be correct.

The fact Chainrai offered £500,000 to Pompey to approve the administrator spoke of his desperation for control, as he seeks to recoup his £17m.

It didn’t happen, and instead we have seen Birch and Co arrive, as UHY packed up their briefcases and got out of PO4.

But it appears the man dubbed ‘Admin Andy’ by fans is leaving kicking and screaming after making his own complaints to accountancy authorities over PKF’s appointment.

Despite that, we hope and expect now for a fresh impetus at Fratton Park, one which alleviates fans’ fears of any kind of favouritism towards certain creditors.

And, to coin the popular phrase around these parts, the due diligence on Birch has unearthed plenty of reasons for Pompey fans to be cheerful. A credible football man with a long background in the game is arriving.

Birch has history as a player on the pitch and, off it, was credited with bringing Roman Abramovich to Stamford Bridge as Chelsea chief executive.

There’s no doubt the 54-year-old will have some horrible decisions to make in the coming days and weeks, but supporters will have the belief they are being made in the best interests of the club they love.

In the meantime, they will have to deal with more of the nonsense we’ve been hearing about punishments which should be meted to Pompey.

Most of the bad guys have long since left town, but that has not stopped the calls for death sentences to be handed out.

The fact it would be the victims who have already been looted and abused in the hangman’s noose, seems to be of little consequence to those baying for blood.

POMPEY’S administrator Trevor Birch says the situation at Fratton Park is ‘more serious’ than expected.

Mr Birch, a partner at PKF Accountants & business advisers and joint administrator of Portsmouth Football Club, said the club could run out of money in the next couple of months if drastic decisions are not taken.

These include today’s announcement that several staff have lost their jobs, including chief executive David Lampitt.

Mr Birch today made the following statement: ‘We have had no choice but to take the difficult decision to make a number of redundancies across all levels and departments within Portsmouth Football Club.

‘Additionally, we are asking certain employees to defer wages on an ongoing basis and are asking several members of staff to move from a full-time to a part-time role.

‘These measures are painful for everyone involved with the club, but they are essential for Portsmouth’s survival, which is our main objective.

‘They are in no way a reflection of the performance of the club’s hard-working staff, who have remained loyal and supportive throughout this difficult time.

‘Our initial analysis of the club’s financial position has revealed that the situation is more serious than many people had expected.

‘We have been brought in to try to rescue a business with significant financial problems. To put it bluntly, Portsmouth Football Club has a Premier League cost base but only Championship income. This is not a sustainable situation and one that needs to be addressed urgently if the club is to continue to exist.

‘As things stand, there is a serious risk that the club could run out of cash within the next couple of months. I recognise that this is not the news that anyone wants to hear but burying our heads in the sand will not help anyone.

‘Today’s redundancies will make a difference to the club’s financial position but there are sure to be further challenges ahead of us.

‘Portsmouth’s survival depends on us being able to find a buyer for the club before the money runs out.

‘This is a great club with a proud history. We will continue to do all we can to secure a long-term future for Portsmouth Football Club. I hope that with the support of the staff, players, supporters and the wider community we can achieve this aim.

‘Portsmouth needs the support of as many people as possible over the next few weeks and months. There are six home games coming up in the next five weeks so let’s make every single one a sell out – starting with Leeds on Saturday.

‘With this in mind, we have already started speaking to the supporters’ groups and are meeting with fans tonight.’

]]> 1.3549363 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:38:21 +0000 http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lampitt_leaves_pompey_1_3549105

Pompey’s chief executive David Lampitt has left the club.

The move comes six days after Pompey were placed into administration by the High Court.

Staff were told this afternoon that Mr Lampitt had left along with his fellow board members John Redgate and Nick Byrom.

IN total 30 people have been made redundant.

Remaining members of staff were today also learning of their fate as administrator Trevor Birch looks to cut costs.

They were told by e-mail last night to turn up to Fratton Park today to discover their futures.

In today’s News, Birch had warned ‘sacrifices’ would have to be made to ensure the club survived to the end of the season.

A staff member today said: ‘It was a bit of a shock when we were told by David he was leaving.

‘A lot of other staff are worried about their jobs. It is an awful time for everyone at the club.’

The departure comes Mr Lampitt’s belief that he would survive the club’s second administration in three years.

After talks with administrator Trevor Birch following the High Court case last Friday, he said: ‘I absolutely see my long-term future being with Portsmouth Football Club, to get the club to where we are today after what happened in 2010 and with everything that has been going on in the background recently is quite an achievement.’

Bill Gillon, from Pompey On Line, said: ‘It’s unfortunate, but it’s not a surprise.

‘The club needs to cut costs and Lampitt is probably one of the highest earners outside of play, so for that reason he would always be one of the first to be looked at along with the other directors.

‘He has done a decent enough job at the club under difficult circumstances, but it needs to cut costs and this is the sort of thing that will happen.’

Bob Beech, from SOS Pompey, said: ‘I’m not surprised, it’s just one of those things. I think as soon the club went into administration there was no need for a CEO because effectively Trevor Birch is running the club now.

‘I’ve had a few run-ins with Lampitt in the past but every time I’ve met him he’s been a thoroughly professional bloke.

‘There was probably a few mistakes that these three directors made, and I’m sure they’d be the first to admit that, so it’s inevitable that new directors would be brought in to help the club move forward into the future.

‘I wish them all well in whatever endeavours they go into.’

Clerk’s Choice is gearing up for an assault on the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell.

But trainer Oliver Sherwood has admitted his hopes rest in the lap of the weather gods.

Any rain between now and Sunday’s feature contest would end the 150-rated hurdler’s tilt at Grade 2 glory.

Sherwood has been starved of opportunities to unleash his string in recent weeks.

The big freeze and heavy rain has left his talents kicking their heels in their boxes.

But after impressing on the all-weather and at home in Lambourn, Sherwood is increasingly keen to let his six-year-old loose.

‘He is in great, great order and we are ready to go,’ said the Rhonehurst trainer.

‘He is one of a whole heap of horses here who want decent ground – not the heavy ground we’ve had. That would be the only worry for us.

‘He needs decent ground, so we are hoping things dry up before the weekend.

‘If it is soft, he won’t run but if it is dry ground and all is well, he will definitely run.’

The defection of Clerk’s Choice – sixth in last season’s Champion Hurdle – would come as a major blow to Fontwell, too.

The son of Bachelor Duke was the biggest name among the 15 horses who were this week declared for the contest.

Last year’s champion Celestial Halo will not defend his crown after finishing second behind a coasting Binocular in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton last weekend.

Meanwhile, Smad Place looks set to go straight to the World Hurdle following his superb second to Bourne at Ascot on Saturday.

Early forecasts are encouraging, though, as cloudy but dry weather is set to continue until Sunday’s meeting.

And that would give Sherwood the green light to break new ground with Clerk’s Choice, who joined him from Michael Banks in December.

Formerly rated 85 on the flat, the bay gelding has yet to tackle a trip in excess of two miles and one furlong.

Fontwell’s National Spirit Hurdle is run over two-and-a-half miles, a step up in distance of three furlongs.

Sherwood insists it is a move Clerk’s Choice has been crying out for, though.

And having clashed with stellar hurdlers Hurricane Fly, Binocular, Grandouet and Menorah in four of his past five outings, it could take the pressure off.

‘It is a step up in trip for him, which I think he needs,’ said the trainer.

‘It may make life a little easier as he has come up against some serious horses at two miles.

‘He has bumped into the likes of Binocular and Hurricane Fly, so he hasn’t had it easy.’

Clerk’s Choice has failed to hit the target in his three outings under the tutelage of Sherwood.

But the trainer saw plenty of positives in his fourth in a jumpers’ bumper at Kempton earlier this month.

‘He was a bit disappointing early on this season but he ran a good race on the all-weather the other day,’ said Sherwood. ‘I was happy with that, especially the way he finished his race. It’s the first time he has run a proper race.’

The National Spirit Hurdle (3.40pm) is the feature contest on a seven-race card at Fontwell on Sunday. The first race goes to post at 2.05pm.

Liam Lawrence is aiming to pick up where he left off as he battles to recover from his latest injury setback.

The Pompey skipper has suffered a recurrence of the calf problem which has dogged him for the past year.

Cruelly, his latest blow has occurred after returning to top form.

A total of 11 consecutive starts – latterly as a central midfielder – have allowed Lawrence to steadily recapture the performances which won him the hearts of Pompey fans upon his arrival.

But injury against Ipswich has once more dragged him into the treatment room.

The 30-year-old is now targeting a comeback against Middlesbrough on March 3, ruling him out of just one more match.

And upon his return he is confident he can continue his impressive run of form before injury struck.

He said: ‘It is a three or four centimetre tear down the calf again.

‘It’s disappointing because I was starting to play well and just getting used to it in the middle of the park.

‘With the situation as well – with us needing as many players as we can – it has all happened at once.

‘I felt as though I was getting back to my best, I just needed a goal or two.

‘I’m sure I will get there again, I always said when I finally get a run of games I will be fine – that will just need to happen again.

‘Against Ipswich I went into a tackle and felt a sharp pain.

‘Straight away I thought “oh no, please don’t be the same calf” – it was.

‘It’s exactly the same leg and it’s the third or fourth time in a year I have done this.

‘I will just have to work extra hard in the gym and get it stronger and stronger.

‘There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, because before that I was getting back to my best and I will get there again.

‘I know sometimes I am awful when I come back after an injury.

‘I find it hard to start playing well again but I am still a decent player.’

The calf problem initially restricted Lawrence to just four starts in the final 15 matches of last season.

It flared up once more during pre-season, while he was ruled out of five matches from November.

Since then he has had a settled run in the team and his performances have improved as a result.

Now he is seeking a return within a fortnight.

He added: ‘If you look back on my injury sheet, you will see I’ve had a couple of ankle problems, one knee problem but never had a real problem with muscles.

‘This last year I just can’t believe it, it has been one pull after another on the calf.

‘Hopefully, I will be back for Middlesbrough.

‘Fingers crossed because that is another big game for us.

‘This time it is only two weeks out.

‘Last time was four weeks, the time before that was longer, so it appears to be improving.’

Ten man Hawks’ brave rearguard action failed to bring any reward as Welling United scored three times in the final five minutes to take a crucial 3-1 victory.

Perry Ryan gave the visitors a second minute lead before Scott Jones was sent off on the stroke of half-time.,

It was a brave effort from the Hawks and they deserved more than a third consecutive Blue Square Bet South defeat.

The Hawks made one change from the side that lost 3-1 at Chelmsford, with Ollie Palmer coming in up front and Chris Arthur slotting in at left-back in place of Jon McDonald who dropped to the bench.

And the visitors made a dream start with a goal after just two minutes.

Steve Ramsey curled in a pin-point free-kick from the right and Ryan rose unmarked to thump home a header from 10 yards.

The visitors were looking up for it and another strong burst from Arthur on the left gave Welling problems.

The Hawks had a let-off, however, on eight minutes – Ben Greenhalgh raced to the byline and his deft chip from a tight angle bounced clear off the crossbar.

Soon afterwards Greenhalgh got to the byline again but Lyall Beazley in the Hawks goal cut out his high cross.

Jones then found himself in trouble for a late challenge on Loui Fazakerley and earned a booking.

The Hawks were working hard, closing Welling down quickly and giving them little time to settle on the ball.

Ryan Woodford was in commanding form at the back, winning a series of clearing headers.

Beazley had to back track quickly to catch the ball under his crossbar after Scott Kinch lobbed the ball in.

The Hawks were looking solid at the back, with Jake Newton producing a number of superbly timed tackles.

As the half progressed, the home fans increasingly called upon the officials to penalise the visiting players, accusing them of diving.

Eventually this had its effect when Jones, bursting over halfway, was adjudged to have dived under pressure and picked up a second booking which saw him sent off.

The Hawks found themselves pinned back at the start of the second half as Welling attacked them down the slope.

The game became increasingly hostile and the two sides squared up to each other after Pires dived in on Beazley.

The Hawks keeper then did well to turn a low Pires drive against the post and behind for a corner.

When the away side broke out, Ramsey went close to extending their lead with a quickly taken shot from the edge of the box, which home keeper Craig Holloway almost let slip away.

Beazley produced a fabulous point-blank save to divert a Pires effort from three yards over the top.

And from the resulting corner Ramsey cleared off the line as the Hawks continued their brave resistance.

Just when it looked as though the Hawks were set to pick up a deserved win, it all fell apart in the final five minutes as the home side scored three times.

First, Pires went down under a Pearce challenge, resulting in a penalty.

Beazley pushed out Clarke’s spot-kick but Harry Baker knocked in the rebound.

Welling attacked from the restart and when the ball was turned across to Greehalgh he fired a shot just inside the upright.

Almost immediately, Greenhalgh got away and crossed for Luis Cumbers to touch in from three yards and seal the points.

Welling: Holloway, Fazakerley, Obersteller, Sambrook, Acheampong, Martin, Cracknell, Clarke, Cumbers, Greenhalgh, Pires. Subs: Baker, Flack, Kensington, Cullum, Kinch.

Hawks: Beazley, Newton, Arthur, Hinshelwood, Woodford, Pearce, Igoe, Ramsey, Jones, Palmer, Ryan. Subs: McDonald, Hopkinson, Fenelon, Holland.

Referee: Mr C Brook

In times of adversity, you find out much about your character.

So a lot is going to be revealed about the fibre of the smallest squad in the Football League over the final 15 games of the campaign.

The signs are the men within Blues boss Michael Appleton’s depleted ranks are prepared to come out fighting after the club went into administration last week.

They are still waiting for their wages to be paid and, in theory, could have demanded to be released from their contracts over non payment.

But the attitude has been one of unity in adversity, with fans and staff finding a resolve and fighting spirit in tough times.

Pompey striker Marko Futacs admitted he is fully aware he and his team-mates have embarked on a testing journey.

That was underlined by the decimated squad which travelled north to Barnsley on Saturday.

Appleton had just nine fit senior outfield players to pick from before former loanee George Thorne was recruited on emergency loan from West Brom on Saturday.

It’s clear it’s going to be a testing and treacherous road.

The 10-point deduction and weekend loss underlined that as Pompey fell into the Championship’s bottom three for the first time this season.

But Hungarian Futacs believes he can face those challenges head on – and learn from them.

And coming through the storm and surviving in the Championship will stand him in good stead for the rest of his playing days.

The 21-year-old is convinced – even with 10 points being deducted and the huge problems Pompey face – the club will be celebrating survival on April 28.

‘If I get through to the summer, it will be a big positive,’ said Futacs.

‘I can learn so much from these two or three months.

‘There’s going to be some tough times.

‘But if I can do well it will be good for me for the next five or 10 years of my career.

‘After getting 10 points taken from us, the most important thing is to stay in the division.

‘We are going to do our all for that.

‘We have a small squad but we are going to stay together. We can easily stay in this division.’

Futacs has been encouraged by his link-up play with Erik Huseklepp in recent games.

Appleton opted to use Huseklepp in a withdrawn role at Peterborough and the Norwegian international revelled in the position in the 3-0 win.

There has been signs of promise since between the pair – especially in the 1-1 draw at Blackpool, where the former Bari ace carved out a host of chances.

The partnership was broken up at Barnsley, with injuries forcing Appleton into a reshuffle.

But Dave Kitson’s dismissal in that game increases the chances of the strike pair teaming up once more for the visit of Leeds United on Saturday.

Futacs believes the duo have what it takes to score the goals to keep Pompey afloat.

He said: ‘It has worked very well for us.

‘We saw that against Peterborough and against Blackpool.

‘It was really good and I think it can carry on.

‘Maybe it wasn’t so good against Ipswich but I think it can be better against Leeds.

‘To play like that in our first game against Peterborough – I think it will work.

‘If we are going to play that way more and more, we will get better and better.

‘I think we can win more games that way.’

POMPEY supporters are preparing to make a bid for a financial stake in the club after the new administrator voiced his support.

Trevor Birch revealed that fan involvement was ‘definitely an option’ following a private meeting on Monday with the chairman of the Pompey Supporters’ Trust.

It comes as the trust surveys supporters to see how much they could contribute towards a bid.

Mr Birch, who will host a fans’ forum at Fratton Park tonight, said: ‘We are going to speak to them and I think that has to be looked at as a real opportunity.

‘Maybe there is a mood to say that if the Supporters’ Trust owns the club then there is a sense of renewal and a new start.

‘That could be potentially attractive to people.

‘You can have a mega benefactor – but then we have seen how unstable that model is and certainly has been at this football club.’

He said the Fratton Park crowd could also entice potential investors.

‘If you are going to buy a football club then Portsmouth I think would be one of the clubs you would look at,’ he said.

‘If they came on Saturday against Leeds hopefully it is going to be a super atmosphere and it can influence people. The fans have a big part to play in that.

‘Nobody has come forward yet. There are people I am aware of who are interested, but have not yet had meetings with them.

‘There will be somebody, I am sure, just by the very nature of football and this football club. People will be interested.’

Trust chairman Ashley Brown said they were finally in a position to find out what would be needed for a serious bid and confirmed they are talking to a number of wealthy people who could back them.

‘We spent weeks trying to get any information at all out of the last administrators,’ he said.

‘Mr Birch met us on his first full day in the job, which shows a plain difference.’

The Pompey Supporters’ Trust has contacted around 5,000 people signed up to the pompeys12thman website to ask them what level of involvement in the club’s future they think fans should have – and how much they would be willing to donate towards community ownership.

Trust spokesman Scott Mclachlan said they were hoping to receive around 1,500 responses to the survey.

‘If we can get that many people to respond then we can get an idea of how many fans want to get involved,’ he said.

Conservative city councillor and Pompey fan Steve Wemyss said he would put in £1,000 and called on all supporters who could afford it to ‘stand up and be counted’.

Tonight, fans groups will meet Mr Birch to ask questions at the Victory Lounge in Fratton Park at 7pm.

POMPEY’S administrator has cast doubt on Balram Chainrai’s financial hold over the club.

Trevor Birch said there could potentially be ‘doubts’ surrounding some aspects of a £17m debt – called a debenture – held by the Hong Kong businessman’s company Portpin.

He voiced his concern as former administrator Andrew Andronikou made a complaint to Institute of Chartered Accountants over his appointment, claiming he should not have been given the role due to a conflict of interest.

Discussing the debenture Mr Birch said: ‘That will be reviewed by me for its validity. We’ll have lawyers that will look at it and examine the transactions and we will see where it goes from there. There are aspects of it which might raise doubts.’

Mr Birch’s firm, PKF, advised on the takeover of Portsmouth in June by CSI and carried out due diligence before it bought the club. The firm was then appointed auditor to Portsmouth and submitted an invoice of £20,000 to the club for that work. But in the High Court a judge considered the issue and decided there was no conflict of interest.

‘HMRC approached me to be Portsmouth’s administrator,’ Mr Birch said. ‘We are satisfied there is no conflict and now want to do our best to sort out the problems at the club.’

George Thorne insists Pompey will see the best of him as he rediscovers his match sharpness.

The West Brom midfielder rejoined the Blues on a 28-day loan ahead of last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Barnsley but admitted he felt sluggish in his first game back.

It was not a huge surprise that he was a bit rusty after a spell of inactivity following his recall from Fratton Park before Christmas to cover an injury crisis at The Hawthorns.

But now Thorne has returned, he is keen to play a key role for the rest of the campaign.

Thorne said: ‘My fitness is lacking a little bit. My last competitive game was about three weeks ago before the Barnsley game.

‘It takes any player one or two games to get their match sharpness again but I’m looking forward to hopefully staying for the rest of the season.

‘With the Football League, you have to take it 28 days at a time and it will be reviewed after that time.’

Thorne returned to West Brom straight after the south coast derby clash with Southampton ended in a 1-1 draw.

And he admitted that it was tough to leave after such an intense experience.

He explained: ‘It was tough to go back then. It was a topsy-turvy situation.

‘I was just getting into my stride for Pompey.

‘We had a string of good results and I was feeling confident.

‘We had a great few results just before, one of them being Southampton, in a local derby.

‘To get the call to go back was sort of from a positive to negative.

‘But that’s part and parcel of football and you just have to get on with it.

‘As a young lad, I didn’t know if I was going back to play or just to be cover.

‘But that’s football. I’m a West Bromwich Albion player, you’ve always got to be ready for that.

‘Fortunately, we had a few players back fit, so I was able to come out to join Portsmouth again.’

Hawks manager Shaun Gale has been given the green light to bring in reinforcements as they look to avoid being dragged into a Blue Square Bet South relegation dogfight.

Chairman Derek Pope has made the funds available as the Hawks face a difficult visit to top-four Welling United tonight (7.45pm).

The 3-2 defeat by Chelmsford City at the weekend saw the Hawks drop down to 17th, just six points above the drop-zone, prompting a need for action.

Gale admits his side need to pick up points sooner rather than later.

And the boss feels he needs to try and inject greater experience into his squad.

‘I have been on the phone all weekend trying to bring a couple of players in,’ said Gale.

‘It might not happen in time for the game at Welling.

‘But in our situation we need to have a couple of experienced heads to see us through.

‘We are a very young side and our inexperience and naivety is costing us at times.

‘I can’t knock the enthusiasm, effort and work-rate from them but there is a lot of pressure on young shoulders.

‘If we can get a couple more experienced players in alongside them it could make all the difference.

‘I may need to freshen things up a little at Welling anyway.’

At Chelmsford the Hawks played with Scott Jones as the lone striker in the first half and the move failed to pay off.

The horrendous weather conditions didn’t help but Jones found himself isolated and outnumbered whenever the ball was played into him.

Gale changed the system after the break, putting Ollie Palmer alongside Jones and Craig Braham-Barrett in behind the front two.

That gave the Hawks a greater threat. And if the manager is unable to bring in any new faces in time, he may consider something along similar lines at Welling.

Braham-Barrett, who has found himself out of favour in recent weeks, would relish the chance to play against one of his former clubs.

Gale also has Bobby Hopkinson available in midfield after serving his three-match suspension, although Perry Ryan is a doubt with a badly swollen ankle.

Jones could also be ruled out of the equation by recurring groin problems.

‘It is all about results now,’ said Gale. ‘We have to grind out a few results to get us out of this situation.

‘There is still a six-point gap between us and the bottom sides and we have to make sure that doesn’t close.

‘There are still plenty of points left to play for and I am looking for us to kick on and finish in a positive fashion.

‘The players know what they have to do and it is a case of them putting it into practice.

‘We have got two more tough away games this week and must look to pick up points from them, starting at Welling.

‘If we can dig deep and get a couple of results it will boost our confidence and change the whole picture.’

Hawks: Beazley, Newton, Woodford, Pearce, Holland, McDonald, Ryan, Hinshelwood, Igoe, Ramsey, Palmer, Arthur, Jones, Braham-Barrett, Whyte, Geteski, Thompson

Michael Appleton fears none of his walking wounded will be back for Pompey’s crunch clash at Leeds on Saturday.

The Blues boss had six players missing through injury for last weekend’s trip to Barnsley.

It meant he could name only three substitutes for the 2-0 Oakwell defeat.

The outlook continues to be bleak for Appleton, who doesn’t believe that crippling casualty list will ease ahead of Leeds’ Fratton Park visit.

Luke Varney (knee), Liam Lawrence (calf), David Norris (double hernia) and Kelvin Etuhu (hamstring) are all definitely out, with Lawrence revealing last night at The News’ Sports Awards that he is targeting a return against Middlesbrough on March 3.

Meanwhile, Kanu (back) and Greg Halford (knee) are struggling for fitness.

In addition, Dave Kitson will be absent as he serves a one-match ban following his sending off at Barnsley.

And Appleton doesn’t hold much hope of the situation improving.

He said: ‘As it is, I don’t think any of them will be back for Leeds.

‘The closest we’d possibly get would be Greg – and he failed a fitness test on Saturday.

‘He has a knee ligament injury and as soon as he opens his foot up and looks to pass the ball he is still feeling it slightly.

‘We are getting somewhere with him and he is not in as much pain as he was in previous weeks. But he is not going to be ready for next weekend.

‘Luke (Varney) is injured. Some of the rumours going round (about his absence), I have never heard such complete tripe in my life.

‘He has a medial knee ligament injury. Anyone who has had that type of injury knows how sore they can be at times.

‘As for Liam, believe it or not, someone rang the football club after they had seen my press conference (on Thursday).

‘They said they would do his scan for nothing, until we are in a position where we can pay for it. We were able to get him scanned on Friday night.’

Joel Ward also sparked an injury scare against the Tykes following a challenge by Andy Gray shortly before half-time.

It was a challenge which left a gash on his leg, requiring stitches. But the youngster carried on playing, much to the pleasure of his manager.

Appleton added: ‘Joel has a gash on his leg which needs a stitch.

‘He would possibly have gone off but we were in a position where we had to ask him to carry on – and I thought he equipped himself quite well, to be fair.

‘We had no other options. We had Benji there but couldn’t ask him to do a shift on the right-hand side when he has not played much over the last couple of months.

‘It would also have been harsh to throw young Adam (Webster) into such a situation.

‘We have a few people carrying knocks in terms of Tal (Ben Haim) and Ricardo (Rocha).

‘Aaron Mokoena’s hamstring is also a bit sore.

‘We’ll just look how we are during the week.’

Trevor Birch has described talks with the Football League as ‘not totally encouraging’ as he seeks permission to bring more players to Pompey.

The Blues’ administrator approached League chiefs yesterday in an attempt to bolster Michael Appleton’s paper-thin squad.

Pompey currently have just 14 fit first-team players with one of those – Dave Kitson – suspended for this weekend’s visit of Leeds.

More discussions are planned today as Birch strives to persuade the Football League to give the green light to the arrival of several emergency loan arrivals.

Yet, as it stands, he fears Pompey’s pleas may fall on deaf ears, with West Brom loanee George Thorne the only addition in recent weeks.

Birch said: ‘It is not totally encouraging, I have to say, just at the moment.

‘They say that because of continuing outstanding debts they have to withhold money.

‘What they don’t want to see is other clubs saying “hang on, we are still owed money by that club, therefore why are you allowing them to bring in more players”.

‘So you have got that problem to deal with.

‘I will speak to them again today and put forward the case there are only 14 players. You have got to be sensible here.

‘Cut us a bit of slack, as it were.

‘It’s the first salvo in the exchanges between us, really.

‘I don’t think they are going to say “yes” immediately but we’ve just got to keep working.

‘We have opened the talks and need to keep knocking on the door.

‘It’s such a unique situation and the authorities are searching the rule books on these things and how they should deal with them.’

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