New administrator has the future of Pompey in his hands
David Lampitt at the High Court for the Portsmouth FC Admistration hearing with right Administrator Trevor Birch
POMPEY’s new administrator is urging fans to keep the faith as he promises to keep them involved.
Trevor Birch, of accountancy firm Pannell Kerr Forster, has been appointed administrator of the club along with partners Ian Gould and Bryan Jackson.
It marks the second time in two years that Pompey has entered administration.
Speaking after yesterday’s hearing, held at London’s High Court, Mr Birch urged fans to keep the faith.
Ex-professional footballer Mr Birch, 54, – who has held chief executive posts at Chelsea, Derby County, Leeds United, Everton and Sheffield United – later met with staff at Fratton Park.
Speaking to The News about being appointed administrator, Mr Birch said: ‘I’m happy to be able to play small part in saving a great club.
‘I get a feeling fans felt they have been a little bit excluded.
‘One of my first actions will be to include them and get a forum next week and to meet with representatives of Pompey Supporters’ Trust and whatever recognised groups there are.
‘The more people I see the more we get the message out that we need continued support in order to try and give this club a sustainable, long-term future.
‘For too long it’s had too much instability and things around the club need to die down and be a lot calmer.’
The club was last night deducted 10 points by the Football League, leaving them above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Mr Birch says there is plenty to do to sort the club out, but he’s positive about Pompey’s future.
‘Hard work lies ahead,’ said Mr Birch.
‘This is a football-mad city and I have great empathy because I understand football from the boot room to the board room.
‘I’m very positive and I have got a good feeling about this.’
Insolvency expert Andrew Watling, of Begbies Traynor in North Harbour, said UHY Hacker Young will now have no more involvement in the running of the club.
He said: ‘UHY is the administrator of Convers Sports Initiatives and it’s owed £10.5m by the club, but they will have no more say than any other creditor.’
Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock also welcomed the news – he and his colleagues from Portsmouth City Council wrote to the High Court as creditors to ask another firm be appointed administrator.
He said: ‘We hope these people will work very closely with the supporters and the current management.’
Meanwhile, in his summing up at Pompey’s administration hearing, Mr Justice Alastair Norris said Pompey’s original creditors, from the 2010 administration are more likely to get 10p for every £1 they are owed rather than the 20p agreed by UHY.
‘But that is not a final figure,’ he added.
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Comments
There are 22 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
TeeBee
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 10:06 PMWhen are they going to carry out the forensic accounting, as promised by AA. Perhaps BC has been able to buy them off too!
pompeypops
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:01 AMIF AA would of still been our administrator Chandari would of been set to buy us out of Admin again that is why he out up the money in court no other reason ,Hope this new bloke goes through the books with a fine tooth comb ,Chandari has been receiving interest on 17 million that he never ever put into the club its was a debt from a business deal with Gydamacks old man that was awarded to him in a court , Sasha walked away from the club and Chandari took over , The money owed to him is nothing to do with Portsmouth FC , That is why we had all those crook,s turn up trying to sell everything from under each others noses ,Lets hope the chain has been broken and the new bloke puts Chandari in his place
overtheill
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 10:47 AMGood points CharlstonPompey@17 and the attendances you mention say it all.Maybe Pompey isn't the football mad city they like to think they are ,after all they dont get the gates. With regard to Dave 3974@18 the City Council have gone on recoard as saying FP,the clubs only valuable asset ,can only be used for football purposes,what ever that might mean. You don't have to look to far to see why PFC is not a particularly attractive business proposition and thas what it needs to be to survive.They must model themselves on Saints.
Southstand Johnny
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:22 AMmorning all, pity about yesterday, but we will soldier on!! Interesting reading through different blogs on footy sites. Everyone wishes Rangers well for the future, most people want us wound up. We are accused of buying players we can't afford, yet Arsenal are about to brake their wages structure because they can't compete on a level playing field ('scuse the pun). The Scottish FA, without a FAPPT, is investigating the financial dealings at Rangers, the EFL with a FAPPT isn't doing anything for Portsmouth in this line. Most commentators thought a 10 pt penalty for Rangers was harsh, yet they thought 10 pt penalty for us was too lenient! Are you all getting my drift about Double standards here? £500 mil. through the clubs books with nothing to show for it doesn't just NEED investigating it DEMANDS investigating. However let's not get complacent here, just because Mr Birch has been appointed administrator doesn't mean everything in the garden is rosy! There will come a time, if he can't find a buyer, when liquidation will become the next course of action. But, as always, keep the faith, Pompey, despite what everyone else wants, will never die!!!
dave3974
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 06:17 PMthe club has a few assets to be sold and the ground is a good site for housing --let us hope he can get it sorted quickly and pay some of the creditors
CharlestonPompey
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:56 PMByned - I think thats a little pessimistic. We should be able to comfortably survive and flourish in league 1 (which those of us advancing in years know to be truly Division 3 with a fancy brand name) on gates of 14,000. The problem has always been making that leap to the next level - pulling in gates of 25-30K week in- week out. Look at clubs like Leicester, Derby, Middlesboro, and dare I say it - Southampton. Even Sunderland, and EVEN Newcastle. Go back 25-30 years and review their average gates. Everyone seems surprised that we dont pull in the numbers when we expect to - but its gonna take years of committed investment (not 2-3 years of unplanned, out of control investment in players by parasites looking to make a quick buck - and leaving the club with only debt and nothing concrete - literally! - to show for all the money spent). I think things will change when a European super league is formed, in much the same manner by which the Premier League was formed, and the REALLY big guns leave. The TV money will go with that and players will lose the power they have to drive clubs toward bankruptcy. Pompey need to be ready for that day, with a firm plan for development of the club - not just chasing the EPL dream tomorrow.
Anoniemouse
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:46 PMI would like to see Pompey investigated Thoroughly & whoever is responsible for the situation the club find itself in from both insolvency cases to be held fully accountable. The persons then found to have caused all this should then be made to pay all the money that is owed.
blue bob
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:37 PMThe scottish FA are holding an in depth investigation into Glasgow Rangers, I would suggest the FA have an obligation to do the same with Pompey, there have been too many suspicious occurrences, involving too many dodgy people at PFC over recent years. It would not go amiss for The News to instigate such an investigation.
Ihatescummers
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:37 PMThorne has rejoined Pompey!
The Moderator
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:16 PMI would like to know, as I am sure most Pompey supporters, is where did all of the clubs money go over the last 7 years ? Even CSI stated that in excess of £500M went through the PFC accounts yet nothing was invested in the infrastructure of the club. I am sure that there are enough of us who have enough experience in accontancy to carry out the investigations to discover where the clubs money went. I am prepared to offer my services free of charge to discover the facts. So Mr Birch I challenge you to give us the opportunity to produce the facts of our very tainted recent past.
insane saint
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:10 PMglad to see that someone has a sense of humor
Dario Silva
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:06 PMCan't see us being able to sustain anything better than a League 1 or League 2 club on 14,000 gates. Where will the revenue come from? We can't expect an owner to simply throw his money at the club without a return just for our (the fans) benefit. Fans need to be enticed back and get into the habit of becoming regular paying attendees again. Possibly, with the rise in the price of fuel, our "catchment area" has reduced somewhat with those off of the island being less inclined to turn up compared to before. Many have probably found alternative things to do on a Saturday and some simply can't afford it now. The costs of running a football club - and in particular the wages involved - are a major problem to the game and slowly it is eating itself. In a way, promotion to The Premiership can be the beginning of some serious financial difficulties for clubs - a poisoned chalice in many ways. Change will need to start at the top but don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen. The top clubs would be more than happy to see the majority of league clubs disappear and exist in their own smaller "super league", possibly even European.
The Moderator
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:00 PM7 insane saint Song for today boys " Were coming for you, were coming for youoo, you dirty scummers were coming for you"
Emsworthianblue
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:59 PMCause for optomism without a doubt, but with regards to the 10p in the £1, I wouold love us to sort out our money problems and sometime in the future, make up the moneys owed to LOCAL traders and buinesses as a gesture of goodwill to the local community. Echoing others on the, get yerself to Fratton to put some money into the club and make sure we are still in the Championsip next season. PUP!
insane saint
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:54 PMsong for today boys Sha la la la-- la la la, clap clap Sha la la la-- la la la, clap clap Sha la la la-- la la la, clap clap we could send the pompey down
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