Pompey face crucial week ahead, warns Andronikou
1008898-10_ANDRONIKOU_SR_12/1/10 The administrator of Portsmouth Football Club Andrew Andronikou. Picture:Steve Reid
POMPEY’S future lays in the days, not weeks ahead, according to administrator Andrew Andronikou.
His warning comes as he revealed last Tuesday’s transfer activity had left him ‘bitterly disappointed’.
Midfielder Ryan Williams was the only player to leave Fratton Park.
Mr Andronikou, the joint-administrator of the club’s parent company Convers Sports Initiatives (CSI), said there were offers for two players, and hoped to bring in between £1m to £2m from the deals.
He said: ‘I don’t know what happened. There were a couple of offers for two players which would have secured the club’s immediate future.
‘For some reason those offers didn’t happen and I am investigating why they didn’t. I am not happy at all. It gave the club an opportunity to bring in capital and could have got rid of the winding-up petition but it never happened.’
Pompey’s bank accounts were frozen after HMRC issued a winding-up petition over unpaid tax and face a High Court hearing on February 20.
Mr Andronikou said he is working hard to obtain a validation order to unfreeze the club’s bank accounts, which were frozen after the petition was presented.
‘It’s the same old story, we need to get a buyer’, said Mr Andronikou.
‘There’s interest but the frustrating thing is we have always had interest but it has been difficult to get them to commit.
‘We cannot continue in this fashion. We are doing everything we can to avoid administration. We have got days rather than weeks.
‘The situation doesn’t seem to be getting better – I cannot emphasise enough how serious it is.
‘It’s an important week because we need these parties to come to the table. We are not going to wait until February 20.
‘Liquidation is not an option.
‘Players and staff haven’t been paid but have been very supportive.’
Meawnhile the club’s fight for survival – which has sparked the fans’ 12th Man campaign – was given a boost after Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt said she is confident HMRC will agree to meet with Pompey officials. Prime Minister David Cameron said ‘we must do all we can’ to keep Pompey in business after the MP urged him to arrange a meeting.
She said: ‘HMRC now recognise it’s probably worth sitting down and talking things through and I am fairly confident we are going to get a meeting.’
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Comments
There are 193 comments to this article
Page 1 of 13
trevorfj
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:03 AMWhy is AA allowed to be involved in the affairs of PFC again? It was he who passed the club on to CSI and therefore bears some responsibility for the current mess. This after commiting to establishing where all the money went in the past few years - another broken promise! For his information the reason why more players were not sold in the transfer window is that they are loyal, commited and do not want to leave. Whilst he may not understand this he knows the facts for sure and should stop playing games with our club.
blue bob
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 12:29 PM@191, I know the pub is a decent pub, I've been there myself & I enjoy a pint of old thumper , I was just telling the non Pompey person who was complaining about his struggle to get a parking space, poor chap, & says that he drinks in the Old Canal now & then, that I wished he was drowning in The Canal, sarcasm on my part, he is a right NIMBY.
Royal Blue
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 11:27 AMBlue Bob, the Old Canal sells a decent bitter: Old Thumper 5.6%. It's worth a visit if you can stand the beer's New Forest Ringwood Brewery origins. CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain 1988.
blue bob
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:22 PM@189, I'm sorry, we will have to agree to differ. I'm going off line now goodnight.
The Bean Counter
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:11 PMBob, why is doing everything you can to save this great club defeatist? Being too proud to submit to vultures is sheer folly at the moment.
blue bob
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:55 PM@185, at least we will go down fighting & not allow ourselves to become the victims of all the parasites & vultures who hovered, In any case, it is highly unlikely that the amount of money offered would have been adequate to satisfy HMRC even assuming it had been paid up front, which was not probable. The history of our great club, will survive one way or another, you smack of defeatist, let's hope you are proved wrong.
LI 125
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:53 PM@146 East Midland Blue - I am quite happy for PCC to increase Council Tax to help Pompey. Getting them to do it would take a miracle.PUP
udontknow
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:42 PMDon't believe a word this guy says,every photo never shows him looking into the camera. If he is brought here from CSI and they are responsible for this latest chapter of Pompey Woes,then why don't he and his pals do something?
The Bean Counter
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:35 PMLet's be honest, it was madness for those players AA mentions not being sold and forced out of the door given the circumstances - their apparent refusal to move, despite being fans of the club (assuming Ward and Pearce), will likely cost us over 100 years of fine history and great memories.
portland
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:20 PMgood night
gunggardin
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:13 PMGoodnight.
portland
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:10 PMgunggardin@177 you can't help yourself and i didn't say you were reveling in it....a lot of people probably come on here and use it to offload and then go back to being their rational selves,able to present themselves in a calm and rational manner....but then isn't it why so many of us love football because it allows us to be irrational and emotional?
blue bob
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:08 PM@180, good for you, I hope you hid all the evidence.
PO48RA
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:02 PMblue bob. l had a wife like post 167 she was a right old moaner now she's history could'nt put up with her anymore.
blue bob
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 09:57 PMSorry, meant 178.
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