Administrator says Pompey staff face hard times ahead
17/2/2012 (PM) A meeting was held with new Portsmouth FC Administrator Trevor Birch at Fratton Park on Friday 17th February 2012. Pictured is: Trevor Birch at Fratton Park on Friday evening. Picture: Sarah Standing (120580-7869)
Trevor Birch has warned ‘sacrifices’ will have to be made to ensure Pompey do not die.
The Blues’ administrator yesterday began his first day at Fratton Park in his role, having been appointed on Friday when the High Court accepted the club’s application to go into administration.
He is charged with finding a new owner and keeping the club alive in the meantime.
With debts of around £50m, a massive challenge now faces the former Chelsea chief executive.
Inevitably there will have to be redundancies, with more than 500 club staff, including part-time workers.
Mr Birch also told The News there could well be more wages dereferrals on the way.
It is a bleak outlook, yet he believes such measures can keep Pompey running until the end of the season without an owner.
He said: ‘We will need to look very closely at the cost base of the company going forward just to be able to get us through.
‘We will have to look at staff numbers as well. I am not pulling the wool over anybody’s eyes, this isn’t going to be easy.
‘We have enough money to get us through only a short time at the moment.
‘That is why we need to get a sale for this club very, very quickly.
‘Let’s get to the end of the season first, we are looking no further than that at the moment.
‘I am as confident as I can be we can do that – but it will need some sacrifices from people to get us there.
‘There are some payments due in terms of foreign clubs and to certain players which there will be uncertainty about.
‘There may also well be further deferrals at a certain level. There will undoubtedly be redundancies.
‘There has to be redundancies, the consequences are too great.
‘Nothing has been decided yet. Work is still being done on it and it still needs further work.
‘We are still reviewing it at the moment.’
Meanwhile, the search is now on to bring a new owner to Fratton Park.
As of this moment, Mr Birch insists nobody has emerged to the point of holding talks.
Yet he remains upbeat over attracting somebody in the near future.
He added: ‘I am confident on one level in that I think it is such a great football club and they will be coming out of the woodwork.
‘They are not there at the moment sitting on a piece of paper.
‘But I think we have to give as good a chance as we possibly can to give us the time to do that deal.’
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Comments
There are 114 comments to this article
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TaskForce
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 08:45 AMOne of the first things to get get down when we go into admin is the Pompey shop in cashcades.
TaskForce
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 08:34 AMThat was meant to say shut down.
LairdLochaber
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:55 PMCopied from Tuesday edition of Guardian: Andronikou, appointed as Portsmouth's administrator in 2010, oversaw the sale of the club to Chainrai, whose company, Portpin, held a secured mortgage. Portpin now also has a secured mortgage at CSI, and again at the club itself, for a debt of around £17m. Birch has indicated that as administrator of the club he will have a duty to examine the validity of that mortgage. - About time the supporters learn just what this man has been up to.
cheffy
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:36 PM@108, back to our downward slide? Mate, we've been in the top 2 all season. I think you should be more worried about your position than ours.
blue bob
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:17 PMBLACKPOOL 1 WEST HAM 4 MILWALL 1 MIDDSBRO 3 BARNSLEY 1 BIRMINGHAM 3
On the up
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:14 PMEastney, I agree, it was a good evening for championship football.
eastneyboy
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:01 PMAt least one good thing happened today - scummers beaten and back to their downward slide....Birmingham will be next to do the overtaking...! No automatic promotion....no promotion at all hopefully! Play up Pompey....!
Blue Walter
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:55 PMSlugger @ 105, You either misunderstood or you are using my words for a bit of goading. I will not get into this silly argument of who has the best fans. Every club has its fanatics and fairweather supporters. I think if the rolls were reversed right now for our clubs (Saints & Pompey) you would probably see the same sort of attendances and apathy in equal proportion as now. I would also presume we would have the same sort of people from here going onto the Echo site and doing the gloating & goading, for what ever reason they need to do it. For the record Pompey do have the support to sustain a Championship team just as I believe Saints will be able to sustain a Prem team. We could too if the ground was big enough and if we were lucky enough to get back there
Blue Walter
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:28 PMI have to concede that I do see the argument from other clubs complaining about Pompey and the players wages. Firstly let me say it is not Pompey that has, and lets be honest about this,cheated it is the people running it. There is a fair point to be made the players such as Lawrence, Norris, Kitson, Varney and etc were enticed to this club because of the high wages. They quite possibly would not have joined if the offers were half the salary they now enjoy. Before a ball was even kicked Mr Hollaway, the Blackpool manager, said he could not get Varney to stay because he could not match the wages Pompey were offering. Now I know it was not us supporters that offered them these wages but the people running the club did. This is despite small businesses not being paid and all the other things that went unpaid, we still attracted good standard Championship players. Something some of our better ran competetors could not do. I agree with the veiw from our opponents that we, or I should say the dodgy owners, gave ourselves an unfair advantage. So lets get away from the"nobody likes us" thing for feeling sorry for ourslves. I just want other Clubs and supporters to make a judgement that has us, the supporters and Pompey, the club, on one side and the demons that are the people running the club on the other side. Two seperate enterties.
the poster formerly know as slugger
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:22 PM@104 , well said walter ......... there lies the problem , the self professed "best fans in the world" are in fact too few to sustain a championship club ....... argue with that die hards !
Blue Walter
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:01 PMSpeaking for myself, and doubtless many others, concerning this argument on the issue of going to Fratton Park to support the team and the Club. I totally understand people not going if they can't afford it. I have been there myself. Also I totally understand people not going because of distance. I also have no problem with anyone who is a casual supporter who, perhaps, sometimes just fancies a game to watch. All I am saying is that what does bug me is people who say they are real fans and spout of this "Pompey till I die" thing and have the wherewithal to attend game but don't. Usually hiding behind some excuse or other. If you are not really that interested then say so or if you are get down the Park. I believe there must be at least 20000 people in this area that care enough about this club and if you do show it.
Farside1
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:28 PMpost 88 Amesbury Blue uou are all that gets PFC to be hated among fans of other clubs everywhere. Play-offs? More players? Not fair? Sheer madness!
norbertbleu
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:27 PMIf, and it's a bit if, we do get a new owner I hope he puts not one penny piece towards wages, be they players or backroom staff. Infrastructure - stadium, training ground, academy - yes. We will get the team we deserve, which may not be Championship standard or even League 1 but at least it will be sustainable. Until that day comes TB will cut and cut in both playing and non-playing sectors. MA will have a choice - play the kids or bail out.
roofspace
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:49 PMIf you are a Pompey or Saints Fan follow the link below for an article in The Guardian re: Portsmouth back in rehab but sympathy for overindulgence wears thin READ THE COMMENTS SECTION AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE it is in turn an equal measure of vitriol, comedy and enlightenment and ultimately respect and sympathy. http:www.guardian.co.ukfootballblog2012feb19portsmouth-administration-barnsley?commentpage=all#start-of-comments
the poster formerly know as slugger
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:49 PM@99 , what pray is out of order ?
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