Birch not encouraged by early Football League talks
Pompey administrator Trevor Birch
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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Comments
There are 84 comments to this article
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overtheill
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 03:57 PMIsn't it about time THE NEWS and the wider media asked the FL publicly,onTV, if possible why their 'fit and proper test, is such a farce.And why having already screwed up with PFC once allowed it to happen again . And shouldn't they be publicly asked to explain how they were unable to uncover the required information on CSI when PFC fans were able to check for themselves using Google. Maybe Gary Linika and chums should be asking for these answers,They may consider PFC is not worth the effort in their cosy little world but there are now also questions about Rangers
Les5tar
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 09:14 AMAs as Saints fan it give me no pleasure in seeing what has happened to Pompey. I don't have any issue with the club trying to bring in some loan players to make up a squad if the league wanted to make sure that the team can play competative games for their remaining fixtures. It makes no sense. Yes we have debts but they are managable and we do make a healthy profit on the sale of acadamy players that may not be to all Saints fans liking but the reality is that our club needs revenue and this is a good way of generating it. But having veered from the point I was trying to make it would be terrible for Pompey to fold into flat-pack as one person described St Marys and thrown away onto the fire that feeds the greedy empire moguls that rule much of football infrastructure such as Sky sports. The whole of the football leagues financial regulations governing the wages, borroring, and spendings of a cluib needed to be revisited. There should be a limit on what every club can spend on wages governed by gate receipts alone. I'm sure Pompey with its massive fan base would reapt some benefits from that one. Anyway best of luck for the rest of the season . And to all those Pompey and Sainst fans to slag each other off grow up and get a life.
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 08:35 AMPhil, post 76, just saying that if you had regular attendances of 23,000, then you average league attendance for that season would have been higher than records show, not that difficult really. Trueblue, more bull sh1t I see, name and shame the insiders at SMS,
Trueblue78
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 07:21 AM@71 Its worth noting, the game against Ipswich was a Tuesday night, Valentines night and Ipswich brought no more than about 600-700 fans! So thats around 2,500 seats spare in the away end....the end that not even you guys could fill. At least Leeds will fill it. You sad stains with your obsession with attendance figures. Couldn't even fill your flat pack ground for the memorial for ML. Remember that bloke, the one who saved you from non-existance. We had nearly the same attendance for a charity game against a side noboday has ever heard of. Still, when all the creditors come knocking on your door for all the money you owe, we can all laugh at you again. And trust me i know a few insiders at the club that can vouch you are not sitting all too pretty financially.
blue bob
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:14 PMBLACKPOOL 1 WEST HAM 4 MILWALL 1 MIDDSBRO 3 BARNSLEY 1 BIRMINGHAM 3.
gunggardin
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:56 PMSorry, me again. I didn't read all of Seed houses comments, he is a sinep, so ignore him.
gunggardin
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:46 PMHullo from up the road, @657, you are in it up to your neck but at last you have somebody at the helm who has street cred and a footballing brain. It's going to be hard and I doubt you will remain in this league. But Mr Birch will buy you one precious thing, time. Time to sort the mess that is PFC out and time to locate the, at present, elusive new owner. The crumb I'm afraid is small, but big enough to sustain you till the end of the Season. Pompey Blue, how are you? You are not all bad you know, and neither are we. You are, as we are, plagued by Richard Craniums (63, 64, 66, 75 et al) but, please, learn to feel sorry for them. Evening Slugger.
piers657
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:22 PMI need a crumb, just a crumb of comfort. I don't think we will complete the season.
Phil Ashworth 4
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 05:28 PM@73 agreed; but considering the lack of investment @FP over the years;its not suprising the lack of new fans. @71SA Another dim comment by a stain. How do you equate "regularly used to get" to an average figure over a season??? God how sad that you even need to check the figures!!. 3 times in that season we were over or around 24K. You sad stains on this forum are so desperate for some kind of oneupmanship - at anylevel - and now all you ever go on about is your massive new shiny following.
helper55
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 05:19 PMRegarding gates for Scum, most home games the gate is 21 - 24,000, thought the ground held more than that,
helper55
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 05:16 PMI see Wigan debt is £72m net, and they look like getting relagated. Do not see any real delight in getting promoted really,struggling every year,no real prospect of winning the league and a big MIGHT win or get close to winning a cup.
Sheffield Blue
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:57 PMPhil Ashworth 4, its the here today that matters. I'm a Pompey fan through and through, and i wont be investing, as i think this would be a seriously bad long term move for the club.
oopsadaisy
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:57 PMlampitt out first please
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:48 PMPost 59 Phil Ashworth, Your Div 4 average League attendance for season 1979(10123) and 1980 (15850), seems like more bull sh1t. Last week against Ipswich less that 14000 Pampey fans on a " Pack the Park" night, seems your not quite as well supported as you'd like to think.
pompeypops
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:20 PMEnd of the day you cannot play players who are injured , Those day;s are long gone ,
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