'Catastrophe will happen': Portsmouth chairman Michael Eisner's warning for football after financial losses

Michael Eisner insists he is ‘pleased’ with Pompey’s growth following the publication of their latest accounts.

Although the Blues chairman has warned football that ‘catastrophe will happen’ if spiralling salaries and costs aren’t brought under control.

According to accounts filed at Companies House for the year ending June 30, 2025, Pompey posted losses of £4.3m for their first season back in the Championship.

Tornante's total investment to date has now reached £54m, having loaned the club £17m over the last 18 months.

That also represents the first time equity hasn’t been put into Fratton Park since the Eisner family became owners in August 2017, with additional funding now being delivered in the form of loans.

And, in a statement on Pompey’s official website, Eisner has called for football to become more sustainable.

‘Dark clouds hovering over the English football pyramid’

He said: ‘I am pleased with the overall growth of the Portsmouth Football Club - not only with the facilities, including the renovation of Fratton Park and the acquisition of a training facility, but the protection of the current infrastructure by purchasing land and houses around it, and by continuing our strong established management with new additional management.

‘Although our present position in the table is of concern, I’m optimistic over the remainder of the season.

‘But let me be clear. There are dark clouds hovering over the English football pyramid, and it seems to me there could be a real collapse where only the Premier League survives.

‘Every single club in the Championship lost money last year. The combined operating loss of the 24 teams for the last full set of published results in 2023-24 was £411m ($549m).

‘No club can survive for the long-term in this system and if that continues, catastrophe will happen. If the forces that control the pyramid from the top tiers to the bottom tiers do not make football more sustainable and do it quickly, those dark clouds will deliver more soaking red ink beyond what one can imagine.

‘We need effective player salary cost controls, real attention to fairer distribution of media revenues and for English football to join the rest of the sports world in more advance commercialisation of the broadcast and streaming product.

‘Let England not abdicate the leadership and advancement of the game. Let England save the game for England.

‘My family is walking head strong into this storm, but if I was a historic fan in Portsmouth, I’d scream for change in the structure to protect the beautiful game and our clubs and their communities for generations to come.’

Succession planning at Fratton Park

Earlier this month, Eisner, who owns Tornante, transferred 73.5 per cent of his shares in the club to sons Breck, Eric and Anders.

Each of the three now own 24.5 per cent in the club, with Michael having 26.5 per cent, yet continuing his position as Pompey chairman and retaining all voting rights.

The move is regarded as succession planning, with Eisner having recently turned 84.

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