Pompey must sell to survive

Rival clubs not happy with Fratton Park plan

Last updated: 21st February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Pompey must sell to survive

Storrie: Hopeful

I must say I'm very pessimistic about Portsmouth, which is unfortunate because they are a club with fantastic support.

Arsene Wenger
Quotes of the week

SKY BET ODDS
Portsmouth are 11/4 to be given the go-ahead to sell players outside of the transfer window. Bet now

Related links

Teams

Also see

Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie insists that the cash-strapped club should be allowed to sell players outside the transfer window.

Pompey have asked the Premier League, who in turn have made a request to world governing body Fifa, to allow the stricken South Coast outfit to sell players in a bid to ease their crippling debts.

There are now contrasting reports as to the outcome of their request, with some suggesting that they will be allowed to cash in on some of their stars.

Pompey handed over a statement of their financial affairs to the High Court this week as they continue to try and fend off a winding up order lodged by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

But the club have numerous other debts to pay and chief executive Storrie admits that being allowed to sell players could save them.

"Of course we don't want to sell any more players, but we have no choice," said Storrie.

"Avram Grant still believes he can keep us up, so he doesn't want to sell any more players.

"But if it's a question of survival or selling, there clearly is no choice. We have some immediate cash flow issues to resolve."

Gold offer

West Ham's co-owner David Gold is against Pompey's plea, but has insisted he would be ready to loan their rivals money to help them through their current situation.

"We have no duty to assist Portsmouth's owners or chief executive [Peter Storrie], who played their part on the current situation, but I feel sympathy for the fans and for that reason we should consider helping," he said.

"If Portsmouth asked me for £10million, I would lend it to them so long as the Premier League endorsed it and I was repaid on the agreed date.

"West Ham have taken four points off Pompey this season and were they to go out of business we'd be in the bottom three.

"But I also feel for the Pompey fans. To see your club go into liquidation would be devastating. If I can do something to avoid that I'd be happy to do it as a football fan.

"But if this measure is being considered simply as a means of helping Portsmouth to avoid administration then I wouldn't support it at all. I don't have sympathy for a badly run club that faces administration.

"We're in a league that operates on survival of the fittest. Nobody offered to help Crystal Palace recently or so many others over the years in this way to stay out of administration.

"Above all else we need to protect the integrity of our league, and allowing Portsmouth to sell their players outside the normal window in a way that other clubs are not allowed to do isn't protecting that integrity.

"The issue isn't about preventing Portsmouth raising money. I would have no problem, for example, if they were allowed to pre-sell players on the understanding they couldn't play in the league until after the next transfer window.

"I do have a problem with a club being able to buy those players and gain an advantage over a competitor. I wouldn't want a competitor buying a player not usually available to them to help them stay up, and neither would my club's rivals want West Ham doing that. A principle needs upholding."

Wenger warning

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is also warning the Premier League faces losing integrity over the Pompey situation.

"You cannot pretend you are the best League in the world if a team stops competing in the middle of the season. It's impossible," he said in an interview with the current Arsenal magazine.

"I think they have at least to play until the end of the season. It would be completely unfair on the rest of the League otherwise.

"The League would not make any sense any more if Portsmouth did not complete their fixtures. I believe that if it came to it, the League would have to take over and ensure that they completed their fixtures for the rest of this season at least.

"I must say I'm very pessimistic about Portsmouth, which is unfortunate because they are a club with fantastic support. I worry for their future. It's terrible that some clubs will go out of business because it's part of the history of the country."

And Hull City chairman Adam Pearson is not happy about the prospect of Pompey being allowed to sell players to rival Premier League teams.

"A lot of our supporters will be asking questions if somebody goes from Portsmouth to the likes of Wigan and scores a goal against us," Pearson said.

"We have big games coming up against Burnley and Wigan before the end of the season. I think the [Portsmouth] players should be allowed to be sold, but into Europe.

"If Portsmouth are going to face a points sanction then I suppose we will have to accept it but it is a stark reminder that things have to be done properly. We are battling to sort our club out and get out finances in order but we could not strengthen in January."

Fit and proper

Stoke boss Tony Pulis also condemned the numbers of owners, currently four, that Pompey have had this term.

"We have this fit and proper test for owners but that has broken down. You have to ask if these procedures work," said Pulis.

"You have to wonder how a club with such stature like Portsmouth, bringing in enormous amounts of money through TV and everything else that goes, can find themselves in this situation.

"Who was opening the bank and letting the money pour out? Was there anyone there saying 'No'. If not, why not?

"It is vitally important the people running football look at this situation, glean information and pass it on to other clubs.

"We need to find out the pitfalls and whether it was to do with foreign owners and foreign investment. We now have more foreign owners in this country than ever before.

"The Premier League and the FA have a responsibility, not just to clubs but to the communities who support those clubs."