Generic clubs in financial crisis Thread

[Terminal Boardom]

This "Fit & Proper Person" test can not be taken seriously. Can it?

[Dirk Gently]

This "Fit & Proper Person" test can not be taken seriously. Can it?

Not in it's current form, no. It's a self-declaration and the FA don't actually follow it up. So you're effectively presenting someone who may be a cheat and a liar with a form that says "Are you a cheat and a liar?"

What is vital is that the F&PPT is properly investigated and approval is given BEFORE transfer of control takes place - as well as a strengthening of the test itself - for instance if people don't declare problems overseas there are no powers to investigate.

Having said that, a new test is on it's way, but it's slow work.

6 years ago the Chief Exec of the FL told me (yes, look at me) that he could never see a F&PPT ever being introduced. Now we're on the third one and it's being tightened all the time.

The crucial thing to remember is that it's the clubs in each league who vote this in - try and get too much in each version and they'd never allow it to be adopted, so it has to be salami tactics - a slice at a time. The events of this season will help the next slice be a bigger one.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

to be honest, other football clubs need to be looking at the greater picture.

If Portsmouth go bust, it costs arsenal 6 points, which could potentially cost them £40m of champions league revenue.

In theory could arsenal loan Portsmouth money to pay of HMRC so they'd fulfill their fixture list?

[Ian Royal]

to be honest, other football clubs need to be looking at the greater picture.

If Portsmouth go bust, it costs arsenal 6 points, which could potentially cost them £40m of champions league revenue.

In theory could arsenal loan Portsmouth money to pay of HMRC so they'd fulfill their fixture list?

Interesting point. A team at the bottom who might stay up if they fullfil, but get even more screwed if they go bust - Hull? West Ham?

£7m to buy yourself another Premier League season?

[Dirk Gently]

A Man Utd Steward has been sacked ove the Green & Gold protest : http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steward-sacked-as-united-try-to-crush-green-and-gold-uprising-1894368.html

[The whole year inn]

to be honest, other football clubs need to be looking at the greater picture.

If Portsmouth go bust, it costs arsenal 6 points, which could potentially cost them £40m of champions league revenue.

In theory could arsenal loan Portsmouth money to pay of HMRC so they'd fulfill their fixture list?

or an advance on their parachute payments..

[soggy biscuit]

One suggestion I heard on the radio yesterday was that Man City loan them the money to stop Liverpool getting a points advantage when everyone else has theirs taken away.

lol

[Comfortably Numb]

had a chortle watching the news last night when they said 250,000 portsmouth fans could lose their club shame they can't all fit into the always sold out fratton park. oh.

[TheMaraudingDog]

[Deadlock]

A Man Utd Steward has been sacked ove the Green & Gold protest : http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steward-sacked-as-united-try-to-crush-green-and-gold-uprising-1894368.html

From that article:

You don't work as a steward for financial rewards but because of your emotional commitment to the club.

If that's his attitude, he should have been sacked years ago. Stewards are not there to watch the match, they are there for crowd safety reasons. They should be working for financial reward.

Half the blame for that goes on the club for not paying the stewards enough.

[TheMaraudingDog]

A Man Utd Steward has been sacked ove the Green & Gold protest : http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steward-sacked-as-united-try-to-crush-green-and-gold-uprising-1894368.html

From that article:

You don't work as a steward for financial rewards but because of your emotional commitment to the club.

If that's his attitude, he should have been sacked years ago. Stewards are not there to watch the match, they are there for crowd safety reasons. They should be working for financial reward.

He doesn't say that he stands there watching the game just that he's willing to work for peanuts as he sees it as his duty to the club. He's been there 19 years ago so I guess when he started a lot more of these type jobs were done as 'vuluntry' favours.

Half the stewards of course do it just for a ruck.

[TheMaraudingDog]

[Pseud O'Nym]

Does anyone else think that these dodgy middle-eastern owners Pompey have had, look like they've just got involved to launder large amounts of money, rather than own a club?

It's all been so weird and dodgy there absolutely has to be some sort of ulterior motive going on....


Do we have an extradition treaty with the relevant countries Rother?

I keep an eye on the Arab press for work reasons and, if what I've read is true, then I think the worst Al Fahim and Al Faraj can be accused of is foolishness and bad luck respectively.

Alexandre Gaydamak, of course, is a very different story. What I find rather sinister is that the disbarred Israeli lawyer, who currently seems to be de facto running Pompey, is a long time associate of Arcadi Gaydamak, whose misdeeds are a matter of public record.

[Dirk Gently]

Back on the subject of Chester, the full breakdown of their debts is in this article.

What is quite amazing is the sum that the Vaughan family are claiming they are owed and that they've put into the club (which only properly started trading at the start of this season) : £485,911

[Silver Fox]

Out of interest what is the point in suspending a club who are unable to fulfil their fixtures?

[Comfortably Numb]

Out of interest what is the point in suspending a club who are unable to fulfil their fixtures?

and for a week

[AF2]

Premier League chiefs are hoping to push through dramatic emergency measures to ensure Portsmouth stay afloat and fulfil their fixtures this season and their survival could depend on the 19 other teams in England’s top division.

Richard Scudamore, the chief executive, will conduct a ring round of Portsmouth’s Barclays Premier League rivals this weekend. He will ask if they object to the club’s parachute payment, in the region of £11million, being brought forward and paid immediately toward a £12.1m bill from the taxman.

The Premier League has already taken the drastic step of advancing a payment of roughly £2m to all of its members, so that Portsmouth will be able to at least meet some of the demands of HM Revenue and Customs in the High Court next week.

The initial payment, part of the Premier League’s standardised cash flow arrangement that gives some money to the clubs in instalments through the season, was not due for another two months.

But the 20 clubs will receive that payment this week as Scudamore scrambles his resources in an attempt to keep Portsmouth solvent and avoid a humiliating hit for the Premier League brand.

The issue of the parachute payment is more sensitive, however, as all clubs stand to gain or lose materially if Portsmouth cease trading and have to withdraw from the league. In that event, their results for the season would be wiped out, which would potentially be of benefit to some teams.

Chelsea, for instance, would lose three points, while Manchester United would lose six, meaning the gap at the top would widen from one point to four.

Liverpool, who lost at Fratton Park earlier in the season, would not drop a point, while Arsenal and Manchester City, who have already beaten Portsmouth home and away, would lose six each.

A revised league table without Portsmouth’s results would see City fall to seventh place, behind Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.
This is why Scudamore is anxious to conduct a straw poll of clubs before making a decision, although he will impress on the chairmen the wider issue of damage to the image of the Premier League should a club fail to complete their fixture programme.

Giving Portsmouth the parachute payment made to those relegated to the Championship each season does not make the presumption that the club will go down.

It is merely the guaranteed minimum amount Portsmouth can expect to receive from the Premier League on August 1.

Scudamore will argue that if any club were in Portsmouth’s position, even Manchester United, this is the most the Premier League could do.
He will make the case that no extra money is being found to fund Portsmouth, and that the club are not being favoured in any way.
They are merely receiving in advance money that is already due to be paid later in the year, to stave off a unique financial situation.

He will argue that it is of paramount importance that the league season continue without disruption. Together, the advance payment made this week and the advanced parachute payment would more than meet the total bill owed to HMRC, although Portsmouth dispute a percentage of it.

Yet there could be objections, particularly from the small group of clubs with least to lose if Portsmouth go under when the High Court deadline passes at 4pm on Wednesday.
Liverpool, Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley would stay on the same points total if Portsmouth went bust, while Sunderland would lose only two points and Hull City one.

These six, plus Chelsea, could be claimed to have a vested interest in Portsmouth’s demise — although all bar Sunderland still have Portsmouth to play and may be hopeful of collecting three points.

Scudamore will ask the clubs to put any selfish considerations aside, however, and focus instead on the harm to the prestige of the Premier League, particularly abroad, if one of their members were to fold mid-season.

The ongoing fiasco at Portsmouth, now on their fourth owner this season — Balram Chainrai, whose first act was to announce the club are up for sale — is already a source of embarrassment to Scudamore.

Although the Premier League have never lost a member to liquidation, it is a myth that clubs do not go bust in English football.

Aldershot dropped out of the Football League in March 1992 and all their results were declared null and void, and the following season Maidstone United failed to start the campaign for financial reasons.
The demise of these clubs is the reason the top four divisions still number 92 teams, not 94









keep em afloat till theyre relagated then fuck 'em

[Tony Le Mesmer]

^^

In a nutshell, yes.

Id love to see the Fl refuse to accept them, not that thats going to happen though

[Silver Fox]

You expect us to read all that?

Seriously though. 'greed with

keep em afloat till theyre relagated then fuck 'em

In fact, as this doesn't even pay off their full HMRC debt how long will it keep them going? Let them die, it's getting boring now

[Sun Tzu]

Out of interest what is the point in suspending a club who are unable to fulfil their fixtures?

I would imagine it avoids the club they are playing incurring unnecessary expense only to find a late call off of a game.

If you actually say in advance the games won;t take place then chester can focus on finding a way out and their opposition can make plans (or not make plans, but in any case can avoid wasting money)