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Discuss this article (2 Comments)Time for Pompey leadership
by Colin Farmery on Wednesday, 28 October 2009
"Things may well get worse, before they get better." The recent words to me from a source quite close to the goings on at Fratton Park came back to me on Sunday morning as I surveyed the online versions of the papers.
They did not make happy reading.
According to the Observer, Pompey had retracted their Friday threat to sue newspapers over purported quotes from owner Ali al-Faraj which claimed, among other things, he borrowed the money to pay Pompey's wage bill last month and that he wasn't going to be at the club in the long term.
The retraction was on the basis that the story was, well, pretty much true. Or was it?
The Mirror, never far from a Pompey scoop of one sort or another, led with 'the only' interview to have been conducted with al-Faraj, which flatly contradicted the earlier retraction.
Finally the Mail were running with a claim that Israeli businessman Levi Kushnir and Hong Kong-based Balram Chainrai, had teamed up to loan Pompey some cash in the short-term, with a view to possibly buying a stake in the club later in the year.
By late on Sunday the Times was running a denial by Kushnir he was considering doing anything of the sort. Apparently he was merely the guest of new Pompey director Mark Jacob and only does a football match 'once every ten years'. Hull City v Portsmouth seemed a funny one to pick.
The PR disaster over the threat to sue the world's media for reporting an interview which actually took place has left fans split: on the one hand there are those who are close to taking the law into their own hands and marching on Fratton Park demanding heads on a spike.
On the other there are those who are simply shrugging their shoulders and saying 'so what?' After a summer of half truths, spin, it is fair to say many are getting close to really not being that bothered any more.
In many ways, they are the most worrying group.
It is to be hoped my contact's analysis is right, in the sense that things have got significantly worse in the past four or five days. Perhaps we have finally reached the nadir?
However, with October's pay day looming many of us have our hands over our eyes, peeking between the gaps as PFC seemingly careers towards another date with disaster. Of course, the salaries may well end up being paid in full and on time.
The point is no one can be sure any more that they will. Or even that any assurances are worth the server space they're stored on. We were warned when al-Faraj took over that there were some fires to be put out, it just a shame the club has also managed to start a few new ones of their own all by themselves.
Establishing the 'truth' in any situation as complex as this is impossible. In the crazy parallel universe which Portsmouth Football Club seems to inhabit, black is frequently white and vice versa, depending on who you listen to.
And while no fan has the right to expect their club to have a sugardaddy bankrolling signings and new stadiums, what we do deserve to know is who is in charge of our football club, that the bills are being paid and what the short, medium and long-term plans for it are.
Two months ago the self-styled Pompey Virtual Alliance asked the then owner Sulaiman al-Fahim and CEO Peter Storrie for reassurance about the ownership position, clarity over the club's plans and constructive dialogue with the fans.
Arguably all three had seemingly been achieved by early October. We even won a match as well.
Four weeks on and things are in danger of slipping back into the mire once more. The three requests are as pertinent now as they were then. It's just there's less goodwill around among fans one way and another.
Who at PFC going to show some leadership and tell us just what on earth is going on?
Colin Farmery is the chairman of the PVA (Portsmouth Virtual Alliance), a group of websites affiliated to Portsmouth Football Club.
READERS' COMMENTS
Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.
pompey
Posted by His Excellency Dr Paul, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 29 October 2009 at 11:33 UAE time
Rule number one. If the character posing as your saviour claims he is a billionaire, ask for some proof before taking matters further. If he lives in a semi with his mum and dad, has a made up CV with fake qualifications or needs to borrow to pay the wage bill, he isn't a billionaire.
I hope Pompey gets through this, but they have demonstrated very poor judgement in the shysters they've allowed to come in and mess them about. Realistically they are not a viable premiership club at present given the size of their stadium and the amount of debt they have. They might need to accept administration and an inevitable relegation (possibly two) like saints did before they are actually attractive to a proper businessman looking for a long term investment.
Posted by His Excellency Dr Paul, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 29 October 2009 at 11:33 UAE time
Rule number one. If the character posing as your saviour claims he is a billionaire, ask for some proof before taking matters further. If he lives in a semi with his mum and dad, has a made up CV with fake qualifications or needs to borrow to pay the wage bill, he isn't a billionaire.
I hope Pompey gets through this, but they have demonstrated very poor judgement in the shysters they've allowed to come in and mess them about. Realistically they are not a viable premiership club at present given the size of their stadium and the amount of debt they have. They might need to accept administration and an inevitable relegation (possibly two) like saints did before they are actually attractive to a proper businessman looking for a long term investment.
Port Saeed, not Portsmouth
Posted by Cod Hoarder on Wednesday 28 October 2009 at 19:38 UAE time
Guys... Emirates, Nakheel, Emaar, Etihad, ADCB... fine. Stop making your site into the Fratton Park of the Middle East. I think we've had enough of the 'business' stories relating to Citeh and Pompey with that Gulf... er... angle for a while. Let's concentrate on things closer to home.
Posted by Cod Hoarder on Wednesday 28 October 2009 at 19:38 UAE time
Guys... Emirates, Nakheel, Emaar, Etihad, ADCB... fine. Stop making your site into the Fratton Park of the Middle East. I think we've had enough of the 'business' stories relating to Citeh and Pompey with that Gulf... er... angle for a while. Let's concentrate on things closer to home.
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