Storrie on ownership/stadium/training ground

With the summer looming large, and our need to sell growing Peter Storrie is quoted in The News, with what he is said to have said during a phone-in on The Quay - I did not hear it, saying that he is hopeful a deal can be done to see us sold in the summer, among other things...

Storrie on selling Pompey
'Sacha has made it clear he cannot put any more finances in. I'm hoping something will happen sooner rather than later - there are a couple of interested parties I have been talking to.

'It's not easy, I've travelled throughout the world and had various discussions to try and take it forward.

'There are one or two interested in it. We remain very hopeful.'

To be honest with you unless we are sold before mid-late summer I am not sure that the need to sell is even going to be required? Almost certainly, assuming debts are as 'manageable' as we claim they are?

Lets be honest player departures are highly likely - that is unless we get an investor in that will allow us to keep those that we have and bring in others...

If they are not in place by the end of the summer I would imagine that 'most' of the most prized assets would have already been sold/released either out of necessity or out of their own choice. If/when this happens we are not going to be the draw we were, we will almost be starting from scratch, but with the wage bill dramatically slashed our lack on income would not mean we lose half as much money as we have been through a massively inflated wage bill - selling players reduces that debt too.

In many ways we could well end up at the same sort of level we 'arguably' always should have been. Look at it this way, spending beyond means gets you into debts, this brought us success but in all honesty unless plans we had in place came about sooner rather than later the success was never realistically sustainable from a financial view point was it? What we are seeing now was always highly probably was it not?

Storrie on starting redevelopment of Fratton by the end of the year?
'The banks are not prepared to loan money against the stadium, that's something they are not prepared to do anymore, so the plan is to have a supermarket on site to generate income,' he said.

'I'm confident we will get planning permission and we will physically start by the end of the year. That's what we want to do.'

The whole of the North Stand is closed off for the 'Friends of Kanu' game, so maybe this has something to do with this?

It is said that a new supermarket being built next to Fratton, planning permission permitting, will generate 70% of the funds required to complete the £22m redevelopment project of Fratton... Time will tell on this one!

It was also said that Storrie said work will start on the training ground in Septembers? Again time will tell on this one!

To be honest, and I am not being negative, we have just been told so much about so many things over the years, with little of this actually coming off so I will wait until I visibly see work beginning on all areas before I am able to fully believe it...

Storrie on our debts
'The journalist put two and two together and got six.

'The Premier League said it was completely wrong. We have asked our lawyers to get on to the journalist and get the story changed.'

The Daily Mail claimed that the premier league were 'concerned' by our debts, but these are 'said' to be only in the region on £40m - which if that is the amount is nothing at all by today's standards. Sky payments and so on, assuming we stay up, can wipe most, if not all of that out in one swoop... not to mention probably transfer fees recouped...

I say, less talk about suing these people, and more actions taken - if they really are spouting the bulls**t that we say they are, lets take them to the cleaners!

Rugs final thoughts
Being totally honest about the whole lot that has been said, I genuinely hope that it is all as it is said, but with Pompey you never know do you! How often have we said one thing over the years with nothing like what is claimed actually happening, or the exact opposite happening?

It also seems that often the 'positive' news comes out as we look to counter 'negative' news, or prepare to make an announcement, and I am getting this feeling that we are preparing to announce the permanent appointment of Paul Hart? And feel we 'might' even do this before we play on Monday if results already leave us in a position of safety by then?

Ok, this is not exactly 'negative news' is it, but this is not news that many fans actually do want to hear is it, so this positive spin on things butters us up for it - that said I will of course back him, but fear he will be gone by Christmas, along with our youth chances... I know, I have become very cynical recently, I do not like this, as it is not me but sometimes it is hard not to be, and not just with Pompey, with football in general really, which can leave you disillusioned.

All in all I think the end of what has been a long season cannot come soon enough for me, and many others, in all honesty, we then just have what could well be one hell of a long summer to 'look forward to!'

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