SOS Pompey statement - transparency please!

Pompey Fans Demand Transparency from those dealing with Portsmouth Football Club.

SOS Pompey welcome interest from anyone who wishes to buy Pompey with the clubs best interests at heart.

Given the recent history of owners who were less than transparent in their dealings, we call on any prospective owners to make their interest public.

We understand the desire for privacy and confidentiality before the conclusion of any deal, but this is no ordinary deal and no ordinary Football Club. During the last 10 months we have had a series of owners who have sought the backing of supporters by promising that their bids were supported by serious investors.

Not one has delivered. These owners have cost the club its Premier League status, its next generation of young talent and separated land vital to the clubs future from the club, although this does not excuse the previously cavalier management of the clubs finances.

Any prospective owner should take this into account and act in a completely transparent manner from the moment they formalise their interest.

We also urge the administrators to respect the unusual situation at Pompey. We will soon be called upon to buy season tickets. It is vital that supporters know that the clubs future interests are being protected. As it is likely a CVA will be paid over time, the best deal for the creditors will only be achieved by a united customer base showing a new owner tangible goodwill.

There can be no goodwill from us towards the owners and senior executives who lead us into this situation.

There must be no ambiguity over where we are in the administration process.

We also call on the administrator to follow the lead of Tom Burton during our previous insolvency who forced all members of his team and any guests to pay their own way if they wished to attend matches.

Since January 2009, all the achievements of the previous six years have been utterly destroyed.

We need a fresh start with new owners that the supporters can unite behind.

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Writer: SOS Pompey

Date:Friday March 19 2010

Time: 9:24AM

Your Comments

Sometimes I wish some fans would just sit down and be a little patient!! We are all in the same boat, just enjoy the semi-final and look forward to next season

PFCGino

Understand your exasperation Gino, but echo the points in the press statement about people paying their own way to matches etc. as I did see PS at the traing ground yesterday looking like he was enjoying another free lunch !!! I would like to see some of this transparency that the Administrator promised - start giving some info out about real transfer fees and who has profited by having their noses in the trough.

BarneyArmy

Lot's of cloak & daggers. Quite****ed off with whole scenario. A clean break & new start, Sadly you can't help but feel it's a case of hoping for the best, again!!!

storagematt

SOS Pompey, well said.

007

at least we all know season tickets will be cheper next season lets hope they still dont outprice fans. give something back to the fans 17 quid a ticket next season would be good ... and at that price i would like to think we would sell out... unlike the 38quid a ticket this season....

pompeyhussler

Cloud cuckoo land me thinks! I can't see a season ticket going for anything less than £400! but that may be optimistic due to the increased number of games we will have to pay. I don't know what the score on pre-sales/early- bird tickets will be, but any potential owner may not even see this money !!! (does the administrator get to spend/allocate this money ???)

BarneyArmy

hussler - bit hopeful at £17 per ticket in the npower league! But the price must fall substantially.

eastneydave

got to say i think this statement is a fair call and got to be basically what we are all thinking, wanting and hoping anyway, right? credit where it is due from me tbh...

pompeyrug

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/2954838/British-business-people-The-top-1000-Hedge-funds-private-equity-and-fund-management.html ANY BETS ladies and Gents?

plymouth graham

I disagree with this being a fair call. "Demanding" transparency under what basis? No rights to know these dealings, none at all to demand things in issued statements.

Liquor&Poker

under the basis that we have been shat on from a great height time and time again! so on that basis i think pompey fans wanting to make sure we get the 'real deal' this time is a fair call, surely?

pompeyrug

wouldnt even wanna 'hedge' a bet graham.

pompeyrug

This statement reflects what I am thinking. We may not technically have a right to transparency, but after all that's happened we need new owners who understand why we have to have it, and if they won't play ball, there are alarm bells. Perhaps we do have a little more control now - as we decide whether or not we buy season tickets or not.

tracyc