Pompey fans can only afford Plan B

First of all let me say hats off to the Pompey trust. They are working hard and all off their own back, im pleased there are people out there who are willing to give up their own time to try to ensure our club survive.

Everything I write below must be seen in the context of the above.

But here is my problem with the idea of fans ownership. They are two fold.

We dont have enough fans, with enough money, for the club to be competitive. Lets be honest, we get around 12-14,000 fans to a home game. I know there are people who say they dont want to go because they dont know where the money is going. But i dont buy it. Of those 12-14,000 lets say half of them are seriously hard-core devoted fans. I count myself as one of them. I earn just over £24,000 pa. After tax, rent, bills etc i have around £1,000 per month disposable income. How much would i be ready to be able to give to the Pompey trust? Maybe £500 a year?

The average wage of a UK person is £20,800 pa. I would bet the average wage of the 6,000 odd devoted fans is lower than that. But even if all 6,000 donated £500 pa that would give the club 3,000,000 pa. Which is not enough to run a championship club. To get more finance into the club we would have to ask the wealthier fans to invest more. What do they get for their additional investment? Then you get into massive complications of two-tiered ownership.

Secondly, I already own Portsmouth football club and I already pay for that ownership. I dont really care who is chairman, the club is the fans we are the only constant. I pay a great deal to support and follow the team. Now, through no fault of our own we are now being asked for more money. I already  struggle to justify my expenditure on Pompey to my girlfriend. What do i get for my contribution? I know this might seem selfish, but its true.

The only way fan ownership can be beneficial is if 'plan b' comes into effect. Then all of a sudden we are a well backed non-league team both financially and in terms of support. We could then re-start the club in the way we want it to be run. Then if it is successful and other investment wants to come in the future, we can build safeguards into the deal to ensure we never ever have to go through this again.

If i was the trust, i would focus solely on Plan B. Can we really afford to buy and run the club under Plan A?


A couple of criticisms of the Trust - they are minor, and they should be seen in context of praise that we opened this article with.

I am concerned by what i perceive to be a lack of focus. In the interim between the two crisis, i.e. the CSI period the Trust began to take the form of another supporters group - writing on things like Police videoing of fans and writing at length about the 'bubbling' of fans.  There is a whole section on whether or not trust members should get membership cards and whether or not these should be dated. The trust should be focused on one thing - getting fans representation at the club either through complete ownership or as a board member, they cant get distracted by other things, they have a big enough task on their hands.

Secondly there is an unprofessional slant to some of the Trust communications. They contain spelling mistakes, there are unpopulated sections of the website. This might seem pernickety, but the trust and its board are asking us to put our faith in them, to give them our money and to support them as a representation of the fans with something we hold dear, our football club.

Pompey Pool, alls well on the pitch at least

I know our Pompey world is once again collapsing around our ears, but i thought i would take 5 mins to write about how the team is doing on the pitch after re-watching it on TV yesterday (yes i know).


The performance at Blackpool was quality, against a team who were undefeated in 8 games who hadn't been beaten at home since October.  Erik and Marko seem to be a good combination up front save for Erik's finishing. 


There is still room for improvement in the team, despite the tiny resources available to us. Halford does not seem to be able to contribute as much going forward at present, i dont know if this about his switch to the left or perhaps Appleton has asked the full-backs to sit back a little more, especially away.  I dont know if Lawrence is best utilised in the middle of the park. Actually i wonder if he would be best placed behind the frontman, but Erik seems to be doing this well at present. When / if Norris and Varney get back to full fitness Norris can come into midfield and then i would personally put Lawrence out wide in place of Ward who i am still not entirely convinced by. Varney can then compete for Erik and Kelvins place.


The defence has been threatening to be a solid unit all season, Pompey have only conceded more than one goal once since November. We have the joint second best home defence in the league (10 goals in 13 games) the team is in good shape.


I did not think Blackpool looked bad, especially in the first 20 mins. Lualua (who it was great to see) looked sparky, although he may have slightly been defeated by the bobbly pitch. They had a good shape, but we created at least 4 goals scoring opportunities, which must have been concerning. I felt they were saved by a great freekick. During the game the Blackpool fans seemed to be getting on the back of the referee, i dont think he had an awful game. Rewatching it he made one bad error in the middle of the pitch by giving LuaLua an advantage and not pulling it back when the advantage did not develop but other than that i thought Blackpool fans were scapegoating him in lieu of a positive performance from their team.


A great deal has been written about the fans on the night who were fantastic. I genuinely think Pompey fans are among the best in the country. However I think even Pompey fans were struggling to get behind the club because of the number of times we have been hit by events off the pitch. But in Appleton the team are bringing some pride, the refusal of some of our best young players to leave and our backs properly against the wall it looks like the fans are rallying behind the call.


An evening game against a team who failed to take our team apart, a couple of days after a good away performance from the fans? Stockport mark two anyone.


PLAY UP POMPEY

Preview to Blackpool game

WSWU contributed to this preview featured on http://upthepool.blogspot.com/

Forethoughts on... Blackpool vs. Portsmouth

Blackpool will be looking to extend their recent run of good form in front of the Sky television cameras as they welcome troubled Portsmouth to Bloomfield Road. Here's your match preview:

1. The Last Meeting

Blackpool and Portsmouth last met back in September at Fratton Park, in what was their first league meeting for 30 years. That day Pompey ran out 1-0 winners courtesy of a stoppage time goal from Erik Huseklepp. It was a game that Blackpool had easily the better of, but failed to convert their best chances before succumbing to a heartbreaking late goal. The man who took a portion of the blame was Matt Phillips, who spurned two very good opportunities - incredible to think that was fewer than five months ago given his dazzling form lately.

Tom Ince was the one who impressed on the South Coast making his first league start, appearing comfortable with the ball at his feet and always a threat for the Portsmouth defence. Yet whereas Phillips has gone from strength to strength since returning from his loan spell at Bramall Lane, Ince has gone backwards slightly and could drop out of the side for this weekend with a glut of other attacking options open to Ian Holloway.

Another curious difference from the last encounter between the two sides was the make up of Blackpool's substitutes - Mark Halstead, James Hurst, Hill and Daniel Bogdanovic were all on the 'Pool bench alongside Ludo Sylvestre. Ian Holloway has decided against having a goalkeeper on the bench since the departure of Mark Howard, James Hurst is currently involved in a relegation battle on loan at Chesterfield, Hill hasn't been seen since his performance at West Ham, while Rochdale opted not to extend the loan of Bogdanovic. The strength of Blackpool's bench for the return fixture will demonstrate just how far the Seasiders have come since then.

2. How They Play

I asked the good people over at When Sol Went Up for their inside knowledge of Portsmouth. Here's their view:

Pompey have flitted between 4-5-1 and 4-4-2 all season, although Michael Appleton seems to be playing a 4-4-1-1 of late. By virtue of the tiny squad (the smallest in the league and the second smallest in the Football League), there are not many significant selection dilemmas, other than up front - Portsmouth haven't scored enough goals this season so are still searching for the best striker combination. Considering the squad issues, Pompey have a number of relatively recognisable options, namely Benjani, Kanu and Dave Kitson - but they are all out of favour at present because Marco Futacs, a young 6ft+ Hungarian has been scoring goals (three goals in six games, a total Kitson has managed in 18 starts).

The next question is who plays in the supporting role - at present Erik Huseklepp the Norwegian striker (who starred in this comical fruit advert) who has shown flashes of quality, but has been frustratingly inconsistent, currently holds the position. The midfield is fairly steady, and David Norris will return having served a recent suspension. He will play alongside Liam Lawrence and Hayden Mullins who both have significant Premier League experience. The other choice to be made is who to drop for Norris - either Kelvin Etuhu (a former Manchester City trainee who was released following a stint in prison following an assault who signed on a free transfer and seems to be doing OK as a strong midfield presence) or Joel Ward a local lad, 20 yrs old and a utility player who was subject to a transfer deadline day bid from Ipswich Town.

There are no choices to be made in defence. Greg Halford will play at right back, Jason Pearce and Ricardo Rocha in the middle and Ben Tal Haim at left back. The defence is solid, the midfield experienced and the current strike partnership youthful and willing. As Blackpool fans you will recognise a number, if not most, Portsmouth players, but the squad has very limited depth and at the moment the club is in turmoil with the financial situation coming to a head (£1.6m is needed by 20th February) with the players and staff unpaid last month. The motivation of the players is the greatest concern, along with awful away form - with just two wins on the road all season, Pompey will go into the game as underdogs.

3. The Key Men

Blackpool - Matt Phillips

Phillips Jnr. is the man everybody's talking about at the moment, and with some justification. His form over the last couple of months has been sensational and he followed up his two goals at Cardiff City with another strike in mid-week against Sheffield Wednesday. With his confidence high, Portsmouth will do well to keep a tight leash on the former Wycombe man. As mentioned by his manager this week, Phillips appears to have learned that he doesn't need to snatch at chances, with his shooting now a lot more accurate. Matt Phillips should have had at least one goal down at Fratton Park, and he will be eager to carry on atoning for his wastefulness earlier in the season.

Portsmouth - Marco Futacs (by When Sol Went Up)

21 year old, 6ft 5, and purchased from Wolfsburg, Futacs looked like a punt that had gone wrong until Appleton gave him his chance. Three goals in six starts is a decent return but it is yet to be seen if this is beginner's luck or whether he will develop into a quality player. He leads the line well and when you have a player with Liam Lawrence's quality in terms of delivery, a player with Futacs' height should always be able to get goals. He shouldn't be so important - Kitson, Benjani and Kanu should all be able to get goals, but they haven't managed that this season and now the pressure is on Futacs' substantial shoulders

Blackpool - Ludo Sylvestre

After being rested for the trip to Wales last weekend, Sylvestre returned to the side in the FA Cup and capped a splendid performance with a rare and well-taken goal. Despite this, with competition for places throughout the team so fierce, Sylvestre isn't a certain starter. However, Ian Holloway has favoured the Frenchman for home games lately when 'Pool have often set up in an attacking shape, so he could well keep his place. At his best Sylvestre can move the ball quickly and has a penchant for backheels and flicks to frustrate the opposition. With a little more help in midfield if Holloway does opt for a 4-2-1-3 formation, Sylvestre can help Blackpool dominate games.

Portsmouth - Liam Lawrence (by When Sol Went Up)

Lawrence started like a steam train at Fratton Park. He was brought to Portsmouth in what might have been deal of the century with the overrated Marc Wilson going to Stoke and Lawrence, Kitson and a couple of million pounds coming to Pompey. However, Kitson has struggled and Lawrence's form nose-dived at the end of last year - a recurring injury has meant that he has been unable to recover his form. Yet he still has quality, and with Luke Varney injured and Huseklepp even more inconsistent than Lawrence, the team is overreliant on Lawrence in a similar way to Futacs.

4. The Form Guide

• Blackpool sit 3rd in the form table based on the last six games with four wins, one draw and one defeat
• Portsmouth lie 14th in the form table based on the last six games with two wins, one draw and three defeats

• Blackpool have won their last three home games and are unbeaten in the last seven
• Portsmouth have the fourth worst away record in the Championship, winning only twice away from Fratton Park

Up The 'Pool Prediction

With the form Blackpool are currently in, one would expect them to continue this run against a Pompey side under the threat of liquidation. As has been the case in many recent home matches, breaking the deadlock will be the tricky part, but taking the lead at Bloomfield Road is surely overdue as the Seasiders start to set their sights higher than just a play-off place.

Expect Blackpool's run to continue - 2-0 home win.

3. Kevin Bond Zairian approach to the law of Association Football

Steve Claridge, local boy and suffering for no lack of self confidence in his own ability (quite rightly so in my book) is making his living out of offering his expert opinion on games involving 72 league clubs in what looks like an abandoned warehouse with Manish. At the same time Kevin Bond is making headlines as being part of a well regarded coaching setup guiding Spurs towards what could be a norm busting third spot in the Premier league via a corruption scandal of his own having been assistant manager up at Newcastle.


During Claridge's spell at Fratton Park the now highly regarded Kevin Bond was the assistant manager under Alan Ball. Bond, who Claridge describes as having a personality similar to his playing style 'that of little character' is slated by Super Steve in his excellent autobiography takes from the bootcamps. In a farcical tale Claridge explains that Kevin Bond was taking the players through a free kick routine. A player would run over the ball and the other would then take the Free kick. Fair enough but Bond had a genius almost Zairian idea, once the player had ran over the ball the defense should charge thus closing down the free kick taker. The senior players attempted to explain to Mr Bond that this would be encroachment, but the assistant manager was having none of it. In the end Alan Ball had to come over to clarify the rules of Football.


Ladies and Gentleman the assistant manager of the third best club in england, Kevin Bond

4. Henry, the new Vieria

As 'Arry heads to court to discuss tax evasion he must know that this trial has the potential to derail not only Spurs tittle bid this season but also his chances of taking over the management of his country, a job that must be the holy grail for a man of his arrogance. He must rue the day he heard of Amdy Faye. This fact makes the lengths he went to (apparently) to sign him even more amusing. Amdy was by all accounts a wanted man - not least by Steve Gibson's Middlesborough. 'Arry talked Amdy in to training with the blues and played the 'new Patrick Vieria' against Kilmarnock in a preseason friendly. In what must have been quite the performance 'Arry using all his east-end nous came up with the genius plan of playing him under the pseudonym so 'Andy Henry' played his one game for Pompey - and the watching scouts from Villa and Boro were suitably impressed.'Arry, who apparently as well as dealing with training also was at the time the single point of contact for PFCs admin and was ensuring that none of the messages to Faye got through as he attempted to finalise the deal with Auxerre. The next day 'Arry is on his way with Sandra to a BBQ at Jamie and Louise's when he is contacted by someone who has apparently stationed outside Amdys hotel room, apparently ineffectively because he reports the midfielder has displayed an uncharacteristic turn of pace and is heading to the airport to return to France to sign a better deal with a bigger club. But Arry (and the apparently long suffering Sandra) catch up with Faye, bundle him into the car and imprison him in sandbanks where the Redknapp hounds were set to guard him until he signed the deal. Sometimes people say 'you couldn't make it up' but I'm sure 'Arry did to some extent, but it makes a good yarn. Unfortunately Faye didn't really live up to the effort expended to acquire him, playing under 50 games for the club. He was released by Leeds last year and as a 34 year old is still a free agent after failing to find a club.

A good transfer day...nothing happend

Morning all,


Just some very quick thoughts on Pompey's transfer deadline day.


I dont think it is as of yet completely clear what happend with Ipswich yesterday. My best understanding is they agreed a deal for both Henderson and Ward, who then rejected the deal on personal terms. Pearce was subject to numerous bids but I dont think the blues accepted any of them.


From a footballing view you have to be delighted we didnt see the family silver. Appleton has the team playing well and if we lost all three, our bench would have been threadbare to say the least. Although I would love to applaud the players for their loyalty my more cynical side wonders how much money they are on at Pompey and how little they were offered by Ipswich. Ward is from Pompey and probably didnt fancy moving away. But Henderson has just seen last months wages bounce - why didnt he go?! Its a strange position for a fan to be in but if the situation is as bleak as we are led to believe will we look back on this day in a couple of months as the club is wound up thinking that 2 million would have come in really useful?!


I am surprised there wasnt more interest in other players. Lawrence, Varney, Norris, Mullins, Halford, Erik etc all could do a solid job for Championship sides and i imagine would have been available at knockdown prices. You could be really hopeful and speculate that maybe just maybe the club are hopeful of a buyer? You could be really negative and wonder about prohibitively high wages.


Williams left for half a mil. Seems like a good deal. Pompey's three managers this season have not seen fit to play him, despite Appleton bemoaning his lack of winger options, so to cash on him seems sensible. I will watch his career development with interest.


One negative was Mattock going to Brighton instead of us on loan despite stating we were the only place he would go. But WBA quite rightly pointed out it was unfair to send him somewhere where he might not get paid.


On to Hull...