Rumours of a bid by a Middle East consortium for Pompey have been confirmed. They will need to put a credible bid together quickly, as the other two bidders, former owner Balram Chainrai and Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust, have been given until this Friday to finalise their bids.
Rumours of a bid by a Middle East consortium for Pompey have been confirmed. They will need to put a credible bid together quickly, as the other two bidders, former owner Balram Chainrai and Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust, have been given until this Friday to finalise their bids.
It still seems likely that Balram Chainrai will end up as owner through his Portpin group. That would not be welcomed by most Pompey fans, although there is an element of the ‘devil you know’. Given their experience of foreign owners, they will necessarily be suspicious of unknown foreign owners, although there is real money in the Middle East and an interest in investing in clubs with potential.
Sulaiman Al Fahim who briefly owned Portsmouth in 2009 has subsequently been identified as the leading light in the consortium, but has so far failed to produce proof that a reputed £12,5m funds are available in the UK.