Most people in football, including the football authorities, would like to see the Pompey Supporters’ Trust (PST) take charge at Portsmouth. The club has a particularly dedicated set of fans who have suffered a lot. More generally, it would be a natural experiment that would allow us to see whether a supporters’ trust can work at a ‘big’ club. Lessons can be learned from any problems that arise and how they are dealt with.
Most people in football, including the football authorities, would like to see the Pompey Supporters’ Trust (PST) take charge at Portsmouth. The club has a particularly dedicated set of fans who have suffered a lot. More generally, it would be a natural experiment that would allow us to see whether a supporters’ trust can work at a ‘big’ club. Lessons can be learned from any problems that arise and how they are dealt with.
The Times has got hold of a letter dated March 1st which shows that Keith Harris’s consortium has made a £6.3m bid for Fratton Park, more than double that offered by the PST. Balram Chainrai’s company, Portpin, is believed to be ready to release its fixed charge on Fratton Park if administrators PKF take up the offer.
The Football League has made it clear that it prefers the PST offer, but this is a further complication in this long drawn out saga. The involvement of Keith Harris and his fellow investors, Alan Hitchins and Pascal Najadi, has not been welcomed by most Pompey supporters despite various sweeteners such as a seat on the board for the PST. Harris, a former Football League chairman, insists that he has the knowledge and expertise to get the club running properly and realise its potential.
Najadi has not endeared himself to some Portsmouth supporters by taking legal action against a blogger, Micah Hall. The offending item has been removed, but no apology has been offered. Electronic media are, of course, covered by the law relating to defamation and anyone is entitled to pursue their legal rights. In the circumstances, however, it might not be an optimal course of action from a public relations perspective.
I cannot remember a more tortuous exit from administration at a football club, although this may reflect the extent and depth of Portsmouth’s accumulated problems.