Tal Ben-Haim - what a cock

[Barrel of Fun]

The club isn't officially talking to any of these players as the only person with the power to offer contracts is the administrator, and his mind is otherwise occupied, as he makes clear in the original article that the Sky Sports report was taken from.

Bel Haim a symbol of Pompeys fall - Football League - Football - The Independent

Sensationalist headline. He is (one of) the players dragging them in to liquidation?

Your article seems to give Birch a chance to paint Ben Haim as the bad guy. Is Ben Haim really the bad guy in all of this?

 

[severnside gull]

The club isn't officially talking to any of these players as the only person with the power to offer contracts is the administrator, and his mind is otherwise occupied, as he makes clear in the original article that the Sky Sports report was taken from.

Bel Haim a symbol of Pompeys fall - Football League - Football - The Independent

Point taken - just as McLeod and Howard and the other 6 or 7 triallists aren't officially in Spain right now and can leave at any time - hence our friendly may be cancelled

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Bel Haim a symbol of Pompeys fall - Football League - Football - The Independent

Now I look at it again, the way the IoS piece emphasises that Portsmouth are at League One level for the first time since 1983 makes it read as if it was written by someone who really despises everything about that sorry excuse for a club.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Now I look at it again, the way the IoS piece emphasises that Portsmouth are at League One level for the first time since 1983 makes it read as if it was written by someone who really despises everything about that sorry excuse for a club.

Fair point.

 

[jackanada]

Kanu lodging a claim for £3m in back payments is surely the final straw.

And for those saying the players have every right to stay on their highly inflated wages, well yes they do, but when you know you are going to finish a football club and lose a lot of people their jobs then surely a little bit of guilt must prick at your conscience?

In this situation I prefer to picture Kanu as gamekeeper.
He wanders over to where an animal is stuck in a trap, covered in a cold sweat, eyes wide with fear, struggling with rapid shallow breaths it pulls at it's mangled limbs, they are crushed and splintered in the trap. Releasing the trap is pointless, the damage has been done and would only cause more suffering. The beast is fatally wounded. Some small deep primal part will not accept this, it sends out it's rallying cry and the wracked body responds, pulling in a breath, tugging at its wounds. Waves of pain return in cascade.
His mind is clear. He is pitiless only in the certainty that his actions are correct. Without pause, without prayer, he shoulders his rifle. Boot on neck. Muzzle to head.
Click.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

It's all down to greed,when wages were capped at £20 a week it was still a good living at the time when the average wage was about £5,not saying it's the players fault, if they are offered the money...I'd like £36,000 a year...let alone a week...but there again owners/directors have a lot to answer for for their part...the only people who are loyal to a club are the fans...(including the rare breed of Tony Bloom)...Albion almost went the same way...only the sale of Beeney to Leeds saved us...as most have said,the best way for Pompey now is to start from fresh,back to the drawing board. I feel for the creditors who have lost out,the fans who have lost their club...although to some extent were crowing when they bought the cup and titles...let's hope it is a lesson to all and the sooner the rule comes in that you cannot spend more than you earn the better.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Sensationalist headline. He is (one of) the players dragging them in to liquidation?

Your article seems to give Birch a chance to paint Ben Haim as the bad guy. Is Ben Haim really the bad guy in all of this?

As Birch says, Ben Haim is not the only player holding out for what they believe they are owed, but his contract is the one which is most ridiculous for League One. Birch puts most of the blame on the club for awarding it with no relegation clauses, but when I asked him how negotiations with Zahavi were going, he said "not very successfully." He sounded exasperated more than anything.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I went to watch Portsmouth/Swindon in the late nineties. I think Mildenhall made his debut for Swindon (4th choice) and played through the pain barrier (as there was no replacement) after rupturing his urethra and splitting one of his testicles. They had the begging bowl out then.

It does bemus me as to how Mandaric is, seemingly, blameless. As with all the other clubs he has owned, buys them cheap and then sells them on, for a profit, to any old sailor.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

In this situation I prefer to picture Kanu as gamekeeper.
He wanders over to where an animal is stuck in a trap, covered in a cold sweat, eyes wide with fear, struggling with rapid shallow breaths it pulls at it's mangled limbs, they are crushed and splintered in the trap. Releasing the trap is pointless, the damage has been done and would only cause more suffering. The beast is fatally wounded. Some small deep primal part will not accept this, it sends out it's rallying cry and the wracked body responds, pulling in a breath, tugging at its wounds. Waves of pain return in cascade.
His mind is clear. He is pitiless only in the certainty that his actions are correct. Without pause, without prayer, he shoulders his rifle. Boot on neck. Muzzle to head.
Click.

Wow! that's very creative writing...you say 'Click'....does that mean there was not a bullet in the chamber...which just about sums up the situation!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

As Birch says, Ben Haim is not the only player holding out for what they believe they are owed, but his contract is the one which is most ridiculous for League One. Birch puts most of the blame on the club for awarding it with no relegation clauses, but when I asked him how negotiations with Zahavi were going, he said "not very successfully." He sounded exasperated more than anything.

His wages are ridiculous at any level. I'm sure Birch is exasperated. I wouldn't fancy John 'Portsmouth Football Club' Westwood turning up on my doorstep, blaming me for the demise of his club.

With any luck, he is going to have to change his name to John 'AFC Portsmouth' Westwood.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Point taken - just as McLeod and Howard and the other 6 or 7 triallists aren't officially in Spain right now and can leave at any time - hence our friendly may be cancelled

I'm sure they're all quite happy to do some pre-season training somewhere sunny at someone else's expense. And if Portsmouth go bust, Michael Appleton will probably get a decent coaching job somewhere else and remember them.

 

[Sam-]

I know the answer is likely to be a contractual one but if Pompey can summarily dismiss and make redundant members of staff such as the ticket office, cleaners etc why can't they simply do the same with players? Make them all redundant the same as the others say sorry we have no money to give you any redundancy payments or back pay and get them to join the queue of creditors albeit they will get first preference as football creditors. It's crazy, I know of no other business going bust that doesn't simply cancel the contracts and make the highest earners redundant why are football clubs any different than any other business?

Am I wrong in thinking you can only make someone redundant when the Job they are paid to do is no longer needed due to scaling down operations? Therefore its hard for a football club (especially one where you can count the number of players on one hand) to claim they no longer need a player?

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I went to watch Portsmouth/Swindon in the late nineties. I think Mildenhall made his debut for Swindon (4th choice) and played through the pain barrier (as there was no replacement) after rupturing his urethra and splitting one of his testicles. They had the begging bowl out then.

It does bemus me as to how Mandaric is, seemingly, blameless. As with all the other clubs he has owned, buys them cheap and then sells them on, for a profit, to any old sailor.

Blimey, I remember that match - a Friday night, wasn't it? I was reporting it and Steve McMahon's face when we asked about Mildenhall's injury suggested it hadn't been a pretty sight. Perry Digweed all over again .... I think Mandaric was mainly culpable in that he sold his "beloved club" to a dodgy Israeli arms dealer.

 

[macky]

cant be bothered to read through all this shit again Can someone please explain to me
why the fans have to go through all the heartache .Why do the fans have to suffer ??

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Why should he give up what he is contracted to ?

In any other occupation, the option of hanging on to your contracted terms and conditions, when your employer goes as bust as Pompey have, simply doesn't exist.

 

[Captain Haddock]

But they are long gone. They are not learning any lesson. The only ones suffering for this are the fans.

And most of these fans say they wouldn't give up the memory and glory of their PL funtime, FA Cup win and Euro run in exchange for survival....at least the ones I've spoken to and read / heard word from via the various public arenas.

As that's the case, let it be so!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Blimey, I remember that match - a Friday night, wasn't it? I was reporting it and Steve McMahon's face when we asked about Mildenhall's injury suggested it hadn't been a pretty sight. Perry Digweed all over again .... I think Mandaric was mainly culpable in that he sold his "beloved club" to a dodgy Israeli arms dealer.

My first visit to Fratton Park and there were mumblings about the garages/or wasteland being owned by someone else and holding the club back.

Google suggests it was Albion 'legend', Robbie Pethick who 'sacked' him.

Rookie's a cut above the rest; Portsmouth 0 Swindon 1. - Free Online Library

We had a fish supper on the way there and my abiding memory of that match, is my friend Lawrence, asking to have a bite of my Gherkin and then throwing it out of the car window at an old lady crossing the street.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

cant be bothered to read through all this shit again Can someone please explain to me
why the fans have to go through all the heartache .Why do the fans have to suffer ??

We are, but customers.

I reckon the fans would have more fun rebuilding the club, rather than having a 5-a-side team destined for walkovers. There will always be some sort of Portsmouth football club.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

A problem, becomes a problem
When you let down your friends
When you let down the people
When you let down yourself
Oh, and only fools, vultures and undertakers
Will have any time for you

Oh

A problem, becomes a problem
When you lie to your friends
And you lie to your people
And you lie to yourself

And the truth's too harsh to comprehend
You just pretend there isn't a problem

I am a pimp and a slave
I dig my bed you dig my bed
I dig my grave
And the truth's too harsh to comprehend
You just pretend there isn't a problem
No no, I ain't got a problem
It's you with the problem!

 

[macky]

Sad

We are, but customers.

I reckon the fans would have more fun rebuilding the club, rather than having a 5-a-side team destined for walkovers. There will always be some sort of Portsmouth football club.

Sad is'nt it