Pompey At Home

[public school boy]

How many times have we been down this road before? Portsmouth FC will be bought, debts cleared and restructured from top to bottom. Remember how close Brighton and Southampton came to being wound up but both clubs are now pushing towards the premiership.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Portsmouth FC will be bought, debts cleared and restructured from top to bottom.

That is so somebodies signature waiting to happen.

 

[Hotchilidog]

And this was really the point of my opening post. I for one will be both embarrassed and ashamed if Albion fans sing songs to take the piss out of the Portsmouth fans. Of course they enjoyed their day in the sun as we did when we were in (the old) Div 1 and they were in Div 3. Our fans are no less arrogant when we are doing well and no less wingey when we are not. We are all football fans, we support our LOCAL clubs and we all ultimately have no control over who owns our clubs and what happens to the money. No one should understand this better than a Brighton fan. All fans of any club (Brighton, Plymouth, Port vale, Wrexham, Wimbledon, Luton - the list goes on and on - AND Pompey) can do is turn up, support their team, enjoy any good times that come along and hope that the club they love is not one day screwed over.

If we take the piss out of the Pompey fans for their predicament then IMHO we will be utter hypocrites. I hope we stuff them on March 10th but I hope for the sake of the genuine fans that their club exists long into the future.

Totally disagree. We have fought tooth and nail for our 'success'. We stuck it out during the tough times and never gave up the fight to survive with over a decade of relentless campaigning to get where we are today. We had fans willing to fight for the club and a board that paid it's bills despite not having a pot to piss in. In that time we have also shown support for other fans who have been willing to fight for their clubs too. There would be nothing hypocritical about lambasting Portsmouth when they visit the Amex.

Pompey have cheated other clubs, local businesses and the taxpayer, all whilst their so called passionate support stood on the sidelines and did sod all about the wrongdoing at their club. Sympathy should be in short supply. If Pompey do survive this crisis it will be at the expense of all those they cheered over the years and this will not be a cause for celebration.

 

[Acker79]

I find myself largely indifferent to the survival of pompey. I feel the fans have not done enough, the club hasn't suffered or sacrificed to save itself.

However, I do think taunting them for their predicament would be in poor taste, and I'd like to think our fans would be above that, but then our fans are no different to general football fans, and general football fans often display a lack of class when chanting en masse.

 

[abc]

Pompey have cheated other clubs, local businesses and the taxpayer, all whilst their so called passionate support stood on the sidelines and did sod all about the wrongdoing at their club. Sympathy should be in short supply.
[/QUOTE]

What exactly was the average Pompey fan supposed to do?!

I doubt that many have millions burning a hole in their pocket! We were fighting politicians, planning enquiries, conservation groups AFTER the damage was done. Financially our club was going down the pan after the financial mismanagement in the late 70's/early 80's. The writing was on the wall when they took away the North Stand roof but we didnt realise. But we LOVED those times and no fans were complaining about the success. Archer and Belotti finished the job in ruthless fashion. We protested but we didnt stop them making us homeless. Your right, we didnt have a pot to piss in but we werent millions in debt either. Make no mistake, we would not be here now without Dick Knight's tenancity and vision and Norman Cook's financial support but neither would have been able to manage the level of the current Pompey debt.

In truth we woke up far too late to the damage being done to our club. Perhaps Pompey fans have done the same. But its not until the fans and the club are completely f***ed over that they can start to really do something. That happened when we lost our ground and its about to happen to pompey fans as they lose their club. Thankfully we are now out the other end and thriving.

Perhaps now is the time to show a little humility and good grace for those who are about to start that journey.

 

[Notters]

next thread - chants for the Pompey match. This should be easy.

Fans United, will never be defeated.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Pompey have cheated other clubs, local businesses and the taxpayer, all whilst their so called passionate support stood on the sidelines and did sod all about the wrongdoing at their club. Sympathy should be in short supply.

What exactly was the average Pompey fan supposed to do?!

I doubt that many have millions burning a hole in their pocket! We were fighting politicians, planning enquiries, conservation groups AFTER the damage was done. Financially our club was going down the pan after the financial mismanagement in the late 70's/early 80's. The writing was on the wall when they took away the North Stand roof but we didnt realise. But we LOVED those times and no fans were complaining about the success. Archer and Belotti finished the job in ruthless fashion. We protested but we didnt stop them making us homeless. Your right, we didnt have a pot to piss in but we werent millions in debt either. Make no mistake, we would not be here now without Dick Knight's tenancity and vision and Norman Cook's financial support but neither would have been able to manage the level of the current Pompey debt.

In truth we woke up far too late to the damage being done to our club. Perhaps Pompey fans have done the same. But its not until the fans and the club are completely f***ed over that they can start to really do something. That happened when we lost our ground and its about to happen to pompey fans as they lose their club. Thankfully we are now out the other end and thriving.

Perhaps now is the time to show a little humility and good grace for those who are about to start that journey

About to start that journey? How long do we have to wait for it to start. The crisis at Pompey is not a recent revelation, the writing has been on the wall there for years, and yet we have seen very little from Pompey fans, and it appears that any efforts now be will be too little too late and they will only have themselves to blame.

If they had shown half the gumption of Wrexham or Plymouth fans then I am sure plenty of Albion fans would have been willing to help their campaign. I believe the issues at Portsmouth affect the game as a whole and common cause could have been made with other clubs in similar positions if their fans had reached out. In the age of the internet this is easier to do now than it was in 1997.

I respect your empathy for genuine Pompey fans, and I suspect it reflects poorly on me that I don't share it. However I am just mystified at the apparently supine nature of their support, and the resignation that there is nothing that they can do, when other clubs, not just the Albion, have shown that fans can make a difference.

 

[jimhigham]

About to start that journey? How long do we have to wait for it to start. The crisis at Pompey is not a recent revelation, the writing has been on the wall there for years, and yet we have seen very little from Pompey fans, and it appears that any efforts now be will be too little too late and they will only have themselves to blame.

If they had shown half the gumption of Wrexham or Plymouth fans then I am sure plenty of Albion fans would have been willing to help their campaign. I believe the issues at Portsmouth affect the game as a whole and common cause could have been made with other clubs in similar positions if their fans had reached out. In the age of the internet this is easier to do now than it was in 1997.

I respect your empathy for genuine Pompey fans, and I suspect it reflects poorly on me that I don't share it. However I am just mystified at the apparently supine nature of their support, and the resignation that there is nothing that they can do, when other clubs, not just the Albion, have shown that fans can make a difference.

Prize winner! Most erudite post of the day. Well said, that man.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

You make your point eloquently, Hotchilidog, and I have some sympathy with it. I'd only say in response that, while, yes, it was an Albion fan who picked up the infamous change to the Articles, look how long it to even get the authorities interested, and they were just as supine in their response as you accuse the fans of being - he personally could not actually force the club to do anything about it. Our ire would be much better directed at those who have caused the problems, and those in authority who have stood by and let them happen.

But you're right about the response of the support - they have been oddly passive for such a supposedly numerous, voluble and passionate set of fans. That's to their detriment, certainly, but I don't think they deserve to be mocked for it, should they lose their club. (Not that you've done that - but others will).

 

[Gritt23]

Overspending to the degree they did wasn't just mis-mangement it was CHEATING, and the penalty for that should be expulsion. It may have taken 2 administrations for it to come to that, but if it does (and I can't see it) then they get what they deserve.

Sympathy for the fans? Naaah. As fans we are in it for the rollercoaster ride, the highs and lows. For a club of their size, they have enjoyed the highs way beyond where they should have reached. They cheated to reach those highs, and enjoy those days, so the ying and tang of that is the lows they are about to suffer are lower than they should suffer for a club of that size.

Spending £100k a week on Sol Campbell, John Utaka with transfer and wages cost them £24m, and there are plenty of other unrealistic players and wages from their "glory days" of the Cup Finals, which everyone supporting Pompey enjoyed. Well now, I see some chickens heading this way, and they look to be in the mood for roosting.

Ho hum.

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

It just pains me to think that when we beat them next Saturday and they finallt go "pop" a couple of weeks later, we will lose the 6 points that we have won of them this season!

 

[leigull]

I find myself largely indifferent to the survival of pompey. I feel the fans have not done enough, the club hasn't suffered or sacrificed to save itself.

However, I do think taunting them for their predicament would be in poor taste, and I'd like to think our fans would be above that, but then our fans are no different to general football fans, and general football fans often display a lack of class when chanting en masse.

Sums up my feelings perfectly

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I personally think it's about time a big club went bust for taking the piss financially. It would send out a warning to all the other clubs who are taking the piss.

If Pompey went bust, an AFC Pompey would pop up tomorrow and be back in the leagues within a decade.

Abso dabbo lutely this.

And god forbid if Archer won there would have been a phoenix BHA starting again and I would have gone and supported them.

 

[WhingForPresident]

It's best for them to start again anyway- the club is dead and has been for a long time.

The lack of action from their fans is quite staggering. I guess the FA cup win and European football was enough to keep them quiet.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

I think we should sing and chant in support of "our" team and not deride the Pompey fans for way their football club has been run by the money men and consequent lenient way the club has been punished. I detest PFC and the majority of their supporters but i still want us to beat them on the day fairly and squarely. If we dont support our team and help them beat Portsmouth we could end up with egg on our faces watching jubilant Pompey fans lording it up over us and beating us "against the odds"....................Poor hard done by Portsmouth defeat their well-off South-coast neighbours against the odds........that headline would hurt as much as the Palace debacle.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I think we should sing and chant in support of "our" team and not deride the Pompey fans for way their football club has been run by the money men and consequent lenient way the club has been punished. I detest PFC and the majority of their supporters but i still want us to beat them on the day fairly and squarely. If we dont support our team and help them beat Portsmouth we could end up with egg on our faces watching jubilant Pompey fans lording it up over us and beating us "against the odds"....................Poor hard done by Portsmouth defeat their well-off South-coast neighbours against the odds........that headline would hurt as much as the Palace debacle.

Now that I do agree with wholeheartedly. The game itself shouldn't be about the opposition it should be about us.

 

[brakespear]

About to start that journey? How long do we have to wait for it to start. The crisis at Pompey is not a recent revelation, the writing has been on the wall there for years, and yet we have seen very little from Pompey fans, and it appears that any efforts now be will be too little too late and they will only have themselves to blame.

If they had shown half the gumption of Wrexham or Plymouth fans then I am sure plenty of Albion fans would have been willing to help their campaign. I believe the issues at Portsmouth affect the game as a whole and common cause could have been made with other clubs in similar positions if their fans had reached out. In the age of the internet this is easier to do now than it was in 1997.

I respect your empathy for genuine Pompey fans, and I suspect it reflects poorly on me that I don't share it. However I am just mystified at the apparently supine nature of their support, and the resignation that there is nothing that they can do, when other clubs, not just the Albion, have shown that fans can make a difference.

great post

 

[abc]

I think we should sing and chant in support of "our" team and not deride the Pompey fans for way their football club has been run by the money men and consequent lenient way the club has been punished. I detest PFC and the majority of their supporters but i still want us to beat them on the day fairly and squarely. If we dont support our team and help them beat Portsmouth we could end up with egg on our faces watching jubilant Pompey fans lording it up over us and beating us "against the odds"....................Poor hard done by Portsmouth defeat their well-off South-coast neighbours against the odds........that headline would hurt as much as the Palace debacle.

Agree with this 100%

 

[Digweeds Trousers]

About to start that journey? How long do we have to wait for it to start. The crisis at Pompey is not a recent revelation, the writing has been on the wall there for years, and yet we have seen very little from Pompey fans, and it appears that any efforts now be will be too little too late and they will only have themselves to blame.

If they had shown half the gumption of Wrexham or Plymouth fans then I am sure plenty of Albion fans would have been willing to help their campaign. I believe the issues at Portsmouth affect the game as a whole and common cause could have been made with other clubs in similar positions if their fans had reached out. In the age of the internet this is easier to do now than it was in 1997.

I respect your empathy for genuine Pompey fans, and I suspect it reflects poorly on me that I don't share it. However I am just mystified at the apparently supine nature of their support, and the resignation that there is nothing that they can do, when other clubs, not just the Albion, have shown that fans can make a difference.

What

1998. 1998. 1998. 1998.

This is the third time they have taken this route, they have dismissed warnings made back in the 1998 winding up order petition about the necessity and importance of financial management.

Then again a few years ago - and now again. They are a serial offender on this case and as Keith Hill the Rochdale manager stated so concisely why should other clubs manage to their means and be penalised for it on the playing field.

Those same Pompey fans who loved to tell us how shit we were for years. We were shit becuase we could only afford to pay for shit. Our benefactor focused on paying for things outside of players.

In fact Rod Thomas was paid for by us - the f***ing fans - because although we could have bought him through the club it would have meant not paying tax, or other bills.

Sorry. WE created the momentum for things to change at the Albion because we did not want to go down the road of self-destruction. WE harried, marched, petitioned, demonstrated, cohersed and challenged everything around us.

If there was even a sniff of this happening at Portsmouth then I would feel for them. They have basically been shagging around, getting their leg over with whoever they wanted whenever they wanted. And now that their kids are being taken off them and the wife is leaving them they are crying and begging for pity.

Sorry. No pity from me. We suffered for 20 years to get through the times of hardship. In their times of hardship they have bene in the Premier league, winning an FA Cup and lapping every piece of it up. No. Off you go the bottome of the Southsea Sunday league and face crowds of 1200, preferably in a ground 80 miles from Fratton Park - and let's see how you deal with that.

No time for them whatsoever.

 

[One Robbie Reinelt]

I seem to recall a Pompey fan grabbing me by the throat at Preston Park station, after we beat them in the cup last season, & saying 'what the f**k are you doing on our platform?'. No sympathy from me I'm afraid.