nPower Football League Thread 2011/12

[Lineker]

The chap who played for Dag & Red?

The Portsmouth Supporters Trust has received the backing of the City Council in its attempts to save the stricken club.

The Trust is now urging administrators looking for a buyer to meet them as soon as possible to discuss the crisis.

Italian businessman Joseph Cala wants to buy the club and would pay off the £1.6m tax bill immediately but says he is willing to work with supporters.

"Without fans, football isn't fun or passionate," Cala told BBC Sport.

On 3 January, Portsmouth were issued with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs and will appear at the Royal Courts of Justice on 20 February.

But the Portsmouth Supporters Trust met with local businesses on Thursday in an attempt to form a consortium to help save the Championship club.

The meeting was said to be constructive and they have the backing of the City Council.

Pompey's parent company, Convers Sport Initiatives (CSI), entered administration in November, forcing the club to search for new owners.

CSI's administrator Andrew Andronikou revealed on Friday that Pompey have missed two tax payments of £800,000 to HMRC.

And there is an urgency to complete a deal with fresh backers, as investment is needed if Portsmouth are to meet further ongoing running costs.

BBC South understands any purchaser would need to provide £12m as proof of funds and assurances they could meet another £20m in repayments to former creditors, Balram Chainrai and Alexandre Gaydamak.

Cala withdrew an offer to buy the club last Friday after failing to agree terms with the club's major creditor, Portpin, which is controlled by Chainrai.

However on Thursday, Cala said he had renewed his interest in Portsmouth and had instructed his banker's to deal directly with Portpin.

BBC Sport has since learned he has now submitted a new offer and wants to purchase the debenture held by Portpin.

Purchasing that debenture would give Cala power to take ultimate control of the club off Portpin - something previous owner Vladimir Antonov failed to do.

But following the news that Portsmouth had been issued with a winding-up petition, Portpin may now feel this is a better time for them to sell.

Cala told BBC Sport his U-turn was based on "learning the true facts of the Debenture Note", and vowed to pay off the outstanding tax bill "immediately" if he took control, in order to keep the club out of administration and avoid any punishment from the Football League.

He added: "As soon as I am the owner or the Debenture holder, I'll always work with the fans."

[MDK]

Yeah, he played for the Daggers, but now he is at the most important east London club

[Dan]

Luke James!

He's almost 6 years younger than me, fucking hell

[hugobomb]

Barnet make it 4 wins in a row! Should be good and safe now

[Lineker]

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway praised Keith Southern for his mental strength in his first game back after testicular cancer.

Southern captained the Tangerines in the 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fourth round - just two months after having a tumour removed.

"I've never known a bloke mentally as strong as him on and off the pitch," Holloway said.

"We let him have some time off. He's all-clear at the moment but the problem is that worry you're going to have to keep checking, and when it is the 'c' word it's horrible."

Southern, 30, received a rapturous ovation at Bloomfield Road in his first match since November as Blackpool earned a fourth-round replay thanks to Kevin Phillips's last-gasp penalty.

Southern suffered a nasty gash to his ankle in the build-up to Clinton Morrison's opener for Sheffield Wednesday, and Holloway revealed his captain for the day refused to get treatment.

"I gave him the captaincy because he thoroughly deserves it and now he's gone and got another cut - life is a funny thing," he said.

"I've never seen a gash like it - it's a great big hole. He's got somewhere to slip his pyjamas now.

"It was quite a nasty tackle - over the top of the ball, stamped on his ankle. He didn't realise how bad it was; he didn't even want treatment.

"Even that bout of cancer he had didn't keep him out for more than five weeks, so it's only a little gash."

[Lineker]

Lee Hughes has been charged with sexual assault.

Back inside you go, scumbag.

[Colly]

Horrible, horrible little shit. Worst thing is he plays to the crowd like a Robbie Savage style panto villain when he gets booed. You fucking killed someone.

[IAceI]

I agree with Colly.

His antics in the season opener here at Carlisle drove me insane. Moreso than posturing away fans and the like, the way he conducts himself on the pitch really wound me up something rotten and I'm generally pretty placid, especially at Carlisle matches. His seeming lack of remorse for the terrible things he's done in his life really does piss me off, he's a notch above your Barton's and others when you think of horrible footballers.

Like Colly said, he killed someone - yes he's done his time and no he's not going to be permanently sad because of it - but you just get the feeling he really doesn't care. He got away with it pretty easily when you think what would have happened to one of us if we were in his situation.

He suits prison. Hope he enjoys it back there assuming he goes down.

[Adam]

How are Ipswich 3-1 up on West Ham? At least Forest are losing.

We're 0-0 at the break away at Hull, playing a front three of Bamogo, Hayter and Diouf. It's time for these guys really step up to the plate now Sharp has gone.

[IAceI]

Because they have Michael Chopra and Daryl Murphy, and it is impossible to lose with those two goal machines in your team.

[Matt]

How are Ipswich 3-1 up on West Ham? At least Forest are losing.

We're 0-0 at the break away at Hull, playing a front three of Bamogo, Hayter and Diouf. It's time for these guys really step up to the plate now Sharp has gone.

I'm more confused as to how we're 1-1 with Birmingham and, by the sounds of it, have been the better team Is this the same team that have struggled against shit teams playing with 10 men in recent weeks?

Edit: Sigh, 2 goals against the run of play.

Edit: Make it 3. I hate Zigic.

Edit: Are you fucking kidding me? Can we get a fucking centre half that's not shite to go alongside Tom Lees? No wait, they cost fucking money and spending money would be fucking absurd.

[Adam]

Mostly a good evening. We got a rough 0-0 draw away at a top 6 side, Forest have lost yet again without scoring a goal at home, and Coventry have totally capitulated at the end and are losing 2-1 at Blackpool. Millwall lost too so we move up a place and stay 5 adrift of safety. Just a shame Ipswich won.

Oh, and that Leeds result is not too bad either.

[Dingle]

19th destroys 1st? EPIC ! Glad to see West Ham lose some points, if only so we don't get a runaway winner. I'm sure Split will be delighted.

Burnley at 9th is okay with me as long as we can keep up our current good form and maybe try and get a point from Southampton at the weekend and then get a win at home against Barnsley next Tuesday. Any slip up in the top 12 can lead to big changes in the layout of the league table. Whilst teams for relegation are probably set in stone (byebye Doncs, Notts and Coventry), I love that anything can happen for the play offs (although I maintain my prediction that West Ham, Southampton and Birmingham are going up this year).

[Adam]

19th destroys 1st? EPIC ! Glad to see West Ham lose some points, if only so we don't get a runaway winner. I'm sure Split will be delighted.

Burnley at 9th is okay with me as long as we can keep up our current good form and maybe try and get a point from Southampton at the weekend and then get a win at home against Barnsley next Tuesday. Any slip up in the top 12 can lead to big changes in the layout of the league table. Whilst teams for relegation are probably set in stone (byebye Doncs, Notts and Coventry), I love that anything can happen for the play offs (although I maintain my prediction that West Ham, Southampton and Birmingham are going up this year).

Oi, I refuse to give up hope! Today I have decided to take on a new attitude of positivity with utterly no reason for it. I have to cling to something. And hey, we beat Southampton last month, anything can happen between ANY of the clubs in this division, that's the beauty of it.

Oh, and I don't care how pedantic it is, but Notts are in League One

Edited January 31, 2012 by AdamDRFC

[Matt]

So you know how in the last 6 months we have sold Howson for about 2m, Gradel for about 1.5m and Schmeichel for about 1.5m, plus the fact we're supposed to be debt free and "one of the few clubs operating in the black" and we've only spent £500k on Danny Pugh? Yeah, apparently the reason we've brought no-one in is because we have no money.

I hope Ken Bates dies the most painful of deaths, promptly.

[Jimmy]

I'm sure we'll go lose our next game or whatever.

But

[Jimmy]

Because they have Michael Chopra and Daryl Murphy, and it is impossible to lose with those two goal machines in your team.

Oh how I were wish this were true.

[Lineker]

Leeds have sacked Simon Grayson and his coaching staff.

[IAceI]

... :-\

[Adam]

Leeds have sacked Simon Grayson and his coaching staff.

You have got to be joking.

I fully expect to see 20,000 angry Leeds fans literally sticking Ken Bates head on a stick at the weekend. What on earth.