Pompey have new owners

[Cornish Piskie]

Possibly because many other clubs have been in this position. Long time ago but we were within minutes of being wound up. Look at the parlous state of a whole bunch of clubs. Brash new owners with zero connection to the city or the club (maybe Eisner's got a pad in Leigh Park or maybe in Hilsea somewhere) tend not to be good news. Tend. There are exceptions but as a rule, absent, distant, foreign owners haven't had the best of track records. Could be worse, could have been a German crane company.

Or a Belgian industrialist / megalomaniac-cum-Bond-Villain and wannabe politician.

Seriously, Pompey (the club) could find themselves having sold their soul to the Devil if they really haven't thought this through, and the new owner turns out to have a hidden agenda or worse, no agenda for the club at all.

Pompey fans are some of the most insanely passionate I've ever known.. and I mean "insanely" as a compliment....... and they deserve to see their club rise again.

We can't know how this will all pan out. It might just work for them and I hope it does. I just hope it doesn't end in tears. I hope not to see Pompey fans having to do things like this...
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We took our protest to Belgium and joined with Standard Liege fans (he owned that club too). No place to run, Roland. No place to hide.

 

[HertsWolf]

We took our protest to Belgium and joined with Standard Liege fans (he owned that club too). No place to run, Roland. No place to hide.

Good move. To be fair, I remember back when Charlton were bigger than Millwall. Roland probably does too.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

We did. The finances were released in the PST pack before the fans had to vote on whether or not Eisner bought the club.

I don't believe a word of that for one second. The only team who probably spent more than you this season was Doncaster (and understandably so given their desperation to get out of this league.)

We probably spend a third of what you spend and our budget is considered "average" for this league.

 

[Bar Carousel]

Or a Belgian industrialist / megalomaniac-cum-Bond-Villain and wannabe politician.

Seriously, Pompey (the club) could find themselves having sold their soul to the Devil if they really haven't thought this through, and the new owner turns out to have a hidden agenda or worse, no agenda for the club at all.

Pompey fans are some of the most insanely passionate I've ever known.. and I mean "insanely" as a compliment....... and they deserve to see their club rise again.

We can't know how this will all pan out. It might just work for them and I hope it does. I just hope it doesn't end in tears. I hope not to see Pompey fans having to do things like this...
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We took our protest to Belgium and joined with Standard Liege fans (he owned that club too). No place to run, Roland. No place to hide.

Hats off to you all.

I've been on more protest marches than I care to remember since the mid 90's, but never abroad!

All I can say is that it might not seem like it now, but eventually logic will prevail. You'll end up rid of them in the end, and back where you belong.

Keep fighting.

 

[FarehamPompey]

I don't believe a word of that for one second. The only team who probably spent more than you this season was Doncaster (and understandably so given their desperation to get out of this league.)

We probably spend a third of what you spend and our budget is considered "average" for this league.

Christ.. and the sun isn't hot either!

 

[Cornish Piskie]

Hey.... I know it's a little off topic, but I gotta say "hi" to Bar Carousel and FarehamPompey. My student buddies and I spent many a fun evening in the Brass Monkey back in my student days at Portsmouth Uni, and I lived in student digs in Gosport with a couple of other girls. Does the "Funky Monkey" still have Irish Welly Dancing on St Patrick's night..? Good fun, happy times.

Regards to Fareham. I'll get back on topic now. LOL.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Hey.... I know it's a little off topic, but I gotta say "hi" to Bar Carousel and FarehamPompey. My student buddies and I spent many a fun evening in the Brass Monkey back in my student days at Portsmouth Uni, and I lived in student digs in Gosport with a couple of other girls. Does the "Funky Monkey" still have Irish Welly Dancing on St Patrick's night..? Good fun, happy times.

Regards to Fareham. I'll get back on topic now. LOL.

Brass Monkey shut down/changed name a few years back.. I'm only a student now, so I don't remember it too well!

 

[Trapdoor]

Whats all this about Tisdale to Pompey then?

Don't see it happening tbh.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Whats all this about Tisdale to Pompey then?

Don't see it happening tbh.

Hopefully not. Quite a few people are wanting him for some reason!

 

[Etienne Vermeer]

Good move. To be fair, I remember back when Charlton were bigger than Millwall. Roland probably does too.

This has never been the case *nod*

 

[Aber gas]

Hopefully not. Quite a few people are wanting him for some reason!

You lot can get to fuck with the Clarke rumours too tbh

 

[FarehamPompey]

You lot can get to fuck with the Clarke rumours too tbh

Haven't heard that one yet!

 

[Aber gas]

Haven't heard that one yet!

Well you have now and your mob including your new found Disney pounds can still fuck off.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Well you have now and your mob including your new found Disney pounds can still fuck off.

Cor, someone is in love!

 

[Aber gas]

Cor, someone is in love!

Mate, when we went up my missus tried to kiss the man ( she only got stu Sinclair but there we are) . So yes I'm rather fond.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Wahoo, Michael Eisner has just completed the purchase of Pompey. Kind of sad as we're no longer the biggest fan owned club, which has been a huge success, but we needed funding especially as the ground is collapsing. Hopefully in the Championship in the next two seasons, who knows about the Prem!

 

[Bucket_]

I remain (very) cautiously optimistic. Certainly seems like Michael's son Eric is keen on being heavily involved judging by his presence today; that's promising for the future.

https://twitter.com/officialpompey/status/893080196760432640 This may be one of the more awkward things I've seen though!

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Yet another promotion for Brett Pitman's career is on the cards in the coming years methinks.

 

[FarehamPompey]

I remain (very) cautiously optimistic. Certainly seems like Michael's son Eric is keen on being heavily involved judging by his presence today; that's promising for the future.

https://twitter.com/officialpompey/status/893080196760432640 This may be one of the more awkward things I've seen though!

So Awkward, Kenny doesn't know what to do with himself, bless him!

 

[Jockney]

 

[Super_horns]

So Awkward, Kenny doesn't know what to do with himself, bless him!

Probably hoping these new owners give him a chance after the Wolves ones sacked him..

 

[Bar Carousel]

Having read and watched the interviews i'm excited.

Not by a sudden influx of mercenary players (they can fuck off), but by the intent to grow the club, and in an organic way. If Tornante start to build the infrastructure of the club then it's a winner. No one has ever addressed this issue in all my time as a fan other than Terry Venables short ownership when the Fratton End was rebuilt (after previous owners as usual had ignored investment and let the stadium crumble to a point of closure of the stand). In typical fashion, the investment led to administration. There was no money to pay for it really. To me, these horror stories are synonymous with our club. Hugely embarrassing, but more importantly a vile way to run a business and shaft people. I've dipped a hand in my pocket to help pay back local charities and businesses countless times.

I do not get the impression that this is how the Eisner family and Tornante do business. For the first time in my life, we have the chance to actually build something that will last and is not built on sand, all smoke and mirrors. As and when Tornante sell up, we will have a business of worth. Not just players on a pitch worth a certain value in resale. An academy, a viable commercial sector, a ground which will be worth more than it does to maintain in.

The Trust and Board have done an unbelievable job in turning the club around, and putting it on an even keel, and beginning to run it in an honest and transparent way. But the ground repairs were a noose around their necks. The writing was on the wall and something had to be done.

It is sad to give up fan ownership. I'm a great advocate of it, but realistically we can not generate the funds to sustain it without a viable commercial stream to finance the running of the club. To do that will take some serious cash. If previous owners had invested in the good times then we wouldn't need the help now. Good luck to Tornante. I genuinely welcome them and wish them well.

One things for sure, many weren't happy at relinquishing control and will be watching them closely to ensure that they do just as they say.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Probably hoping these new owners give him a chance after the Wolves ones sacked him..

He spoke to Eisner before he was appointed to get some assurances, so I can't see him getting replaced ala wolves.

 

[K-Win]

I second pretty much all of that, Bar. I've been going to FP since the 70s and I can't recall any of our owners looking at the long-term needs of the club, with the possible exception of John Deacon. For all his faults he did attempt to at least build a new ground back in the 80s, only to be thwarted by an unhelpful council and a flock of Brent Geese.

This is a chance to become a well-run club making sensible decisions, rather than one built on sand.

 

[Bar Carousel]

I second pretty much all of that, Bar. I've been going to FP since the 70s and I can't recall any of our owners looking at the long-term needs of the club, with the possible exception of John Deacon. For all his faults he did attempt to at least build a new ground back in the 80s, only to be thwarted by an unhelpful council and a flock of Brent Geese.

This is a chance to become a well-run club making sensible decisions, rather than one built on sand.

Fingers crossed eh?

FWIW i think it was Jim Gregory who proposed the 'Parkway' development at Farlington. Of a sorry bunch, Gregory seemed a decent fella. Of course, in true Pompey way, he soon fell ill, relinquished control to his son who had no football interest and saw fit to sell anything not nailed down to fund his failing car business, and ultimately administration via Terry Venables. Deacon invested in players: Webb, Dillon, Blake, Hately etc but did little to invest long-term in the club (it was under his ownership that the Fratton end decayed and demolished bar the lower terrace). He actually spent the million pound Hately transfer fee on a basketball team rather than club infrastructure. Think it was also Deacon who was offered the airport industrial estate by the council and did nothing about it. Of course that land has long been swallowed up now.

To an outsider, it is probably hard to believe the shabby way this club has been treated by owners for decades and decades. That is why Tornante have been welcomed, as they offer something nobody else ever has. Headline spending off the pitch, not on it.

 

[K-Win]

FWIW i think it was Jim Gregory who proposed the 'Parkway' development

You're right, it was Gregory and not Deacon. We've had so many failed 'new ground' projects over the years that I've lost track!