The chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, Nick Cusack, will meet Portsmouth officials on Monday for talks about the state of the club's finances, after yesterday's disclosure that players' wages had not been paid on time for a third month this season. Portsmouth said that they expected the squad to be paid on Tuesday.
A statement released by the club read: "The club has been assured of receipt of funds by Tuesday and the owner and Board have been working hard on resolving the short term delay."
Portsmouth's owner, the Saudi Arabian businessman Ali al-Faraj, has never visited the club. It is expected that Cusack will meet with Mark Jacob, Faraj's lawyer, who sits on the board as executive director. Cusack hopes to agree a medium-term strategy to stop Portsmouth's players going unpaid again this season. The PFA does not wish to further destabilise Avram Grant's squad. Portsmouth are bottom of the Premier League.
On Wednesday it emerged that Portsmouth had been served with a winding up petition from HM Revenue & Customs on 23 December. That development followed the imposition of a Premier League transfer embargo in mid-October.
The Republic of Ireland defender Steve Finnan, who is one of the club's senior professionals, last night became the first member of the squad to admit that the uncertainty over Portsmouth's financial future is affecting the players.
"You try and do your job as best you can," he said. "There is obviously talk, the players obviously talk about what is going on, about getting paid. Everyone is in the same position. The lads have tried their best. But as players we have to get on with our job for the club and hopefully things can resolve themselves.
"But I think no one really seems to know what is going on. It worries us, its not nice for the fans, they have obviously been supporting the club for a long time. It's just not fair on them."
Cusack has arranged a meeting with Finnan and his colleagues on Tuesday, at which he will discuss his meeting with the club's executive the previous day. The PFA will also meet with the Premier League to try to find common ground on the issue. Cusack hopes the players' union and the governing body will be able to hold a joint meeting with the club.
If the Portsmouth players' salaries have not been paid by Tuesday, Cusack will expect the Premier League to exert extra pressure on the club's hierarchy, beyond the watching brief it has so far kept on a club whose debts of at least £60m are threatening to take it into administration.
Sources at the Premier League say it may decide to withhold a further instalment of television money which is due to Portsmouth at the end of this season. The governing body has already reserved the right to do so regarding next month's payment. That money will go towards paying other English clubs what Portsmouth owe them for previous transfers.
If the players' salaries fail to arrive on Tuesday then the squad will have the option of serving a mandatory 14 days notice to terminate their contracts. For now, there is no suggestion that they are seriously considering this.
Does football need people like this owning the clubs??
Why buy a club if you dont even have enough intrest to go and watch them?
The chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, Nick Cusack, will meet Portsmouth officials on Monday for talks about the state of the club's finances, after yesterday's disclosure that players' wages had not been paid on time for a third month this season. Portsmouth said that they expected the squad to be paid on Tuesday.
A statement released by the club read: "The club has been assured of receipt of funds by Tuesday and the owner and Board have been working hard on resolving the short term delay."
Portsmouth's owner, the Saudi Arabian businessman Ali al-Faraj, has never visited the club. It is expected that Cusack will meet with Mark Jacob, Faraj's lawyer, who sits on the board as executive director. Cusack hopes to agree a medium-term strategy to stop Portsmouth's players going unpaid again this season. The PFA does not wish to further destabilise Avram Grant's squad. Portsmouth are bottom of the Premier League.
On Wednesday it emerged that Portsmouth had been served with a winding up petition from HM Revenue & Customs on 23 December. That development followed the imposition of a Premier League transfer embargo in mid-October.
The Republic of Ireland defender Steve Finnan, who is one of the club's senior professionals, last night became the first member of the squad to admit that the uncertainty over Portsmouth's financial future is affecting the players.
"You try and do your job as best you can," he said. "There is obviously talk, the players obviously talk about what is going on, about getting paid. Everyone is in the same position. The lads have tried their best. But as players we have to get on with our job for the club and hopefully things can resolve themselves.
"But I think no one really seems to know what is going on. It worries us, its not nice for the fans, they have obviously been supporting the club for a long time. It's just not fair on them."
Cusack has arranged a meeting with Finnan and his colleagues on Tuesday, at which he will discuss his meeting with the club's executive the previous day. The PFA will also meet with the Premier League to try to find common ground on the issue. Cusack hopes the players' union and the governing body will be able to hold a joint meeting with the club.
If the Portsmouth players' salaries have not been paid by Tuesday, Cusack will expect the Premier League to exert extra pressure on the club's hierarchy, beyond the watching brief it has so far kept on a club whose debts of at least £60m are threatening to take it into administration.
Sources at the Premier League say it may decide to withhold a further instalment of television money which is due to Portsmouth at the end of this season. The governing body has already reserved the right to do so regarding next month's payment. That money will go towards paying other English clubs what Portsmouth owe them for previous transfers.
If the players' salaries fail to arrive on Tuesday then the squad will have the option of serving a mandatory 14 days notice to terminate their contracts. For now, there is no suggestion that they are seriously considering this.
Does football need people like this owning the clubs??
Why buy a club if you dont even have enough intrest to go and watch them?
I reckon not.
F.C.'s are now just Pty. Ltd.'s to half the owners.
I knew it would take a Premier League club to go belly up for people to start taking notice.
Colossus wrote:You arent priviliged enough just yet to have my forum name anywhere near your sig so heres your first and last chance to rid of it quick smart sunshine before someone gets rid of you first :wink:
Thankyou kindly
paul merson wrote:Does football need people like this owning the clubs??
Why buy a club if you dont even have enough intrest to go and watch them?
Looks like just one big tax dodge for the previous and current owners. The previous owner says he is owed around 28 miliion squid but also says he isn't even sure who actually owns the club at the moment. The finacial advisors appear to be a mix of Arab property developers and dodgey Israeli lawyers.
Is this all some bizarre twist towards Peace in the Middle East
paul merson wrote:Does football need people like this owning the clubs??
Why buy a club if you dont even have enough intrest to go and watch them?
Looks like just one big tax dodge for the previous and current owners. The previous owner says he is owed around 28 miliion squid but also says he isn't even sure who actually owns the club at the moment. The finacial advisors appear to be a mix of Arab property developers and dodgey Israeli lawyers.
Is this all some bizarre twist towards Peace in the Middle East
lol. cause i thought some billionares jus bought the club...
