Pompey waiting game

Wednesday, 13/04/2011

by S.J. Maskell, Shoot's Portsmouth blogger

‘New owners within a week.’ So said Keith Harris on Sky Sports News last Thursday. ‘New owners by Monday.’ So said Mr Chainrai in the South China Press last Friday.

Monday has come and gone. Nothing. The week is up tomorrow. So we wait and see. Wait and see with the usual Pompey scepticism, I’m afraid.

On the suggestion of the Sky reporter that the potential buyer was Convers Sports Initiatives (CSI – ironic acronym), Keith Harris smiled and said, ‘you are very well informed.’ CSI’s Roman Dubrov is less precipitous than Harris and Chainrai, saying there is a long way to go and that ‘if it happens or not happens, it cannot be in one week.’

Not quite a foregone conclusion yet then. Sceptical opinion sees a seller in a hurry.

Meanwhile – no movement on the ticket price front. Still no credit card facility for early bird season ticket buyers (the club is looking into it) and nothing on the ridiculous matchday prices. Too busy trying to sell the club I guess.

Maybe they should attend to things closer to home in order to make the club a more attractive proposition. Attendance last night was 13,132, under break-even point for the club to meet its obligations. The way we are playing figures will only go one way.

All this gives Steve Cotterill a headache. There is no doubt he has done his job this season. Pompey stay safely in the Championship. The more realistic fans are happy with that outcome after the last two years.

But it seems like many of  the players are already on holiday in their heads. After the woeful 1-1 against lowly Preston on Saturday and the disgraceful hammering from Coventry last night fans are disappointed. Losing 3-0 at Fratton to relegation outsiders was not what the Fratton Faithful wanted to see. There is nothing left to play for, it is clear, and fans are beginning to vote with their feet.

Cotterill cannot even offer fans hope for next season as things stand. Half the squad are likely to disappear for various reasons in the close season. Now he has been told that nothing in the way of player transfers will be allowed until the mooted takeover goes through. Looking at the disparity in view between buyers and sellers of the club, the ‘wait and see’ could be a lot longer than is helpful for Steve.

S..J Maskell aslo writes for www.twohundredpercent.net

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