Southampton

On this I will gloat, for all the years of stick I got when Pompey were shit, the name calling in the street the "your going down" in the pub from complete strangers. I can take stick no problem, but for all the years that Saints fans looked down on Pompey it's time for us to claim Kings Of The South goodbye Southampton FC.


Southampton have been effectively relegated after being docked 10 points by the Football League.

The ruling comes after Saints' parent company went into administration, though the club and administrators say they expect to launch an appeal.

Four points off safety with two games to go, Saints will lose 10 points if they stay up in the Championship.

And if they do not avoid finishing in the bottom three then the points penalty will take effect next season.

The south coast outfit had hoped to avoid the punishment as they argued that it was their parent company Southampton Leisure Holdings plc (SLH) which had gone into administration on 2 April - not the football club.


But a League investigation by "independent forensic accountants" found that the football club and SLH were "inextricably linked as one economic entity" and applied their mandatory penalty.

The League also found that: "The holding company has no income of its own; all revenue and expenditure is derived from the operation of Southampton Football Club and the associated stadium company.

"The holding company is solvent in its own right. It only becomes insolvent when account is taken of the position of Southampton football club and the other group companies."

The statement added that there was no alternative other than to invoke the 10-point penalty.

It was also revealed that the company commissioned to look into the matter reported that co-operation with them was withdrawn towards the end of their enquiries.

However, Mark Fry, joint administrator of SLH, insisted he was "shocked and extremely disappointed" with the League's decision to deduct points.

Former chairman urges fans to back club

"The football club was not even aware that the investigation had been concluded," he told the BBC.

"We remain very firmly of the view that the rules do not apply, and that the Football League has stretched the rules to meet the circumstances. The football club is not in administration.

"The Football League is a members' organisation, and with any such body of that nature, you run the risk that if there is any grey area, they can interpret the rules as they see fit.

"I think they've interpreted the rules to suit the conclusion they wanted to reach.

"It is expected that an appeal will be launched."

Leon Crouch, who has had two spells as chairman of the football club, hit out at the "terrible timing" of the League's decision.

He told BBC Five Live Sport: "Southampton Leisure Holdings and Southampton Football Club are two separate companies.

"Mark Fry is the administrator for SLH, he's not the administrator for the club. We're not in administration, we're paying our bills and I don't see how they can take these points off us.

"Southampton Football Club was set up so that if this ever happened, we would not have these points deducted - it's the way they have interpreted the rules.

"I think we have a very strong case, I hope we appeal and we now have to focus on winning against Burnley on Saturday, we need to safeguard our Championship status and then hopefully have this decision overturned - then we'll be back where we belong next season."

Responding to Crouch on Five Live Sport, Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney said: "What he said that was of particular interest of me was when he said this structure was set up to avoid the football club having a penalty if it got into financial trouble.

Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney
The board is acting on sound legal advice, implementing the rules the clubs themselves wanted put in place

Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney

"We have looked carefully at the holding company's annual accounts, which include the football club, we sent forensic accountants into the company - not Football League staff, but people whose expertise is to get to the bottom of relationships between companies - and we have taken external legal advice.

"It's quite clear the holding company and the football club are inextricably linked as one economic entity.

"All of the evidence pointed us to the conclusion that an administrator has been appointed that covers the club or aspects of the club as well as the holding company, and that being the case, we had no flexibility under Football League regulations - we had to apply sporting sanctions.

"It's worth pointing out that those sporting sanctions were agreed by all the clubs. This is not a runaway decision - the board is acting on sound legal advice, implementing the rules the clubs themselves wanted put in place."

The 10-point deduction for Football League clubs entering administration was introduced in 2004, with Wrexham the first League team to suffer a deduction in the 2004/05 season.

In 2007, the rule was amended so that clubs going into administration after the fourth Thursday in March would have the 10-point deduction suspended, after Leeds United and Boston United both entered administration when they were all but relegated, just before the end of the 2006/07 season.

Manchester United 2-0Pompey

Well I knew we would not get much from this, especially after Manchester United left out key players for the FA Cup game at the weekend, by all accounts we played very well. Next stop the Toon!

Pomey1-0Bolton

Three points nice just what the Doctor ordered.
With no pub picked for this game as Mum was staying over for the night, we thought we would pick a place to pick at random, having got to Pompey fairly early we went of in a random direction and went for a cuppa in a cafe.
We left and went in search for a pub,the Fort Cumberland was the first pub we found, after ordering the drinks we went into the Family room mainly because some bloke was talking over the bar to people on the other side in a very annoying voice, why he could not walk over and sit closer to them I do not know? Although he did ask a Pompey fan in a hat and Pompey shirt and flag wrapped round and all sorts of Pompey paraphernalia "Are you going to Cricket then?" I found that very funny.

So to the game I don't care for Bolton that much, I don't hate them but now they have Megson in charge I like them less.
This was a game I just knew we would win and we did, so now we are six points of the bottom three with a game against Manchester United coming up no points there then.
Portsmouth had dominated the first half, with Glen Johnson, in an unusual midfield role, going close to breaking the deadlock on three occasions.It was an interesting first half, especially for 24-year-old England international Johnson, whose return from suspension saw him find a series of attacking opportunities.With Younes Kaboul playing an industrious role directly behind him, Johnson frequently found himself free to drift inside and even towards the left side of the field as Bolton's defenders struggled to track his movements.Substitute Kanu's faint touch from a Nadir Belhadj corner gave Portsmouth a vital home win over Bolton.

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart: "I didn't really see what happened for the goal but we'll take it. I'm told Kanu has claimed it but it doesn't matter to me who scores as long as it is us and I thought we deserved it today.

"Bolton have a way of playing that makes them difficult to play against but I think you have to give our players credit even though we didn't dominate in the second half as much as in the first half."

Bolton boss Gary Megson: "We were poor and Pompey were not that much better than us. We've got to show a big improvement on this even though three of our last five matches are at home. We are certainly not thinking we are safe yet.

The defending for the corner was very bad, letting it go straight in like that from Belhadj's corner. Did Kanu claim it? Well, he would. I should know, having had him at West Bromwich Albion!"

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Portsmouth: James, Kaboul (Pennant 90), Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Johnson, Davis, Mullins, Nugent (Kanu 71), Kranjcar (Belhadj 77), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Pamarot, Utaka, Hughes.

Booked: Kranjcar, Distin.

Goals: Kanu 78.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel, Basham, McCann, Gardner (Muamba 12), Kevin Davies, Elmander, Taylor.
Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Hunt, Smolarek, Puygrenier, Makukula, Cohen.

Booked: Kevin Davies, Andrew O'Brien, Hunt, McCann.

Att: 20,158

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

Pompey 2-2 WBA

Well a game we should off won, but at least we had a point and came from behind, but we could of done with a win!

The pub was a nice one if a bit empty, only for a locals baby in a chair who seemed to enjoy dropping everything on the floor, as we left more children arrived so it must of been the baby's birthday.

The home side took the lead through Younes Kaboul who fired high into the net from 12 yards.

West Brom equalised after the break when Jonathan Greening placed his six-yard shot past a helpless David James.

The Baggies then took the lead when Chris Brunt smashed in a free-kick from 25 yards before Niko Kranjcar's 30-yard strike won Pompey a precious point.

For Paul Hart's men, who began the day three points off the relegation zone, the point will improve immensely valuable but bottom-of-the-table West Brom will feel they missed a huge chance to gain a priceless win.

So it's Bolton next we must win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pompey boss Paul Hart:
"We didn't play well today and it would be wrong to say otherwise, but we've come out of it with a draw.

"We've moved up two places and 10 points from seven games is the best run we've had since October.

"We're not sprinting our way over the line, we're crawling. But if that's what we need to do then we'll crawl."

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray:
"We've been here for a long time. We need to win at Manchester City and get on with it.

"The fans deserve a team that is playing for them right until the death and I think they are getting that.

"The desire and the commitment of the players is clearly still there."

---

Portsmouth: James, Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant (Gekas 90), Mullins, Hughes, Nugent (Belhadj 64), Kranjcar, Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Pamarot, Kanu, Utaka, Basinas.

Booked: Hreidarsson, Kranjcar, Kaboul.

Goals: Kaboul 33, Kranjcar 65.

West Brom: Carson, Zuiverloon (Hoefkens 77), Meite, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison (Chris Woods 75), Greening, Koren, Dorrans, Brunt (Mulumbu 81), Fortune.
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Menseguez, Borja Valero, Simpson.

Booked: Dorrans.

Goals: Greening 48, Brunt 62.

Att: 20,376

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Place to drink

So it's Easter drinks in Pompey and we shall be meeting at The Druid's Arms 11-15 Binsteed Road, Buckland, PO2 7PM.

This Victorian corner pub has retained the same name since its opening in the late 19th century. Part of the local Young's Brewery since 1897, it eventually ended up in the hands of Ind Coope until being sold to Gales of Horndean in 1990. The pub sports a large L-shaped public bar offering a jukebox, pool and darts, with a smaller lounge bar facing St Stephen's Road.

The pub is an occasional entry in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.

Lets see if they have Stella ?

Southampton Don't die!

I am so happy when Scum lose and I will be happy when they get relegated! but I do not wish the scum to go out of business. No club deserves that we need each other the South Coast needs the two clubs. Who will we make fun of every Saturday? The Saints must survive this for our good if nothing else.


Southampton's future is seriously under threat, according to the man appointed to run the club's owners.

Southampton's parent company was placed in administration on Thursday and chief executive Rupert Lowe has resigned.

Trading in Southampton Leisure Holding (SLH) plc's shares was suspended on Wednesday after the company admitted it needed extra money to have a future.

"The finances are interlinked therefore the future of the club is in serious jeopardy," said administrator Mark Fry.

"The holding company owns the football club. The football club is an asset."

The holding company has been put into administration with debts of £27.5m, reportedly made up of financial liabilities of £23.1m and an overdraft of £4.4m.

It is possible that putting the parent company into administration - thus wiping out a significant proportion of the club's debt - could save the club from a 10-point deduction.

Fans' reaction to financial news

The Football League has a monthly board meeting next Tuesday, and the Southampton situation will be one of the key items on the agenda.

A spokesman told BBC Sport said it would not comment until after that meeting, and he added it was not certain the club's fate would be decided once it finished.

Clubs such as Leeds and Luton, who were hit with points deductions themselves after going into administration, would be angry if Southampton avoided such a fate.

Lowe, Saints chairman Michael Wilde and director Andrew Cowen have resigned from the company with immediate effect, although a statement from SLH said the club is "unaffected by these insolvency proceedings".

The business is heavily in debt after spending more than £30m on the 32,000-seat St Mary's Stadium, which they moved to from The Dell in 2001, before being relegated from the Premier League in 2005.

606: DEBATE
Would be a joke if Southampton escaped a penalty by putting the holding company into admin rather than the club

YouAreMyForest

The administrators will now try and find a buyer for the club although Fry, who is joint administrator, admitted that has been an-on going process for the directors.

"The directors have tried to sell or seek investment for a considerable amount of time, which they have been unsuccessful in doing," Fry said.

The controversial Lowe was chairman at the club for 10 years until his removal in 2006 but linked up with Wilde, the man who initially replaced him, to return to the boardroom last summer.

But despite introducing a number of cost-cutting measures, including loaning out big earners and closing parts of St Mary's on match days, the south-coast club remain in desperate financial trouble.

In an earlier statement Fry insisted the club "could be an extremely attractive investment for the right buyer".

He added: "We are working hard to preserve the value of the football club and produce a positive outcome for all stakeholders.

"I ask that fans continue to show their support for the team for the remainder of the season as we seek to show the best face possible to potential investors."

Last October, SLH's bank Barclays significantly reduced the company's overdraft facility.

The Saints are second from bottom of the Championship, three points adrift of safety.

And it means they are now threatened by liquidation and could drop out of the Football League, if SLH fails to attract new investment by the end of the summer.

Pompey2-1Everton

Well after a two week hiatus with the international break I'm back for the hard part of the season staying up.

With an early start and no car I had to get up mega early, so no pub we decided to meet in the marquee. Getting in early we got a table for once lovely, this place is good big screens and very loud. It gets full so quick one second I drink a beer the next I look up and then it is full of Pompey.

The game, I had a good feeling we would win this one, you know what I mean you just know. The moment Everton scored with that lovely free kick I just knew we would come back and win. And we did!!!!!

Two goals from Peter Crouch helped relegation-threatened Portsmouth to a priceless victory over Champions League hopefuls Everton at Fratton Park.

Everton went ahead after just four minutes when full-back Leighton Baines fired in a brilliant 20-yard free-kick.

Crouch equalised midway through the first half when he headed in Glen Johnson's nod-back from six yards.

And the England striker scored the winner with another header from Sean Davis' corner with 15 minutes left.

This was a win we needed and with two home games coming up after Hull we could be on for for seven points? I hope.

Portsmouth boss Paul Hart:
"This was a massive win for us - we've steadied the ship and I'm not surprised with that performance.

"We started poorly from the kick off but they got their heads together and got back on track.

On two-goal hero Peter Crouch: "Peter is fantastic and he deserves the statistics of three in the last two. He works hard and get goals."

Everton manager David Moyes:
"We started well by scoring the goal but didn't capitalise on that.

"The team didn't defend well at set pieces. We knew about Peter Crouch's threat but we didn't stop it and didn't cope well.

"It's not common for us to make mistakes which is why it feels bad."

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Portsmouth: James, Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Johnson, Davis, Mullins, Nugent (Kanu 74), Kranjcar, Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Pamarot, Utaka, Hughes, Basinas, Belhadj.

Booked: Hreidarsson, Kaboul.

Goals: Crouch 22, 75.

Everton: Howard, Jacobsen (Gosling 86), Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Osman, Fellaini, Neville, Pienaar, Saha, Jo (Rodwell 90).
Subs Not Used: Nash, Castillo, Agard, Baxter, Wallace.

Booked: Osman.

Goals: Baines 4.

Att: 20,388

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).