Pompey prepare to lay off 50 per cent of staff - Exclusive
Published 23:00 06/03/10 By Paul Smith
Portsmouth’s celebrations in reaching the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley will be cut short tomorrow when they announce that 50 per cent of the current full-time staff are set to be laid off.
The heavy price of falling into administration was evident as Pompey prepared to face Birmingham in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at Fratton Park.
Staff on duty, who are normally provided with hot food, discovered no food, or drinks were available as the administrators began to make cut backs designed to save the club money.
It has also emerged that a consortium from South Africa, who are bidding to gain control of the club are demanding a lock-out to secure exclusivity on a deal to take Pompey out of administration.
The South Africans who have provided proof of funds have deposited £3million into a bank account and plan to finalise moves to undergo due diligence without the pressure of opposition bids.
However, Pompey’s attempt to legally challenge a nine-point deduction by the Premier League for going into administration is faltering.
Last night, the administrators were all but accepting Pompey’s fate in being relegated was all but sealed.
Yet for all the doom and gloom surrounding Pompey’s financial woes you couldn’t take way the joy that the 2-0 win over Birmingham brought.
Manager Avram Grant admitted: “There are some great moments in history and this was one of them.
“Sometimes football is more than football and if you could see the joy this result brought to people you would realise that.
“This team and their loyal supporters deserve to be at Wembley more than anyone. They are the victims.
“This result meant so much to me and so much to other people. You could see the joy around here. To be honest at this moment in time I don’t care about administration or anything else connected with it. You can break many things but you cannot break our spirit and I’m very proud about that.”
Pompey midfielder Jamie O’Hara said: “The fans are fantastic.
“They have a bit of magic about them.
“Today was all about giving something back to them because it has been a bit of a torrid season. But we are going to Wembley now and that is fantastic for everyone involved in the club.”
