Much like the similarly sounding Greek city “Pompeii” the “Pomps” where a brilliant albeit it a smaller side in the Premier League, like the famed Greek city there was so much talent and a bright future was on the Card Games bonuses for the South Coast based side with players such as current Bournemouth duo Asmir Begovic and Jermain Defoe within their ranks. Not to mention current ex-AC Milan star Kevin Price-Boateng and Stoke City’s giant centre-forward Peter Crouch all playing in the blue of Portsmouth.
This “golden era”was really culminating as under Harry Redknapp the “Pomps” won the FA Cup in 2008 winning the trophy for the first time since 1939, but is clear that very soon the South-coast’s mount Vesuvius erupted in the form of huge debt in 2010.
It was previously clear that in 2009 that Portsmouth had serious financial issues as the club confirmed in 2009 that they could not pay their players or staff for the second month in a row, and the problems piled on as the Premier League banned the club from making any signings in the Summer window of 2009 due to these financial issues.
The Club that had soared the heights in the Europa League a few seasons previous really landed themselves in hot water due to financial difficulties again in 2010. During the 2009–10 season, it had become apparent to the club’s new owner Balram Chanrai (who became Portsmouth’s fourth owner in a little under a year) that his newly acquired Football club were in fact approximately £135 million in debt.
In a move that probably saved the club from liquidation Chainrai placed the club into administration on the 26th of February 2010, to make matters even worse the Premier League then pretty much doomed Portsmouth to the Championship due to this “administration” status automatically incurring a nine-point penalty from the Premier League coming into effect on the 17th of March.
In 2012 Portsmouth fell even further down the football pyramid into League One, and the bad problems and collapse continued as the entire professional playing squad left the club upon relegation to League One, and again the team where once again given a 10-point deduction in December 2012 due to poor financial issues. The club then tumbled down to League Two after a quite incredible win less run of 23 matches in League One making the record books at the time!
But yet this sport we all love is called football, and there is always light at the end of the tunnel when supporters band together. In their maiden campaign in League Two the club sold more than 10,000 season tickets becoming the most season tickets ever bought to a League Two side a wanted record for a change.
The fans then went one step further as the power then was restored to the fans in a court hearing as the Pompey Supporters trust bought the club in 2013, this transferal of power back to the fans saved the club once more from liquidation and the following year the then 2,300 shareholders had raised £2.5 million and incredibly later in 2014 announced the club was debt free!
Turbulent times for the club you can tell, but what about today? How is Portsmouth doing right now? It may not be the FA Cup but the club in 2017 won the League Two Championship propelling themselves into League One once more, the club currently sit in 7th only a place away from the playoff places facing stiff competition from Charlton Athletic (who currently sit in 6th) who Portsmouth just beat in this weekend’s action and Oxford United (currently in 8th only 2 points behind Portsmouth).
While it may not be Jermain Defoe the club have a culpable striker in 29 year-old Brett Pitmann who has netted a impressive 12 goals this season with a impressive 114 goals to game ratio, maybe he does not have the dazzling skill of the players of yesteryear such as Matt Ritchie or the aerial dominance of Peter Crouch but 6ft forward is a real all rounder deadly from free-kicks with the pace and yet the strength to hold off the tough tackling League One defenders in equal measure. Almost like Portsmouth’s answer to equally energetic, strong and fast striker in West Ham’s Michail Antonio.
Portsmouth’s fall from grace is almost a warning to all clubs both big and small of the modern day importance of keeping track of your finances, Premier League big boys Manchester United have a net debt of £261 million almost double what Portsmouth declared in 2010. It is funny that maybe in a few years we will talk about Sunderland as we do Portsmouth if Sunderland continue this downward slump evident in their 23rd placed finish.
From FA Cup Winners to Championship Promotion chasers Portsmouth really have fallen from grace, but much like the fall of Real Oviedo from La Liga the fans banded together and brought both clubs onto calmer waters. After the devastation that subsequent relegation and financial difficulties caused the ash has settled in Portsmouth, it may not quite be “the lost city of Pompeii” but the lost sight of Portsmouth in the Premier League may not in fact be too far away.
