PFC STATEMENT

PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB STATEMENT

Portsmouth Football Club’s executive directors – Peter Storrie, Tanya Robins and Roberto Avondo – fully support the club’s owner, Sulaiman Al Fahim, in his efforts to refinance the club and to stabilise the business.

However, at a time when the club needs to focus on a very important match that will help determine its future, it is very disappointing to all of us that the players have for the first time had to wait for their contractual remuneration for reasons entirely outside the club’s control.

It is through the joint efforts of the executive directors that we are in the final stages of securing funding that will allow the club to meet these contractual obligations.

It is clear that in order to ensure that the club is able to secure its longer term future, a more permanent financing solution needs to be found quickly as the executive directors consider it an obligation to the club’s loyal employees and fans, who undoubtedly feel equally disappointed.

The extent to which the gains that have been realised from player sales were retained by the club’s previous banking partner during a protracted takeover period creates a responsibility for the new ownership, one which we are committed to help resolve.

In order to achieve this we will continue to work closely with the owner’s lawyers and associates in delivering the finance that is needed over the next 10 to 14 days. Ultimately the responsibility to deliver this remains with the owner.

We continue to express our gratitude to all our supporters and partners that stand with us in these difficult times and we would like to reassure them of our firm commitment to take this club to a position of stability and to be able to enjoy the football that we have grown accustomed to.