Portsmouth in League 2 next season?

[GulldenBoy]

I was just reading a BBC article (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18816436) and it suggests that if Portsmouth don't meet certain conditions they will be relegated before the season starts!

To me that seems crazy and would cause chaos to the fixtures etc and would it mean that Wycombe would get a reprieve?

What does every think about this?

[Dave]

I do not think that is suggesting they will be relegated to league 2 if they do not meet set conditions, I think it means they will lose their football league membership all together , which means them having to start again probaly from the bottom of the non-league pyramid.And if they do meet the conditions they will start in league one on -10 points.

[Gullscorer]

In a statement the Football League said the conditions of membership offered to Portsmouth "seek to ensure the sporting integrity of league football and the financial viability of the club going forward".

But if that's the case, why would they ban Portsmouth from League One but allow them in League Two? Double standards?

[Dave]

In a statement the Football League said the conditions of membership offered to Portsmouth "seek to ensure the sporting integrity of league football and the financial viability of the club going forward".

But if that's the case, why would they ban Portsmouth from League One but allow them in League Two? Double standards?

It's not the case, as a general point to all, read through the linked article and then tell me where it's says Portsmouth will be offered a place in league 2 if they do not meet the set conditions.

It reads to me they will be slung out of the football league alltogehter if they don't.

[Yellow4life]

What I've heard is that they will start with a 10 point deduction but by the sound of it they will start within league 1...

[Gullscorer]

Quote from the article:

"The deduction would leave Portsmouth, who only have eight senior players on the books following Thursday's departures of Aaron Mokoena and Hayden Mullins, facing a battle to avoid a second successive relegation before the new season even gets under way."

On reading this paragraph again, I can see it's more than a little ambiguous. Is it a battle, or a second successive relegation, they will face before the new season gets under way..?

[CP Gull]

Quote from the article:

"The deduction would leave Portsmouth, who only have eight senior players on the books following Thursday's departures of Aaron Mokoena and Hayden Mullins, facing a battle to avoid a second successive relegation before the new season even gets under way."

Yes, they would be facing a fight a fight to avoid a second successive relegation as by starting in League 1 with minus 10 points there is every chance that they will indeed be relegated to League 2 for the 2013-14 season as realistically they would need to win 60 points (assuming that 50 points is the usual benchmark)just to stay up next season and at the moment they have hardly any players left!!!

[Neal]

On South today it said that they would have to pay all their debts to to be able to remain in League 1

[Richinns]

So what happens if they go under? Only 23 teams in League 1 next year and only two relegation spots instead of three (with three coming up from the BSP) I guess?

[Jeff]

So what happens if they go under? Only 23 teams in League 1 next year and only two relegation spots instead of three (with three coming up from the BSP) I guess?

Well there are 4 relegation spots in L1, so if Pompey go to the wall then the teams finishing 21st, 22nd and 23rd will go down. You'd then see only the bottom club drop out of L2, 3 down from the BSP and so on. As it stands I don't recall the FA having ever sanctioned an extra promotion spot when a space has become available - thus far it's always been a relegation reprieve.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Why don't some of the players at Pompey take a wage cut anyway? It's not as if they are worth it, i heard Tal Ben Haim was on 30k a week! It may help save the club and the livelihoods of the 'ordinary' staff who don't have the comfort of thousands and thousands sitting in the bank and easily being able to relocate and find alternative employment. Pompey have been taking the piss for years now and if they can't get their players to show some humility and selflessness then the sooner they go to the wall the better. It will send out the right message to other clubs as a warning. I for one am sick to the back teeth of hearing about the bloody club. Good luck to the folk on the payroll in finding other jobs anyway and i hope their future employers hold them in regard and not contempt like Pompey have.

[Neal]

Why don't some of the players at Pompey take a wage cut anyway? It's not as if they are worth it, i heard Tal Ben Haim was on 30k a week! It may help save the club and the livelihoods of the 'ordinary' staff who don't have the comfort of thousands and thousands sitting in the bank and easily being able to relocate and find alternative employment. Pompey have been taking the piss for years now and if they can't get their players to show some humility and selflessness then the sooner they go to the wall the better. It will send out the right message to other clubs as a warning. I for one am sick to the back teeth of hearing about the bloody club. Good luck to the folk on the payroll in finding other jobs anyway and i hope their future employers hold them in regard and not contempt like Pompey have.

Agree, any club that cheats should go to the wall, Rangers should also, if you want integrity in sport than Im afraid these clubs should be allowed to fail and money should not be the reason to keep them going. Exeter also cheated and that still p*isses me off.

Yes obviously for the people who lose their jobs its bad, but another club will take these clubs places and they will have jobs going, not for the same people obviously. If you want football to be run by money alone then save them, mmmm... we are not too far short of that I suppose. But at least this would be a start.

[cambgull]

A football club should be thought of as a business, first and foremost. Any business haemorrhaging money like some football clubs do would never be looked upon favourably by banks and HMRC, so the treatment should be the same. Let the likes of Pompey, Rangers and Exeter go to the wall while we carry on in Wellrunville.

[sadlad]

Hope Pompey can start L1 on their -10pts.

Means that my club Walsall won't be bottom for the first month or two, at least!

[lucy6lucy]

Looking like they wont be playing in any league. Their contracted players obviously dont give a **it about the club unlike the Plymouth bunch. Shame but we have to realise how lucky we are as a club in regards to structure, financial control and indeed loyalty. Who would take their place in L1, Cheltenham/Southend or Wycombe if they got liquidated?