The Pompey Chimes

week ending September 29, 2012

Balram Chainrai talking to the BBC..

"The club has no value in League One. Everybody knows that. So I'm going to put money in to return them to their glories and then sell the club. But who knows? I might enjoy it so much I won't sell it.  I'm not reluctant anymore. I've changed my mind."

full report here

week ending September 9, 2012

It was only a little over four years ago that Pompey were proudly lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, while Crawley were scraping home to a 15th place finish in the Conference. How times change. 

week ending August 24, 2012

Quote by Balram Chainrai (after Portpin came back again)

He said: ‘If we can try to help finalise the deal we will.

‘We’re trying our best because: when we walked away, everyone was unhappy and they asked us to come [back].’

A statement released by Portpin yesterday lists the administrator, the Football League, the Professional Footballers’ Association, and officials from Portsmouth City Council as bodies which had asked Portpin to step back in. But that has been roundly denied by everyone.

Quote by Michael Appleton (Manager of Portsmouth Football Club)

April 23, 2012 Interview with Reading boss Brian McDermott

“Michael Appleton’s done a fantastic job there and I think next year in Division One you’d fancy them to get a side together, a young side, a hungry side together. Their supporters are fantastic, and to go and win there is a very very difficult.”

McDermott added: “I’ve got a lot of time for that club, their supporters, they are first class.”

April 17, 2012 Interview with Yakubu Aiyegbeni

You’ve played right across the country: where has been your favourite place?

I enjoy it in England. I hope to stay here until the end of my career, but in football you never know. I live in Manchester now and I’m enjoying there although living in Liverpool was good too. But Portsmouth was great for me; it’s like my home. It was my first time in the country; all my friends and family were there too, so Portsmouth was the best.

Finally, do you like your nickname “The Yak”?

It was Harry Redknapp who gave me that name when I came to Portsmouth. He said ‘Yakubu; it’s too long!’ It wasn’t long! It’s just six letters! But for him, it was too long, so he said ‘I will call you Yak, is that ok?’ So I said ‘yes, it’s good’. And then everyone started calling me Yak. It’s a great name and it’s a lucky name too; which is good!

'Only the survival of the club counts now. Even probable relegation to League One has become a side issue, making defeats seem almost pain free.' - Ian Darke (Full article here)

week ending March 3, 2012

"I will definitely make efforts to become a reluctant owner, again, until a proper owner can be found." Balu Chainrai  

 “Portsmouth needs a buyer, it needs someone,” said Redknapp.  “I know who I’d like to see buy it.  Someone will come along, I’m sure they will.”

week ending February 18, 2012

The Football League – defending their fit and proper person test after Vladimir Antonov's arrest on fraud charges put Portsmouth back in administration, eight months after they cleared him.

The League say Antonov tricked the test – designed to screen out potentially dishonest or fraudulent owners – by supplying it with "at best misleading, and possibly fraudulent" information. Antonov denies wrong doing.

week ending February 11, 2012

Balram Chainrai – who returned to the UK to take part in talks about the survival of Portsmouth FC -  ‘I still have a debenture over the club as security on the club’s full assets, so one way or another I’m going to get my money back. ‘But I don’t want to see the club liquidated. Anything I can do to help Portsmouth I will.’

week ending February 4, 2012

The BBC understands any purchaser would need to provide £12m as proof of funds and assurances they could meet another £20m in repayments to former creditors, Balram Chainrai and Alexandre Gaydamak. But when the trust, which has about 1,300 members, approached the club's administrators they were told they would need proof of funds of £100m.