Portsmouth face administration as they fail to avert winding-up proceedings
Posted Wednesday, February 10, 2010 by theguardian.com
It never rains but it pours. Portsmouth manager, Avram Grant, was sent to the stands on the night the club's lawyers failed to prevent this morning's winding-up hearing.
Portsmouth could become the first Premier League club to enter administration today after talks between their lawyers and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs failed to avert this morning's winding-up petition in the high court. News of the unsuccessful negotiations emerged on a tumultuous evening which featured four red cards and a late equaliser for the home team in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland.
If a request from Portsmouth this morning to have an adjournment to prepare an appeal is not granted, the petition will be heard. The club could then be ordered to pay the outstanding £7.5m VAT bill to HMRC or have an administrator appointed, who will begin to settle with the club's creditors.
The Pompey manager, Avram Grant, who received a red card for approaching the referee to protest against a penalty decision, asked the high court to remember the unique role of a football club. "It's not a clear, normal business," he said. "It's not like an apartment that you buy without feelings. Here there are feelings, of players, fans, and also mine. The court needs to think it [also] belongs to 250,000 people. I think the club needs to stay alive – this is even more important than football." Regarding his sending off Grant said: "I told the referee it was not a penalty [when Matthew Kilgallon appeared to foul Aruna Dindane], that's all. I am a polite person."
Grant offered a wry appraisal of the referee, Kevin Friend.
"I think he doesn't see so clearly," he said. This was a reference to the award of a penalty for Ricardo Rocha's foul on Darren Bent and his subsequent attempt to send off Hassan Yebda before Rocha admitted he had committed the foul. Grant suggested decisions were going against his team because referees "have been affected" by the troubles at the club. Sunderland's Lee Cattermole and David Meyler were also sent off.
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