From the Snooze (Tuesday)

[stefeni]

BALRAM Chainrai will not attend Pompey’s court hearings on Thursday and Friday, it has been confirmed. A spokesman for his company Portpin said the former Pompey owner has no plans to attend the two-day hearing to determine the valuation of Fratton Park.

The spokesman confirmed Portpin will be represented by law firm Walker Morris at the hearing, which will be held in the Rolls Building at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

The court case is the last remaining hurdle facing the Pompey Supporters’ Trust’s quest to take over the club.

Portpin values Fratton Park at around £11m while the trust are offering £2.75m to buy the ground.

It was hoped Portpin could negotiate a deal with the fans’ group ahead of the hearing to avoid expensive legal costs, but so far there has been no agreement reached.




Pompey caretaker boss Guy Whittingham shrugged off confirmation of a impending 10-point deduction and insisted: Time to crack on.The Football League yesterday reiterated their intention to further punish the club.

That will be regardless of whether the Pompey Supporters’ Trust succeed in taking the Blues out of administration.

Although a points deduction was previously announced, it had been hoped the figure would be reassessed following Portpin’s failure to return to the club.

However, league chiefs have now clarified the situation.

The points will be removed once the Football League recognise Pompey coming out of administration.

That can be fulfilled only once Portpin’s charge is removed from Fratton Park and funds are raised by the Trust, as detailed in their business plan.

A points deduction at this moment in time would put Pompey second from bottom in League One, nine points adrift of safety.

In the meantime, Whittingham is adamant it is business as usual as he attempts to keep Pompey in League One.

He said: ‘We always took it that we would have 10 points deducted, so it is not a surprise.

‘The Football League have got to do what they do – and we will crack on with it.

‘We have always treated games as if the points had already come off us.

‘That is an approach we have taken from the start, we have had our eyes wide open through all this.

‘Nothing has changed. We just have to carry on trying to get the results on the pitch.’

The subject of Portpin’s valuation for Fratton Park will be heard on Thursday and Friday.

If the result is satisfactory for the Trust, they will then seek the ‘golden share’ to regain their membership from the Football League.


Scott Allan has been told: You will play at Pompey. The Blues are weighing up the best way to utilise the Scottish midfielder and his undoubted attacking talent.

Allan was on the bench in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Tranmere after Pompey’s caretaker boss Guy Whittingham went with a 4-3-3 ****** 4-5-1 formation at Prenton Park.

That follows on from the 21-year-old being withdrawn at Coventry at the interval, after a change in the way the side was set up in the first-half.

Allan so nearly won the game at league leaders Tranmere with the last kick after being introduced late on.

The loanee from West Brom produced a trademark surge into the box that ended with the ball rolling inches wide of the post.

That was typical of his willingness to engage opposing defenders.

Whittingham explained Pompey’s coaching staff are looking at how to best utilise Allan’s talents within the framework of the team.

Allan renewed his loan stay at Pompey at the end of last month, after making 20 appearances for the Blues to date.

Caretaker boss Whittingham promised Allan will not stay on the sidelines despite missing out at the weekend.

He said: ‘Scotty is a guy with great ability. You see him on the training pitch day in, day out and you can see why West Brom think a lot of him. He’s got great vision, great touch, good skill on the ball and he will be used.

‘We’re looking at the best way to use him because we want to use his special ability.’

Lubomir Michalik was also taken out of the starting XI on Saturday, after establishing himself as a regular in the side.

Ashley Harris and Liam Walker missed out altogether as they were left in the stands.

Whittingham underlined things will be constantly changing in the side through a busy period, however.

He said: ‘Lubo missed out this time but they’ve got to realise that it’s a squad thing – especially over the Christmas period and going into January and the rest of the season.

‘It’s very important we have that competition and we saw that by the people we were able to bring on on Saturday.

‘They were unlucky not to start the game but every game will be set up how we think we need to be set up.

‘Every opposition’s different, so there might be different starters against Preston on Saturday.

‘It’s not a question of just keeping the same team because we had a good result.

‘We will change things around to how the opponents play.’

One of the most encouraging aspects of Saturday’s draw at Tranmere was to see Pompey introducing players who are capable of making an impact.

Allan, Lee Williamson and goalscorer Jake Jervis were all brought on and slotted into the formation the Blues’ staff had worked heavily on in the build-up to the game.

Whittingham said: ‘We’ve got some options up front now and it shows their willingness to work, as well.

‘I’m really pleased with attitudes to where they are playing and the shape we want to play.’


A spirited display from Pompey Academy was not enough as they bowed out of the FA Youth Cup following a 2-1 loss at Bolton Academy.Andy Awford’s in-form side were more than a match for their talented hosts in this third-round tie.

And despite going behind early on, they levelled through Adam Webster.

But a second Bolton goal midway through the second half proved the difference to see the young Blues bow out.

As expected from a team who came into the tie having lost just once in 14 Academy League matches this season, the hosts got off to a good start.

Pompey’s Irish keeper Connor O’Hara was forced to hoof the ball clear as Zach Clough was lining up a finish.

But with five minutes played, O’Hara could do little to prevent Rob Holding getting on to the end of a Tom Walker free-kick to help the ball over the line and give Bolton the lead.

But that advantage lasted just five minutes as, like their hosts, Pompey netted from a set-piece free-kick, Bradley Tarbuck’s far-post cross being met by Webster who rose majestically to head home.

The goal lifted Pompey’s confidence and it was Bolton’s turn to feel the heat, with Ben Close letting fly a shot from the edge of the area that raced just past the far post.

Bolton came charging back and Pompey enjoyed a stroke of luck as they failed to deal with a long cross, only for Luke Woodland to spare them by shooting wide from close range.

Georg Iliev then wasted a chance for the hosts with the goal at his mercy.

As the second half got under way, Pompey’s Jack Whatmough came to the rescue when he closed down Clough to block the Bolton striker’s shot.

As play switched to the other end, Webster’s defence-splitting pass allowed Close to go clear and hammer in a shot that Bolton keeper Jan-Ole Sievers did well to save low down.

Jack Maloney then turned up at Pompey’s near post to clip the ball away to safety as Bolton were in the throes of celebration as Clough’s shot looked destined for the back of the net.

On 65 minutes, the Blues made a couple of substitutions, James Hartson and Harry Medway coming on for Maloney and Lewis Horsburgh, who had been roughed up earlier and had to receive treatment to a head wound.

But before the duo had settled, Bolton got their winner when Pompey’s defence failed to pick up the run of Chris Lester and his cross was met by Iliev who tucked a finish past O’Hara.

In an effort to save the match, Academy boss Awford pushed Webster up front to add his aerial strength to Pompey’s strike force.

And the ploy so nearly worked as the Wittering-born Webster ploughed his way through a tired-looking home defence, only to lift his finish just over the crossbar.

That was to be the Blues’ last chance as their participation in the competiton came to an end for another season.

BOLTON ACADEMY: Sievers, Bailey, Gibson, Holding, Maher, Woodland, Newby, Wolstenholme, Clough, Iliev, Walker. Subs: Youngs, Campbell, Hendrie, Lester, Torres.

POMPEY ACADEMY: O’Hara, Webster, Trigg, Awford, Warren, Whatmough, Tarbuck, Branford, Horsburgh, Close, Maloney. Subs: Medway, Hartson, Kim, Tarasenko.