An angry fan approaches Peter Storrie when he arrived at Fratton Park
An angry fan approaches Peter Storrie when he arrived at Fratton Park
Portsmouth FC has become the first Premier League club to enter administration.
Portsmouth FC has become the first Premier League club to enter administration.
With debts of about £60m, the club was due to face a winding-up order on 1 March over an unpaid £11.7m tax bill owed to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
With debts of about £60m, the club was due to face a winding-up order on 1 March over an unpaid £11.7m tax bill owed to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
It will now be docked nine points, leaving the team facing near certain relegation.
It will now be docked nine points, leaving the team facing near certain relegation.
Fans have been giving their reaction to the BBC:
Fans have been giving their reaction to the BBC:
Colin Farmery - Pompey Virtual Alliance
Colin Farmery - Pompey Virtual Alliance
"As fans, we recognise that this day has probably been coming for some time.
"As fans, we recognise that this day has probably been coming for some time.
Colin Farmery is from unofficial supporter club Pompey Virtual Alliance
Colin Farmery is from unofficial supporter club Pompey Virtual Alliance
"We're hoping that this is actually the low point now and that we're now going to get a strong-willed independent administrator coming in to get to the bottom of what's been going on at this football club and find us a buyer that is going to be prepared to invest.
"We're hoping that this is actually the low point now and that we're now going to get a strong-willed independent administrator coming in to get to the bottom of what's been going on at this football club and find us a buyer that is going to be prepared to invest.
"You've only got to look at the infrastructure of the club - it needs investment. If we can get a decent buyer in, there is a huge margin for progression here at Portsmouth.
"You've only got to look at the infrastructure of the club - it needs investment. If we can get a decent buyer in, there is a huge margin for progression here at Portsmouth.
"They say sometimes the darkest hour is just before dawn and maybe we've now reached that point and things can get better from here.
"They say sometimes the darkest hour is just before dawn and maybe we've now reached that point and things can get better from here.
"Clearly, this is better than liquidation, which is what we were facing on Monday if we hadn't taken this action.
"Clearly, this is better than liquidation, which is what we were facing on Monday if we hadn't taken this action.
"It would have been better, I think, if we could have sold it as a going concern because in the city of Portsmouth there are going to be a lot of small businesses that are relying on the money they are owed by the club.
"It would have been better, I think, if we could have sold it as a going concern because in the city of Portsmouth there are going to be a lot of small businesses that are relying on the money they are owed by the club.
"As a city this is actually something quite serious that's happened.
"As a city this is actually something quite serious that's happened.
"There are going to be a lot of people out there, both who work at the club and local business, who are going to suffer quite badly because of this."
"There are going to be a lot of people out there, both who work at the club and local business, who are going to suffer quite badly because of this."
Joyce Tynan, 76 - Pompey fan since 1946
Joyce Tynan, 76 - Pompey fan since 1946
"It's heartbreaking. It's a good club with good staff and now I hope they carry on. If they carry on, then I will."
"It's heartbreaking. It's a good club with good staff and now I hope they carry on. If they carry on, then I will."
Joyce Tynan has been a Pompey fan for more than 60 years
She blamed former owner Sasha Gaydamak, former manager Harry Redknapp and chief executive Peter Storrie for plunging the club into financial chaos.
She blamed former owner Sasha Gaydamak, former manager Harry Redknapp and chief executive Peter Storrie for plunging the club into financial chaos.
"Between them they should have seen this coming," she said.
"Between them they should have seen this coming," she said.
"They should have realised there was no money and not paid the players so much. The players should get a couple of hundred a week - I only get £51."
"They should have realised there was no money and not paid the players so much. The players should get a couple of hundred a week - I only get £51."
John Westwood - Pompey fan
John Westwood - Pompey fan
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Portsmouth fan John Westwood: "Football clubs are the heartbeat of any city"
Portsmouth fan John Westwood: "Football clubs are the heartbeat of any city"
Kevin Ryan - Pompey fan
Kevin Ryan - Pompey fan
"It's a sad day. We would've liked the club sold as a going concern, but at the end of the day, it's a sense of relief knowing that now we can carry on and fulfil our fixtures for this season.
"It's a sad day. We would've liked the club sold as a going concern, but at the end of the day, it's a sense of relief knowing that now we can carry on and fulfil our fixtures for this season.
Kevin Ryan says fans could see this coming two years ago
Kevin Ryan says fans could see this coming two years ago
"This is a great club with a great set of fans and I'm sure if it's an attractive proposition for someone, someone will buy it.
"This is a great club with a great set of fans and I'm sure if it's an attractive proposition for someone, someone will buy it.
"I wouldn't swap the day we won the FA cup for anything, but I think supporters could see this sort of thing happening two years ago when we had the likes of Defoe, Crouch and players that were earning considerably great amounts of money playing for the club and only a stadium of 20,000 paying for it."
"I wouldn't swap the day we won the FA cup for anything, but I think supporters could see this sort of thing happening two years ago when we had the likes of Defoe, Crouch and players that were earning considerably great amounts of money playing for the club and only a stadium of 20,000 paying for it."
Jonathan Butler - Pompey season ticket holder
"It really bad news for the fans and for the local businesses.
"Being in the Premiership put us on the map really and when we got into Europe a couple of years ago and now it seems it's all been for waste. Everything is just going to go downhill now.
Jonathan Butler says he is worried about Pompey's future
"What does the future hold? Hopefully someone will come in and buy us, but then there are all those clubs around that people can buy with nice stadiums.
"We've not got a very nice stadium. Who's going to want to come and buy us when they've got better options.
"I don't know how it's going to pan out. Obviously I'm still going to be following Pompey, like I've always done, but I don't know where it's going to leave us.
"We spent seven years in the Premiership and they were good times. Now we're going to go down. I really do feel sorry for Pompey."
Howard "Basher" Benfield - Pompey fan
"The club goes on, we survive, we carry on.
"But this should have been done two or three months ago in administration, everyone knew we didn't have the money and we just delayed the inevitable.
Basher thinks the players' "ridiculous" wages will bankrupt other clubs
"We sold players when we didn't really need to and now we've sunk.
"The whole Premier League has gone money mad. They players have taken the money to ridiculous heights.
"It's crazy, you cannot justify some of the wages that are being paid by the really big clubs, like [Manchester] United and Chelsea.
"What do we do, we try to keep up with the Jones's. That's what we did and we've come a cropper - and we're not going to be the last, they [other clubs] are all in a mess. We could start the domino effect."
