photo credit: bhhardinge
The lights aren’t off…yet.
Pompey has been put on administration following their inability to find new ownership and new capital. It’s a sad day for Portsmouth, but the day is not lost. However, there are a couple things to consider:
1. Their administrator Andrew Andronikou is charged with severely cutting costs and attempting to make the club solvent. This is very good because at least the EPL has a vision for how this should get fixed. Find a dude who works for a financial firm to fix this! Most sports teams (including Pompey) aren’t that smart.
2. Portsmouth is already in 20th and most definitely staring relegation in the face. They’re 7 points down to their next closest rivals Burnley and Bolton (who also face relegation). It’s possible that the community and fans might rally around the club for a push to get out of this hole. OR…the community will rally around them next season in an effort to get back into the EPL.
It may sound stupid, but this might be one of the best things that could happen to them. You need obsessed fans to keep you going and this might just bring the obsessed fans out of the woodwork.
3. There is history here. Fratton Park is an icon. Portsmouth–as a friend of mine said–is an institution. The EPL doesn’t want them to go away and the team so closely identifies with its hometown that I don’t see how anything HORRIBLE will happen.
At least preventative measures are being taken. Yes, losing 9 points sucks, but that’s the price you pay for getting in this situation. If the club plays it right they can begin a whole new “grass-roots” campaign simply based on belief in the club.
If I were them I’d do a campaign on generational fans and what the history and tradition of Portsmouth football means to the city and the country.
I expect an e-mail people! I’m a marketing genius I tell you!
(Honestly, this can turn out well for them…it really can).
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