Post by QPR Report on Sept 15, 2009 22:23:49 GMT
He should have done it another way: Either not hold meetings with fan groups; or hold a meeting but not let them publish a report for several months, and only the club had edited the report
Guardian -
Portsmouth chief denies fans' claims that he said club is not refinanced• Peter Storrie disputes minutes of meeting with supporters
• Sulaiman al-Fahim pledges to boost transfer budget in January
Jamie Jackson
The Portsmouth chief executive, Peter Storrie, today denied telling a forum of 13 supporters' groups at the weekend that Sulaiman al-Fahim had not yet refinanced the club and that he was not sure when funds will be made available.
During the meeting, held at the club's Sports Bar, Storrie is also alleged to have criticised Fahim's handling of the takeover and did not rule out Ali al-Faraj, the Saudi businessman who missed out on buying the club, becoming a future investor.
The claims, published on a fans' website, truebluearmy.com, are in the minutes of the weekend meeting. They have been, according to its chairman Colin Farmery, "circulated to all the attendees including Storrie" so that they could be challenged. Storrie last night said: "They are not direct comments by me. They are just a summary of fans' interpretation."
The minutes say that Faraj's proposed takeover, where he had appeared the favourite to buy the club, fell through because one of the consortium was suing Arcadi Gaydamak, Alexandre's father.
Storrie is also said to have revealed that Portsmouth are still paying transfer fees for players that have left the club — though these will be cleared by January — and that Fahim had no liquid assets. He also suggested that the club's finance director was not getting the answers he needed on how to fund the club.
He said of Fahim yesterday: "He's gone to America. He's got a lot of assets but he has to turn them into actual funds. That's all he's been doing, refinancing in America." Would there then be money for new players in January? "Yes. He's working very hard at it."
Fahim, who has agreed in principle to meet supporters on 25 September ahead of the match with Everton, said last night that he hopes to have acquired the fresh finance within two weeks.
"Hopefully by the end of this month there's new money coming in from my personal finances," he said. "I will meet my manager, Paul Hart, on 21 November and sit down and see which kind of players he needs. By January we will have more money coming in for the players."
Fahim also believes that despite the club's on-going debt, which forced a firesale of players during the summer, he will be able to transform Portsmouth into a profit-making concern. "I'm not in this just to lose money. I like competition, I like to be a winner and I want to show with this club you can make money."
Storrie also offered some criticism of Fahim's media persona, suggesting yesterday that he should issue future statements regarding Portsmouth through the club. "There needs to be continuity relating to statements from his PR people and the club so that its all singing from the same [hymn sheet]," Storrie said. "It all has to be consolidated and done through one group."
Fahim confirmed that Storrie still had a future at the club, despite his failed bid to install Faraj. "Peter Storrie is a good CEO and he's been with the club for the last seven years. Keeping him is better for the club," he said.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/15/portsmouth-peter-storrie-sulaiman-al-fahim
Guardian -
Portsmouth chief denies fans' claims that he said club is not refinanced• Peter Storrie disputes minutes of meeting with supporters
• Sulaiman al-Fahim pledges to boost transfer budget in January
Jamie Jackson
The Portsmouth chief executive, Peter Storrie, today denied telling a forum of 13 supporters' groups at the weekend that Sulaiman al-Fahim had not yet refinanced the club and that he was not sure when funds will be made available.
During the meeting, held at the club's Sports Bar, Storrie is also alleged to have criticised Fahim's handling of the takeover and did not rule out Ali al-Faraj, the Saudi businessman who missed out on buying the club, becoming a future investor.
The claims, published on a fans' website, truebluearmy.com, are in the minutes of the weekend meeting. They have been, according to its chairman Colin Farmery, "circulated to all the attendees including Storrie" so that they could be challenged. Storrie last night said: "They are not direct comments by me. They are just a summary of fans' interpretation."
The minutes say that Faraj's proposed takeover, where he had appeared the favourite to buy the club, fell through because one of the consortium was suing Arcadi Gaydamak, Alexandre's father.
Storrie is also said to have revealed that Portsmouth are still paying transfer fees for players that have left the club — though these will be cleared by January — and that Fahim had no liquid assets. He also suggested that the club's finance director was not getting the answers he needed on how to fund the club.
He said of Fahim yesterday: "He's gone to America. He's got a lot of assets but he has to turn them into actual funds. That's all he's been doing, refinancing in America." Would there then be money for new players in January? "Yes. He's working very hard at it."
Fahim, who has agreed in principle to meet supporters on 25 September ahead of the match with Everton, said last night that he hopes to have acquired the fresh finance within two weeks.
"Hopefully by the end of this month there's new money coming in from my personal finances," he said. "I will meet my manager, Paul Hart, on 21 November and sit down and see which kind of players he needs. By January we will have more money coming in for the players."
Fahim also believes that despite the club's on-going debt, which forced a firesale of players during the summer, he will be able to transform Portsmouth into a profit-making concern. "I'm not in this just to lose money. I like competition, I like to be a winner and I want to show with this club you can make money."
Storrie also offered some criticism of Fahim's media persona, suggesting yesterday that he should issue future statements regarding Portsmouth through the club. "There needs to be continuity relating to statements from his PR people and the club so that its all singing from the same [hymn sheet]," Storrie said. "It all has to be consolidated and done through one group."
Fahim confirmed that Storrie still had a future at the club, despite his failed bid to install Faraj. "Peter Storrie is a good CEO and he's been with the club for the last seven years. Keeping him is better for the club," he said.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/15/portsmouth-peter-storrie-sulaiman-al-fahim