Portsmouth fail to pay players again
Reuters - Thursday 03 December 2009, 20:03
LONDON - Portsmouth have failed to pay some of their players' wages on time for the second time this season, the struggling Premier League club said in a statement on Thursday.
"The majority of the first team squad have not yet received their November salaries," the club said.
"A proportion of their wages will be paid tomorrow (Friday), with the club's new owners working towards paying the remainder over the next few days."
Bottom club Portsmouth are fighting for their top flight survival, languishing seven points adrift of the safety zone after 14 matches.
The south coast club also failed to play first-team players on time in September due to delays in refinancing by then owner Sulaiman al-Fahim.
Saudi businessman Ali al Faraj subsequently bought 90 percent of the club's shares from Fahim, who remained as non-executive chairman.
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Portsmouth were banned by the Premier League in October from registering any new players because of unpaid debts to other clubs.
The club sacked manager Paul Hart last month and replaced him with former Chelsea manager Avram Grant.
Professional Footballers Association (PFA) chief Gordon Taylor said he was concerned by the situation.
"You can understand much better problems in the Football League and lower down," he told Sky Sports.
"Chester City, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Watford - players have shown a great deal of solidarity and sympathy and understanding and deferred wages.
"But if that is happening in the Premier League I'm sure it is not good for the image of the game and, if it is the case, it is not going to be highly thought of at the headquarters of the Premier League either.
"There can't be any good reason in the Premier League with the money they enjoy from television income alone, never mind sponsorship," added Taylor.
"I thought this had been solved with the change of ownership at the club a few weeks ago."