If you were asked the question about what Notts County are most famous
for in English football the most obvious would be that they are the oldest
professional football club in existence anywhere in the world having been
formed way back in 1862. If you were a real football anorak you could trot out
the line that the current Serie A League Champions Juventus based their black
and white kit on that of Notts County’s. Ask what they are most famous for in
the past decade or so and the chances are unless you are a Notts County fan you
might be left scratching your head somewhat for an answer. The answer to that
particular question will be of interest to Pompey fans in particular as it
resembles our recent history in more ways than one. Whilst Notts County may not
have lifted the FA Cup recently or have played in the English Premier League there
are many similarities between the two sides off the field namely; financial
difficulties, involvement of Supporter’s Trusts, winding up orders from the
HMRC and worse of all for Notts County – ownership issues of the highest
degree. The odd thing is that the tale of Notts County’s ownership issues seems
to have been forgotten by many. I have lifted the following extract from a blog
that I wrote about the Fit and Proper Persons Test in June 2012 in relation to
what went on and why the test has failed not only Portsmouth when it comes to
letting dodgy owners take over football clubs but many clubs including that of ours
and Notts County. The title comes from a BBC Panorama documentary on what
happened;
The
Trillion Dollar Con Man of Notts County
In 2009 the oldest
club in the history of the football league Notts County were under the
ownership of a supporters trust. They took the decision to sell out to an
investment group called Qadbak Investments Ltd, a company registered in the
British Virgin Islands, for the sum of just £1 after being promised that
millions of pounds were to be lavished upon the squad.
All started
seemingly well enough when the ex-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson was
appointed manager of the struggling League Two side. He was quickly joined by
ex-England International and former Pompey player Sol Campbell.
The deal had been
ratified by the football league and the football league approved Abid Hyat Khan
who passed their fit and proper persons test. Khan claimed to be a Royal Prince
and had managed to provide the Football League with a guarantee from First
London Bank for the sum of Five Million pounds in the form of a legal
affidavit. What the football league checks failed to show up was the money was
being guaranteed by part of the bank that didn’t exist anymore and Abid Hyat
Khan was no more of a prince than you or I and is wanted by British Police in
connection with a one million pound fraud.
It was claimed by
the BBC Panorama programme that the man actually being the takeover of Notts
County was a convicted fraudster by the name of Russell King. King had been
convicted of fraud when he claimed the insurance on a car he had claimed had
been stolen and subsequently served time for this offence. This conviction
would have seen King unable to pass the fit and proper persons test but with
Khan as a front man he was able to bypass any checks that were undertaken by
the football league.
Within months
everything has started to unravel at Notts County with everything having been
paid for using credit. Bills went unpaid and the club was left holding a debt
of seven million pounds in the red and facing administration. The takeover was
subsequently investigated by the Serious Fraud Office.
Thankfully for the followers of Notts
County the club managed to survive but their tale remains as a cautionary one
that if something sounds too good to be true then the chances are it’s exactly
that. Both Pompey and County fans will have a great deal of sympathy for each
other’s clubs off the field and what took place I’m sure.
On the field Notts County finished
last season in 7th place and missed out on a spot in the play offs
by virtue of goal difference. Ex-Pompey player Martin Allen was replaced as
Manager mid way through the season by current boss Keith Curle and at the time
of writing they currently occupy third position in the league amongst the play
off spots. County’s current run see’s them go into tomorrow’s game five games
unbeaten. In nine league and cup games they have only lost two so far this
season having been beaten in the League Cup first round at home to Bradford City
AET (1-0) and at home in the league to Walsall (1-0). Home wins have come
against Hartlepool United (2-0) and Shrewsbury (3-2) and they remain unbeaten
in the league away from home so far this season with wins against Crewe
Alexandra (2-1), Bury (2-0), Scunthorpe (2-1) and two successive draws in their
last two games against Oldham Athletic (2-2) and MK Dons (1-1). Given the
abysmal last two performances for Pompey against Swindon Town in mid week and
Walsall last Saturday, County will start the match as firm favourites tomorrow.
County have scored in every single
league game this season and in nine league and cup games their only blank so
far this season came in the cup defeat to Bradford City. County’s best known
player is the former West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes but they’ve been
far from reliant on him to score their goals with an impressive tally of eleven
players so far having found the back of the net in all competitions in a total
tally of fifteen goals. County’s top scorer is the Ivory Coast striker François
Zoko with three league goals to his credit.
Head to head Pompey have the
slight upper hand over the years with 9 wins to County’s 8 between the two
sides with 6 draws. Pompey’s goal tally stands at 37 to County’s 32 but that
total includes Pompey’s record victory against any side when we ran out 9-1
winners in the 1926/1927 season. Going into the game Pompey are unbeaten
against County in their last seven outings and you have to go back to September
1990 to find the last time we lost a league encounter against them.
Luke Rodgers is in contention to return
to the starting line up against his former club having been dropped to the
bench in the midweek loss against Swindon Town which saw Pompey experiment with
Izale McLeod playing as a loan striker. Manager Michael Appleton was waiting on
the outcome of the injury to central defender Kevin Long before deciding
whether to extend his loan spell from parent club Burnley so Gabor Gyepes could
partner Lubomir Michalik in Portsmouth's defence. Pompey have however taken up
the option of extending the loan period of Reading youngster Jordan Obita.
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