Wednesday 1 October 2008

Play Up Pompey!!! #

Last Monday, the Premier League, otherwise known as ScudamoreWorld, announced that they were going to investigate Portsmouth over the issue of their Real ownership.

Last Tuesday, the Premier League, fully in ScudamoreWorld-mode, declared that they were no longer going to investigate Portsmouth "because there is nothing to investigate".

Really?

The Reality that Arkadi Gaydamak is the Real owner of Pompey was not some idle allegation made in the press, some piece of gossip from the trading rooms, the exposure of ownership came from none other than Arkadi himself.

Nothing to Investigate?

As Arkadi Gaydamak prepares his political future, firstly as mayor of Jerusalem, and then as leader of Israel, Palestine, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and selected bits of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the man is short of cash.
The original self-exposure of the Reality of the extent of his assets appeared in an Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Aharonot, and was published by Arkadi himself.
It was a sort of media fire sale to embellish his political campaign with the necessary funds, for, apparently, what Israel really needs more than anything else is for a right wing racist bigot to have power.

But, could the self-exposure of his ownership of Portsmouth simply be a mistake?
Arkadi is, after all, a rather rich man, although, as James Montague notes, there is an unexplained mystery as to where his money originally came from.
It is reckoned that Arkadi is worth between £400 million and £2 billion. We would lean towards the former figure due to the necessity to dispose of some assets to fund his power trip.
Portsmouth have been 'on the market' since last January, ######################## #################################################. The sale price is low compared to, say, Dysfunctional Disunited or Abu Dhabi United, due to the small capacity of Fratton Park and the transfer strategy of Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp is paying ##########################################################
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Despite these issues, prices between £40-60 million have been quoted.
Now, I don't know about you, but if I were looking to dispose of getting on for ten per cent of my assets, I wouldn't make any error of ownership.
The point I'm trying, rather inadequately, to make here is that Portsmouth are not some peripheral investment for Arkadi, but a very core investment.
And one that offers ####################################.
Arkadi Gaydamak would not and did not make any error over his ownership of the club.

Nothing to Investigate?

Wikipedia gets it right.
Wikipedia describe Alexandre, Arkadi's peculiarly disorientated offspring, as being "the public face" of Portsmouth.
And, although Wikipedia doesn't always tell the truth, neither does Richard Scudamore.

Nothing to Investigate?

James Montague wrote an excellent piece in The Guardian about Arkadi Gaydamak, not just focusing on the arrest warrant for illegal arms trafficking or the fraud and money laundering charges that also circulate the future leader.
"Even in Israel, little has been known about the complicated origins of the Gaydamak millions."
Quoting Israeli journalist Shaul Adar: "When he [Arkadi] did his business in Russia and Africa, he didn't have to declare how he did it [made his money]."

Adar is even more direct regarding the offspring, Alexandre: "...[He] came into the public domain out of nowhere, like his father. Does he have any money of his own? How did he get it?"

From his daddy, the Real owner of Portsmouth FC...

Nothing to Investigate?

Illegal arms dealing, aiding the overthrow of Savimbi in Angola, ################# ###############################################################, forming a far-right political party (named "Social Justice" in a fine piece of Orwellian doublespeak), buying the even more right-wing Beitar Jerusalem FC (whose fans rioted after Arkadi purchased a Palestinian player)...
There are no end to the man's talents.

He even exhibits folksy homophobia.
Referring to the proposed Gay Pride march in his city of Jerusalem, little Arkadi quipped: "I would lie on the ground in order to block the march and would even die before I approve the Pride Parade in the city."
So, he's Gay then...
Gay-damak, obvious really...

This one redeeming factor does not prevent the prosecution from determining guilt, once the question of the fit-and-proper-person test (FPPT) is addressed.

Arkadi Gaydamak is the Real owner of Portsmouth FC.
Arkadi Gaydamak is not a fit-and-proper-person.
Richard Scudamore should apply the rules of the game and confront this illegal ownership.

But, there is Nothing to Investigate, because this is ScudamoreWorld!

ScudamoreWorld gives us rigged sporting events like Portsmouth losing in a creative manner by 6 goals at Abu Dhabi United, before putting in an equally market-astute performance in leaking another four goals in the Mickey Mouse Cup.
There was an inevitability, #################################################### #############################################################################
In one of a whole shedload of rigged matches in the English Premiership at the weekend, Portsmouth were provided with victory against Spurs thanks to a penalty that was given for an obvious handball and a penalty that wasn't given for an obvious handball. #######################################################
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############################################################

Three rigged Pompey games in one week.

Nothing to Investigate?

Entertainingly, Alexandre entered the Portsmouth dressing room forty minutes after the 6-0 debacle at Eastlands.
Harry Redknapp denied 'reports' (what reports?) that Gaydamak the Younger blew his top about the performance.
This is a good thing.
###########################################################################
Jammo even joked in his ghost-written Guardian column this week that Michael Owen had texted him before the game asking about the outcome because, apparently, Owen has got James in his Fantasy Football team.
Like this is Reality?
One of the biggest ################# in the game of football telephones a ###### just before a rigged event to discuss Fantasy Football.
Yeah right...

Well, it was Fantasy Football, I guess, but not in the manner one would assume.

Nothing to Investigate?

As the Portsmouth team run out onto the pitch, one of those strange individuals who have no friends but lots of scrapbooks stands there religiously holding a board - "Play Up Pompey".

In our estimation, Portsmouth certainly do play up.

Pay Up Pompey.
Go To Gaol Gaydamak.
Resign Scudamore.

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