This is part two of a series looking at the rise and fall of Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth in recent years. To read part 1, click here.
2005 – 2010
With all the drama between Southampton, Portsmouth and Harry Redknapp, Bournemouth were still struggling along in League Two. In the Cherries’ relegation season of 2007-08, the club, still financially crippled, entered administration. They managed to get themselves out the following season when Paul Baker took over the club, removing its financial perils. However, due to the previous events, the club began the 2008-09 season with a 17-point deduction.
Despite the massive upheaval of overturning that points deficit, Baker invested wisely and the club began to succeed on the field. However, on the final day of the season, it was do or die for the Cherries. Bournemouth had to win to keep their football heritage alive; failing to do so would have resulted in relegation to the Conference. Miraculously, Bournemouth avoided both. A 2-1 win against Grimsby in their final home game of the season kept them in the Football League.
Whilst Bournemouth had survived by the skin of their teeth, Portsmouth too were progressing, once again under Redknapp. Milan Mandarić let the club go in 2006, selling his shares to Russian businessman Alexandre Gaydamak. Gaydamak certainly wasn’t short of funds, and his arrival in the January transfer window sparked big money signings for Pompey. With the players performing on the pitch and money for improvement for the foreseeable future, Pompey were approaching the big time, and finished in the top half of the table.
Then, in the 2007-08 season, Portsmouth reached their first FA Cup Final since before the Second World War, in which they won. They achieved that feat again as Redknapp’s side ran out 1-0 winners against Cardiff City. The following season, Redknapp left to take over at Tottenham Hotspur, leaving assistant Tony Adams in charge.
As a result of their FA Cup victory, Pompey qualified for the UEFA Cup, but were knocked out in the group stages despite a credible 2-2 draw at Fratton Park against Italian giants AC Milan.
The following season was one of mixed emotions for Portsmouth. Gaydamak, unbeknown at the time, had been accused of transferring the clubs assets, and had sold the club to United Arab Emirates businessman, Ali Al-Faraj. Al-Faraj had bought the club via BVI-registered company, Falcondrone, which held 90% and Al-Faraj retained the final 10%. With the club struggling on the field and a change of managers, it was announced in December 2009 that the club had failed to pay its players for the second successive month.
Avram Grant, who had initially arrived at Fratton Park under Al-Faraj as Director of Football, soon became manager, and had steadied the ship on the field. It was, again, the off-field disputes that caused further disruption to the club, though, with the HMRC filing a winding up petition against the club in the High Court. However, this was later dropped.
Amidst of all of these troubles, there was soon to be another problem for Portsmouth. Al-Faraj had brought the club on a loan from Balram Chainrai’s company, something which Chainrai wasn’t too pleased with. He took over the club, which was financially crippled yet again and reportedly £135 million in debt, and saved it from liquidation. To do that, however, Chainrai had to place the club into administration once again, leaving Portsmouth with a nine-point deduction. Portsmouth were left with little chance to avoid relegation back to the Championship.
It seemed that all three South Coast clubs were on the decline as Southampton began their tenure in the Championship; Saints were relying on youth players such as Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott. However, two relatively successful seasons on the pitch had been marred by new owner Leon Crouch, who had financially burdened the club; then, in 2007, Saints began to sell some of their best players, including Bale, Chris Baird and Kenwyne Jones. In their third season in the Championship, new manager Nigel Pearson had kept the club in the league after a long fought relegation battle, once again with younger players like Adam Lallana and Morgan Schneiderlin.
The following season, new owners Michael Wilde and Rupert Lowe couldn’t offer Pearson a new deal due to the financial restraints. They brought in relatively unknown Dutchman Jan Poortvliet to manage the club, who then left the club one from bottom in the league. Soon after the club were handed a ten-point deduction due to their parent company entering administration. The deduction all but confirmed Saints’ relegation to League One. Southampton entered the third tier of English football for the first time in fifty years; six years after they were runners-up in the FA Cup.
In the summer of 2009, the club were on the brink of bankruptcy, but former Saints player and club legend Matt Le Tissier fronted a takeover under the pinnacle group. Unfortunately, the takeover was unsuccessful but shortly after, Markus Liebherr took control, giving the Saints financial backing. Liebherr appointed Alan Pardew as the new Southampton manager, and with money available, the pair spent just shy of £1 million on Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert. Later that season, Southampton won the JPT Trophy at Wembley for the first time since 1976, beating Carlisle 4-1.
2010 – Now
Southampton began the decade in a much stronger financial position, but in August that year, Markus Liebherr had died. However, the club’s future had been assured and planned prior to his death.
Early in the 2010-11 season, Pardew was sacked by the board and later replaced by Nigel Adkins. They then achieved promotion back to the Championship, ending a four-year stay in England’s third tier. The Saints had a strong return in the Championship, and recorded back-to-back promotions as they finished runners-up behind Reading. Lambert, signed by Pardew, had scored 27 goals in their promotion season; his third Golden Boot in four seasons.
Back in the Premier League, they soon began to splash the cash on new players, including Jay Rodriguez, Rory Delap and Gastón Ramírez, breaking their record transfer fee twice. However, early in the season, Adkins was dismissed and replaced by the relatively unknown Espanyol manager, Mauricio Pochettino. The Saints had a sound debut season, finishing 14th.
The next season, however, Pochettino wanted to progress the club further, and he signed Victor Wanyama and Daniel Osvaldo, breaking the Southampton record transfer fee for the fourth time in two years. Defender Dejan Lovren was also signed. Southampton recorded their highest Premier League finish as they ended the season in eighth.
The summer that followed could have been a disaster for Southampton. Pochettino left to join Tottenham, whilst the club’s impressive season left their players in the spotlight; Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers had all left the club, Southampton receiving just under £100 million. Ronald Koeman took over from Pochettino with many of his key players having left, but the Dutchman invested wisely. Against all odds, Southampton bettered the season they had previously.
Occupying a top four spot for the first half of the season, Koeman has clearly got the best out of his players, and despite a blip since the turn of the New Year, Saints look set for a top seven finish, qualifying for Europe. This is certainly an incredible turnaround from where they were just five years earlier.
Somewhat differently to Saints, Bournemouth have emerged. 31-year-old Eddie Howe took over for his first full season as Bournemouth manager with the club winning promotion from League Two as runners-up. Following the achievement, the former Cherries player left to take over at Burnley, leaving another former player, Lee Bradbury, to replace him. Bradbury guided the club to the League One play-offs, but lost to Huddersfield on penalties in the semi-final. The following season, they finished 11th; in October of the following season, Howe returned, and achieved promotion back to the Championship for the first time since 1990.
Their second season in England’s second tier was successful, a tenth-placed finish — their highest in their history. The club were going from strength to strength, beating Birmingham 8-0 and reaching the League Cup quarter-finals to the top flight for the first time in their history. The Cherries spent most of the season in and around the top, and won promotion following a win on their last home game against Bolton, winning as champions by beating Charlton on the final day.
Eddie Howe and Bournemouth now have a summer to prepare for the first ever venture in the top flight, an incredible turnaround from the club that was on the verge of liquidation eight years previously. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Portsmouth. With Southampton and Bournemouth surging up the leagues, Pompey went the other way, as financial problems once again aided their downfall.
At the end of the decade, the club faced a transfer embargo, and were forced to sell their players at a knock-off price. A new owner, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov, took over, but was later found guilty of foul play in Lithuanian law a few years later. Following their relegation from the Premier League in 2010, Pompey spent two seasons in the Championship, but were once again placed into administration and issued with a ten point deduction, resulting in relegation to England’s third tier for the first time in 30 years.
The club spent one season in League One before a second consecutive relegation. Finances were still an issue, but the club were saved by the Portsmouth Supporters Trust in April 2013.
Portsmouth have spent two seasons in League Two, but seem to be back on the right track. A new chairman with money and the appointment of a new manager shows signs of things to come, but it’s a long way before they’re fighting amongst England’s elite yet again.
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