Chainrai warns player wages will kill off Pompey

BALRAM Chainrai has warned Pompey's top earners: strike a deal or the club will fold.

Speaking to The News from Cyprus, Mr Chainrai said he is ‘110 per cent’ sure Pompey will be liquidated next week unless three players can reach an agreement over pay with administrator Trevor Birch.

Mr Birch revealed in July he will have to liquidate the club on August 10 if he is unable to reach a compromise with the players.

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In June, Mr Chainrai’s firm Portpin tabled a CVA offer to take control of the club for a second time on the condition the high earners leave the club.

The bid was followed by an offer from the Pompey Supporters’ Trust, which also hangs on a compromise being reached.

The administrator’s efforts have seen the majority leave – but Tal Ben Haim, Dave Kitson and Liam Lawrence still remained on the books last night.

Mr Chainrai said: ‘The situation is that I think 110 per cent that the club is going to be liquidated unless the three players do a deal with Trevor Birch.

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‘If the club is liquidated, I will be in the waiting line with the others as the liquidators and the administrators go through the club.’

He said he met Tal Ben Haim and his adviser Andrew Andronikou, Pompey’s former administrator, to discuss the situation.

But he fears the player will not back down on wage demands.

Mr Chainrai is owed £18m from the club but he revealed he has written off any chance of seeing the money again.

He added: ‘The players need to co-operate with Mr Birch to save the club.

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‘I feel very sad and sorry for the fans that these players received overpaid salaries and are the ones that could kill the club.’

Mr Chainrai said he is open to involvement from the supporters’ trust if the players leave and Portpin’s CVA goes through.

He said: ‘I am supportive of the trust taking over the club if they can provide the necessary requirements of the administrator.

‘I would prefer the trust to take over. If the players leave, take over the CVA from me.

‘But they have to show the money. We don’t want the club to go into administration again. I will not invite them to work with me but to work with the administrators in my place.’