Source: Team_Talk
PFA chief proud of Pompey players
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has expressed his pride at Portsmouth's players for their amazing efforts at reaching the FA Cup final.[LNB] Despite having been mired in controversy all season, becoming the first Premier League club to enter administration and getting relegated 24 hours before kick-off, Pompey somehow managed to overcome Tottenham in yesterday's semi-final.[LNB]They will now tackle Avram Grant's former club Chelsea at Wembley on May 15 and aim to complete possibly the most remarkable story in modern times.[LNB]Even now, the complications are not over, with Grant unsure which players will be available to him given some are due to trigger payments the south coast club cannot afford if they appear for Portsmouth again.[LNB]And Taylor believes it is testament to the resilience and character at Fratton Park that they will repeat their final appearance of 2008, which many believed sewed the seeds for the eventual financial nightmare that engulfed them.[LNB]"Every cloud has a silver lining," said Taylor.[LNB]"Portsmouth have been under a cloud for a long time. The FA Cup final is the silver lining.[LNB]"I have been proud of the players.[LNB]"The last thing you would expect as a Premier League player is to worry about your wages and having to bring the PFA in to make sure they were honoured. But they have held together.[LNB]"They have been looking to chip in for some of the staff who look after them at the training ground, which shows the solidarity of players and football.[LNB]"They have overcome the biggest obstacles. This is their reward."[LNB]Pompey would normally be granted a place in Europe by reaching next month's FA Cup final against Chelsea but they did not apply for a UEFA club licence ahead of the March deadline for English teams to lodge paperwork with the country's governing body.[LNB]The club were in administration at the time and the mis-management means they are unlikely to take part in the Europa League next season.[LNB]"Even the Premier League themselves have said there has been rank bad management," added Taylor.[LNB]"It has been a real warning to the Premier League. It is an embarrassment to have one of their clubs going into administration.[LNB]"The financial well-being of clubs needs to be looked at at the start of each season and then monitored.[LNB]"It has been a tough task for Avram Grant.[LNB]"He has done a tremendous job with his belief in his players and the team. They have fought for the cause.[LNB]"None of the players have willingly jumped ship. Some of them had to walk the plank to get some money in.[LNB]"But for those that have remained, it has been a fairytale."
