FA set to hold back Portsmouth Cup cash

Portsmouth may not get their hands on the money raised from their FA Cup run.

The Times says it is understood that the FA is preparing to withhold the £600,000 prize money and broadcast fees that Portsmouth have accrued from reaching the last four because they owe £3 million in transfer fees to their rivals.

The FA is unlikely to pay Portsmouth’s various football creditors directly, but will withhold prize money until they have settled their debts. Under FA rules, all clubs participating in the FA Cup are required to make a written request for prize money, broadcast fees and other pool payments to the Professional Game Board. Each case is considered on its merits and other factors, including ensuring that the club have met all their obligations to other clubs in the competition, are taken into account.

The Premier League withheld £7 million due to Portsmouth in broadcast fees in January as several clubs, most notably Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, complained that they were owed outstanding sums in transfer fees totalling up to £10 million. Several of those payments have been made, but Portsmouth’s £60 million debt is thought to include £3 million in unpaid transfer fees, meaning that the FA will withhold prize money unless the club can demonstrate that all their creditors are foreign sides.