‘Michael Eisner deserves huge praise’ after what he’s done for Portsmouth staff
Michael Eisner completed a 100 per cent takeover of Portsmouth in 2017.
The American paid £5.67million for the club, which had been on the brink of liquidation just four years earlier before Pompey fans stepped in.
And in the years since Eisner’s arrival, the Blues have consistently improved on and off the pitch, finally achieving promotion back to the Championship under John Mousinho in 2024.
Portsmouth enjoyed a stable first year in England’s second tier and are now set for a push up the table, as they eye an eventual return to the Premier League.
Eisner rewards Portsmouth staff
The years before 2013 marked an extremely dark period in Portsmouth’s history.
The Blues had finished eighth in England’s top flight in 2008, but financial issues off the pitch quickly began to envelop positivity on it.
Pompey were placed under a transfer embargo during the 2009/10 season, and relegation quickly followed.
As Portsmouth entered administration, point penalties followed, and upon relegation to League One in 2012, the entire group of professional playing staff would leave the club.
In 2013, the Pompey Supporters Trust launched their bid to buy the club from administrators.
The purchase would not save the Blues from relegation to League Two, but would see Portsmouth finally exit administration.
| League position | Season |
| Championship – 16th | 2024/25 |
| League One – 1st | 2023/24 |
| League One – 8th | 2022/23 |
| League One – 10th | 2021/22 |
| League One – 8th | 2020/21 |
| League One – 4th | 2019/20 |
| League One – 4th | 2018/19 |
| League One – 8th | 2017/18 |
The years since have seen the Blues stage an unlikely recovery, achieving promotion to League One in 2017 and the Championship in 2024.
Eisner’s takeover in 2017 has seen the club’s finances improve to the best in their 127-year history.
And the American has shared that success with Pompey’s staff, according to Forbes (4 August).
Staff pay has almost doubled to £10.6m since Eisner took control, even though employee numbers have decreased by 26.1 per cent to 275.
Eisner deserves recognition for his impact
Portsmouth’s position both on the pitch and off it today would have been seen as a pipe dream for any of the club’s supporters in the years leading up to 2013.
While the fans’ intervention ultimately saved the club, Eisner undoubtedly deserves credit for the endless improvements the American has made to Pompey since his arrival.
And the former Disney chief’s move to reward the club’s staff for their efforts should not go unnoticed either.
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