Portsmouth facing Campbell law suit

PORTSMOUTH’S financial woes have increased after the club confirmed yesterday they are being sued by Sol Campbell for fees and bonuses their former defender claims he is owed.

Campbell, now at Arsenal, has issued a writ through his lawyers for £1.7m he says he is owed in image rights and bonus payments. Portsmouth confirmed the receipt of the writ yesterday and a club spokesman said: “The matter is being dealt with by our lawyers.”

The writ comes as Portsmouth prepare to appeal against a High Court judge’s decision to dismiss their application to have a winding-up petition from Britain's Revenue and Customs struck out.

The club have argued the VAT portion of its massive tax bill is too high by £7.5m.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie was in court yesterday over an allegation he cheated the public revenue over the signing-on fee for a midfielder. Storrie, 57, has a plea and case management hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London.

It is accused that between July 1, 2003, and November 28, 2007, he “cheated the public revenue” over a signing-on fee for Amdy Faye from Auxerre to Portsmouth.

He is alleged to have arranged for the fee to Faye to be paid via the bank account of an agent, Willie McKay, in order to “conceal its true nature.”

Storrie has said he will defend himself in the “strongest possible terms” against the charge.