Portsmouth’s financial woes now directly threaten their very survival as a football club after the High Court in London this week gave the club seven days to settle matters, including considerable debts to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

The point they gained from Aruna Dindane’s 96^th minute equaliser at home to Sunderland did little to ease their relegation worries. And if the club are forced into administration, they will be deducted nine points by the EPL, thus virtually confirming them to the Football League for next season.

But if they are wound up by the tax authorities, the future could be an “AFC Pompey” in the semi-professional Zamaretto (Southern) League, a drop of seven levels in English football’s pyramid.

The belated lifting of their transfer embargo severely limited Portsmouth’s ability to raise funds during the January window.

Meanwhile, manager Avram Grant has suffered at the hands, to use an apt phrase, of a tabloid exposee of his visits to a Portsmouth brothel before Christmas.

Oh, and Portsmouth also picked up a new owner last week, bringing to an end the regime of invisible Arab businessman Ali Al-Faraj’s regime. And they are in line for a further change of ownership, if the club survives that long.

Alongside all this, the prospect of an FA Cup clash with bitter south coast rivals Southampton this weekend has been hugely overshadowed.

HMRC are pursuing Portsmouth for £7.4m in VAT and the club also owes over £4.7m in tax and national insurance contributions.

The court have instructed the club to produce a “statement of financial affairs” by 4pm on February 17^th and show the court that they have the financial werewithal to meet HMRC’s demands.

The club claim they “will show that the business will be sustainable as a going concern” and that they are “in advanced discussions with more than one interested party” who can “further stabilise and grow the business.”

This comes a week after Hong Kong-based businessman Balram Chainrai took over Al-Faraj’s 90% shareholding in the club after Al-Faraj defaulted on repayments of the £17m Chainrai loaned the cash-strapped South Coast outfit late last year to cover payroll and other costs.

Chainrai immediately insisted that he took over merely to “stabilise the situation until new owners are found.” There has been reported interest from Ireland, America and, apparently, HRH Mohammed bin Nawaf of the Saudi royal family, should Portsmouth want, or need, another Middle East owner.

Portsmouth are eight points from safety with thirteen EPL games remaining. The draw with Sunderland was preceded by a 5-0 hammering at Old Trafford, to which Pompey contributed two undisputed own goals and a further strike deflected past goalkeeper David James.

James last week waived a clause in his contract which would have triggered an extension to his current lucrative deal if he played a certain number of games this season.

With Pompey unable to meet this commitment, James faced a spell out of the side months before a World Cup. So he dropped the clause.