The Court of Appeal has ruled that Portsmouth Football Club must pay an extra £1.1m to Irvine Sellar’s Sellar Property Group for a site that the club had agreed to buy as part of its stadium redevelopment.
All three judges found in favour of Sellar. Under the terms of the judgement, Portsmouth FC must now pay the £1.1m balance of the £2m purchase price for the five acres (2ha) of land adjacent to its stadium.
Sellar is also entitled to interest, calculated from last September’s completion date, and costs.
Irvine Sellar said: “Naturally we are pleased the Court of Appeal found in our favour as justice has now been seen to be done.
“However we are sorry that the case ever had to go to court and we believe the football club’s best interests have not been served by disputing the cost of the land. In that area we feel the club has been poorly advised.
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish Portsmouth FC all the success both with its stadium redevelopment and for the new season.”
Last September, the club paid £900,000 to Sellar for the five-acre (2ha) site, after the High Court rejected the vendor’s claim to be entitled to £2m.
But today the court overturned the High Court ruling and ordered the club to pay.
References: EGi Legal News 18/06/04
