Portsmouth: Guy Whittingham hopes for 'end game'

Portsmouth caretaker boss Guy Whittingham says he hopes they can start planning for the future after their High Court date this week.

A hearing on Thursday and Friday will decide the fate of their Fratton Park ground, and with it the club.

He told BBC Radio Solent: "It's what we've wanted since January or February so we're hoping the end game is very close and we can plan properly."

"I don't think it will be a distraction to the playing staff."

He added: "We've got enough on our minds, preparing for Saturday's Preston game. We'll get on with the football side of things. You can't control what you can't control."

Pompey's administrators, PKF, agreed a conditional agreement to sell the club to the Pompey Supporters' Trust in November.

However, that sale is conditional on PKF first gaining permission to sell Fratton Park, the club's stadium, which is controlled by Balram Chainrai.

If the court decides in favour of the PST, then PKF can finalise the sale of the club and start the process of bringing Portsmouth out of administration.

On the pitch, Whittingham is happy with his players after they bounced back from seven straight league defeats to draw with Coventry and Tranmere.

"There's a spirit building," he said. "On the back of those seven defeats, it's nice to know the lads still have a lot of fight in them and have not given up.

"That's very important because we've got some tough times ahead. It's nice to know there's a real character in that dressing room that they all want to fight for each other."

Whittingham took temporary control of the League One club in November following Michael Appleton's departure for Blackpool. They are unable to appoint a permanent manager until coming out of administration.