Further to the statement on the official club website (http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/article/portsmouth-football-club-statement-270314-1449029.aspx), Ashley Brown (PST Chairman) had the following to share with PST members.
"Richie Barker today left Portsmouth Football Club.
Relegation from the Football League is an unacceptable prospect and in the position we are in, we believe this is the right decision for the club.
Ultimately football is a results business and we haven’t seen the progress we’d hoped for under Richie. We also considered the view of our fans and decided as a group, that this is the right decision.
We're delighted that Andy Awford has agreed to take charge until the end of the season. Andy knows the club - it is in his blood. He won't be starting from scratch as he knows the players, and understands the challenges of this division. We believe he is the best option for us currently.
We have to stay up, and we have seven games to do it. We believe the the squad is good enough, and we are confident Andy can get the best out of the players and help us preserve our League status.
The next few weeks are vitally important for the club, and we know our fantastic fans who have shown incredible patience and support in this difficult and frustrating season will get behind us and we will all pull together.
Other teams may have more points on the board, or different run ins, but they don’t have our fans, and fans can and will make the difference.
Let's all be united in support of Andy and the players in the coming weeks"