THE OFFICIAL DIGITAL MAGAZINE OF PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB
HEAVEN’SLIGHT EDSAPCE / WHAT POMPEY MEANS TO ME / OUT OF THE SHADOWS STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW / JOHNNY MOORE / TOM WHITE / TICKET NEWS
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CONTENTS 05 Edspace 07 What Pompey Means To Me 09 Out Of The Shadows
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11 Stakeholder Interview 14 Johnny Moore 18
Tom White
21 Josh Sweetman 25 Ticket News DESIGN The Graphic Design House, www.tgdh.co.uk Designers Chris Dale, chris@tgdh.co.uk Andrew Sanders, andy@tgdh.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Colin Farmery, Tom White, Pompey Press, The News
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THE 2014-15 SEASON IS NOW IN FULL SWING AND ALL THE TABLES ARE STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE
} Welcome to the October edition of Heaven’s Light. The 2014-15 season is now in full swing and all the tables are starting to take shape. Pompey are currently in 12th place in League Two, although the Blues are only two points off the play-offs. As usual this edition of Heaven’s Light is packed full of news about life off the pitch at Fratton Park. My column looks at the return of Pompey Reserves and the important role that the reserve team has at the club. We also have a column from Josh Sweetman about the journey the club has been on since the Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust bought the club in April 2013. This issue also contains an out of the shadows feature with commercial and marketing manager Micah Hall, a stakeholder interview with Apollo Internet Media director Adam Judd, another one of Johnny Moore’s favourite years and the latest ticket news. We will also be speaking to another fan to find out what Pompey means to them. Pompey fans come from all over the world and our fan this month comes from Kiyosu, Japan. If you would like to be in a future edition of Heaven’s Light saying what Pompey means to you then please feel free to contact me. You can email me on tomwhite@pompeyfc.co.uk and you can also send any comments, ideas or suggestions for our publication to that email address. Yours in Pompey, Tom White
MY COLUMN LOOKS AT THE RETURN OF POMPEY RESERVES AND THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THE RESERVE TEAM HAS AT THE CLUB
Heaven’s Light Editoruy
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W H AT D O E S
POMPEY MEAN TO ME?
IAN LONG, 40, FROM KIYOSU, JAPAN, TELLS TOM WHITE WHAT POMPEY MEANS TO HIM
} Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
IL
I’m an expat Pompey fan living and working in Japan. I work for a large manufacturing company, running in-house training courses. I get to travel around Japan a lot and improve my Japanese, which is nice. In my spare time I like to find and photograph abandoned buildings. } What does Pompey mean to you?
IL
It’s probably the subject I spend most time reading about online. It’s one off the few things I miss from the UK. Outside of my family, it’s one of the most important things in my life. } Can you remember when you started supporting Pompey?
IL
As a kid, I wasn’t really interested in football. When I went to university, in Leicester, I hung around with loads of lads who were really into football. So I got into it too. Following Pompey was a good way to stay connected to my home town. I went to my first match at the grand old age of 19. } Do you have a highlight from your time supporting the club?
IL
I have a few. Beating Southampton 4-1 at Fratton Park, winning the FA Cup, waking up at 6am to find out that the Football Association had rejected Keith Harris’ bid for Pompey, and the day the Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust finally bought the club. Another one is when I was at university in Leicester. It was the last day of the season and we needed a win and for Millwall to lose or draw to stay up. I was at my friend’s house, watching the results come in on Ceefax, and I couldn’t believe it when we got the results we needed.
} Do you have any favourite players?
IL
My all-time favourite is Robert Prosinecki. I remember sitting on a bench down Southsea sea front reading a copy of The News with sheer disbelief that a player of that magnitude would actually be at Fratton Park. Watching him that season was just fantastic. I moved to Japan before Merson, Diarra etc arrived, so for me it will always be Prosinecki. One of my first favourites, though, was John Aloisi. We were in the middle of another relegation battle and he was banging in goals for fun. } Do you have any favourite goals?
IL
My favourite is a Peter Crouch goal, not for the goal itself but for the build-up. It was against Grimsby and Prosinecki had the ball out on the right. He shaped to cross, and the Grimsby left-back went scampering back towards the box to defend the cross. Prosinecki still had the ball and shaped to cross again, and the left-back scampered off again. Prosinecki still had the ball and after doing this a third time he waltzed past the left-back and played a simple pass to Crouch who put it away with ease. } How did you feel when the Trust bought the club?
IL
Very, very happy indeed. Ecstatic in fact.
} What are your hopes for the future for Pompey?
IL
That we continue to be fan-owned, and that we continue to only spend what we can afford. Borrowing sensibly for capital projects like expanding the stadium is acceptable, but for transfer fees and wages it is not. And getting back to the Championship.
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OUT OF TH E
SHADOWS POMPEY’S COMMERCIAL AND
MARKETING MANAGER
MICAH HALL
TA L K S TO T O M W H I T E
} Micah started working at Pompey in April 2013, shortly after the Portsmouth Supporters’ Trust (PST) completed their takeover of the club. Before the PST takeover Micah was a prominent blogger who blogged about the problems Pompey were suffering under a series of owners. He felt the club had been run badly for years and could be run better, so when he was given the opportunity he simply couldn’t turn it down. He said: “All of my life I’ve been telling people that the club is run very badly and so the chance to prove to people that it can be run well was too good to pass up. We don’t get everything right, but if you look at the progress made on the commercial side of the club it’s been absolutely huge. We’ve delivered on a whole series of major projects and we’ve delivered on massive revenue streams so the club’s in a much better position than it was in before.”
WE’VE DELIVERED ON A WHOLE SERIES OF MAJOR PROJECTS AND WE’VE DELIVERED ON MASSIVE REVENUE STREAMS SO THE CLUB’S IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION THAN IT WAS IN BEFORE
Micah has revolutionised Pompey’s digital brand, with a new website, new big screen, concourse televisions, Blippar and Pompey Player all being introduced in the last 18 months. “When we came in the club had no digital strategy,” said Micah. “We had a website that was losing money, we had a ticketing system that was costing three times as much as the new one is, no kit supplier, no sponsors, no advertisers and no revenue off the pitch. What I wanted to do was send a message to sponsors that we were an incredibly forward-looking and ambitious business.” Micah is pleased with the progress that has been made and how things are going at Pompey. He said: “Things are going really well. We’re making progress across the board, and when you look around at the stadium and you see the advertising boards and the sponsorship that Anna’s brought in that’s all fantastic. It all helps to do what we’re trying to do, which is improve the team. This year we’ve got a bigger team budget as a result of all the commercial work that’s been done and the extra fans that are coming in. The strategy is to generate and increase revenues and put that revenue in the team so that the team can be as successful as possible.” Micah is full of praise for the dedicated team that work at Fratton Park. “The place is still run on incredibly lean principles, so considering the size of club we are there are very few people working here,” said Micah. “Everybody works very hard and you’ve got people who even when they have their holidays they still do all the same work that they do when they’re here, they just do it at home. It’s a great team and everybody is passionate about the club. Everybody wants it to be the best it can be.”
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STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW
APOLLO INTERNET MEDIA
TOM WHITE INTERVIEWS APOLLO INTERNET MEDIA DIRECTOR ADAM JUDD
} Apollo Internet Media are the official web design partner of the club, so how did that come about? It was through word of mouth through an existing partner with the club, so almost through a mutual friend. I got introduced to Mark and listened to what he was after, and they came up with a fantastic offer to be part of the club with regards sponsorship packages. I think to be a partner of Portsmouth Football Club is quite a prestigious thing.
AJ
} You’ve also assisted in developing the new commercial website, so how did that come about? In return for the sponsorship packages we’ve put together the commercial site. Mark explained that they wanted something separate from the current Portsmouth Football Club website to promote the sponsorship and entertainment opportunities. So we went away and we brought on board everything that
AJ
they were after, in particular the responsiveness of the website in that it’s mobile, tablet and touch-friendly. It’s nice and clean, it follows all their current literature so the corporate branding is all identical, and it just flows very nicely. } Are there any particular benefits for you being associated with Pompey? Getting in front of 15,000 people every other Saturday is a big bonus. We’ve only been a partner now for just over a month, so it’s in its infancy. We’re producing the digital video that goes on the screen in the grounds, and I’m working with Micah Hall about other sponsorship opportunities. There are other benefits as well, so the package that Pompey put together for our services was superb. And long may it continue. I’m hoping that after our first year we prove that we’re not just going to deliver a site, we’re here for the longevity and the support for the club. If the club
AJ
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I REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN YOU USED TO SEND LETTERS TO PEOPLE AND YOU EXPECTED A RESPONSE WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, NOW WE’RE EXPECTING A RESPONSE WITHIN SEVEN MINUTES does well then hopefully my business will do well, and I’d love to see Pompey back in the Premier League. } How are things going at Apollo Internet Media? Very well. We’re enthusiastically embracing the speed at which the internet is developing. Everything is mobile, tablet and touch-friendly and we’re having to advise our clients that if their site isn’t touchfriendly or mobile supported they are losing out on a huge chunk of customers.
AJ
} Are there any new projects going forward? The main target is touch-friendly websites. It’s absolutely paramount. The longevity of websites is only about two years, and after a two-year period you need to start addressing your website again. The way the technologies are evolving at the moment is incredible. There are new platforms such as Google Glass, where the user speaks to the web, so it’s a whole new platform and a whole new interpretation on the way that search engine optimisation is carried out in that it has to be verbal and it’s a string of phrases, not just a single keyword. The internet is part of everyday life. It’s that immediacy of communication. I remember the days when you used to send letters to people and you expected a response within seven days, now we’re expecting a response within seven minutes. It does put a lot of pressure on companies and businesses but the opportunities to touch a wider audience are far greater than they used to be. It’s all about having the correct tools to approach that.
AJ
} Are you optimistic going forward? Absolutely. We run a tight ship. I employ key programmers and we work with a professional collection of tried and tested partners in the local area to provide other services within the IT industry. I think these
AJ
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days small companies are surviving and progressing because they’re working together. Small companies are working together, rather than having large corporate organisations with everything in-house. I think companies are being wiser these days, especially after the crash of 2008. Smaller companies working together provide a superb team. } Are there any challenges for the business going forward? The only challenge is getting new business, but that’s the main challenge. It’s all about networking, getting out there and meeting people, working with likeminded professionals and creating partnerships. If you get all those right the end result will speak for itself.
AJ
} Have you noticed any changes since the fans bought the club? One thing that hasn’t changed is the enthusiasm. The fanbase is second to none, and the fact that it’s now our club is incredible. If you get enthusiastic people running a club you get happy staff who produce good results, so there’s definitely a buzz around Fratton Park now.
AJ
} Is there anything else you would like to add? I’ve been welcomed for the last two or three months and met a number of key staff in the management team. They’ve been so friendly and welcomed me with open arms. If I’ve asked for something out of the ordinary they’ve been keen to try their best to help out and I’m looking forward to a longterm relationship. If people want to know more about us they should visit www.apollo-media.com
AJ
I THINK THESE DAYS SMALL COMPANIES ARE SURVIVING AND PROGRESSING BECAUSE THEY’RE WORKING TOGETHER
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1974-75 S
E
A
S
O
N
} The 74-75 season was an important juncture of my life because it marked the last season I would be watching Pompey as a school kid. For a deep thinker like me it was a sobering thought because however much one moaned about and hated school at times it kind of threw a security blanket round you in that it protected one from the real world. In preparation for this life-changing event, even though it didn’t happen for a year down the line, I embarked on the employment ladder by taking a paper round. Either 1974 was a wet summer, or the period in which I actually had the round just happened to be the wrong time. Nevertheless the result was that my gainful employment lasted just two weeks before getting up at dawn to go out in incessant pouring rain to drag heavy bags around wore me down in record time.
Boarding the train to Southampton with two mates we couldn’t have possibly envisaged the carnage ahead. Two weeks before I had gone to one of my first away games alone on the club coach to Orient where Richard Reynolds scored in a 1-1 draw. So this was just the second loan away day experience without parents, a responsible adult etc. Somewhere on the train the roof had been vandalised though how you actually vandalise a train roof from the inside is somewhat still beyond me. The upshot was that rather than try and detect the culprits of this crime by good old fashioned detective work Hampshire Police took the novel approach of arresting the entire train. I kid you not there was no discrimination between age or whether you were going to football or on a shopping exhibition.
That coupled with the fact that half the letterboxes on my round seemed to be too small to accept the bulk of paper which I tried to force through them.
Everybody on that train got ferried in a fleet of police vans to the nearby police station where some were put in cells while most of us were placed in a big courtyard.
Throwing in the towel after two weeks, and I literally had to every day I returned home given my sodden state, didn’t entirely bode well for impending entry into the real world.
My first local derby experience was being in a packed courtyard with loads of fellow Pompey fans under a clock tower that boomed out loudly across the town every 15 minutes.
But the comfort of the bed in what were still summer holidays very much compensated for any feeling of failure I might feel.
It might have made quite an appealing sound from a distance but being under it was deafening in the extreme.
The season began with a rude awakening when barely back in the sheltered environment of school Pompey were due to play at Southampton for the first time in almost a decade.
Of course in these enlightened days of human rights something like this could clearly not happen, nor would police have the manpower.
As someone who had never experienced a local derby the build up to the game had been an exciting one, but as always the climax not so exhilarating.
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After being held in a courtyard resembling a modern Colditz for three hours in which time the mood was heightened no end when a policeman thought it would be helpful to relay that Peter Osgood had just put
Southampton into a 78th-minute lead, Pompey fans, and the few shoppers or two were gradually released on receipt of their name and address. Even in 1974 a time when football hooliganism was rife the arresting of a whole train of football fans was big news, as big to actually make it onto Saturday night’s News at Ten where I’m convinced I spotted a glimpse of myself in the distance. Next day on Sunday morning a police car turned up outside my house where an officer came to apologise on behalf of the police force for my detention. Given that 99 per cent of the train were perfectly innocent this was a mammoth task in itself involving hundreds of apologies. I think the police were particularly sensitive to myself and mates being just 15 but there were even many of this age group and younger in those detained. I think the culprits who numbered just two or three were caught but I have often contemplated that there must have been better ways even in these dark ages to apprehend them. For the record Pompey lost to two Peter Osgood goals with Ron Davies replying but the result and game had long become inconsequential with my senses long numbed by the booming clock tower. A defeat that ended the managerial reign of John Mortimore who made way for Ian St John. With each passing month dawned the realisation that I was becoming another month closer to leaving school. The last Christmas as a schoolboy came and went with a 2-1 Boxing Day defeat at home to Southampton and the first Fratton Park game of January would bring a thumping 4-2 victory over promotion chasing Sunderland. The result was all the more remarkable given Pompey hadn’t scored more than two goals in a game all season while Sunderland hadn’t conceded a goal in the previous five games.
MY FIRST LOCAL DERBY EXPERIENCE WAS BEING IN A PACKED COURTYARD WITH LOADS OF FELLOW POMPEY FANS UNDER A CLOCK TOWER THAT BOOMED OUT LOUDLY ACROSS THE TOWN EVERY 15 MINUTES I remember walking through the big park in these delightful surroundings consciously thinking that I would never walk through the place I have always held in high affection again as a school kid. The FA Cup fourth round victory against Fulham at Fratton Park in 1968 before nearly 45,000 remains the first real game in my memory bank. A time when at primary school you never really envisage being anywhere else in your lifetime. So it was rather poignant that Fulham would represent my last match as a schoolboy. And then Norwich came to Fratton Park where they clinched a 3-0 victory and as ecstatic yellow and green scarved fans invaded the pitch as the final whistle sounded for me it was all up. My Pompey life would never be quite the same again.
At half time Pompey trailed 1-0 to a Pop Robson goal and an air of inevitability had already shrouded Fratton Park. But in an explosive 35 minutes between the 50th and 85th Ray Hiron, Paul Went, Norman Piper and George Graham went goal crazy to provide one of the most entertaining games for years. A win, four goals and George Graham scoring for Pompey wouldn’t have featured in the most bizarre script and football’s ability to throw up such unexpected magic is probably why we all love the game so much. Before I knew it the last away match of the season quickly loomed at Fulham where two Richard Reynolds goals held one of that year’s cup finalists to a creditable 2-2 draw.
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BLUES NEWS NEW SIGNING AN UNFORGETTABLE ENJOYS HIS EXPERIENCE ‘DEBUT’ A GROUP OF POMPEY FANS ENJOYED A
VIP TRIP TO HARTLEPOOL TO WATCH THE BLUES AT VICTORIA PARK LAST MONTH AFTER HELPING TO FUND THE SQUAD’S FLIGHT UP NORTH.
STU CARPENTER FULFILLED A LIFETIME AMBITION WHEN HE STEPPED ONTO THE FRATTON TURF AHEAD OF THE WYCOMBE MATCH AS POMPEY’S LATEST SIGNING. The 37-year-old fan is a member of the Blues squad for the season after winning a competition run by club sponsor OneCom as part of the Tifosy fanfunding campaign. Carpenter, who has been handed the number 44 shirt, will appear on the back of every programme and also take part in a training session later in the season. Before the Wycombe game he met manager Andy Awford, received his kit from Kev McCormack and mingled with the players in the dressing room ahead of kick-off. “Pompey runs in the family and Saturday was the closest any of us Carpenters have got to being on the pitch,” said Stu. “My father was in the crowd and I think he had a lump in the throat to see me and my sons having a kick-about at half-time.”
One of the party, Graham Withers, gives us his account of the day: “I went with my son Ross as two of the seven ‘sponsors’ of the trip to Hartlepool. It was an experience we will never forget. “From the journey to the airport in the club minibuses on Friday to getting into the taxi back to Newcastle airport after the match (the staff and players went home by road), we were made to feel welcome and part of the Pompey set-up. “We had dinner on Friday evening with the players and staff. We had the same healthy choices as they did; served with water and juice, not wine! There was grilled chicken and pasta as you would expect, but also a few treats like crumble and ice cream. The potato wedges seemed particularly popular on our table! “After dinner the players went to their rooms to rest and we joined Andy Awford for a fascinating 90 minutes listening to a typical briefing he would give the players before a game. This included short video clips covering strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, their likely tactics and set-piece routines and some examples of how he illustrated to our players what he wanted them to do. “Afterwards in the hotel bar we had the chance to talk to the nonplaying members of the group, including Kev the Kitman, Macca and Paul Hardyman. Later, Iain McInnes, Alan Knight and Johnny Moore arrived after a nine-hour drive! “On match day we had breakfast with the team/staff again and were then taken to the ground where we were well looked after in the hospitality suite. The 0-0 result didn’t spoil the trip and was made more interesting by what we had learnt the night before.”
TOM WHITE’S
VIEW FROM THE
FRATTON END
} Reserve-team football has returned to Pompey for the 2014-15 season after a hiatus of more than four years. The Blues are competing in the Final Third Development League Southern Division for the 2014-15 season, along with AFC Bournemouth, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United, Gillingham, Leyton Orient, Luton Town and Peterborough United. The reserve team is an important stepping stone for up and coming young players, and also gives vital match sharpness to players who are in and around the first team and are returning from injury. This was reflected in the team that was picked for the first match of the season away at Peterborough United’s Nene Park Academy on September 9. Youngsters Calvin Davis, Adam Webster, Chad Field, Dan Butler, Jack Maloney, James Granger, Ben Close and Miles Storey were joined in the team by the more experienced Michael Poke, Andy Barcham and Patrick Agyemang, while youngsters Brandon Haunstrup, Conor Chaplin and Lewis Gill all came off the bench and Alex Bass was an unused substitute. Storey, Barcham and Close fired the dominant Blues into a 3-0 lead before Jack Field and Grant McCann scored for the Posh late on and set up a nervy finale, but the Blues were able to see out the rest of the match and start their campaign with an impressive 3-2 victory. Pompey Reserves then drew 2-2 at home to Luton Town Reserves at Furze Lane on September 23.
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The team had five changes from the one which played against Peterborough, with Haunstrup, Nicky Shorey, Nick Awford, Nigel Atangana and Ricky Holmes starting instead of Davis, Butler, Maloney, Granger and Agyemang. Snorre Nilsen, Maloney and Chaplin all came off the bench, and Bass and Gill were both unused substitutes. The Blues were ahead twice thanks to goals from Barcham and Atangana, but goals from Charlie Walker and Shaun Walley earned the Hatters a share of the spoils.
THE RESERVE TEAM IS AN IMPORTANT STEPPING STONE FOR UP AND COMING YOUNG PLAYERS, AND ALSO GIVES VITAL MATCH SHARPNESS TO PLAYERS WHO ARE IN AND AROUND THE FIRST TEAM AND ARE RETURNING FROM INJURY
As well as competing in the Final Third Development League Southern Division, Pompey Reserves have also entered the Final Third Development League Cup. The Blues have been drawn in Southern Group B of the cup along with Bristol City, Cheltenham Town, Newport County and Plymouth Argyle. The Blues’ first match of that competition was a fine 3-1 victory at Cheltenham’s Seasons training base in Gloucestershire on September 30. Ryan Taylor bagged a first-half brace, which was sandwiched by a goal from Cheltenham’s Zack Kotwica, while Chaplin scored in the second half to seal the win for the Blues.
Ward made 96 appearances for Pompey and scored six goals, including the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Southampton at Fratton Park, before joining Crystal Palace at the end of the 2011/2012 season. Ritchie made ten appearances for the Blues before being controversially sold by Steve Cotterill to Swindon Town in January 2011. Ritchie shone with the Robins before moving to AFC Bournemouth in January 2013. Hopefully the current Pompey reserve team will produce players of a similar quality who will stay at Fratton Park and enjoy long and successful careers.
The win at Peterborough was Pompey’s first taste of reserve-team football since the days of the Premier League and the 2009-10 season, when the reserve team finished their campaign with a 3-1 victory against Aston Villa at Westleigh Park. The Pompey side that day contained Joel Ward and Matt Ritchie, who have both forged successful careers in the English professional game. Ward is a solid performer for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, while Richie stars for Championship outfit AFC Bournemouth.
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P O RT S M O U T H F C
THE COMMUNITY C L U B
T H AT
REFUSES TO L
I
E
D
O
W
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JOSH SWEETMAN
} The rousing lyrics of Sam Cooke would hardly be recognisable to many footballing fanatics on the South Coast. Pioneer of soul music and widely considered as the king of soul, his deceptively soothing hit “A change is gonna come” contains that phrase which Portsmouth fans have been desperately muttering to themselves over the past few years. Tossed around like a rag doll by numerous owners, the club officially became the property of its fans. On April 20, 2013, change was finally realised.
community-owned club and nothing on earth was going to stop them celebrating. The mood of change was overwhelming and the party atmosphere reflected that.
The sun beamed down on Fratton Park and a wave of blue-packed pubs. Beer flowed, laughter swept the building and the ecstatic mood was one not witnessed for what seems an eternity. Britain now had its biggest
During the build-up to the game, grown men were seen with tears streaming down their face, what everyone had put so much time and effort into achieving had finally been recognised.
The pain and misery of relegation to the fourth tier of English football earlier in the week had instantly been forgotten by the fans; the club now belonged to them. A new era of fan ownership was ushered in with a crushing 3-0 victory over Sheffield United, and with it passionate cries of “we’re Portsmouth City, we own our own club”.
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THE BLUE ARMY WERE RAISING THEIR GLASS ALOFT AND TOASTING THE END OF A DISASTROUS FOUR YEARS, READY TO JUMP ON THE NEW ROLLERCOASTER AND EXPERIENCE ALL THE THRILLS AND SPILLS IT HAD TO OFFER
There was no scepticism, no drowning of sorrows. The Blue Army were raising their glass aloft and toasting the end of a disastrous four years, ready to jump on the new rollercoaster and experience all of the thrills and spills it had to offer. Having successfully, be it only just, negotiated safety in their first season in the lowest tier of the Football League, Portsmouth’s future is seemingly moving further forward. Gone is the turbulent, rough ride from last season, which saw Pompey taken to the brink of relegation. Richie Barker’s ill-fated time in charge of the Blue Army turned sour, goals failed to materialise, the points dried up, and the hierarchy at the club relieved Barker of his duties. Step forward Andy Awford, a character whose blood runs blue, and whose passion for the club has never, ever been questioned. Now in his first full season in charge, the crowd sing their heroes name regardless of the score. A player who only ever wore blue, who only ever played for this famous club, and who is idolised by those who pay to watch their side week in week out.
the club, more often than not having to come together to revive a financial basket case. Their one true love. Every week the Portsmouth family work as one as they look to enhance their relationship with the community. It is the heartbeat of the city, the one thing that gets individuals exchanging opinions over a quiet pint in the local. The club may have been beaten, strangled and on the verge of collapse, but it is slowly, and steadily, beginning to climb the ladder once again after being knocked off countless times. Pompey fans sleep easy now, no more nightmares of oil-rich owners, fake sheiks and consortiums that are looking to make a fast buck. There may not be the names of old, but Pompey’s devoted fans are now warming to the lower leagues and quite simply are just happy to have a club to support at the weekend. A 0-0 draw away at Hartlepool would have seemed farcical six years ago. Maybe in the FA Cup, but never as a league fixture surely? It may not be the dizzy heights of the Premier League, but at least there is still a club to support with pride.
Stability has been assured under Awford’s leadership and, well over a year on from that famous Sheffield United fixture, the sun is beaming brightly on the Fratton faithful once again.
Awford has built a squad that is capable of guiding Pompey to promotion, with long-term contracts now a viable option. Month-to-month contracts had made the Blues a laughingstock in the football community, and with players uncertain as to where their next pay cheque was coming from loyalty remained in very few that pulled on the famous blue, white and red.
A large proportion of clubs now community-owned have been battered from pillar to post by clueless owners who have jumped ship when the going got tough. It is the fans who are often the only entity left at
It may not be perfect, it may disappoint us when we make the long journey to Carlisle on a cold, windy night, but there is one thing for certain, the club is ours.
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TICKET
NEWS Home Matches Pompey v Stevenage Tuesday October 21, 7.45pm Sky Bet League Two Tickets are on general sale Pompey v Carlisle United Saturday November 1, 3pm Sky Bet League Two Season ticket holders/shareholders: Monday, October 20 (10am) General sale: Wednesday, October 22 (10am) Pompey v Morecambe Saturday November 22, 3pm Sky Bet League Two Season ticket holders/shareholders: Monday, November 10 (10am) General sale: Wednesday, November 12 (10am)
Away Matches Shrewsbury Town v Pompey
Saturday October 25, 3pm Sky Bet League Two
Tickets are on general sale Ticket Prices Adult: £20 Senior (65+): £15 Student (with NUS card): £14 Junior (12-16): £12 Child (U12): £5 Family tickets are available for £22 (one adult, one child) and £24 (one adult, one junior) but cannot be bought online Coach Prices Adult: £26 Junior: £22
IMPORTANT NOTICE Any supporters who attempt to enter Fratton Park with a concession ticket (individual match ticket or season ticket) for which ineligible will face instant removal from the ground. Their ticket will be confiscated and there may be a further ban from attending matches. Please ensure you are in possession of the right ticket before travelling to the match to avoid any embarrassment on arrival. If there is a problem with your ticket, please contact the ticket office as soon as possible. Supporters buying concession tickets to away games are strongly advised to take proof of age identification. Failure to do so may mean they will have to upgrade to the adult price on arrival, or they may not be admitted to the ground. DATES AND TIMES OF ALL GAMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
How To Buy Tickets Tickets to Pompey matches can be bought from the Frogmore Road ticket office, by calling (023) 9277 8559 or online at tickets.portsmouthfc.co.uk
Home Matchday League Prices 2014/15 Adults: £20 Senior (60+)/Young Person (17-22): £15 Junior (U17, unaccompanied): £10 Junior (U17, accompanied by an adult): £5 Adult is aged 23-59 on September 1 2014. Senior is aged 60 or over on September 1 2014. Young person is aged 17-22 on September 1 2014. Junior is aged 16 or under on September 1 2014. Adults/seniors/ young persons in the Family Section must be accompanied by a junior. Accompanied junior tickets not available online.
Opening Times Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm Non-match Saturday/Sunday: Closed Matchday Saturday: The ticket office will be open between 11am and 3.30pm for upgrades/enquiries only. On matchdays, tickets can be bought from the ticket kiosks behind the Fratton End which are open between 11am and 3.30pm. Collections can be made from main reception.
Contacts Phone: (023) 9277 8559 Email: tickets@pompeyfc.co.uk Disabled Liaison Officer: Allison McNeil
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