Pompey’s new keeper prepares for the Shrewsbury match to kick off at his new big club.

I have not been to a CHIPS (Chichester Portsmouth Supporters) meeting for a while, but I made it out the door on time tonight and to Chichester City FC’s club house for the start.

As is usually the case, Del and Lesley with the back up of Andy G, rounded up the supporters for the meeting and Johnny Moore did his liaison bit from the club end to bring a guest. Alan Knight sent his apologies, something about attending the FA disciplinary committee – surely he is too late to appeal that harsh sending off against Leicester in the 1995 FA Cup?

There was a good turn out for Craig MacGillivray, Pompey’s new goalkeeper signed from Shrewsbury. He answered all the questions in an open and frank manner. He presented as a good natured, confident person who was relaxed talking to the club’s fans.

Having moved into the goalkeeping position on a whim in training when 16 years old with his local boys team, Craig quit the club when his manager told him he would not be picked in goal. Two reasons for that were that he was a nippy goal scoring attacker and still only 5’7″, so unable to reach the crossbar. Not an unreasonable answer for the manager to give on the face of it, but not good enough for the teenager.

Craig simply moved to a rival side in the same league and proved unbeatable, getting the green jersey (or whatever colour keepers were given) before growing to a decent height when 18.

From there Craig’s route to professional football was not straight-forward. He regularly referred to himself as being “non-league” throughout the evening. This serves to underline his delight at being paid to play professional sport on a full-time basis.

MacGillivray has had plenty of bench warming, three clubs in three years and was second choice at Shrewsbury last season as his contract ran down. This has at times been frustrating when he just wanted to play in a first XI. Yet one senses he is a player who knows what he is doing and why. This is a chance he has got in life and he is not going to let it slip. In fact he has already been to Wembley twice in his career, so he has the taste for big games and wants to play for a famous club.

The opportunity to join Pompey was unmissable for Craig and so we have a young man keen to learn, hungry to play and someone who is a winner. That feeling of being in goal and stopping everything that comes your way is pretty special and when he talked about being a goalie you could see it in his eyes, this man loves his job.

The CHIPS members left the meeting impressed by Craig MacGillivray’s attitude. The positivity around his visit was helped no end by his strong start in the number 15 shirt already this season. He is not a Billy Big Boots, but a Pompey player you feel is going to do his best because he just loves football and he won’t be wasting the opportunity Kenny Jackett has given him to prove himself.

Who knows where the move to the seaside will lead him to in his career? As was suggested, if he keeps three straight clean sheets he might play for Scotland.

Thanks to the CHIPS committee for arranging the meeting this evening.

CLP 06/09/2018