Have you ever been caught in that dilemma of work versus Pompey? In some jobs there is flexibility to work when you want and take leave when you need, but in many lines of work leave is granted when the ship gets back to port, or if it is your turn to have a Saturday off.
Of course, for many retail workers Saturdays, and possibly Sundays, are not available for football. As a result, getting along to a mid-week game is a real treat for shop workers. It is worth remembering that those attending mid-week matches are not necessarily the same people who turn out at the weekend. For some, the first glance through the fixture list is to assess what is on mid-week, whether home or away, because these are the only games they can attend.
For those who manage to complete Saturday morning duties and get to the ground for the traditional three o’clock kick off, everything has to be carefully planned. A glitch in a train ride, roadworks, or a mechanical issue with the car can seriously disrupt the trip. This is equally true for those travelling from say, Hereford, Bristol, or some other fine city. Much is made of the effort Geordies go to attend away games, but Plymouth and Pompey fans are equally respected for attending away games in good numbers, despite the mileage. Many of today’s visitors from Norwich will have travelled for over four hours (via London if by train) to be at Fratton Park in time for kick-off. Even their local derby match away to Ipswich is some 46 miles from home. Hardly the walking distance that north London clubs enjoy, although the recent roadworks in East Anglia must make walking seem like an attractive alternative this season. Is Norwich v Ipswich the furthest distant derby fixture in the land?
For the self-employed, it is sometimes true that work can be moved around to suit kick-off times, but the reality is often that getting a job done, or customers’ limited availability means being self-employed provides less flexibility on match days than one might hope. There are many jobs well-suited to Saturday games, but less so for mid-week matches. For those working in schools, midweek matches in half-terms are great. These games are a good time to introduce school-age children to matches where they can experience the buzz of an evening game. I used to love the matches in August, because they take place during the last weeks of school holidays, when going to any game was not a problem. I particularly enjoyed the early matches on the 1979/80 season when Frank Burrows’ team were launching their successful escape from Division 4. By contrast, for retirees, (time rich, if not financially well-off), a kick off at any time of day, or day of the week maybe a good way to shake up the stasis some experience of life after work.
Today, we have a SKY match kicking off at just after midday. It will suit some and not others. For those who have weddings to attend, it may even be a blessing that the game can be seen before going to a mid-afternoon ceremony. Pompey and Ipswich hero, Ray Crawford famously got married on a match day morning, playing for Pompey that very afternoon. A man with a well-balanced perspective on life, you might say, but he was only doing what we all do, trying to balance his private life around his job.
Whatever you do outside football, getting to the game is to be respected. Football without fans in the ground and without away supporters is meaningless. Enjoy the game, I’ll be listening on the radio in the van.
One Hand Clapping
Do you remember twenty-twenty
Trouble brewing on pub-less streets?
Do as I say, not what I do
Conspiracy theories
Fake News circulated by Tweet
Geezers need excitement
Downing Street believed
Get the football back on telly
It’s what the people need
Her Majesty’s Government’s greatest wheeze
They’re paid enough for goodness sake
For the health of the nation
Players must take the risk
Camera crews scanning immaculate grass
Millions watching through glass sat on sofas
Managers’ shouts echoing off empty seats
Lower league terraces devoid of feet
It was a daytime nightmare situation
Football played in isolation
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n.b. This articles was first published in the Portsmouth FC v Norwich City match programme on 10th December, 2025
Chris Perry
22nd May 2026
Pompey Writers 