Pompey

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

/ Christopher Perry / Leave a comment
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Do you really love Pompey?

There is a Pompey fan who refuses to eat Walker’s crisps. This policy, well-known amongst Northern Blues, was reported in Steve Bone’s Sports Mail column a couple of weeks ago, so you may need a pinch of salt, but it seems plausible. It is an example of how football impacts on daily life. For this most loyal Pompey fan no simple flavour choices at the bar, but the need to know who makes the product. The reason he decided this goes back to the early 1990s when Pompey played possibly the most entertaining football they had ever done before or since.

It was the year after the penalty debacle at Villa Park in the FA Cup semi-final replay with Liverpool. Darren Anderton’s career was in free fall after his transfer to Spurs and a career playing for England beckoning, when Jim Smith took Pompey on tour wowing the nation with flowing football and goals, goals, goals. Yet we won nothing and here we find the root of our fellow Blue’s decision to shun Walker’s crisps.

Walker’s had sponsored Leicester City since 1986 and it was Leicester who dumped Pompey out of the First Division play-offs in 1993. It was a controversial result. The twelve men of Leicester completely outfoxed Pompey in the match at Fratton Park. Jim Smith had failed to spot that Leicester had a numerical advantage in the second leg. This meant Pompey only had eleven men on the pitch at any one time. It was a huge tactical error that Jim and his coaching staff regret to this day. To be fair not all the Leicester players were in yellow that night, as Roger Milford was a late pick and had to play in all black. And he came tooled up; he carried a whistle.

This Pompey fan did not cut Walker’s crisps from his life in a fit of pique as he is a fair man. If Pompey ever get beaten “fair and square” this man will be the first to say those very words. Sadly over the years he has had to say those very words far too often. No,  this decision has been thought through and a personal sacrifice has been made to mark the injustices of 19th May 1993.  In a manner that Gandhi would approve, this particular fan denies himself one of life’s pleasures in order to carry a beacon to mark that injustice.

You can see why he made his decision on this You Tube link Pompey vs Leicester 1993 Travesty

Before Steve Bone’s article, this modest personal crusade was known by only a few. Our hero quietly committed to this policy and has sustained it in pubs, clubs and bars throughout the football world. Not for him “Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please?” but “Two pints of lager and can you tell me what brand of crisps you’ve got, please?” Quite a mouthful, but a phrase he has trained himself to say word perfect at every opportunity.

Now the cat is out of the bag all Pompey fans will look differently at crisp choices.  When a prophet walks amongst us we learn. Comparing yourself with a prophet can often result in self-loathing and bitter regret that sworn commitment to Pompey has only ever been skin deep. Yes, count the grounds you have been to, wear the shirt, stay for the whole match, don’t miss a game for years on end, but is your love for Pompey constant? Do you really love Pompey and do you walk the true path? Well, if you haven’t given up Walker’s crisps you need to have a word with yourself.

However, brothers and sisters redemption is at hand. If you ever fall into temptation,  are taken by the hand of the beast that is PepsiCo and led to eat Walker’s crisps, you can save yourself one packet at a time. You can earn forgiveness for your weakness of faith by one simple action. How is this done? Just send the packet back to Leicester free of charge.

Walker’s say that by 2025 no plastic will be used in its packs, but in that time, at a rate of 11 million packets a day, tons of landfill waste will have been produced. More information can be found here People Are Posting Their Non-Recyclable Crisp Packets Back To … 

To show you really love Pompey give Walker’s the hurry up and help persuade them to change crisp packaging. Use the Walker’s free postal service address and save your Pompey soul. Every pack you send back will ensure that the injustices of 19th May 1993 will not be forgotten.

FREEPOST LE4 918. Leicester LE4 5ZY

Send back any pack without charge. All you need is a bit of sticky tape, a pen and a bit of paper to write the address* on and post it back to the city of Leicester.

*In an update from Royal Mail you are asked to use and envelope. This is the privatised service that was run by the Scot, Alan Crozier, who used to run the Premier League, so you decide BBC Leicester.

Alternatively you could follow the humble lead from the North and just stop buying Walker’s products.

Remember 19/05/93 – Say “No” to Walker’s

CLP 23/09/2018CLP

“How to be a Footballer” by Peter Crouch

/ Christopher Perry / Leave a comment
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Fratton Park just two stops on the carousel of Peter Crouch’s football career.

For those of you interested in books by former employees of Pompey, this one may be worth a look. It is currently half-price in Waterstones (at at 12th September, 2018), representing a saving of £10 for a hardback copy. However, this is not a book review, just my excuse to write about Peter Crouch, a player I had great respect for during his two contracts at Pompey at Championship and Premier League levels.

Crouch was originally bought by Pompey from QPR for £1.5m in 2001. It was at QPR that he had first signed as a school boy before going to Spurs as youth player and then being sold back to QPR for £50,000.  This was the first inkling that he was a player happy to move back and forth between clubs if it meant he would get a game. He later returned to Pompey after a while at Aston Villa (sold there by Pompey for £5m in 2002); via a loan trip to Norwich; a transfer to the west Hampshire club now owned 80% by Gao Jisheng;  then Liverpool who paid £7m to sign him and then back to Fratton Park for £11m in 2008. Crouchy was then transferred for £10m to Spurs. Clearly a popular worker to have been welcomed back by so many former employers.

Is there any other top league player who has been able to dance between clubs with such agility? That he also had a spell at Chelsea as a ball boy, despite supporting QPR, suggests he gives a good interview.

My first memory of seeing Crouch playing was from 4th February 2000 in the 1-1 draw away at QPR. The young centre forward proved to be a challenge for the Pompey defence that afternoon and the QPR fans protested shrilly at the rough treatment their No 9  received  at the hands, knees and elbows of player-manager Steve Claridge’s team. Despite Crouch’s spindly frame and light-weight, there was something about the timing of his jumps and his ability to hold and lay the ball off that was impressive. He did very well in the first half and was unlucky not to score, but nodded the ball down to Paul Peschisolido for the early QPR goal. The other thing that impressed me that afternoon was that he actually finished the game, showing great determination and grit despite the battering he was getting.

In the second half, before or just after Lee Bradbury’s equaliser (I can’t remember precisely), there was a tangle of limbs and Crouch fell to the ground in a pile with Darren Moore. Both players were a little off balance, QPR fans howled for a penalty and became even more incensed as the massive frame of the centre-back Moore clambered to his feet, made a slight stumble and had to kneel on Crouch’s ribcage to return to standing. Needless to say Crouch didn’t move very far for a while.

I am pretty certain that Crouch lost his effectiveness in this game at that point, but the 19 year old soldiered on. The BBC match report mentions that Crouch was lucky not to get a red card for a late tackle towards the end of the game, likely the frustration of being bullied by Darren Moore for 90 minutes finally getting to him. However, the youngster stuck it out.

I did not previously know that Peter Crouch played for Dulwich Hamlet and IFK Hassellholm on loan when first at Spurs – at least in Sweden at 6’7″ he would have felt as if he was a normal height. Apparently he went on loan with Alton Therwell to Sweden as part of a £70,000 transfer arrangement for Jon Jonsson who was wanted by Spurs. I had never heard of Alton Therwell, nor Jon Jonsson before I researched this article, so Crouch has a head start on these two when writing a book called, “How to be a Footballer.”

Other memorable moments from the career of Peter Crouch that I recall are his scoring a last minute winning penalty against us in an outrageously badly refereed FA Cup game in west Hampshire, (when Matt Taylor was so unfairly penalised for the ball hitting the point of his shoulder); two extra time goals for Pompey in Portugal in the UEFA Cup group match to send us into the group stages and some spectacular overhead volleyed goals that demonstrated his agility and gift for scoring.  42 England caps and 22 international goals to add to 100 Premier League goals underline his credentials as a talented player. Crouchy has done well for himself and his multitudes of team-mates.

Born in January 1981 and still playing at Championship level with Stoke City in September 2018, Peter Crouch has given a good crack at a playing career. I am sure his second book will provide some unique insights to the work of a modern footballer. Peter Crouch has played at enough clubs to be able to give some sound advice about how to progress in this line of employment. HIs autobiography, “Walking Tall – My Story” was published in 2007 when he was at Liverpool. I wonder if he realised then he would still be playing 11 years later?

How to be a Footballer is published by Penguin Books

CLP  12/09/2018

Craig MacGillivray at CHIPS – September 2018

/ Christopher Perry / Leave a comment

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

Season’s End

/ Christopher Perry / Leave a comment

16A1E6D1-891D-46B0-A80A-439EEF5BCDE5.jpegAt last wind from the sea is welcome.

Dust not leaf litter blows along gutters

Pollarded beech trees add leafy tints

to Frensham Road.

 

The movement of people is looser

in summer shorts, blue shirt tops,

although blue and white of Pompey scarves

is still worn despite cricket weather heat.

 

Excitable sons gambol alongside

long-striding men looking ahead

to August,

ignoring twelve mid-year weeks,

while grandads show gentle interest,

kindly coaxing little lads back

onto root-lifted pavements,

answering high-pitched questions about who might play

and why another favourite won’t

and this and that and, and, and…Grandpa?

 

A block-shaped car

is parked particularly precisely,

a wheeled chair is removed,

unfolded, locked into shape

and careful, strong-gripped manoevres

position a determined animated,

colourfully dressed fan,

safe into place, ready to roll

to sit in concreted shade,

where eyes sharpened,

alight to athletic movement

on mown patterns, across white lines

pitched between flag-marked corners,

watch keenly every detail of pre-match

preparation and ritual.

 

Contrast from the shadowing South Stand,

marks near black on brilliant green,

cuts so sharp that momentary

sight loss flickers in eyes squinting

to adjust as they chase

colours, given stronger tone

by Sun set high with a perfect seat,

but who has to drag herself reluctantly away out west

before the final whistle,

but only after pouring one last gulped pint

of welcome warmth

into sun-glassed faces.

 

Impenetrable bright sky, sets off the scene in blue hue not seen inland,

so blue that stars behind become anxious

they will not get on to play tonight.

 

Wide-winged gulls’ cries of the sea are drowned at birth,

over-whelmed, engulfed in waves of voices,

by microphoned, amplified announcements,

strong rhythms, clapping, chants and songs.

 

For some this is the last match.

No substitute will step in when they get pulled from the pitch.

Some will know their part near played up,

others will depart the game in shock,

their removal a surprise to all.

 

Unfair, unwarned and fiercely questioned,

why did they get The Manager’s call?

Yet another sign of unfathomable tactics.

 

Next season, last game in fresh May

their names will be on the lips

of the man who reads The List

of those who once so happily

trooped along to Fratton Park.

 

 

CLP 05/05/2018

Dedicated to Albert Perry “Grampy”