Sunday 29 April 2012

Nottingham Forest 2-0 Portsmouth: Pictures Of Pompey Fans


Here are some of the pictures I took at The City Ground, Nottingham (above), Pompey's last match of the 2011-12 season.

The match itself wasn't the greatest footballing spectacle but this day was all about the Pompey fans.

The on-pitch action, or lack of it, was almost a side issue but perhaps not a surprise with both Jason Pearce and Greg Halford left out of the starting line-up presumably to protect them both from an injury that could scupper a sale to another club.

There was no Dave Kitson, Benjani, Kanu or Tal Ben Haim either and the bench with Marko Futacs aside had the look and feel of a youth team about it (Sam Magri, Adam Webster, Jed Wallace and Grant).

On the plus side on loan Manchester City starlet Karim Rekik, playing at centre back, Joel Ward playing at left back and Scott Allan on loan from WBA, playing on the right side of midfield, all had reasonably good games.     

With relegation from The Championship confirmed combined with all the continued uncertainty surrounding the football club you might have expected a subdued atmosphere, far from it. There was a real party atmosphere amongst the travelling faithful with many fans in fancy dress.
 Tickertape welcome, note one of the two nuns who were stood in front of me! 

Prior to each half starting the tannoy played Mull Of Kintyre by Wings with the home fans singing and holding their scarves above their heads. It's Forest's equivalent to "High-ho Wolverhampton!" or Stoke City's "Delilah!". The classic 1970s hit from Sir Paul McCartney's band wasn't the only music piped in to the stadium.

A day for celebrating whatever the outcome, it didn't seem to matter who scored
No one does irony like Pompey fans. Each of the Nottingham Forest goals, both of which came in the second half through Dextor Blackstock who received plenty of verbal abuse for his Southampton connection, were celebrated in equal measure by both Pompey and Forest fans as the tannoy blasted out Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis. Pompey fans greeted each goal with chants of: "Easy! Easy! Easy!".

 Pompey fans dance and 'celebrate' Nottingham Forest scoring, well most of them anyway!

A day for singing
There was some good vocal banter between the two sets of fans.

Pompey: "We're all going on a League One Tour, a League One Tour, a League One Tour!"

Pompey: "Que sera, sera. Whatever will be will be. We're going to Shrewsbury! Que ser sera." 

Pompey: "You've got Steve Cotterill! You've got Steve Cotterill! You've got Steve Cotterill! You've got Steve Cotterill!"

Forest: "Stevie, give us a wave, Stevie, Stevie, give us a wave!"

Pompey (picking up the chant from Forest's visit to Fratton Park earlier in the season): "Your taxi's outside, your taxi's outside! Stevie Cotterill, your taxi's outside!"

Pompey: "It's only one nil, it's only one nil! How sh*t must you be? It's only one nil!"

Forest: "We're winning at home! We're winning at home! How sh*t must you be? We're winning at home!"

Pompey: "We are going down...we are going down!"
 
Pompey: "There's only two of you singing, two of you singing, there's only two of you singing!" quickly followed by "There's only one of you singing, one of you singing, there's only one of you singing!" in turn followed by "There's none of you singing, none of you singing, there's none of you singing!"

'Lost Footballs'
If you are a regular follower of this blog then you will know just how 'excited' I was (Lol, the little things, eh?!) each time the ball ended up in amongst the away fans. The ball was thrown about time and again amongst the fans. Anyone who threw it back on to the pitch was rewarded with a chorus of: "Sc*mmer! Sc*mmer! Sc*mmer!" be they Pompey fan or steward. All in good jest of course.

 Lost Football I/II 

Even Scooby is looking!

 Lost Football II/II

Pompey fans in fancy dress
I'm not sure when this 'tradition' of last away game of the season started - was it The Baggies? Anyway, it adds a whole lot of colour and fun to the day. Last year at Scunthorpe United was good but this year definitely topped it IMHO. Enjoy...who knows, you may even spot yourself.  

 Men in tights I/II 

Pompey Superheroes, I took this before the game.

 Men in tights II/II 

Pompey Gents in Lincoln Green plus a Friar, I took this after the game. I'm not sure which one was Robin Hood.As you can imagine the scenes inside were something else, but no pictures of that - just use your imagination, lol.

A Pompey sailor walks by two fans checking out something on a smartphone. 

I kept seeing this chap everywhere! Even at the Northampton (A43) Services on the way back down the M1!

One of at least two Scooby Doos who made it to the game. 

It's very funny looking across a sea of spectators and every now and then seeing Scooby's cartoon grin - "Dawg? What dawg?" (you need to say it with the voice).

Ah yes, it's @Pompey_1Love to use her Twitter ID. 

This is Sam with undoubtedly the best fancy dress of the day and perhaps ever! Absolutely brilliant!

Another picture of the Pompey sailor and another Pompey fan who came dressed as a shopper (or was the bag full of tickertape?).

 A Pompey fan has his 'come to Elvis' moment as The King takes a picture from the front of the stand.

A mother and daughter in Irish themed attire. 

I wonder what happened to that beach ball once it had been inflated?

Oh dear...

the City Ground staff were in action at half time piercing inflatables with relish (actually with their pitch forks but you know what I mean).

Pompey fans in Hawaiian hula hula attire. 

It was a bit parky for that to be honest, especially during the walk alongside the River Trent, but who cares?! It was party time!

The Lincoln green attired Pompey fans in their seats.

They made quite a sight all sat together and really stood out after the game as well on the walk back to the cars and in to town alongside all the Forest fans in their red shirts.

See what I mean?

As a sensible precaution two Pompey surgeons were on hand in case an emergency operation was required. 

Some classic Pompey fan humour - Portsmouth Football Club will need some major surgery during the Summer months despite seemingly being in the Emergency Room since late 2011.

A Pompey fan in a blue morph suit makes a call with Hawaiian shirted fans in the foreground.

Two Russian sailors.

Pompey flag day
There were plenty of flags and banners on display at the City Ground.

The Pompey flag is passed over the heads of the fans including  those in Lincoln Green.

One of the Russian sailors conducts the Forest fans.

Flag I/III.

Flag II/III.


Flag III/III.

The final word...
...goes to the fan in the morph suit whose Pompey shirt had a fitting summary of Pompey's last ten years written on the back.

BlueThruAndThru

Wednesday 25 April 2012

RIP Alan Ball (12 May 1945 – 25 April 2007)

It was five years ago today that former Pompey manager and England World Cup winner Alan Ball sadly passed away.

In this country Bally played for Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton and Bristol Rovers and as well as his two spells in charge of Pompey he also managed Blackpool, Stoke City, Manchester City, Southampton and Exeter City.

One of his famous 'trademark' caps is included in the Football In The City exhibition at Portsmouth City Museum and I've included a photograph of that and the accompanying notes below.

RIP Alan you gave us all some fantastic memories.



BlueThruAndThru

Monday 23 April 2012

21/04/2012 Portsmouth 1-2 Derby County: Match Action Pictures

Here are some pictures I took during the match between Pompey and Derby County.
First half action in front of the North Terrace.
A ball played forward for Scott Allan to run on to. Dave Kitson looks on, Ashley Harris (#17) is also in the picture.
Action in front of the Fratton End.
Set piece action in front of the Milton End, Greg Halford is in a tussle to get to the ball.
Another set piece and once again Greg Halford is looking for the cross, Jason Pearce (#5) looks on.
Luke Varney (#11) tries to get on to this ball in to the box.
Dave Kitson flicks the ball on to David Norris. Scott Allan in the background is the other Pompey player in the picture.
A Derby defender clears the ball with a diving header, just ahead of Jason Pearce who's ready to pounce if the ball is missed.
Derby 'keeper Stephen Bywater steadies himself ready to catch the ball from the Pompey set piece.
Scott Allan fires in a Pompey free kick.
Second half action now. Greg Halford has played the ball in to the box from a free kick andKarim Rekik tries to get on to the end of the chip. Note the replacement Derby 'keeper has a bandage on his head following an earlier clash with Luke Varney.
The Derby 'keeper grabs the ball from a cross just ahead of Luke Varney.
A Derby free kick in the second half in front of the Milton End.
Luke Varney steadies himself to clear a corner away from the danger zone.
Another Derby set piece sends the ball in to the box - can you spot it?
Greg Halford attempts to bend in a free kick, late on.
Derby fans celebrate victory - the scoreboard predicts Pompey's return to the Championship after relegation was confirmed following Bristol City's 2-0 victor over Barnsley at Ashton Gate.
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21/04/2012 Portsmouth 1-2 Derby County: Pre-Match Pictures

Here are some pictures I took before the last Pompey game of the 2011-12 Championship season at Fratton Park to capture the mood of the day. Let's hope it's not the last time I get the opportunity to do this.
Pompey fans arriving at the Frogmore Road entrance to Fratton Park: a place to gather, a place to meet up with your friends, a place familiar to generations of Pompey fans.
The view from Fratton Park back down Frogmore Road: the matchday programme seller takes the prime spot. The acoustics around the entrance do just enough to create a pre-match buzz.
Entrance to the South Stand turnstiles: how many fans have walked across this cobbled entrance down the years? In the background is a pure piece of history - one of the old signs, showing pre-decimlisation ticket prices.
View down the concourse of the South Stand. Fans gather to chat, drink and eat, probably in the same place they've always done. The steps to the South Stand Upper and Press Box can be seen in the background on the left hand side. Some fans gather around the TV screen, installed this season, to watch the 'excitement' of Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea in the Premier League before the real entertainment begins.
A gentleman of the South Stand - a Pompey fan nonetheless - climbs the stairs to the South Stand Upper: at the bottom the top of the North Stand opposite is visible, with its various flags billowing in the breeze. After a few steps the pitch comes in to view, it's a beautiful sight most defintely at its best for an evening match.
The 'Pompey Elvis Fan Club' gathers on the Fratton End: they spent a stag weekend at Blackpool earlier in the season, this was the reunion.
Plenty of Derby County fans were in fancy dress for their final away match of the season: this has become a 'ritual' during recent times for the more extrovert and exuberant fans.
A table adorned with various Player Of The Month/Season awards gleam in the April sunshine prior to being handed out.
Pompey skipper and central defender Jason Pearce, the recipient of seven of the nine awards on offer, with the representatives from various Pompey supporter clubs.
Jason Pearce, wearing his Blue Day t-shirt, poses for the camera holding the News / Sports Mail Player Of The Season trophy. Last season the award went to midfielder Hayden Mullins currently out on loan to newly promoted Reading FC.
David Norris receiving one of the nine awards (the ninth was given to Ricardo Rocha).
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