25/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Portsmouth 'Til I Die

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


What better way to finish the 2012 Hatvent Calendar than with this book: 'Portsmouth 'Til I Die: The Voices Of Pompey Supporters' published in 2009.

If ever there was a time to hear the voices of the Pompey fans now is it. With the Pompey Trust edging ever closer to taking over the running of Portsmouth Football Club, what could be better than to hear once more from the fans themselves?

This is what it says on the back cover of the book: "...[this book] tells many stories - supplied by the full spectrum of Pompey supporters. Some will make you laugh, others will make you cry, but all will give readers an insight into what it really means to be a fan of Portsmouth Football Club. Looking at the images and reading the words will hopefully spark your own memories of a very special football club. Real football stories told by real football fines...".

This book certainly does 'what it says on the tin'.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to every Pompey fan out there!  

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 25th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

24/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Pompey's Gentleman Jim

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Pompey's Gentleman Jim' by Peter Jeffs published in 1988, the biography of Pompey's most famous player Jimmy Dickinson.

The book covers his career for Pompey (828 post-war appearances, including 764 in the Football League) and England (48 caps).

As the Introduction states: "...Jimmy Dickinson was unique. Unique for his loyalty to the game of soccer and to Portsmouth Football Club..." (page 9).

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Pompey's Gentleman Jim

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 24th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

23/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Portsmouth Champions Of England

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Portsmouth Champions Of England 1948-49 & 1949-50' by Colin Farmery first published in 2000.

The Preface to this book is by former Pompey player Phil Rookes and opens as follows: "...What is it about Portsmouth Football Club that calls for such pride and devotion from both fans and players? It is difficult to put a finger on it, except to say there is magic there somewhere and this book amply illustrates the fever which gripped fans and players during the Golden Championship Years..."

This book is so well written in the way it brings to life that wonderful period in the history of Portsmouth Football Club.

Just to give you a small flavour here are a few words from the two opening paragraphs, that will send shivers down your spine!

"...On Saturday, 6 May 1950, shortly after 4:20pm, Portsmouth and England left-half Jimmiy Dickinson threaded the ball through the middle of the field at Fratton Park. The pass split the Aston Villa defence in two, allowing makeshift centre-forward Bill Thompson to run on and crash an unstoppable shot pass the Villa goalkeeper, Rutherford. The goal put Pompey 4-0 up and...it all but ensured that the south-coast club would become the first team since Arsenal in 1935 to retain the League Championship trophy for a second consecutive season..."

"...the closing minutes saw the Fratton Park crowd of more than 42,000 indulge in celebrations of a kind never yet repeated. The club flag...was hoisted over the South Stand and then, well play continued, the trophy itself was positioned at the front of the stand...this was, surely, the greatest moment in Portsmouth Football Club's proud and eventful...history...they were simply Champions of England...".  

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Portsmouth Champions Of England

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 23rd December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

22/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Soccer Rebel

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Soccer Rebel The Evolution Of The Professional Footballer' by Jimmy Guthrie published in 1976. Guthrie was of course the captain of Portsmouth when they won the FA Cup in 1939.

There is plenty of coverage in this book of Jimmy Guthrie's work as a member and Chairman of the Players' Union but the first chapter of the book titled 'The Dreams Come True' will be of particular interest to Pompey fans as it covers that 1939 FA Cup Final victory. There are some good pictures too.

It has some great descriptions of the game, for example:

"...the sun was in its heaven, King George VI and the Queen were in the Royal Box and all was for the best in the best of all possible worlds as I led Portsmouth out to meet Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first and only Monkey Gland FA Cup Final..." (page 15).

"...the bookmakers offered us at all prices between eight and ten to one. I had backed Pompey with pounds, shillings and pence..." (page 15).

"...my prime task was to 'look after' young Mister Maguire, an outside-left, who was a bit quick, liked to cut in and had a dynamic left peg..." (page 17).

"...the ball went out to young Mr. Maguire. I timed the tackle well and he went down hard. I picked him up and muttered, 'Next time you finish in the Queen's lap'..." (page 18).

"...I started the move for our first goal...I found him [Jock Anderson] with a long pass. Jock side-footed...to Bert Barlow and all the Navy caps behind our goal were in the air..."(page 18).

"...we had played some good football. I climbed the steps at the head of the team to receive the Cup from His Majesty King George VI. I was over the moon..." (page 18).

"...after our triumph we went back to Portsmouth by train to a quickly arranged reception..." (page 19).

"...Portsmouth's players were paid £20 per man and shared a win bonus of £550..." (page 20).

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Soccer Rebel

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 22nd December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

21/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Transformed

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Transformed: Football Faith and Me' by Linvoy Primus with Peter Jeffs.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Transformed

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 21st December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

20/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Curse Of The Jungle Boy

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Curse Of The Jungle Boy' by Ray Crawford with Michael Wood.

Ray Crawford was one of the most prolific strikers of the 1950s and 1960s. Indeed the dust jacket emphasises this point by stating that he is second only to Jimmy Greaves.

He made 526 senior appearances scoring 323 goals: Portsmouth 19 appearances (10 goals), Ipswich Town 353 (227), Wolverhampton Wanderers 61 (41), WBA 16 (7), Charlton Athletic 22 (7) and Colchester United 55 (31). 

Ray Crawford also won two caps for England scoring one goal.

As well as starting his playing career at Fratton Park, Ray Crawford also spent time on the coaching staff re-establishing the youth team and also supporting Jimmy Dickinson as first team coach.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Curse Of T
he Jungle Boy

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 20th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

19/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Pompey The History Of Portsmouth Football Club

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK



This book is titled 'Pompey The History Of Portsmouth Football Club' by Mike Neasom, Mick Cooper and Doug Robinson. It was published in 1984.

Mike Neasom of course was The Chief Sports Writer for The News, Mick Cooper and Doug Robinson two fans who had a shared interest in the history of the Club.

Between them they wrote what I consider to be one of the best and certainly one of my favourite books about Pompey, especially as it has been autographed by all the authors and former Pompey players Alan Biley and Neil Webb!

It is packed with old photographs, cartoons and statistics (on blue paper!), including the list of every match from 1899-00 to 1983-84, the scoreline at HT and FT, the attendance where known, the Pompey line-up and goalscorers.

It's the attention to statistical detail and in particular the easy-to-read layout which impressed me the most when I first read this book, and it's a template that I've seen used elsewhere. I'm not sure if this layout set the standard or followed a standard but either way it was obviously compiled with a lot of care and attention. 

Of course a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since 1984 but whenever I need to look something up about Portsmouth FC this is invariably the place where I start.

Occasionally I see copies of this book in second hand book shops or charity shops - if you see one and a copy is not already sitting on your bookshelf then it's well worth getting hold of one.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Pompey The History Of Portsmouth Football Club

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 19th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

18/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Mr Unbelievable

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Mr Unbelievable' the autobiography of Chris Kamara published in 2010.

Sky Sports ground reporter and pundit Kamara started his playing career at Pompey, having joined from the Royal Navy, the first of two spells at the Club.

He provides some very good stories of his playing days time at Fratton Park, covering the topics of racism and death threats, as well as the other eight clubs he played for.

He talks about the game of football during his era as a player, some of the players he played with such as George Graham and Peter Marinello at Pompey, as well as managers he played under e.g. Ian St. John and Jimmy Dickinson.

In his first spell between 1975 and 1977 he made 63 apperances and scored 7 goals. He made 11 apperances in a brief spell during 1981 before joining Brentford in a swap deal with David Crown.  

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Mr Unbelievable

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 18th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

17/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Tales From The Boot Camps

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book, paperback edition, is 'Tales From The Boot Camps' by Steve Claridge with Ian Ridley originally published in 1997.

Claridge played for Pompey of course and this edition of the the book includes two chapters about his two spells with the Club.

Chapter Two titled 'Pompey Times' provides some interesting insights in to life at Fratton Park as an apprentice.

For example: "...In my second season Alan Ball was brought in...to be youth coach. He was great Bally...he laid on inspired training sessions. He...saw things brilliantly, had such great passion and vision for the game..." (page 56).

Chapter Ten titled 'Back Home' discusses his return to Fratton Park, the sad state the Club was in and one particularly memorable night under the floodlights that has gone down in Pompey folklore, a match I attended!

"...I was delighted to be back playing first-team football again, but Pompey were in a sorry mess. Martin Gregory was in charge as chairman and, despite the best efforts of Terry Brady,...the shambles was reflected on the pitch. In fact, at that time, I think Pompey were probably the most badly organised team I have ever played for..." (page 240).

"...my first goal for my home-town club came against Stockport County...it was a match we had to win if we were to start our climb up from the bottom and, although there were only just over 8,000 in the ground, they never stopped singing...for 90 minutes...It was one of the highlights of my career..." (page 241).    

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Tales From The Boot Camps

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 17th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

16/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - The Saint

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'The Saint', by Ian St. John, his autobography.

I've included this book in the calendar because of the chapter titled 'The Worst Side Of Football' (pages 246-263) which covers his time as manager of Pompey in the 1970s. It makes very sorry reading.

Here are some excerpts from the book, there is a lot of 'familiar sounding' stuff here don't you think?  It could be describing the period between 2010 and 2012 at Pompey.

Promises, Promises
"...the chairman of Portsmouth was John Deacon...he arrived...in a Rolls-Royce. He talked about the future of his football club and there was no doubt it was exciting talk. I would have an immediate budget of £400,000 to sign new men...he also said there were plans, and the finance, for a new stadium on the edge of town, a modern stadium..." (page 251).

Players Past Their Best
"...plenty of well-known names were at the club but they belonged to players who had been good...in the past...they didn't have too much to offer today" (page 252).

Money Not Available As Promised
"...I told Deacon about [Tony] Woodcock and added that it was...time to make our first move towards shaping a new team. 'I'm afraid there's a slight problem,' he said..." (pages 253-54)

A Manager Let Down By A Chairman
"...in my rage was the terrible awareness that I had been conned..." (page 254)

Financial Problems I
"...Portsmouth had become a skid-row football club. The phone was cut off. We managed to keep my line open for incoming calls but if I wanted to make one, I had to walk over to a public telephone box. Sometimes I had to queue..." (page 255).

Financial Problems II 
"...the laundry company said they would only continue if we paid a bill that had been accumulating over months. The coach company withdrew their services..." 

Financial Problems III
"...quite often players' wages cheques bounced and when I told the chairman he would say, 'Oh just tell them to re-present.' You could wait several weeks for your wages (page 256).

Broken Promises
"...it was not quite what I had imagined...I had lived through the worst side of football..." (page 263). 

If you get the chance I would urge you to read this chapter in full, it is a fascinating read and is full of examples of how not to run a football club or any business for that matter.

The list of examples above seem to be recurring themes in Pompey's history that should never be forgetten as we look forward to the future of the Club under the Pompey Trust.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> The Saint

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 16th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

15/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar Norman 'Black Jake' Uprichard

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Norman 'Black Jake' Uprichard' with Chris Westcott which was published in 2011 shortly after Norman sadly passed away. It's a throughly enjoyable read.

Norman Uprichard was a goalkeeper for Arsenal, Swindon Town, Portsmouth and of course Northern Ireland who he represented at the 1958 World Cup Finals.

This nicely written book looks back to a different era of football through Norman's career.

It gives an interesting insight into life at Pompey in the mid-1950s through to relegation from Division One.

In a very nice touch the book includes some fine tributes from former players who played with Norman, including some from Pompey: Bill Albury, Mike Barnard, Jackie Mansell, Tommy McGhee, John Phillips and Jimmy Stephen.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Norman 'Black Jake' Uprichard

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 15th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

14/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Who Ate All The Pies? The Life and Times Of Mick Quinn

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Who Ate All The Pies? The Life and Times Of Mick Quinn' published in 2003.

Quinn played for Pompey of course and was a part of the 1986-87 promotion winning team.  He gives some fascinating insights into life at Fratton Park during that era both on and off the pitch. It doesn't make pretty reading.

Just to give you a flavour, in the chapter titled rather aptly 'The Dirty Dozen', Quinn writes the following: "...Going on an away fixture with Pompey...was like going on tour with seventies rock band Led Zeppelin: on the coach there would be tins of lager, barley wine, bottles of scotch - the works...Alan Ball once screamed...after one particularly drunken away trip 'I've created a Frankenstein's monster of a team!'...".

Chuckle. Pompey were pretty 'ugly' at times that's for sure.

There's plenty more of that in this book and although today it makes rather shocking reading, when I think back to that era I'd quite often see Pompey players in local pubs and clubs. That's just the way it was I guess. I never really thought anything of it.

One thing is certain - that team of the mid-to-late 1980s was 'my team'; the first Pompey team I started watching and supporting. On the whole they were a joy to watch, they played proper football.

They 'played hard' off the field and they had the same attitude on it. It was a team full of 'characters', not all nice ones either, and they knew how to look after themselves.

Mick Quinn was the final piece in the jigsaw to some extent, he was signed by Alan Ball towards the end of the 1985-86 season, the second successive season Pompey failed to gain promotion having gone so very close both times.

During his time at Fratton Park he scored 54 goals in 121 appearances for Pompey including 22 in the promotion winning campaign to the top flight of English football that the suffering Pompey fans had yearned for so long (28 years actually).   

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Who Ate All The Pies?

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 14th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

13/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Matchday: What Makes Matchday Special?

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Matchday: What Makes Saturday Special?' by Chris Green, published in 2005.

As the dust jacket for the book says: "...Saturday is a day of ritual and routine, hope and glory, doom and disaster, anguish and joy - sometimes all at once...".

This is something Green brings to life in this excellent book by looking 'behind the scenes' at matchday from the perspectives of a number of different people and a number of different matches from across the pyramid, one of which happens to be Manchester United versus Pompey.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Matchday What Makes Saturday Special?

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 13th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

12/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - The Golden Age Of Football

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'The Golden Age Of Football' by Peter Jeffs and was published in 1991.

As the dust jacket says: "...in this book Peter Jeffs takes us back to the time of...cumbersome football kit and heavy footballs..."

The book tells the story of football in England from 1945 through to the 1952-1953 season and includes some excellent pictures, league tables, information about managers and some of the key players of the day as well as the teams they played for.

It is of course a period of iconic players (e.g. Lofthouse, Finney, Matthews, Wright and Milburn), big attendances across all divisions, plenty of goals and of course a time when Pompey rubbed shoulders with 'the big boys' and won the League title in consecutive seasons (1948-49 and 1949-50).

For the record the League title winners in the other season covered by the book were: Liverpool (1946-47), Arsenal (1947-48 and 1952-53), Tottenham Hotspur (1950-51) and Manchester United (1951-52).

The FA Cup winners during the period covered by the book were: Derby County (1945-46), Charlton Athletic (1946-47), Manchester United (1947-48), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1948-49), Arsenal (1949-50), Newcastle United (1950-51 and 1951-52) and Blackpool (1952-53) in probably the most famous Cup Final of them all.

Just looking at the 'honours board' from this period and all the different teams tells you a lot about the times and what a contrast to today when only a handful of teams almost have a monopoly on the trophies.

As Peter Jeffs writes in the final paragraph of the book these really were  '...the halcyon days of professional football...".  

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> The Golden Age Of Football

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 12th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

11/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Soccer at War

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Soccer At War 1939-45' by Jack Rollin originally published in 1985.

As the subtitle of the book states this book is: the complete record of British football and footballers during the second world war.

The book includes a chapter on Portsmouth with references to some of the Club's most famous names who started to emerge on the sene during the war years: Harris, Dickinson, Scouler and Froggat.

Also included are some exellent photographs, a list of all the cup matches, league tables and a list of all the players who turned out for each club during the war, the number of appearances they made and a list of goalscorers.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Soccer At War

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 11th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

10/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - Kicking and Screaming

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'Kicking and Screaming An Oral History Of Football In England' by Rogan Taylor and Andrew Ward. It was published in 1995 and based on the BBC TV Series (which I have to admit I don't recall seeing).

In simple terms this book recreates the history of football in England using the words of some of those people who played a part in creating it: players, managers, coaches, officials, administrators and of course fans. It makes for fascinating reading.

To give you a sense of what's covered, there are 29 chapters in this book. The first is titled: 'I used to play in the street' Learning the skills, developing the interest. The last is titled: 'Players wages have risen' Into the 1990s.

Other subjects covered include: terraces, the first FA Cup Final at Wembley, the maximum wage, the 1966 World Cup, hooliganism, TV and European club competitions.

You can read more about this book on Amazon here ==> Kicking and Screaming

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 10th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru

09/12/2012 Hatvent Calendar - A Beautiful Game

WHAT IS THE HATVENT CALENDAR?
This is the third year of PompeyChicken's Hatvent Calendar! It's a bit like an online Advent Calendar.

It's been inspired by the Innocent Drinks company who have been putting little woolen hats on their bottles of smoothies as part of The Big Knit, in aid of the charity Age UK.

You may have seen them on sale in Sainsbury's. PompeyChicken's family has been drinking a lot of smoothies again this year and each hat continues to be a perfect fit!

Two year's ago the Hatvent Calendar made connections between each hat and Pompey.

Last year underneath each hat PompeyChicken unveiled a favourite Pompey video clip.

This year he's been looking through the bookshelves to identify some of his favourite football books. Quite a few have a link to Pompey but not all.   

You can read more about the Big Knit, which has been running since 2003, by clicking on the link at the end of this blog.

I hope you enjoy this year's Hatvent Calendar.

POMPEYCHICKEN'S HAT OF THE DAY


TODAY'S BOOK


This book is 'A Beautiful Game - Football Through The Eyes Of The World's Greatest Players' by Tom Watt.

As the inside of the book's cover says the book provide "...intimate, untold stories and unique, provocative perspectives on football, childhood and life from more than forty of the world's greatest players..."

Each player's story is inorporated within a broader theme: hope, family, dedication, passion, pride, loyalty, friendship, humanity, flair and courage.

There is input from the following players who all have a Pompey connection: Sully Muntari (in Family), Benjani (in Loyalty), Smertin (in Loyalty), Kanu (in Humanity) and James (in Humanity).

You can find out more about this book on Amazon here ==> A Beautiful Game

LAST YEAR'S HAT
Click on the following link to see the hat and video from one year ago ==> Hatvent Calendar 9th December 2011

WHAT IS THE BIG KNIT?
To find out more about Innocent Smoothies and the Big Knit you can click on the following link ==> The Big Knit

BlueThruAndThru