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
