I never thought I'd see the day Pompey won the FA cup. There are 25 players who have got FA cup winners medals. 189,244 people have watched Pompey live win the FA cup and I am proud to have been one of those people. I know it's easy for fans of their local team to deride glory hunters - but I also know that Man Utd fans from Kent will not get a 100th of the enjoyment I got from that day in May when an arbitrarily chosen team wins their umpteenth trophy. As a school boy I was one of two Pompey fans in my year. Even lads who went regularly to Fratton Park would claim a premier league club as their team. To have been loyal made the day feel like a deserved reward. I received messages from many of my friends from all over the world congratulating me personally - of course i hadnt contributed but at the same time it felt like a personal victory. When I was growing up at every birthday blow of candle I would make my private wish - I pray Pompey win the FA cup ( even then I had managed my limitations!) it's the day dreams came true.
But there is part of me that feels that this glorious day was sullied a little by the aftermath, and the administration that followed. A view that is evidently shared by other fans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou5XWta1_ZY - adult content included, as well as incorrect assumption 'they try to buy success and failed' well we didnt fail but anyway) and pundits (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/stan-collymore/Stan-Collymore-column-Why-cheating-Portsmouth-should-be-stripped-of-their-place-in-the-FA-Cup-plus-Hull-s-dream-has-turned-into-a-nightmare-article405029.html) a like. Did we do anything that Chelsea, Man City, even Man u have not done before us? The only difference is our money ran out?
Actually i'd argue that the same thing happened to Leeds, Sheffield wed, Charlton, Scum but they sank further for longer and didn't actually win anything. So Pompey were lucky?! Other clubs who go into administration get the sympathy of other fans, but we won something and our descent seems to have been brief (within 6 months we were signing premier quality players in Lawrence and Kitson) I feel like the reaction against Pompey was at least partially jealousy from our day in the sun as a Wigan fan, a baggie, a wolves fan, they work hard year on year but never actually win anything, ask any fan of these clubs would they take 10 yrs in the championship for an FA cup win, i dont know what the answer would be but i would take it - i dont think i would swap our day for anything. Why didn't we sink down leagues like Leeds, Wednesday etc? Mainly because of the quality management of 'Arry (see previous blog - http://whensolwentup.blogspot.com/2011/09/harry-redknapp-case-for-defence.html) - so should we feel guilty? should we have been punished more? Well i guess those decisions arent ours to make.
That day wasn't prefect but I will never be ashamed, I love it that I can honestly chant: When Sol went up to lift the FA Cup, I was there.
This blog was featured on http://dodgykneesanddirtyballs.com/ - check it out
But there is part of me that feels that this glorious day was sullied a little by the aftermath, and the administration that followed. A view that is evidently shared by other fans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou5XWta1_ZY - adult content included, as well as incorrect assumption 'they try to buy success and failed' well we didnt fail but anyway) and pundits (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/stan-collymore/Stan-Collymore-column-Why-cheating-Portsmouth-should-be-stripped-of-their-place-in-the-FA-Cup-plus-Hull-s-dream-has-turned-into-a-nightmare-article405029.html) a like. Did we do anything that Chelsea, Man City, even Man u have not done before us? The only difference is our money ran out?
Actually i'd argue that the same thing happened to Leeds, Sheffield wed, Charlton, Scum but they sank further for longer and didn't actually win anything. So Pompey were lucky?! Other clubs who go into administration get the sympathy of other fans, but we won something and our descent seems to have been brief (within 6 months we were signing premier quality players in Lawrence and Kitson) I feel like the reaction against Pompey was at least partially jealousy from our day in the sun as a Wigan fan, a baggie, a wolves fan, they work hard year on year but never actually win anything, ask any fan of these clubs would they take 10 yrs in the championship for an FA cup win, i dont know what the answer would be but i would take it - i dont think i would swap our day for anything. Why didn't we sink down leagues like Leeds, Wednesday etc? Mainly because of the quality management of 'Arry (see previous blog - http://whensolwentup.blogspot.com/2011/09/harry-redknapp-case-for-defence.html) - so should we feel guilty? should we have been punished more? Well i guess those decisions arent ours to make.
That day wasn't prefect but I will never be ashamed, I love it that I can honestly chant: When Sol went up to lift the FA Cup, I was there.
This blog was featured on http://dodgykneesanddirtyballs.com/ - check it out
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