Last Post!

What a season that bloody was 8th in the league the Asia Cup and THE F.A. Cup!!!!!!!! Well done Pompey.
Now for the best of the season

Best Game Pompey 7-4 Reading we wont see a game like that in a while

Best Goal Mantari against Manchester United in the F.A Cup this put our name on the cup for sure. I also like to see outfield players in goal very funny.

Worst moment the four game we lost at the end of the season to miss out on fifth.

Best moment winning the F.A. Cup what else!!!!!!!

Best pub bar 38 I quite liked it good food and beer, but not my nomal boozer.

So thats it for this season roll on Erope next year even less 3pm kick offs then.

Next seasons blog click on this BRAND NEW BLOG

Pompeygary 08

Cardiff 0-1 Pompey

WE WON THE FA CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well yes, we arrived at London nice and early. A bit too early, if truth be known. My wife was in the recording studio in SE1 so she drove us up and we made our own way around. First we tubed over to Leicester Square where there were quite a few Pompey fans already…. And a few Cardiff scattered for good measure. We had a coffee at a café and sat and watched the world go by.

We then took a trip up to Oxford Street which was surprisingly quiet, almost reminiscent of a scene from 28 Days Later! After visiting some shops we popped back to Leicester Square where we ate, Mum had Chicken Noodles and I had Vegetable Noodles. Then we set sail for Wembley on the tube.

With a mix of Cardiff and Pompey fans the 30 minute tube ride was quite entertaining with Pompey fans giving the Cardiff fans friendly abuse, mainly about sheep! But all good natured – and few Zulu’s thrown in for good measure.

We arrived at Wembley at about 12.30 and sat and did a little more people watching, which was fun. I notice that there were a darn sight more tv cameras and press than there were for the semi-finals. Once the turnstiles opened we queued up and entered the stadium. We then travelled up three escalators to get to our level, the first time I have ever done that. Then it was time for the important thing – BEER!

After what seemed like a lifetime, we got our beer – the guy pouring was getting abuse from the queue because of the time it took him to serve us. Once the beer was drunk we got to our seats. Wembley had supplied us with flags to wave, not usually my sort of thing but on this day it had to be done.

The ceremony started with the band marching up and down the pitch, which for me is a tradition which has to be done at the start of an FA Cup Final. Then the podiums were bought out for the singers to sing the respective national anthems. The stunning Katherine Jenkins for Wales and the annoying and slightly withered Lesley Garrett for us. First they sang the great hymn Abide with Me, which always manages to bring a tear to my eye, then once they had sorted out Katherine’s microphone, they started on the National Anthems.

Now to the match…

The game started off quite frantically, I was always worried that Cardiff would score and win the game, but thankfully we were always too classy for them and although they put up a good fight, it just wasn’t enough to beat us. The referee was bloody annoying and giving most the decisions to Cardiff for free kicks and when he did give us a decision, a cheer came up from the Pompey faithful. Most of the game was a blur and when Kanu missed an open goal I thought “Oh No!” I hope we don’t regret that. But a few minutes later Kanu scored an easy goal which at the time nobody knew if it was offside or not, it took a few seconds for the crowd to realise that we had actually scored.

Cardiff did put the ball in the net but as I saw from my vantage point their player hand-balled before skilfully chipping the ball into the net. But the referee made a right decision, for a change, and deemed it disallowed.

At the end of the first half we watched the highlights on the big screens and awaited the second half to begin. The second half wasn’t as frantic as the first but Cardiff pushed us all the way to the end with corners and free-kicks. Somehow four minutes of extra time came from somewhere (who knows where?) and it was time to bite your fingernails. As with all extra time there is no run down on the scoreboard clock. But after the final attack from Cardiff the ball ended the centre circle and the referee raised his arms and blew up for full-time. And Pompey had won the FA Cup for the first time in nearly 70 years. The Cardiff fans stayed behind to cheer their team for the effort and graciously most of them stayed behind to watch our boys lift the FA Cup. In return we clapped the Cardiff fans and everyone had a really good day.

The ceremony went on for around an hour where Pompey posed on the podiums before parading around and the pitch. Everyone on the squad got hold of the cup even the Chairman and Kev “the kit man” at one point! And one final frantic waving of the Pompey flag it was time to go home happy and elated. Come on Europe!

Pompeygary’s MOTM Kanu Pure Skill

Pompeygary’s Worst No one both teams played well.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Nugent 69), Pedro Mendes (Diop 78), Diarra, Muntari, Kranjcar, Kanu (Baros 87).
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Pamarot.

Booked: Hreidarsson, Kranjcar, Diarra.

Goals: Kanu 37.

Cardiff: Enckelman, McNaughton, Johnson, Loovens, Capaldi, Ledley, Rae (Sinclair 86), McPhail, Whittingham (Ramsey 61), Parry, Hasselbaink (Thompson 70).
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Purse.

Att: 89,874

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Thats it almost for this blog a review of the year will be put up soon to close this blog and give you the link to the new one for next season Play Up Pompey!

In London

Made it to London at 8.45 time to in to Oxford Street.

Up and ready

So today is the day up for some coffee then of to London.

Sleep

Well I am up early the day before the cup final, this is like
Christmas eve. I will be blogging on the phone for the final so Play
Up Pompey!

Portsmouth 0-1 Fulham

The great escape happened at Fratton Park, but it was not Pompey this time. Fulham made there first win against Pompey at Fratton Park to stay up!

Gunwarf was a bit quiet but it was Sunday, we went into Bar 38 again, this is a nice bar this time we had chips with cheese and a couple of pints. It was lovley and sunny hot in fact. After that we took the long walk to Fratton.

The game was very enjoyable even if we lost again! Fulham were heading for relegation, with rivals Reading and Birmingham winning, until Murphy's strike.

Fulham had never before won three Premier League away matches in a row.

And for long spells it had seemed to be an impossible mission.

They were faced by Pompey players who had two incentives - to arrest a run of three consecutive defeats and to stake their claim for a starting place in the FA Cup final line-up.

And then it came. A free-kick from the right was superbly delivered by Bullard and an unmarked Murphy nodded the ball into the corner.

It sparked scenes of jubilation in the stands, although Hodgson looked unmoved.

Four in a row for Pompey now time for a win on Saturday then!

So Pompey end 8th in the league this year and an F.A. Cup Final well done Pompey.

Pompeygary's MOTM Bullard Nuff said

Pompeygary's WORST. Utaka come on play man

Portsmouth: Ashdown, Johnson, Distin, Pamarot, Hreidarsson, Utaka, Diarra (Muntari 83), Pedro Mendes (Davis 73), Kranjcar, Defoe, Kanu (Baros 73).
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Wilson.

Fulham: Keller, Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Davies, Murphy, Bullard, Dempsey (Nevland 72), Kamara (Andreasen 85), McBride.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Bocanegra, Healy.

Goals: Murphy 76.

Att: 20,532

Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

Pub for last home game is

At Gunwaharf Quays in Pompey as the weather will be nice and should be a good place for a drink and a bite to eat.

New away kit

Pompey revealed there new away kit today. A large ( big enough to fit me!) kit was flown around Pompey and surrounding area today from a helicopter. I saw it at break time this morning.

New crest

I like this, not at first but it's good Play Up Pompey!

Boro 2-0 Pompey

Another loss away from home looks like the players are saving themselves for the Cup!

Chris Riggott and Tuncay headed home corners to preserve Middlesbrough's top-flight status for another season.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Young, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Boateng (Cattermole 88), Rochemback, Arca, Downing, Sanli, Alves (Aliadiere 61).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Johnson, Taylor.

Booked: Arca.

Goals: Riggott 40, Sanli 53.

Portsmouth: Ashdown, Johnson, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson, Mvuemba, Diop (Davis 67), Diarra, Kranjcar, Baros (Nugent 67), Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Lauren, Hughes.

Booked: Diarra.

Att: 24,828

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).

Pompey 0-1 Blackburn

What! we lost to this bunch of Northern Ba&*%ds. Fare play we did not deserve to win we were not good enough but good enough not to loose.

The pub is the pub John Westwood has a swift half before the game. He was there but I did not get to talk to him I was enjoying my drink for the penultimate match of the season. This is a real Pompey pub with real Pompey people blue and white all the way.

Portsmouth's hopes of claiming a Uefa Cup place by finishing fifth suffered a setback as they lost to Blackburn. Roque Santa Cruz grabbed the winner with a low shot after a neat one-two with strike partner Jason Roberts.
I can say that the ref assistant got it wrong with the offside rule a few times for both sides a very poor show, almost as bad as Pompey!

No James for this game ( Hope he is back for the F.A CUP!) so it was Jamie Ashdown in goal But the Fratton Park side did not clear their lines and David Bentley crossed for Nelsen, whose stooping header forced an excellent save from Ashdown. And Blackburn compounded their misery by taking the lead when Santa Cruz grabbed his 21st goal of the campaign.

Pompeygary's MOTM Defoe BUT NO GOAL
Pompeygary's Worst Diop STOP GIVING THE BALL AWAY MAN!

Portsmouth: Ashdown, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Lauren, Utaka (Kranjcar 46), Diop, Diarra, Muntari (Baros 78), Defoe, Kanu.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Aubey, Davis.

Booked: Defoe, Campbell.

Blackburn: Friedel, Reid, Nelsen, Samba (Ooijer 87), Warnock, Bentley, Emerton, Vogel, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, Roberts (Dunn 90).
Subs Not Used: Brown, Kerimoglu, Derbyshire.

Booked: Reid, Warnock.

Goals: Santa Cruz 74.

Att: 18,722

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

Pub for Blackburn

The Newcome Arms,Newcome Road, Fratton

This Victorian corner pub is very much a traditional local. Always having retained the same name, the house was originally owned by the Pike Brewery and by the 1990s was part of the vast Whitbread pub estate. The Newcome is known for being home to some of the most fervent Portsmouth FC fans, and the former chairman could sometimes be found here enjoying a pre-match drink with the fans.

Man City 3-1 Pompey

Whoops!

Man City: Hart, Elano (Caicedo 90), Corluka, Dunne (Williamson 54), Ball, Vassell, Ireland (Geovanni 75), Gelson, Johnson, Petrov, Mwaruwari.
Subs Not Used: Isaksson, Castillo. Booked: Williamson

Portsmouth: James, Lauren, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Baros 75), Muntari, Diarra, Diop (Aubey 75), Kranjcar (Davis 83), Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Nugent.

Sent Off: Hreidarsson (41)

Booked: Lauren.

Att: 40,205

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).

Romour Time Part 2

FA look to World Cup at Fratton Park

The Football Association are considering offering Portsmouth financial incentives to redevelop Fratton Park as a potential 2018 World Cup venue. The FA, who are keen to have a geographical spread of stadiums, want to include plans for a minimum 40,000-seat South Coast base in the technical section of their bid document to Fifa.

There is a desire to redevelop Fratton Park," FA chairman Lord Triesman said of Portsmouth's resolve to rebuild their ancient home or relocate nearby. Asked whether the FA would help Portsmouth financially, he replied: "Whatever we do has to be in line with whatever Fifa say are the bedrock conditions for making the bid.

"We have stadia right round the country, but we have to look to see whether other stadia further south in England can be developed."

A new super-stadium in Bristol has been discussed but the FA are now focusing on the Portsmouth option, offering "the peak of the criterion we have seen Fifa use in the past"

We will see!

Romour Time Part 1

It would appear that the new training ground will be in Gosport in the Rowner area..............

Pompey 0-0 Toon

Well it seems Pompey draw to this lot every season at home!

The pub was small but ok it was one of those pubs that is not much bigger than the average living room, the last time I was in it I think I was very ill outside oh my wasted days of my youth!

For a draw the game was very enjoyable but neither side could penetrate to score.
David James' point-blank save denied Michael Owen to salvage a point for Portsmouth after Popmpey failed to close in on fifth position. Newcastle had threatened when Geremi's long-range shot and Mark Viduka's volley forced good saves from James.

Harry Redknapp's side also came close to a goal with second-half chances from both Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe.

But it was a great save off the face of James that denied Owen from scoring the best of the game's few chances.With both sides now settled, the midfields began to cancel each other out, with only half chances falling to Viduka and Nwankwo Kanu.
It was a game we should of won, but with the Wembley win and turning over West Ham in the last 7 days I think it was a fare result. But can we still make 5th?

Pompeygary's MOTM James Great hair!
Pompeygary's Worst Owen Did not look happy.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Diop, Davis, Muntari, Kranjcar, Defoe, Kanu (Nugent 75). Subs Not Used: Begovic, Lauren, Hughes, Pedro Mendes.

Booked: Johnson.

Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Owen, Viduka (Smith 82), Martins. Subs Not Used: Forster, Duff, Edgar, Carroll.

Booked: Barton.

Att: 20,507

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

Toon Pub

The Red White & Blue, Fawcett Road, Southsea cheaper than Wembley.

West Ham 0-1 Pompey

I had this one down as a loss after the Cup game, but we won Play Up Pompey.
Niko Kranjcar's goal on the hour proved to be enough to secure the points for FA Cup finalists Portsmouth in a low-key game at West Ham

West Ham: Green, Neill, Spector, Ferdinand, McCartney, Solano (Pantsil 82), Mullins (Cole 73), Parker, Boa Morte, Ashton, Zamora (Sears 58). Subs Not Used: Walker, Tomkins.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson, Diop, Pedro Mendes (Hughes 82), Muntari, Mvuemba, Nugent (Kanu 73), Kranjcar. Subs Not Used: Begovic, Lauren, Davis.

Goals: Kranjcar 61.

Att: 33,629

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

W.B.A 0-1 Pompey

This was our transport to the match and what a match not! The whole experience was something tho I will never forget. That stadium at Wembley is not just big it seems to totally engulf the area and inside it is just bigger than big. We got a good view in the second row.
We all got on the mini bus and set off, picking up people at Cosham on the way and we went up the M3 GIVING SCUM SOME STICK AS WE WENT PASSED! We met up with some other Pompey fans at Fleet when we stopped for a break and one or two West Brom fans too.The roads got busy as we got to Wembley and it took us a while to get in. We had a parking space booked, but when we got there we were told the parking space did not exist. This bloke told us that a few people had booked online had been coned and he had a place we could park for 20 quid. We did not believe him so as we went a bit farther we found our spot, and he told us that this other bloke had been telling people all day that his place did not exist but it did what a con artist, if we had believed him it would of cost us an extra 20 quid! We all said we should go and sort him out but we did not want to get arrested before the match so we left it what a "&%$ he was for trying it on.Outside Wembley Mum and me people watched for a while and had a packed lunch. This was to save money at buying stuff at the stadium.

This was our way to get in to the stadium and we headed strait for the bar.

£3.50 for a pint not to bad about the same as at home, had my first and only pint of the day at Wembley.

The view from our seat was good!
We had to dodge the inflatable banana and beach balls and balloons (pop!!!).

So all the noise started as the stadium filled up. To hear the chimes from 33 thousand was wonderful! The balloons were popping even more now my mum liked that not! As the teams come out to a big roar and ticker tape I knew it was not a dream we were one win away from the final.

A second-half goal from Kanu was enough to send Portsmouth through to their first FA Cup final in 69 years.

Ex-West Brom striker Kanu side-footed an easy chance to see off the Baggies after Dean Kiely had denied Milan Baros and Zoltan Gera had failed to clear.

Baros, who looked to have handled in the build-up to the goal, missed a simple chance to seal the win.

They were almost made to pay but Robert Koren's shot hit the bar and Ishmael Miller fired wide late on.

Portsmouth will face the winners of the all-Championship tie between Barnsley and Cardiff on Sunday in the final.

Their win carries on the top flight's run of having a team in every FA Cup final.

Pompey were already odds-on favourites to lift the trophy before the game, but for long periods it was West Brom who looked the better bet for a return to Wembley on 17 May.

Harry Redknapp's south coast side were not at the races during a lacklustre first-half display and it Albion who looked like the Premier League thoroughbreds.


Portsmouth's defensive pair of Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin struggled throughout to deal with veteran forward Kevin Phillips dropping deep.

The former Southampton striker found plenty of space and tested Pompey early on with a long-range shot just over the bar before a neat lay-off that ended with Zoltan Gera causing problems for a fumbling David James with a low shot.

Portsmouth were all at sea going forward, with Baros wasteful and Kanu barely contributing as Redknapp looking increasingly agitated on the sidelines.

They enjoyed their best spell of the first half shortly before the break but Redknapp, on his first appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals and at Wembley as player or manager, would have had strong words at the interval.

There appeared to be little immediate change in Pompey's play, but less than 10 minutes after the break they broke the deadlock.

Glen Johnson played a ball into Baros, who may have controlled the ball with his arm before getting off a shot which Kiely did well to keep out.

However, as Kiely looked to pounce on the loose ball Gera tried to clear and could only steer the ball into the direction of Kanu to slot into the empty net from only a couple of yards out.

It should have been game over as Baros was played in by a slide rule pass from Niko Kranjcar and seemed certain to score, but he made an awful hash of the finish and Kiely produced a desperate save.

The Baggies almost made them pay as the game burst into life in the latter stages.

Carl Hoefkens set up Koren and his shot beat James but smacked the top of the bar.

Moments later substitute Miller got clear on the left and tried to pick out Phillips at the back post, but James anticipated well and plucked his cross out of the air.

There were further worries as Hoefkens set up an onrushing Miller but he side-footed wide and Pompey survived to book their place in the final.

So it's another trip to the Capital at least two trips to Wembley in one season! So thats it we got home tired but happy it was not a pretty game but we won it Play Up Pompey!!!!

Pompey 2-0 Wigan

This was the first time I had been in this pub for a few years. In the centre of Pompey next to the Guildhall. It's the old British Gas offices now a Weather spoons like most of theses pubs they have at last put a TV or two in them, I did not like the idea of no Juke Boxes or pool tables in pubs to me a pool table and the like are part of the culture. One good thing about these pubs is the drink is cheap so swings and roundabouts.We had a good chat to an oldish Shefield man about the Wembley semi and other football things.

The game was OK first half was a bit dull until Glen Johnson cleared Antonio Valencia's goal-bound shot off the line before Defoe struck from an acute angle after good work by John Utaka on the flank. He scored again this is what Pompey have needed for years a real goal scorer!
Wigan played well without much of a threat.
Pompey need only two more points from their remaining games for their best total in the Premier League in what has been a magnificent season for the FA Cup semi-finalists.Wigan were not without their chances, however. Indeed, the visitors would certainly have taken a 15th-minute lead had Johnson not saved the day for Portsmouth.Once Portsmouth went ahead - they are the only club in the top flight holding a 100% record when scoring first - Wigan could have been forgiven for conceding defeat.
But Wigan got a pen a soft one to for Distin's nudge on Valencia.Taylor stepped up to the spot but his effort was too close to James. The England goalkeeper parried the ball back to Taylor but the former Tranmere defender blasted the rebound into the stands.
Portsmouth were largely anonymous in the closing stages, but moments before the end Kranjcar's defence-splitting pass allowed Defoe to beat the hapless Kirkland from 18 yards. I still think it was offside but who cares we won Play Up Pompey!!!!

Pompeygary's MOTM Defoe Nuff Said
Pompeygary's Worst Heskey Can't stop falling over!

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson (Lauren 63), Utaka (Hughes 71), Davis, Pedro Mendes, Kranjcar, Baros (Nugent 67), Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Mvuemba.

Booked: Defoe.

Goals: Defoe 32, 90.

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot (Aghahowa 87), Boyce, Hagen (King 73), Kilbane, Valencia, Skoko, Scharner, Taylor (Sibierski 67), Heskey, Bent.
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Figueroa.

Booked: Scharner, Skoko.

Att: 18,623

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).