How blue are you?

[New Forester]

My brother took me to matches occasionally until I was 10 in 1953. Then I became a regular on my own when my brother had left home. Not many kids allowed to matches at that age today. Looking back on that 53/54 season we often still had crowds of over 30,000. There were 39,053 at the Sunderland game and 39,333 for Charlton. Bit different last year! Oh, and 45,806 at the 5th round cup game against Bolton. Happy days long gone.

[No Shot Sherlock]

Pale shadow of my former self these days. When I invested, along with so many others, I decided that I couldn't justify the cost of a season ticket as well. Have only attended about a dozen games since. There have been other factors too, but to some degree I guess I've just gotten out of the 'habit'. It hasn't helped that the few games I've attended in the last several years have been absolute dross. Sure, in over 50 years I've seen a lot of crap football, but at least in the 70's and 80's those wearing the blue shirts looked like they wanted to win.

[No Shot Sherlock]

That said, I'm going next Tuesday for the Lincoln game.

[GreenBlue]

Not as regular as I used to be in the 80s when I was a regular at most home games and all the away games up north. My bluest moment however was probably the Pompey v Liverpool semi final. I was living in Japan at the time and unsuccessfully tried to get a weekend return to take in the match. So instead, I decided to rely on the good old BBC World Service which meant standing outside on a high piece of open ground with a poorly tuned LW radio between midnight and 2am. But, TV scuppered that by moving it to the Sunday, (World Service only picked up Radio 2's football coverage at 4pm UK time on Saturdays) which meant there was no way of listening so my only remaining option was to call a friend in the UK (a Liverpool fan) and ask them to put the phone next to her TV. International calls back then were extortionate but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity (actually turned out not to be of course) so I had to forget the cost and go for it. I listened to the entire game, replay, extra time and penalties over an international phone line. That month my phone bill was over £700 (a huge amount of money back then and more expensive than a return flight to UK and match tickets combined) I like every other Pompey fan was gutted but I am pretty sure I would have forked out the most money to feel gutted that year. With hindsight, would I have done the same knowing the cost and disappointment it would bring? Hell yeah! My mother was a real legend too as she posted out the Sports Mail every week without fail so I could keep up with Pompey (9 or 10 days late) for the years I was in Japan.

[Dinksy]

Ouch, GreenBlue, that bill must have hurt! But it underlines my point about what it means to be a True Blue... we convince ourselves that the suffering is worthwhile, that glory is always just around the corner and the pain is price we have pay for our (very occasional) days on cloud nine.

[GreenBlue]

The bill hurt indeed but not as much as the result.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

I managed to go to the replay at Villa Park in 1992 and it was just about my most disappointing Pompey experience. The Team gave it all they had and we were better than them over the two matches. So to lose it on penalties was gut wrenching. Both of my Daughters came with me and the drive back to Tavistock that evening was like driving in a Funeral cortege.

[pompeygunner]

I managed to go to the replay at Villa Park in 1992 and it was just about my most disappointing Pompey experience. The Team gave it all they had and we were better than them over the two matches. So to lose it on penalties was gut wrenching. Both of my Daughters came with me and the drive back to Tavistock that evening was like driving in a Funeral cortege.

Was @ Highbury, couldn't get to Villa Park because of work. But imho if the Ref had done his job properly in the 1st game & sent off Whelan we'd have been home & hosed. Tbh I think we'd have done Sunderland comfortably in the final. Our team @ that point was so good.

[blue architect]

A bit of history from me for my love affair with the Club.
My Dad was Pompey through and through. Born in Raglan Street, Somerstown in 1914. He was in the RAF and we traveled far and wide finally coming back to Pompey when I was 4. I have always loved the City. It is unique and very proud of its heritage, which includes the football club. In my teens going to FP was a right of passage, so late 70's/early 80's are littered with memories of various matches, fights, drinking etc. until I left for uni in Dundee.
TBH my love of football developed in Scotland. I supported Dundee United (rather than Dundee) and was thrown into a world of religious prejudice, violence and fervent support. It was a time of Uniteds time in various European Cups and I saw at least four euro games every season including the like of Barcelona (ala Lineker and Venables), several Scottish Cup Finals and the pinnacle as Premier League Champions.
On returning to Pompey when qualified it was logical to go back to FP, but after the raw edginess of Scottish football the English game seem tame. The late 80's were not the best TBH. Then career, family, kids etc took centre stage.
In the mid 90's a close friend of mine became Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and it was customary for the Club to invite the LM + 1 to all home matches. I was often that +1 and so my involvement with the Club became rekindled. The following year I got a ST and have had one ever since.
Not hardcore. Not a constant supporter. But when I am in..... I am IN. And at the moment I am in.

[Portchester PFC]

If you walked down the lane behind the North terrace anytime before the 2000s and never once stepped in dogs mess I think that makes you pretty hardcore or at least a dogs mess ninja

If you carried on and walked down dog ****** alley before going over the iron bridge to Clarke’s Rd without stepping in any you wish you had done the pools that day

[New Forester]

Great thread! Keep those memories coming.

[Mr Dee]

If you walked down the lane behind the North terrace anytime before the 2000s and never once stepped in dogs mess I think that makes you pretty hardcore or at least a dogs mess ninja

If you carried on and walked down dog ****** alley before going over the iron bridge to Clarke’s Rd without stepping in any you wish you had done the pools that day

Funny looking back to think it was considered 'normal' in those days

[Invicta Pompey]

My original post about "hardcore" was in agent provacatuer mode but a Pompey Match in Feb 1985 remains as a major life event in my mind.
At the time I lived in Arundel, West Sussex but we considered ourselves to be a Pompey supporting town with Brighton being the largest competing team at the time. On the 9/2/85 I drove down to Havant to meet some friends from Pompey on the train up to London. South of London it was a clear day and I had only worn a Pringle Jumper. North of London the weather deteriorated and by Bedford it was snowing heavily. The train began to get later and later and at Sheffield we were expecting to turn back having missed our connection to Barnsley. Much to our surprise a special train had been arranged to take us to Barnsley.
On arrival at Barnsley we were escorted by the local police through the High street.
At the time the Miners strike had been going on for over a year but living in a Tory Country town i probably regarded the miners as a militant scum that needed to be wiped out.
Football however was a big leveller firstly I was shocked at seeing Woolworths and all the pubs in the high street boarded up. Then outside the Spion Kop terrace I was approached by a group of Miners begging me for money as their kids were starving.
We went inside and its probably the coldest I can ever remember being in my life. Id given up shivering by half time and Id lost the feeling in my hands.
There was a Barnsley Club to the right of the away stand and I can remember being rounded up to this and some guy saying "Comein Lads we need all the money we can get"
We drew 2-2 definitely a life changing day for me and a day when I confirmed a life long association with Pompey.

[Portchester PFC]

If you walked down the lane behind the North terrace anytime before the 2000s and never once stepped in dogs mess I think that makes you pretty hardcore or at least a dogs mess ninja

If you carried on and walked down dog ****** alley before going over the iron bridge to Clarke’s Rd without stepping in any you wish you had done the pools that day

Funny looking back to think it was considered 'normal' in those days

It was, the trickiest time was the dark evenings, poor lighting, started out ok but as you approached the iron bridge and the crowd used to back up you couldn’t see the ground so you never knew until you got our in Clarke’s road and it thinned out.

Hopefully one of your mates realised you had been unlucky before you got into the car and it became imbedded in the carpet

[Portchester PFC]

My original post about "hardcore" was in agent provacatuer mode but a Pompey Match in Feb 1985 remains as a major life event in my mind.
At the time I lived in Arundel, West Sussex but we considered ourselves to be a Pompey supporting town with Brighton being the largest competing team at the time. On the 9/2/85 I drove down to Havant to meet some friends from Pompey on the train up to London. South of London it was a clear day and I had only worn a Pringle Jumper. North of London the weather deteriorated and by Bedford it was snowing heavily. The train began to get later and later and at Sheffield we were expecting to turn back having missed our connection to Barnsley. Much to our surprise a special train had been arranged to take us to Barnsley.
On arrival at Barnsley we were escorted by the local police through the High street.
At the time the Miners strike had been going on for over a year but living in a Tory Country town i probably regarded the miners as a militant scum that needed to be wiped out.
Football however was a big leveller firstly I was shocked at seeing Woolworths and all the pubs in the high street boarded up. Then outside the Spion Kop terrace I was approached by a group of Miners begging me for money as their kids were starving.
We went inside and its probably the coldest I can ever remember being in my life. Id given up shivering by half time and Id lost the feeling in my hands.
There was a Barnsley Club to the right of the away stand and I can remember being rounded up to this and some guy saying "Comein Lads we need all the money we can get"
We drew 2-2 definitely a life changing day for me and a day when I confirmed a life long association with Pompey.

Fantastic story ! I think the coldest I have ever been watching Pompey was at Villa Park, can’t remember the year but it was so cold we were frozen before we even got into the ground and it worse after that, lost feeling all over