Heavens Light Issue 15 March 2015 by Official Pompey

THE OFFICIAL DIGITAL MAGAZINE OF PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB

HEAVEN’SLIGHT EDSAPCE / WHAT POMPEY MEANS TO ME / OUT OF THE SHADOWS STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW / JOHNNY MOORE / TOM WHITE / AWAY DAYS

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CONTENTS 05 Edspace 07 What Pompey Means To Me 09 Out Of The Shadows 11 Stakeholder Interview

14 Johnny Moore 17 Bygone Blues 18

Tom White

21 Josh Sweetman 25 Away Days DESIGN The Graphic Design House, www.tgdh.co.uk Designers Leigh Griffiths, leigh@tgdh.co.uk Andrew Sanders, andy@tgdh.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Colin Farmery, Tom White, Simon Hill, Matt Pantling, Pompey Press

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MY COLUMN LOOKS BACK AT SOME THRILLING POMPEY COMEBACKS AFTER THE BLUES’ DRAMATIC 3-2 WIN AGAINST TRANMERE ROVERS

} Welcome to the March edition of Heaven’s Light. The

end of the season is fast approaching, and Pompey will be hoping to make a late push for the play-offs. As usual this edition of Heaven’s Light is packed full of news about life off the pitch at Fratton Park. My column looks back at some thrilling Pompey comebacks after the Blues’ dramatic 3-2 win against Tranmere Rovers, while Josh Sweetman sings the praises of Ryan Taylor in his column. This issue also contains an out of the shadows feature with Adrian Cooke from Pompey’s sports science department, a stakeholder interview with Breeze Motor Group’s head of business in Southampton and Portsmouth, Tim Treweeks, another one of Johnny Moore’s favourite years and the latest information on the Blues’ upcoming away games. We will also be speaking to another fan to find out what Pompey means to them. If you would like to be in a future edition of Heaven’s Light saying what Pompey means to you then please feel free to contact me. You can email me on tomwhite@pompeyfc.co.uk and you can also send any comments, ideas or suggestions for our publication to that email address. Yours in Pompey, Tom White Heaven’s Light Editor

THIS ISSUE ALSO CONTAINS AN OUT OF THE SHADOWS FEATURE WITH ADRIAN COOKE FROM POMPEY’S SPORTS SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

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W H AT D O E S

POMPEY MEAN TO ME?

ANDREW WELLER, 42, FROM SALISBURY TELLS

TOM WHITE WHAT POMPEY MEANS TO HIM } Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I live in Salisbury, and that’s the closest I’ve ever lived to Portsmouth. I work in pensions, and I did the Ride2Bury last year. I got into cycling about three years ago and bought myself a road bike. I cycled to the south of France with a mate and we watched the Tour de France. I was more than happy to do the Ride2Bury, which was a fantastic experience. It was one of the highlights of the year for me. The bit that got me was arriving at Bury and seeing how many people were there. The real plus point was when we went to the children’s ward at Southampton General Hospital and saw the evidence of what we had done and the impact it was going to have on children’s lives. I’m more than happy to do the York2Pompey ride this year, and it was great to see the club so well represented at the York2Pompey launch party. It was a great demonstration of a genuine community club. We are raising money for a number of local charities this year, as well as one selected by York City Football Club.

} What does Pompey mean to you? A lot of things change in life. You don’t always stay with the same person for the rest of your life, and your children grow up and leave home. There’s usually one constant, and that’s your football club.

} Can you remember when you started supporting the club? My dad took me to my first game when I was two. I can remember when I was four and my dad brought me to football, because we would sit in the North Stand. We then moved away to Yorkshire and followed Pompey at Rochdale, Halifax, Grimsby, Darlington and Hartlepool. We then moved back and Salisbury is the closest I’ve been to Portsmouth. I went to university in London, but I haven’t missed too many home games in the last 30 years.

} Do you have any highlights from your time supporting Pompey? The FA Cup final against Cardiff, although I was relieved when we won because we were expected to win. The semi-final against West Brom because I took my daughter as well so there were three generations of us there. In terms of other highlights there is AC Milan, and Middlesbrough away in the FA Cup in 1992. We beat them 4-2 and I managed to sprain my ankle falling down the terrace celebrating our fourth goal.

} Do you have any favourite players? Alan Rogers, because he was my idol when I was growing up. The Guy Whittingham and Paul Walsh combination up front was something else, and Alan Knight is another favourite player.

} Do you have any favourite goals?

Svetoslav Todorov’s goal against Burnley, Frederic Piquionne’s goal against Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final, and Nwankwo Kanu’s goal against AC Milan.

} How did you feel when the Trust bought the club? Relieved, but if I’m honest it was tempered with the nervousness of whether this was a bunch of keen amateurs and it wasn’t going to work. The more I here about what those people did for this football club and how they have put their hand in their pockets, it gives me the confidence that they care deeply about the club.

} What are your hopes for the future for Pompey? If we can have a good run at the back end of this season and hit the ground running next season we can do well. If we can get the success back on the pitch it’s going to be a happy club and a happy city.

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OUT OF TH E

SHADOWS HEAD OF ACADEMY SPORT SCIENCE ADRIAN COOKE TALKS TO SAM WINTER

} Adrian Cooke’s third season as the head of academy sport science at the club is drawing to a close. Originally hailing from Bristol, he attended Cardiff University where he honed his skills working with university teams to improve their performance. After he graduated he took in a number of intern roles with Llanelli Scarlets RFC, Cardiff City FC and his boyhood club Bristol City. He entered his first paid role at Portsmouth in September 2012, where Andy Awford who was academy manager at the time interviewed him. It was at a time when the club was still in the clasp of administration which meant the role was only part time to begin with. “It was weird not knowing if I would have a job for one week had the club gone out of existence or ten years,” said Adrian. “But it worked out alright in the end because after a year I was offered the role full time.” Currently in the busiest period of the season when there is often three games in a week you would imagine the demands on the mind and body may cause players to crumble. Adrian works closely with physio Lucas Macardle to make sure this doesn’t happen. There are 15 scholars and one associate in the under-18s set-up, but they are currently down to 14 with Conor Chaplin promoted to the first team and one player injured. The pair put together individualised programmes in place to improve performance by tailoring to each player’s specific needs. “You need to realise that one thing won’t work for everyone, what works with one player might not work with another,” said Adrian. When the under-18s come in each day they first undergo a five question survey to identify whether they are ready to train. The survey asks for the players’ one to five rating of how they are feeling with regards to their health, fatigue and muscle soreness. They are then required to give urine tests to check whether they are hydrated enough to train.

Adrian said: “It’s usually fine but tends to happen with the ones that go from being under-16s who are part time to under-18s full time as they aren’t used to it, but they get better as they go. It’s about promoting that it’s a lifestyle rather than just work.” Eating healthily is promoted, although it can’t be ensured that all will listen to the advice given. Adrian said: “It’s their careers; we’re just trying to help them be as good as they can be.” Adrian and Lucas run a variety of tests on the players that help to identify any weaknesses in the players’ ability. They then put together a plan that consists of four or five exercises tailored to each player’s needs. Adrian works with the academy’s under-nines through to the under-18s, and all are helped to develop the right mental skills to make it as a professional footballer. Adrian believes that anyone that wants to make it as a sports scientist needs to: “Be prepared for long and unusual hours, so you’ve got to love it and if you can follow and believe in your own programmes you have a better chance of making others believe in it too.”

YOU NEED TO REALISE THAT ONE THING WON’T WORK FOR EVERYONE, WHAT WORKS WITH ONE PLAYER MIGHT NOT WORK WITH ANOTHER 09

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STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW BREEZE MOTOR GROUP TOM WHITE INTERVIEWS BREEZE MOTOR GROUP’S HEAD OF BUSINESS IN SOUTHAMPTON AND PORTSMOUTH, TIM TREWEEKS } How did you first get involved with Pompey? We’re very new into Portsmouth and the football club is a huge brand in the city. I think if you’re trying to establish a business in the city and you attach yourself to one of the biggest brands in the city, it’s going to be a lot easier. I’m fascinated by the history of Portsmouth Football Club. The fanbase is massive and that’s where we’re going to get our voice heard.

} How has the partnership with Pompey been going so far?

We’re still right near the early stages of the partnership, and we need to have some longevity really.

} Do you think there are any particular benefits from being associated with Pompey?

Obviously there’s the number of people that come on a matchday and will potentially see our name, and there are the corporate guests who will also

see our name. It’s about working with the club in partnership with their partners. I feel a strong sense to work with the club as opposed to just putting a sign up. We’re not interested in just putting a sign up. We will come along to the business breakfast club and continue to try and get involved with the club. } How are things going at the Breeze Motor Group? Breeze was established in 2000, and we’ve got a very large site in Poole. We’ve got commercial vehicles in Poole and we’ve got a commercial vehicles site in Southampton. Portsmouth is the latest site, and it is an after sales facility at the moment.

} Are there any new projects going forward? We are looking to expand the Portsmouth site into a full van centre serving the Portsmouth area. At the moment we are an after sales facility, but we will offer an after sales facility, new van sales and used van sales. And of course getting involved with the club means that when we do invest the money in Portsmouth we hit the ground running as opposed to losing a lot of money and trying to catch up. We want to grow.

do it, and I think it’s terrific. I think it shows great community spirit. } Could the community club model work at other clubs?

THE FANBASE IS MASSIVE AND THAT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING TO GET OUR VOICE HEARD

Absolutely. It’s a model that’s worked, so why wouldn’t it work somewhere else.

} What are your hopes for the future for the Breeze Motor Group and Pompey? I’d like to see two things. Obviously I’d like to see Portsmouth Football Club grow, and I’d like to see us grow in tandem with Pompey. Being part of it will help us, and I hope we both get bigger. I think we will.

} Is there anything else you would like to add?

} Have you enjoyed it in Portsmouth so far?

Yes. There’s a lot going on here and I think some of the developments in Portsmouth put other cities to shame really. I think they make the most of the waterfront. Portsmouth has done a lot and it’s got Gunwharf Quays and the Spinnaker Tower. There’s lots of stuff down there.

I’d just emphasise again that we’re very much in this as a partnership, and we haven’t come here to just put a board up on the side of the pitch. It’s about the inclusion of the business, and hopefully that can work both ways.

} Are you optimistic for the future?

Yes. There hasn’t been a Volkswagen franchised van centre in Portsmouth for about ten years, so there’s a huge opportunity to grow.

} Do you think things have changed at Pompey since the fans bought the club? Yes. I mean it’s still here, and clearly there was the very distinct possibility that Portsmouth Football Club wouldn’t exist. So I think they’ve done an amazing job to pull together. Obviously there’s been some large investment from some of the fans who’ve been able to

I FEEL A STRONG SENSE TO WORK WITH THE CLUB AS OPPOSED TO JUST PUTTING A SIGN UP

} You’re the main sponsor of Pompey’s Academy, so what made you want to get involved with the Academy in the first place? ‌I’ve been supporting the Academy for probably

SW three years now. It started back when the club were

having severe problems. It looked like the Academy could be folded and I didn’t think that was right. Myself and one of the other directors decided that we would fund new tracksuits and one of the kits, and it’s continued from there. We weren’t going to get too heavily involved this year, but we had a meeting with Anna Mitchell and this year we’ve done a bit more and done all the shirts for all ages.

2007-08 S

} Not many know that a distant relative of mine through a second marriage was Alan Dicks who managed Bristol City for 13 years and Fulham for one.

My abiding memory of the Hong Kong trip was actually in Singapore where I was on a private holiday before joining the club.

I may well have mentioned him in an earlier column because one time when Bristol City came down to Fratton Park I had the thrill of going in their dressing room and on the team coach to meet the players.

I had rushed into a cinema to escape a bout of torrential rain, and you would only know how torrential it gets there if you have been under it.

It was also indirectly through Alan Dicks that I regularly got FA Cup final tickets throughout most of the 1970s, my first being the first ever drawn game between Chelsea and Leeds United. I saw shocks such as Sunderland beating Leeds and whisper it Southampton winning against Manchester United. Days when no other sport or football match rivalled or interfered with the cup final and when both BBC and ITV went head to head with transmissions from early in the morning. At this time Pompey were a run of the mill Division Two club and cup finals and Wembley were separate occasions for other teams. My dad often told me about the 1939 FA Cup final triumph against Wolves but as much as I tried to understand this to me it was in another age concerning players I never saw and in a lifetime I couldn’t relate to. Perhaps I should have realised something special was in the air in the Hong Kong heat that summer when Pompey beat Liverpool on penalties to lift the Asia Cup. I’d seen Pompey play in several countries like Ireland and Scotland but seeing them over the other side of the world was indeed another world. Curiously enough I had been to the stadium several years before watching Hong Kong v Scotland as I was over there on a break.

The film was in Mandarin with Chinese subtitles so I was none the wiser to the plot but suddenly I was aware of a familiar voice filling the cinema. “Yeah I like the boy he will be a good player,” came the cockney tones sounding remarkably like Harry Redknapp. “I am looking to build a team here,” he continued. Was Harry somewhere in the cinema? Did he have a starring role as himself in a Mandarin film? The mainly Mandarin audience were beginning to shift uneasily in their seats and looking behind them for the English imposter who had hijacked their film. I was equally bewildered before realising the voice was coming from my pocket when my Dictaphone had accidently switched itself on. I quickly made my exit and as it does in these parts the rain had ceased and the skies were cloudless with no sign of a puddle or that anything had been amiss. Back in Hong Kong Pompey had beaten Fulham in searing heat and followed that up with their Liverpool triumph. I actually had a bird’s-eye-view of the penalty shootout from behind the goal at the other end where the tunnel was situated as we awaited the return of what turned out to be triumphant players.

Naturally Pompey went into the game rank outsiders and I don’t need to recount events of this dramatic day to any selfrespecting Pompey fan.

IT SUDDENLY HIT ME IN THE CAR AND I JUST WANTED TO BE OFF FOR A FEW DRINKS ON MY OWN AND BE ALONE WITH MY THOUGHTS It was the first half meaningful trophy that I had seen Pompey lift but even now you could not foresee the bigger one they would be lifting ten months down the line. As often happens there is never an equilibrium with regards that what is happening on the pitch as opposed to that off it. Consequently as Pompey embarked on possibly their most memorable season I was trying to adjust to a change both in club and within my own department which had left me full of unease.

To be honest it wasn’t till about five minutes from the end that I realised Pompey were on the verge of Wembley and it was almost too much waiting for the final whistle. As one who had long opposed the playing of semi-finals at Wembley I suddenly embraced them. In one afternoon Pompey had gone from rank outsiders to hot favourites as along with United Chelsea also tumbled out. I certainly remembered those cup finals in the 70s and can only say how lucky I felt at not only watching Pompey at Wembley twice in semi-final then final but both times from the Royal Box. I also had all areas access throughout which I had been able to foresee at that Chelsea v Leeds final would have had me living in blissful contentment till my appointed time came around.

Nevertheless I will always remember sitting in a nightclub the evening of that cup triumph as Hermann Hreidarsson danced on tables with Steven Gerrard as both teams partied despite the Liverpool team being on a curfew from Rafael Benitez.

Anyone that has had the misfortune to be in my proximity during a game will know that I go through every emotion known to man that certainly lacks royal protocol.

It was only the second time I had met Hermann but anyone who saw his exploits that night would have been in no doubt about how crazy he was.

The man next to me secretary Paul Weld was not much better and the relief when the referee blew his whistle for the West Brom victory was pretty indescribable.

Due to a mix-up in the hotel I had no room for the extra night I was staying over so I spent all night in a hotel bar.

Thirty-eight years after watching my first cup final Pompey had made it to one and time pretty much stood still.

Seeing I hadn’t crept in till 7am the previous morning and was up again by 9am, the all-night drinking session preceded by three more at the airport before the 6am plane took off proved I had not lost any of my prowess in this department.

Again there is no reason to describe the cup final against Cardiff as it was special to every fan there for similar and different reasons.

In fact I had several drinks on the plane, several more still in the Gatwick Airport lounge and a few to round it all off in Havant Wetherspoons in what had been a round the world drinking extravaganza.

I was sitting in traffic with the managers PA on route back to the team hotel when suddenly I jumped out of the car and headed back to Central London.

As I say I couldn’t see what was ahead in a season that was almost exclusively about the FA Cup.

It wasn’t when the final whistle sounded, nor when the cup was presented or when it then became paraded, all things I had seen other clubs do, where I realised the magnitude of it all.

It was only after the fortuitous fifth round win at Preston that I really started to wonder if finally I was going to see Pompey in an FA Cup final.

It suddenly hit me in the car and I just wanted to be off for a few drinks on my own and be alone with my thoughts. To savour the occasion in my own way.

That was supposedly dashed before the seeds of thought had actually been sewn when we drew Manchester United away – the only team I had prayed we didn’t get.

In the tunnel after the game Hermann Hreidarsson had unleashed a whole bottle of icy water over me as I stood in the tunnel.

The pang of disappointment that hit me when I watched the draw live in Preston Wetherspoons was piercing – like the dream had been offered and then snatched away.

A crazy season which had begun with him wildly dancing on tables in Hong Kong ended with him dousing me with water. It had all been worth it.

BYGONE BLUES Johnny Moore looks at Chris Kamara’s contribution to Pompey

MANY OUTSIDE THE CITY ARE UNAWARE THAT CHRIS KAMARA BEGAN HIS NOMADIC FOOTBALL CAREER AT POMPEY.

Fratton and they avoided a second successive drop into the basement by a single point the following season.

Now ‘Kammy’ is an instantly recognisable face on Sky Sports, but nobody would have believed that television fame was lying in wait when he arrived at Fratton Park straight out of the Navy as a teenager.

Chris had become a pivotal figure by this point, with the emphasis firmly placed on youth as Pompey tried to look towards the future. He would start 40 league and cup games that term, again netting four times. While his goal tally was slightly disappointing, the chances he created for others was a particular strength.

It seemed like his footballing dream had passed by when hometown club Middlesbrough failed to take him on as an apprentice.

Later in the season, St John was replaced in the dug-out by the legendary Jimmy Dickinson and a decision he made in the summer of 1977 proved controversial.

The disillusioned youngster went off to sea, but while stationed in Portsmouth he was spotted playing by club scouts.

He accepted a £15,000 offer from Swindon for Kamara and it was not a popular decision, with the player soon haunting his old side by opening the scoring in a rollercoaster League Cup clash at the County Ground that the Blues lost 4-3.

Bought out of the Navy to realise his ambitions, Kamara went on to feature in a youth team rich in promise, alongside the likes of Steve Foster, Peter Denyer and Billy Eames. Such was his progress, he made his first team Blues debut at the age of just 17 in a 2-0 defeat at home to Luton in 1975. Manager Ian St John used him 21 times in the old Division Two that season, with Pompey eventually finishing rock bottom. Kamara’s first senior goal had arrived earlier in the campaign during a 4-1 loss at Bolton in November, after intercepting a back-pass from the experienced Tony Dunne. Of his four efforts from midfield that season, the only one that came at home was in a 2-0 victory over Blackpool. He showed maturity beyond his years by stepping up – with the game still deadlocked – to convert a 50th-minute penalty. But this was March and the Blues were already hopelessly cut adrift – eventually getting relegated and ending 12 points shy of safety. Despite such abject failure, Kamara was one of the few success stories, with his enthusiasm shining through. These were certainly bleak times at

FOUR YEARS AFTER HIS DEPARTURE, KAMARA WOULD SHRUG OFF ALL THE ACRIMONY BY RETURNING TO POMPEY FOR A FEE OF £50,000 CHRIS KAMARA DOB: 25/12/57 POSITION: MIDFIELDER POMPEY CAREER: 19741977, 1981 POMPEY APPS: 81 POMPEY GOALS: 9

This followed a stormy encounter on the south coast which ended in a 1-1 draw, but saw the midfielder receive sinister death threats in the build-up. Yet four years after his departure, Kamara would shrug off all the acrimony by returning to Pompey for a fee of £50,000. But it seemed like a strange decision by boss Frank Burrows – who had steered the club to promotion from Division Four – because after just 14 games he was on his way again, this time in swap deal with Brentford’s David Crown. Later Kamara would turn out for Swindon (again), Stoke, Leeds, Luton, Middlesbrough – long after that first rejection – Sheffield United and Bradford. Then, after spells in charge of Bradford and Stoke, TV work came calling and he would regularly return to Fratton Park in order to cover matches. One of his more notable broadcasting moments came in match against Blackburn when he completely missed Anthony Vanden Borre’s red card, provoking much hilarity back in the studio, as well as homes up and down the country. Unbelievable Jeff.

TOM WHITE’S

VIEW FROM THE

FRATTON END

} I imagine most football fans love a good comeback against the odds.

turnaround and earned the Blues the three points.

And Pompey’s thrilling comeback victory against Tranmere Rovers got me thinking of some of the most unlikely late comebacks I have witnessed at Fratton Park down the years supporting the Blues.

The win was the first of four victories in a row for Pompey as Tony Pulis continued his record of never being relegated as a manager, a record which still stands to this day, and expertly guided the Blues to safety.

Admittedly due to my tender age there haven’t been that many games where I’ve seen Pompey come from behind late on to earn a win or even a draw, but perhaps my love of an unlikely comeback came from my first ever game at Fratton Park. It was March 13, 1999, and my dad took me to a game against Crystal Palace as it was the first home match after my eighth birthday. Former Blue Lee Bradbury had given the Eagles an early lead in the third minute, and when Michalis Vlachos was sent off for Pompey it looked like my first game would end in defeat. Step up Pompey legend Guy Whittingham, who scored on 89 minutes to earn Alan Ball’s side a 1-1 draw and a share of the spoils. My first memory of an unlikely comeback victory is a 2-1 win at home to Nottingham Forest on March 11, 2000. Forest had been relegated from the Premier League the previous season, and they took the lead in the 80th minute through Andy Johnson’s goal. Thomas Thogersen equalised on 84 minutes, and Steve Claridge’s 89th-minute goal completed the

In the 2002-03 season Pompey cruised to the Division One title, and they then enjoyed several successful seasons in the Premier League. And my next comeback memory comes from the end of Pompey’s Premier League adventure, and a 3-2 win at home to Hull City on March 20, 2010.

THE WIN WAS THE FIRST OF FOUR VICTORIES IN A ROW FOR POMPEY AS TONY PULIS CONTINUED HIS RECORD OF NEVER BEING RELEGATED AS A MANAGER

The Blues were bottom of the league, had been deducted nine points for entering administration, and were already pretty much destined for the Championship, but that didn’t make the unlikely comeback victory any less special. Pompey were 2-1 down late on and looked to be heading to yet another defeat, before Jamie O’Hara equalised in the 88th minute and Nwankwo Kanu scored on 89 minutes as Avram Grant’s Blues showed all of their spirit to earn the three points.

up the game, Biley took advantage of the added time to score two goals and earn Pompey the three points. If any readers have their own memories from that Oxford game, any of the other games I mentioned, or any games that I have missed, then please send an email to tomwhite@pompeyfc.co.uk and share them with me.

Finally, there is Pompey’s 3-2 victory against Tranmere Rovers on February 24, 2015. I know readers won’t need reminding of the details, but Pompey were 2-0 down after 75 minutes and then scored three goals in nine minutes to earn an unlikely victory. Craig Westcarr scored the first goal before Ryan Taylor’s brace turned defeat into victory for Andy Awford’s side and led to absolute pandemonium in the Fratton End. I’m well aware that there have been many more famous comebacks at Fratton Park down the years which I haven’t had the pleasure of viewing. One of the most well-known is the game when Alan Biley scored two goals in ‘Santa time’ to earn Pompey a 2-1 win at home to Oxford United on December 22, 1984. The Blues had been 1-0 down late on, but after a pitch invader dressed as Father Christmas held

JOSH SWEETMAN’S

POMPEY C H A T } Ryan Taylor – Did you ever doubt him?

around him, and to bring them into the game.

As Pompey fans, there is nothing we love better than to see someone run themselves into the ground while wearing the famous blue of our club. We don’t ask for much, we understand that it doesn’t quite suit certain players to shed the proverbial blood, sweat and tears, but all we want is for the boys representing us to show the same pride we do from the stands.

I am delighted that he has been in goalscoring form of late, a feeling matched by a number of first-team players, who have flocked to social media to show their appreciation for the job Taylor does for the side.

Benjani was the epitome of that mentality. His finishing ability when he first came over the Channel had many questioning if he was actually a professional footballer, if he was another one of those cons that those rivals down the road famously got stitched up with many years ago.

What the striker often does goes unnoticed, people remember the goals, the skill but rarely remember the hard work put in by the likes of Taylor to take a defender away from the goalscorer, or to win the ball back by harassing the opponents. Six goals in seven games is fully deserved, and the double against Tranmere to turn the game on its head had the Fratton End finally chanting Taylor’s name, and I could not be happier.

But eventually, the man from Zimbabwe managed to match his energetic approach with a clinical mentality in front of goal, and he has forever been written in Pompey’s folklore.

An unselfish forward that brings so much to the team, and the perfect man to play with a poacher like Matt Tubbs.

Since the start of the season, I have at times wondered whether I should have taken my ear plugs down to the park. It has been a term of ups and downs, success and disappointment, but finally our season is back on track.

I can only hope his impressive form in front of goal continues along with his outstanding work rate. Maybe then, by the end of the season we may finally hear Ryan Taylor’s name ringing out from the ground.

When the chips are down, players can come in for some criticism, and seemingly, from what I could hear, Ryan Taylor bore the brunt of that. I never understood why. The former Bristol City hitman runs himself into the ground every time he pulls on the shirt. I thought at times why are we not showing this guy the same patience we did with Benjani? An unbelievable presence in the air, and for a defender he is almost a brick wall when playing with his back to goal. Taylor is in the side maybe not for his goals, but to complement those

I AM DELIGHTED THAT HE HAS BEEN IN GOALSCORING FORM OF LATE, A FEELING MATCHED BY A NUMBER OF FIRST-TEAM PLAYERS

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JOE ATKIN PROVIDES DETAILED INFORMATION ON POMPEY’S UPCOMING AWAY GAMES

AWAY

D AY S AFC Wimbledon v Pompey Saturday March 21, 3pm Sky Bet League Two

Carlisle United v Pompey Friday April 3, 3pm Sky Bet League Two

What’s the ground like?

AFC Wimbledon play their home games at Kingsmeadow, in front of a capacity 4,850 with 2,265 of those seated. The ground is in Kingston upon Thames, which is an 18-minute drive from Wimbledon. Away fans are housed in the Your Golf Travel Terrace which is directly opposite the tunnel. The away end is standing, however part of the Nongshim Stand behind the goal will be given to the away supporters if the attendance is over a certain number. That area behind the goal is seated.

Brunton Park is the home of Carlisle United. The ground has a 18,202 capacity but is rarely full. One of the stands usually remains closed unless there is a big crowd expected. Away fans are housed on one side of the Story Homes East Stand, with up to 2,000 travelling supporters being accommodated. The away end is all seated. It’s believed that there is a good atmosphere at Brunton Park and it’s a really enjoyable place to go.

How to get there by car:

All I can say is those willing to drive are crazy. Carlisle away is Pompey’s longest away trip all season. The journey will take five hours and 33 minutes, covering 348 miles. The route requires tolls. Once you’re on the M275, follow the M27 and M3 to the Winchester by-pass. Take the A34 in Winchester and take exit 9 from the M3. This should take 27 minutes and covers 29.1 miles. In Oxfordshire, get on the M40. This will take one hour and one minute, having done 62.8 miles. Continue on the M40, and then take the M6. Take exit 43 from the M6 to Rotary Way and get on the A69 in Carlisle. Follow the A69 to Brunton Park. The address for the stadium is: Brunton Park, Warwick Road, Carlisle, CA1 1LL. There is a club car park that costs £2.50. It can be found by taking the first right immediately after Brunton Park into Victoria Place and then take the first right onto St Aidan’s Road. Street parking is also an option if the car park is full.

The journey from Portsmouth to Kingsmeadow should take roughly one hour and six minutes, so it is not the furthest away trip for Pompey fans. Supporters should take the A3 to South Lane in New Malden. This will last 61.8 miles. Continue on South Lane, take Kingston Road and then the A2043 to Jack Goodchild Way in Kingston upon Thames. This should take four minutes and it will be 1.5 miles. You should then arrive at Kingsmeadow. The address for the stadium is: The Cherry Red Records Stadium, Jack Goodchild Way, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 3PB. There is limited parking at the ground but you must arrive by 2.15pm at the latest. If not, residential streets supply parking, however it can be very tight due to the size of the residential area. How to get there by train: The nearest station to the ground is Norbiton, which is a 15-minute walk from the ground. The journey will take two hours and seven minutes on the train and will cost £33 without a railcard and £21.80 with a railcard. The journey will require two changes. These will be at Woking and Wimbledon. Where to drink?

How to get there by car:

How to get there by train: Brunton Park is situated about a mile away from Carlisle Citadel Station. The journey usually take six hours and four minutes and will cost £140.80 without a railcard and £92.95 with a railcard. The journey usually requires two changes, which are at London Waterloo and London Euston. However, as this match is being played on Good Friday part of the journey may have rail replacement buses, so all Pompey fans are strongly advised to check the route to Carlisle Citadel Station before travelling to the game by train.

There are two main bars inside the main Paul Strank Stand, which usually welcomes away fans. However, for the games that are all ticket the pubs are usually reserved just for home supporters. Nearby pubs include the Duke of Wellington and the Prince of Wales. They are both on Kingston Road between New Malden and the ground.

Where to drink?

Hotels:

All hotels around the area will be found on www.laterooms.co.uk. Check for availability in advance.

All hotels around the area can be found on www.laterooms.co.uk. Check for availability in advance.

The Carlisle Rugby Club next to Brunton Park on Warwick Road has its own club bar which allows away supporters in. The Beehive on Warwick Road is also a very good pub that serves away supporters. Both are near and handy for those travelling to Brunton Park.

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