Midge points out why Pompey SHOULD be allowed into Europe next season.
OK Rules are rules but surely common sense still prevail? And lets be honest it wont be a first as…
1) In 2008 Cardiff were told they would NOT be allowed to be part of the UEFA cup (Europa leagues previous title), as they were NOT entitled to an English Teams spot! Yet the FA overturned this rule, as a reward for reaching the final, should they win. Surely this MUST mean they had NOT applied by the end of March, else why ask for a the rule to be overturned this late on in the competition?
2) The Fans – They are the main stay, the anchor, the king pin. They have done nothing wrong, they turn out week after week, and like it or not, Pompey fans have become famous through out this land, and helped towards promoting what a wonderful league the PL is, across Europe and other countries lucky enough to watch PL Football. In our last European run, we took Portugal and Germany by storm, turning a lot of their fans into Part Time Pompey fans.
Why? because of the passion. I returned to Guimarães last year and was met by fans in the square, still talking about the year before. We were, and will be a true Ambassador for English Football… the Pompey fans are the best and most memorable for the RIGHT reasons . The fans have paid the price for those who have jumped ship, and they deserve some reward from the FA, for NOT turning anti at every minor or major hurdle.
3) Avram Grant – This man is the only man I can think of who would have stood by a club without pay for months on end, with broken promises and constant rugs being either removed from under him or sold to the nearest bidder. Avram IS Mr Pompey, and we all hope he stays here for the rest of his career. He fell for the club, the fans and the passion. He has been punished enough, just like the fans and ALSO deserves some reward now from the FA.
4) The Team – What a credit to Football. Yes they get good wages, but… David James, changed his contract, (a lot say this was for his England career, which I don’t doubt is partially true), but also to help the fight… Everyone saw his delight when we beat Spurs, that was Passion… it was not money or England career related. ALL Players are to waiver their bonuses for playing in the Final. Triggered by silly clauses, (again put into their contracts by fools no longer at Pompey)… OK, A lot of players WILL leave. But some may already have thoughts of winning the league next year and bouncing back as Hero’s?
Who knows maybe some of these may be convinced to stay one more year and give it a bash, especially if rewarded with the justified bonus of Europe, that THEY earned. And keeping as many as possible, would be a major boost that the whole Club would benefit from, as well as just rewards for a bunch of players, written off, that became a family, and proved everyone wrong.
5) UEFA – They have said that they ONLY need paperwork from the FA by May 31st including Pompey’s name, and they will accept us into the Europa league, providing all boxes are ticked. They agree with Pompey appealing, reporting to national Media, that the March deadline is ONLY something the FA stipulate, not UEFA.
So Come on FA… Pompey deserve it for heavens sake… We got to the final, we beat some big teams to do so, we deserve the reward, AND it is only a bloody form that gets us on a list in May….
What’s the harm? Don’t punish all those mentioned above for errors! Mismanagement! And lack of interest! from people who are not even linked with the club anymore. It’s like punishing a child for his fathers crimes.
Written by Midge.
The views within this article are the views of the individual who wrote and submitted this piece, sometimes solely theirs. They are not necessarily shared by the Vital Pompey Site Journalists.
