We get to know a little more about PFCGino.
1 – Vital Pompey username?
PFCGino – The PFC bit is obvious, but the Gino part comes from a nickname I used to have because I’m half Spanish.
2 – Where do you come from/where do you currently live?
I come from Portsmouth and currently live and work as a legal assistant in Fareham. I lived in Swansea for three years whilst I did my degree though.
3 – How long have you been a Vital Pompey member?
Not sure exactly, I think I may have joined up and created a username years ago, but only started really contributing and visiting regularly last year, around July/August time I think. (Written in March 2009)
4 – What do you think of Vital Pompey? Be brutally honest!
It’s the best Pompey fan site out there. The fact that it’s written by the fans for the fans is brilliant, and from what I can see it’s the best Vital Football site too. It beats the other sites out there hands down. I like the fact that you can put your views about Pompey across whatever they are and they’re taken seriously, even if others disagree. The site admin staff are excellent too, with regular features like the Toast that really keep you coming back, and also the fact that it’s updated on a daily basis. Not only that, the site is easy to navigate and the focus seems to be on the fans than anything else.
5 – How did you find out about Vital Pompey?
When I started a new job last May I used to go online and check out NewsNow for the Pompey news. Some of the articles directed me to VitalFootball, and I really enjoyed reading them, and just got addicted. I tried to sign up and realised I had already done so ages beforehand but not really realised, so here I am now making up for lost time.
6 – When did you first watch Pompey live – not on box unless this is the only way you have been able to see them? Not necessarily at Fortress Fratton though.
When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I came to realise that football was a fantastic sport. Growing up, I never really knew anything of football other than playground rush goalie jumpers for goalposts games because my dad wasn’t really into it all that much. My uncle then told me about Portsmouth FC and how great they were. I was instantly hooked, and started really supporting the blues from home, and reading the evening News whenever I had a chance, expanding my Portsmouth knowledge. It wasn’t until 31 August 1998 when I was 12 that my uncle took me to my first Fratton Park match.
The game was Pompey against QPR and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so excited to be going, and I still have the programme and ticket stub safely stored away!! We won 3-0, and I was sat in the South Stand upper tier, near to the Fratton End. I was in absolute awe of John Aloisi at the time and couldn’t contain my excitement when he put us one nil up with a peach half-volley. A fantastic goal, and it was probably the happiest moment of my life up until then! The noise, the atmosphere, it was all just amazing to me. Everyone was singing and chanting, and the ground was only half-full!! In the second half another of my Pompey favourites scored towards the end, Alan McLoughlin. Martin Phillips then scored his one and only League goal for us in the dying moments (I think it was his first touch too, but my memory is a little Hazy.)
7 – How often do you get to watch Pompey?
Nowadays I get to as many home games as possible. I haven’t got a season ticket, but hope to get one for next season if I can afford it. I would say I go at least 6 times a season, which isn’t too bad. I try to take in as many away games as possible. This season I’ve been to a couple of home games and two away games, so I’m being rather slack!! I do watch every live TV game though, and listen to the rest on The Quay. I was there though for the big games – I was there when we secured both promotion and the cup, our first ever Premiership game (beating Villa 2-0 and chanting ‘We Are Top Of The League was genius!!), first Premiership away win and the local derby games too!
8 – Who is your favourite Pompey Player – current and/or former?
Tough one, because I like all Pompey players. My favourite current player is Niko Kranjcar. I think he’s an amazing talent, and will one day be a big, big star. Croatia has been producing fantastic footballers recently, and Niko is one of their top assets in my opinion. Granted, he still has a bit to learn, and can be a bit lazy but I think this is just down to frustration more than anything, but he can pass, he can dribble, he can cross and he can’t half hit em!! He’s a true professional, and will go on to big, big things.
Other favourites of mine from Pompey past include Patrik Berger, Robert Prosinecki, John Aloisi, Sammy Igoe, Darren ‘Bruno’ Moore, Alessandro Zamperini (good one there for the A-Z Chix, when we get to Z!!), Stevie Claridge and many many more!!
9 – What is you favourite Pompey moment?
Need I really say? Winning the FA Cup last year will stay with me for the rest of my life. However, to make this article slightly more interesting I will just assume that I’m not allowed to have the FA Cup win!
Watching us get promoted was a fantastic feeling, running onto the hallowed turf at FP was something that I’ll never forget. My favourite Pompey player moment was bumping into Linvoy near my house in Portchester when he was with some travelling church. He’d scored against Celtic in a pre-season friendly not long before, and he was one of the nicest blokes I ever had the pleasure of meeting.
10 – What are your realistic hopes for Pompey in the future?
Well, I don’t really want to answer this question because it will differ depending on what happens at the end of this season. Ultimately though I would love Pompey to be one of the top teams in the world!! I note you say ‘realistically’, so I guess I would like Pompey to be pushing for the UEFA Cup places every year, and being an established Premiership side (which I thought we were!). Not only that, I would like a few decent cup runs in there too. Some teams really take the piss (not mentioning any names *COUGH* TOTTENHAM *COUGH*) and qualify for the cups then field weakened sides! What’s the point, you need to take the cups seriously!! Just a pet hate of mine, but to answer your question – pushing for 6th place every year.
PLAY UP POMPEY!
Others to complete so far are as follows, click on them to check them out!
pompeyrug … paultsmouth … The Rabbi … Owenspompey … Pompey4me … pompeycarpet … storagematt … linvoyforengland … NinjaTim … CharlieChimes … eastneydave … pompeygray … Chix … Lysimachus … PompeyGleamer … steaming … plymouth graham … Toronto4pompey … tracyc … Blarmy … NorthStandDan … UKTony … pentonpompey … whitestones … stillthewhizz … 007 … Highland_Pompey … Midge … Tantona … knocker … jbaker … blueballoo2000 … ChrisW … NK19 … imazav … frattonaussie … pompeywebb … tommo3146 … MelbournePompey … robertpog … Bennyboy … Buddha1974 … Pompeysno.9 … Pompeyscum … pdm2007 … hammersmithblue … dedmans
