A quick potted history of me.
I have an all year suntan in thanks to a mother who is Maltese.
I was born & bred in Portsmouth because my father spent 23 years in the Royal Navy & Pompey was his home base.
My parents left Portsmouth & returned & retired back to Malta 20 years ago, so I visit regularly.
Last week on Thursday 16th, my father was 70. (Ironically within two weeks of my father’s birth, Pompey won the FA Cup).
Typically, the fixture list had given me, home to West Brom on Saturday 11th & another home match on Saturday 18th. So a few weeks ago I booked my fights. Out early on Sunday 12th & back very late on Friday 17th. Yes family is important but sometimes football is more important. I have spent the last 25 years arranging my life around the fixture list & I wasn’t going to stop now.
My flight out on Air Malta was also my first since the sponsored partnership between the airline & our beloved club.
As I approached to enter onto the plane, I was gob smacked to see the club’s crest on the side of the aeroplane. I felt very proud to see the two sides of my life next to each other.
Once settled into my seat, I picked up the in-flight magazine, looking forward to all the reminders of things wonderful about Malta. On the front cover is Peter Crouch heading a goal against Heerenveen in the UEFA Cup. In large bold letters underneath is ‘Portsmouth FC, in the stands with Pompey fans’. How wonderful I thought. The gloom of only drawing with West Brom was lifting. I scamper through the pages & on page 4 is large picture of David James guiding me to page 43 for the article about us. Opposite on page 5 had a picture £3m+ Sunseeker luxury motor yacht, we were in good company!
So to page 43. Headline, ‘Play up Pompey’ next to the large image of the crested badge. The report by a Maltese journalist, sums up Pompey highs & lows of last season to now. It calls Fratton Park a ‘traditional English football ground’. (That was very polite). A bit of club history & a report on our January home defeat with Aston Villa & Belhadj’s sending off. His report singles out the passionate support by the homes fans. Yes, an enjoyable read.
On my return journey, the crest was still on the side of the plane & the same magazine there to read but now in an in flight advert before about Pompey. I’m beaming with pride as they show Muntari scoring the penalty against the Mancs, Kanu’s double at Wembley & Sol lifting the FA Cup. ‘Air Malta proud to be the official flight sponsors of Portsmouth football club’.
My family duty done, it was time to return home, with my tan topped up & to see the very important win over Bolton.
Written by storagematt.
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.
