The Present
So today we wave adios to the Premier League after seven seasons and 266 games. Pompey fans have mixed views on the footballing future, some say we will bounce straight back, others we need to completely rebuild before promotion and the remainder feel we will never return.
We will get together all the statistics of Pompey`s Premier League career and look at them in some detail during the long ‘hot’ summer.
Sat through the FA Trophy final between Stevenage and Barrow yesterday to have a look at the Wembley pitch. It is still far from perfect but did not cut up too badly. The good omen was that the minnows beat the league champions after extra time and prevented Stevenage winning the double.
Gandor and tracyc will by now have my stretched limousine booked for next week`s trip back to Wembley. Is it me or is the novelty of going there beginning to wear off? Tickets have arrived though on cue.
The Past
Pompey`s remarkable decline is laid bare in a BBC documentary called ‘Fit and Proper Persons?’ to be broadcast on Sunday, 9 May, at 1515 BST on BBC 1 South and Sky channel 984. It will also be available on the iPlayer and BBC News.
Interviews with Peter Storrie, Milan Mandaric, Mark Jacob, Avram Grant and Gordon Taylor of the PFA among others. Sadly Balram Chainrai declined at the last minute.
If you miss the TV coverage Radio Solent will be playing extended versions of the interviews at 6pm after the Everton match.
Toast also had a candidate standing in the General Election!! Yes we get everywhere. Steve a contributor over the years stood in Basingstoke on an anti-sleaze ticket and polled just 247 votes – hard luck Steve not exactly holding the balance of power though are you?
Oh Well!
After our recent discussion on the Burton 5 – Cheltenham 6 game, we discovered that the last game with that score was Motherwell 5 Aberdeen 6.
Well the Well decided to outdo themselves this week when drawing 6-6 with Hibernian at Fir Park. This was no ordinary end of season stroll either as both sides are fighting for a Europa Cup spot and the comeback gives Motherwell the edge. In fact they fought back from 6-2 down to get a vital point. A Pompey link with Mark`s son Tom Hateley among the Motherwell scorers.
Funny game football or is it just the Toast effect?
The future
When asked about Pompey`s situation this week I replied ‘the debt has gone up a bit but that happens every week doesn’t it?’
It appears that the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) may well be about to be approved by creditors at a rate of 20p in the pound over five years. Regulars will remember that after great deliberation the Toast team offered the following a couple of weeks ago ‘It is difficult to estimate yet what the CVA might offer creditors but 25p in the pound over four years might be the type of offer made.’
Why the error you ask? Well the debt has gone up a bit!! So maybe there is a heaven’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Just received news of another Audience with Linvoy Primus – My Life and Football. It takes place on Tuesday 25th May 2010 at 7.30pm when the Kings Theatre in Southsea will be host to Linvoy Primus telling his career story.
This show will be hosted by Steve and Galey from the Grass Roots Football Show on Express FM 93.7 and brought to you by Portsmouth Live TV, Express FM & Kings Theatre.
Prices Tickets cost £14.00 – £12.00 – contact the Kings Theatre Box Office on 023 92828282
Top of the charts
Pompey fans have been trying to get the Mike Oldfield ditty Portsmouth into the charts before the Cup Final. Research tells us that to need about 5,000 sales to make the Top 40. We shall know later today. Does Alan Freeman still introduce the Top 40 run down?
World Cup
Qualifying nations are beginning to name their provisional squads for the finals in South Africa in June and July. Interestingly Ghana have named Kevin Prince Boateng along with ex players Quincy and Sulley Muntari in their thirty so there will be plenty of familiar faces to cheer on – or otherwise.
Prince still needs FIFA clearance to play for his adopted country as he turned out for Germany at junior level.
Old friends depart
Darlington and Grimsby dropped out of the Football League yesterday – the Mariners had been members since the league was expanded in 1892 and were in the Championship last time we were there..
It is also farewell to Saltergate the home of Chesterfield since 1871!
Next season the Spirerites will move a new featureless stadium named after some sponsor or other. Is that progress or do we need more real football grounds?
and finally????
If you see any Chelsea fans this week and they crow about we have not beaten them since Boxing Day 1957 remind them that we beat them in the League Cup in December 1960!!
You could also take them back to when they were first League Champions in 1955. Pompey visited Stamford Bridge on 3rd September to test the Champions mettle and left with two points after a 5-1 thrashing!! Peter Harris and Derek Rees netted two each and the other was from Jackie Henderson.
Pat Neil played in that game must talk to hom about it. I also have got the programme of that game stashed away somewhere Perhaps I will bring it to Hermann’s birthday party – remember July 10th at the Eastney Tavern – and watch the World Cup third place game to boot.
Not sure when Toast will next be published as I will not be around on Saturday for some reason but I hope to see plenty of you at Wembley.
See ya!
PUP
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