The Human Side of Football
I’ve just read a story on the BBC website about the players and management of Portsmouth Football Club collectively contributing to save four peoples jobs at the club’s training ground.
What a magnificent gesture considering the state of of the club’s finances and also that the players have been the victims of late payment of wages on numerous occasions this season.
With such generous sentiment the fans can be rightly proud of their team, not just for their fighting spirit against all odds that they display, but for the sheer humanity of the situation.
All staff at Portsmouth FC have been hung out to dry by four owners this season although the fourth, Balram Chainrai it can be argued has probably saved the club by taking it into administration before Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs carved it up.
Spare a thought for a loyal supporter base who must be experiencing hell on earth this season. Has a supporter of a football club ever seen their club implode on such a scale. PortsmouthFC fans are a great bunch, they have been magnificent to their team this season and rightly critical of the parasites who have muddied the name of the club. How does John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood keep going? Because he is a fan who lives and breathes for his beloved club like so many fans up and down the country who are witnessing the money men from overseas pillage their clubs for personal gain. John Westwood is a figure who is synomous with Portsmouth FC with his distinctive supporters “uniform”, the cameras are attracted to him and rightly so, he’s everything that is good about supporting your team.
Spare a thought also for Avram Grant. The manager of the year award will probably go to Sir Alex Ferguson, maybe Arsène Wenger or Carlo Ancelotti. In my opinion they should give the award to Avram Grant now for what he has endured. Special mention as well to Paul Hart for his part in keeping Portsmouth’s first team concentrating on football matters.
I wish Portsmouth FC all the best for the remainder of this season and for many seasons to come with a responsible owner.
Play Up Pompey, Pompey Play Up
Bedford Red
