View from the opposition – Portsmouth
A bit about you:
Name: Pam Wilkins
Current home town: Portsmouth
Birthplace: Portsmouth
How long have you supported your team? 51 years
Overview of your club:
Once one of the top teams in the country, brought low by years of bad management, overspending and administration, now restricted by terms of CVA, no way we can afford promotion. Hopefully the next few years will see us continue to stabilise and live within our income. Just appointed a new untried young manager, Michael Appleton, so fingers crossed things will go well for him.
Favourite thing about your home ground: It's a real football ground, designed by Achie Leach, not one of these soulless flat pack stadiums. It may be a bit tatty now, but on a good day, when it's rocking, it can be a very intimidating ground for the away team, who aren't always used to the crowd being so close to them. Some of the PL players hated playing here.
Favourite match played by your team & why: Difficult to pick one, probably League Cup v Liverpool at Anfield in 1984. We were a third division team and took around 14,000 to Liverpool for a mid week evening match, we were well beaten, but it was my first taste of a big ground, the Cop was magnificent, but we out sang them. The other one would be beating Man Utd at Old Trafford in 2008 to reach the FA Cup semi final and seeing Pompey play at Wembley.
Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Johnny Gordon, who played inside right in the late 50s and early 60s.
About our forthcoming match against you:
I've given up predicting, on our day we can stuff anyone, especially if we can learn to play for 90 minutes. I'd be happy with a draw.
Your favourite current player in your squad and why? Jason Pearce, young centre back, gets stuck in and shouts a lot.
Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Probably Eric the Viking, Fast and scores good goals, but if King Kanu comes on be very afraid, he can't run but the magic is still there.
Player in our squad you most fear and why? Don't really know any apart from Nugget and I imagine he still fluffs far more than he scores.
Up and coming prospect in your squad? Ryan Williams, young Australian winger, can cross with both feet from either side.
Where do you think you’ll finish this season? Hopefully mid table safety.
How do you think you’ll do against us? Hopefully win, but I'd be happy with a draw.
Any other comments? Play Up Pompey.