[Pompeyfan]

Hi Red666

Pompey have always had a large fan base, they just have not been going to games when we were in the lower divisions.

We were once one of the biggest clubs in the land and that has never gone away, we still are off the pitch if not on it. But it has not been reflected in the gates during most of my lifetime when we were in the lower divisions.

But when I first started going in the early 50s we had regular gates of up to 50,000. Even during our darkest hour when we sunk to the bottom league, the old Div 4 in 1977/78 saw home gates of 20, to 23,000. Almost unheard of in that division. And when we were promoted back to Div 3 in 1979/80, we took over Northampton's ground for the last game of the season that saw us promoted. They had a home gate of 10,774, but most of that crowd were Pompey supporters. We stunned the Northampton crowd.

Then in 1981, in the FL Cup, as a 3rd Division team we took over 13,000 supporters to Liverpool for an evening game. It was I think the most away support ever to go to Liverpool. And as far as I know, has never been beaten. The Kop gave a standing ovation at the end, they had never seen anything like it. The gate was 32,021 and we had half of the ground. We lost 4-1, but the result meant nothing. We showed that support wise, we were still at the very top.

We really are a sleeping giant, and it is only an old ground having to comply with modern standards that we have had to drop to 20,000. But that 20,000 has made us the loudest support in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago, and something like 3rd in Europe last season. Imagine the noise level with 50,000 like it used to be if we can win noise levels with just 20,000 not counting the away support that is. So it is only about 16,000 or so. Away managers are amazed by the noise level at Fratton Park even when losing. We often up the noise level when losing to spur the team on.

But those supporters, that once filled our ground to 50,000 are still out there somewhere because like me, we hand the bug down the line. My granddaughter, and now 6 years great grandson are Pompey supporters. And other familes are the same. Those I went with in the 50s now take their kids and grandchildren, or at least follow from afar. So those who have died have handed it on. The problem is that people still don't go, even if they could. And that is a mixture of many reasons including money, but the fan base is most certainly there.

We have supporters clubs all over the world. In fact with Sky, more possibly watch on TV all across the globe than actually go. When we beat Liverpool to win the Asia Cup last month in Hong Kong, order for shirts in China hit the roof. And we now have top quality shirts exclusive to us for the next 5 years. Canterbury of New Zealand who make rugby shirts have moved into football, but only with Pompey. They are top quality shirts aimed at soaking up sweat. Basically, if you dropped it in a pool of water, it would stay dry?!.

Another thing that makes us known world wide, even when in lower divisions, and which fuels our support not only now, but in the past is the Pompey Chimes. It is the only football chant on earth that can be heard at every hour right across the globe. No other football chant can be heard with such global regularity, and it is exclusive to us. Few clubs copy it, unlike other soccer chants. It is certainly regarded in the football world as exclusive to us.

Okay, somewhere in the distant past we copied the Westminster Chimes renaming it the Pompey Chimes. But most towns and cities across our planet have clocks that chime the Westminster/Pompey Chimes just like Big Ben in London. Every hour from Big Ben what do you hear the Pompey Chimes?!!. It makes me so proud!.

And being in the merchant navy travelling to just about every country in the world from large cities to small islands they all had a clock that chimed the Pompey Chimes making me feel even prouder, and closer to home. And also of course, many peoples door bells ring the chimes and of course Grandfather clocks.

We don't need to be successful on the pitch to be big. We are already a giant, and have proved it?!!.

So sorry to blow the Pompey trumpet?!.

Anyone better than?!!.

By the way, talking of big clubs, Leeds visit us tomorrow in the Carling Cup. How sad to see yet another giant fall like they have. Lets hops they bounce straight back, but not tomorrow of course?!.

David