FA Cup at Southsea Common
A huge crowd turned out to watch Portsmouth FC fail to reclaim the FA Cup title on Saturday 15th May.
Tens of thousands of avid supporters attended Southsea Common to watch the match on a giant 40square metre screen, marking a scene reminiscent of the 2008 gathering at the common, where around sixty thousand turned up to see Portsmouth win 1-0 over Cardiff City, a Kanu goal sealing the historic victory. This time though, it was not to be such a joyous occasion, with Didier Drogba breaking Pompey hearts with the only goal of the game to give Chelsea the cup. Tension mounted with passionate Pompey fans sensing the seasons last hurrah slipping away, a Chelsea replica shirt was burned.
On the whole though it appears to have been an amicable scene. A Portsmouth University student remarked, “It was an incredible atmosphere, the majority seemed to be happy even though we’d lost. People were having barbecues, a few drinks and just generally having a good time.”
It could be a long time before we see such scenes like this again, with Pompey’s debt reaching a reported £138,000,000 and the club relegated to the second tier of English football, it was imperative to many that this football-mad community, along with the large number of students in attendance, got the occasion to adulate their club before an uncertain future commences.
