Portsmouth v Arsenal: A wasted journey!

Last updated : 26 March 2006 By Brian Dawes
A bright sunny, windy morning in London and we set off to the South coast debating the probable team and whether or not Sol should have been in the squad. It was pissing down by the time we hit Hampshire and the clouds were very low.

Fortunately we heard about the pitch inspections on the radio and were not overly optimistic, but never having suffered an away postponement it seemed a bit surreal that we may have driven all that way for nothing. We were parked up less than 400 yards from the ground and it was still raining when the bad news came through. So we shot off via sunny Southsea to head back up the A3 and decided we deserved a pint in the Devil's Punchbowl where we were joined by numerous other Arsenal fans and the odd Pompey fan. The Pompey fan seemed to think that Dein wanted the game played and Wenger didn't. Not that it matters because the referee alone has the decision as to whether it is played or not.

Apparently Pompey recently relayed their pitch over the top of the old pitch and the drainage is not all that in the corners. But as I didn't see the pitch I couldn't comment. Other than to say that no Premiership Club should ever need to have a game called off for rain but I'm not hopeful of Pompey refunding our days travelling expenses and have no idea if we can make the rearranged match. What will the media have to say, what have they already said? I've no idea - I just know that this was an occupational hazard of being a football fan, that no one will give a feck about all the Gooners who travelled down to the coast and that Portsmouth will probably not be fined by the Premiership for having a crap pitch.

At least we didn't suffer any additional injuries and at least we, the fans, didn't get soaked in the shittiest away end in the Premiership. Pompey remain unbeaten for a couple of games so it didn't do them too much harm either.