What's happened to playuppompey.org.uk?

If you havent used the forum playuppompey.org/forum , Id like to recommend it. At least I would if the site existed anymore, but it seems to have suddenly sunk without a trace, here one day gone the next. Hopefully it will return soon - can anyone shed any light on its whereabouts??????

Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007?

Continued from Tuesdays - 'Was it a good or bad year for Pompey?'
Part 3; Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007(or are we on a downward spiral?)

In February it looked as if everything would come crashing down on Pompey. We had abandoned our long-term vision for the short-term goal of Premiership survival, but this too seemed to be failing. We had gambled £10 million on new players, none of which had hit the ground running, and few of which would want to be around for the seemingly inevitable Championship football. We were facing needing a new manager and a major rebuild of the side for the third time in a year, and we all knew that this further instability would cause serious longterm damage to Portsmouth Football Club.
Happily from the depths of despair, the seeds that were sown in the January transfer window suddenly took root. Not only did they enable us to achieve Premiership survival, but they have given the club a strong base on which to build. Redknapps January spending not only achieved the short-term survival goal, but contributed towards longer-term aims aswell, for which the club must get credit. It would have been easy to buy a team of expendable relegation battlers, but instead Pompey took the risk of rebuilding the side with players that could achieve survival and also provide the quality to take us to the next level. A very canny gamble indeed. The consistency of good football in Pompeys last 10 games gives great promise for the 2006/2007 season. We have the nucleus of a very good side, one that will benefit from their familiarity with eachother and the absence of a need for major changes to the team personnel this preseason.
So despite this turbulent season and against all the odds, assuming there will be a few key additions to the squad, I feel that we will enter next season in better shape than any of our previous 3 seasons in the Premiership.

Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims?

Continued from yesterdays - 'Was it a good or bad year for Pompey?'
Part 2; Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims? In a word, no. At the onset Pompey seemed to be aiming to introduce a fresh forward-looking way of running the club, and to consolidate our place in the Premiership. A new structure at the club gave manager Alain Perrin greater responsibility for coaching and picking the side, and less influence on the recruitment of new players. The success of this 'vision' depended on our young foreign manager establishing an adaptable, more tactically advanced team capable of producing stable results, and his introduction of a European-style ‘modern’ approach to personal discipline, training, diet, conduct etc. The plan failed miserably – maybe Alain Perrin couldn't produce results quickly enough, maybe the club didn’t back him as well as it could. The players rebelled, as did an increasing section of the fan-base who had paid a lot of money for their season tickets only to endure half a season of very dire, sterile football, a lack of ambition and a general lack of results or even goals, to provide any optimism at all.
Harry was bought in to do a short-term rescue job by any means necessary, without regard to the Perrin-era long-term vision, and he achieved this fantastically.
But the bottom line is that this season, despite Harrys wonderful achievement of ensuring Premiership survival, Pompey did not achieve the pre-season aims. Infact the pre-season 'vision' now seems to have been discarded and no longer seen as the best way to progress Portsmouth Football Club.
Tomorrow; Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007?

2005/2006 – A good or bad season for Pompey?

As another Premiership season ends its time to reflect on whether it was a good or bad year for Pompey. It’s a difficult question to answer, as it was a season of 2 extremes. So in the next few days I will be trying to find the answer by looking into the following questions;

Was it enjoyable?
Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims??
Did Pompeys season leave us in good shape for 2006/2007?

So, was it enjoyable?
Though we all like a degree of success a true fan will support his/her team whatever the results. All us fans really ask for is entertainment and value for money – without those, well, there are other ways to spend a Saturday afternoon (so Im told).
The first half of the season was the least entertaining (and the least value for money) football I have seen at Fratton Park for a long long time, maybe since the John Gregory days. Not only was it boring, not only were the new players and manager lacking in charisma, not only did the results and lack of goals compound the air of depression, but the media and fans of other clubs had turned on us, and we had little respect from anyone. The daring gamble of reappointing Harry Redknapp was greeted with distain and general disgust and seen as laughably desperate by people outside of Portsmouth. Was I starting to regret buying a season ticket? Not 'arf.

The second half of the season was fantastic – Roy of the Rovers stuff – with moments that will live in the memory long after more steady seasons have been forgotten. Infact I cant remember a time when there was such a cluster of unforgettable matches. Toddys first massively important goal - special after all his injury problems, Mendes’s crucial last minute strike, the great goal gluts at West Ham and Fulham, the last 2 amazing matches where we came from behind both times. Infact the whole season was like coming from behind to score the winner in the last moment and everyone involved came out with maximum credit; not only the players but Harry for masterminding this fantastic achievement, Milan for bravely making the necessary gamble, Sacha for backing us with the cash, and the fantastic way the most passionate fans in the country got behind Pompey. Did I enjoy that? Not 'arf.

Tomorrow; Did Pompey achieve their pre-season aims?

RIP Tommy Rowe - True Pompey legend

The Portsmouth official site are reporting the sad news of the passing of Tommy Rowe, who was the last surviving member of the glorious 1939 FA Cup final winning side. Tommy Rowe, a 6 ft 1 central defender, was the tallest man on the Wembley pitch in Pompeys 4 1 Cup Final win over Wolves, playing alongside the 10 other heroes; Walker, Morgan, Rochford, Guthrie, Wharton, Worrall, McAlinden, Anderson, Barlow and Parker.
After football was suspended following the outbreak of the Second World War, Tommy Rowe volunteered for the Portsmouth City Police, then 2 years later became a Bomber Pilot. He became Squadron Leader and was shot down whilst on his 40th mission over Germany. Tommy Rowe returned to Portsmouth an even bigger hero in 1945 having served 2 years in a prisoner of war camp.

Pompey 1 Liverpool 3 - how nice not to be bothered

With Pompey having the luxury of nothing to play for, the last match of the season was always going to take on the look of a friendly. Does it matter, no not a jot! It was no more than a nice day out in the sun for most. Well done Liverpool and well done Robbie Fowler for showing respect to Pompey in the postmatch interview. As for the match itself, Pompey-fans.com saw it like this, not really any different from how Anfield-online saw it. Most important thing really is that my wheels were still left on my car after the match, more than can be said for my office chair.....

A call for the disbanding of the Judanistas

The Judanistas have been behind Pompey but not behind Harry since his return to Fratton Park; particularly in the dark days of February 2006 the Judanistas were calling for Harry’s head. In light of Harry’s fantastic achievement in keeping Premieship football at Fratton Park, a fantastic managerial feat and fantastic for Portsmouth Football club and all the fans around the world that follow Pompey, Heaven’s Light Our Guide call upon the Judanistas to issue a formal apology and for an unconditional disarming and disbanding hencewith.
Maybe Fratton Park this Saturday will be the perfect stage for the Judanistas to confirm an end to all hostilities????????

Pompey beat Wigan to survive the drop – a sober summary

What a match, what a season. A thoroughly deserved 2 1 win at Wigan ensures Premiership survival in Pompeys penultimate match of 2005/2006. Was a great day and great atmosphere before, during and after the game, and credit should go to Wigans fans as great hosts for the day. As for us Pompeys fans, as Frankie Burrows told us all those years ago WE ARE THE BEST IN THE LAND and at Wigan we showed it to be true again(as we have for much of this relegation battle). Another classic day that will live in the memory, the passion was intense but the belief was such that we were still able to create and enjoy a carnival atmosphere. Fantastic.

It was the corresponding game at Fratton Park earlier in the season that pretty much cost Perrin his job. This time the bouyant team spirit was in sharp contrast to that weak and feeble punchless Pompey side that rolled over for Wigan in November.
After a season of knocking Pompey, revelling in our demise, kicking us when we were down, and generally writing us off at every opportunity, wasn’t it nice to see the Sunday papers have to fake joy that Chimes ring out as Pompey survive. The Times enthused that Pompey thank Harry Houdini, and the Guardian hailed Taylor for making it safe for Pompey. How about eating some humble pie you hypocrites? Well, no time to worry, its partytime for Pompey right now!