Only once in 36 seasons of watching Pompey have I been glad about a Blues defeat.

It was on December 5, 1992, when we lost 1-0 at The Valley. As many present will remember, it was a special day for Charlton, marking their homecoming after several tough seasons of being banished from The Valley and having to play home matches at Selhurst and Upton parks.

Last week Charlton announced they’d be celebrating the 25th anniversary of coming home when the Blues return there this Saturday, December 9.

The Valley has been close to my heart since being the venue for my first Pompey away game — and my second.

My away ‘debut’ was a 2-1 defeat in April 1984 when my mate Daren Hewitt (who later played for Aldershot and Fareham Town, among others) and I went up on the Pompey special train... without adult supervision!

I was back five months later for a 2-2 draw which ought to have yielded three points during a fine start to the 84-85 season.

I was gutted when the old ground was shut down and they were forced out — but not half as gutted as their fans must have been.

It just so happened that their long-awaited return in 1992 coincided with a second-division match against Pompey.

Somehow I got a ticket in the home end, and it was an amazing day — weird but wonderful to lap up the joy among the Addicks faithful while Pompey supporters stood at the other end.

Charlton won 1-0 and that seemed only right, though I wasn’t so keen reflecting on that result when, five months later, we missed promotion by a point...

STEVE BONE @stevebone1 on Twitter

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