I’ve had the pleasure of doing a bit of proof-reading for Neil Allen’s new book, Played Up Pompey Too, and can promise it is full of great interviews and candid revelations from some of our favourites of recent years and more distant times.
Neil launched it at a packed Victory Lounge on Friday night, when five of the ex-Blues who are featured were present to sign copies and take part in Q&A sessions.
It was fabulous to hear from Paul Walsh, John Milkins, Colin Garwood and Dejan Stefanovic.
Dejan even remembered me from my days on the Pompey beat for The News when I used to interview him, and I can confirm he is — as he was then — one of the nicest, most genuine football types you could wish to meet.
It was great, but no surprise, to hear he got the ovation he deserved on his return to Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon.
But above those four, how fabulous it was to hear Super Stevie Claridge answer questions about aspects of his Fratton days.
He spoke with passion, honesty and great humour about representing his club as a player and manager.
His love for PFC is obvious, despite the way he was treated when it was decided, rather harshly, he was not the man for the manager’s office.
We could easily have spent the whole night listening to Steve, and I’d imagine his chapter in Played Up Pompey Too will be one of the first many turn to.
Watch out also, as you read it, for a particularly-entertaining chapter from Kevin Dillon and for a great tale about what Duggie Reid wore to take penalties on the hallowed turf in his days as a groundsman.
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