Two Tribes
Jan. 4th, 2025 11:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiffel_71Busy morning taking down the Christmas decorations.
AFC Portchester, Wessex league leaders, in a crucial match away at second placed Hamble Club this afternoon. Lewis, Ian, Matt, Roy and several more of the usual Portchester posse were in the clubhouse and we sat around comparing Christmases and New Years and discussing the team selection. Most of us had taken advantage of Hamble’s offer of a combined ticket covering entry to the match, a burger and a pint for £10. As the other local games due to be played had been called off, there were also a few Fareham Town fans there - naturally they were cheering for Hamble - and I spotted a guy in a Gosport Borough hat.
We gathered behind the goal Portchester were shooting into. Lewis and Matt put up the Arancione’s impressive array of banners. Portchester had the best of the first half and we encouraged them with plenty of singing. Ian said to me “Hamble, I remember her from Play School” and we reminisced about 70s kids’ TV. About halfway through the half, a Hamble defender handled in the area and we got a penalty but James Cowan’s spot-kick was saved. The scoreline was still blank at half time. A draw would have helped us more than Hamble so I was ready to settle for that.
We moved round to behind the other goal, complete with the banners, for the second half. Hamble staged a couple of early attacks but Mowey was on top form in goal and the Portchy back four kept the home side at bay. Early in the half Jimmy Clack and Lee Wort both scored in quick succession to put Portchester two in front. From then on a win was never in doubt. It stayed 2-0. We carried on singing right through. In among the Portchester songs and chants for individual players we found time to serenade the Fareham fans with “Are you watching, Fareham Town” and remind them that “The Creek is orange” (since our win in the derby in November).
The win took Portchester 9 points clear. After the final whistle we stayed to clap the Portchester players and chant “We are top of the league”. We all helped to take the banners down. The Hamble players were doing post-match runs and their chairman actually came over to the goal we were stood behind. Lewis spoke to him and they expressed appreciation for each other’s clubs, the chairman told us a bit about the operation they run with lots of junior and women’s teams, and we ended exchanging hopes that we’d both be the two promoted teams.
Then it was time to wade out of the ground through the mud.
AFC Portchester, Wessex league leaders, in a crucial match away at second placed Hamble Club this afternoon. Lewis, Ian, Matt, Roy and several more of the usual Portchester posse were in the clubhouse and we sat around comparing Christmases and New Years and discussing the team selection. Most of us had taken advantage of Hamble’s offer of a combined ticket covering entry to the match, a burger and a pint for £10. As the other local games due to be played had been called off, there were also a few Fareham Town fans there - naturally they were cheering for Hamble - and I spotted a guy in a Gosport Borough hat.
We gathered behind the goal Portchester were shooting into. Lewis and Matt put up the Arancione’s impressive array of banners. Portchester had the best of the first half and we encouraged them with plenty of singing. Ian said to me “Hamble, I remember her from Play School” and we reminisced about 70s kids’ TV. About halfway through the half, a Hamble defender handled in the area and we got a penalty but James Cowan’s spot-kick was saved. The scoreline was still blank at half time. A draw would have helped us more than Hamble so I was ready to settle for that.
We moved round to behind the other goal, complete with the banners, for the second half. Hamble staged a couple of early attacks but Mowey was on top form in goal and the Portchy back four kept the home side at bay. Early in the half Jimmy Clack and Lee Wort both scored in quick succession to put Portchester two in front. From then on a win was never in doubt. It stayed 2-0. We carried on singing right through. In among the Portchester songs and chants for individual players we found time to serenade the Fareham fans with “Are you watching, Fareham Town” and remind them that “The Creek is orange” (since our win in the derby in November).
The win took Portchester 9 points clear. After the final whistle we stayed to clap the Portchester players and chant “We are top of the league”. We all helped to take the banners down. The Hamble players were doing post-match runs and their chairman actually came over to the goal we were stood behind. Lewis spoke to him and they expressed appreciation for each other’s clubs, the chairman told us a bit about the operation they run with lots of junior and women’s teams, and we ended exchanging hopes that we’d both be the two promoted teams.
Then it was time to wade out of the ground through the mud.
