Festive Fixtures 2024 v 1971
Posted on 25th Dec 2024 by David Taylor
As Pompey prepare for trips to Watford and Bristol City in the next four days the History Society takes you back to 1971 when Easter looked a lot like Christmas 2024 but with a big difference.
Back in those days there was no complaining about fixture congestion, clubs just got on with it and Pompey’s Easter fixture list was
Friday 9th April – Watford (A)
Saturday 10th April – Bristol City (A)
Monday 12th April – Swindon Town (H)
Three games in just 72 hours, now what would Premier League managers say about that?
Fans planned a different Easter Holiday that year with van loads travelling the 90 miles to Vicarage Road and then the 120 miles to Ashton Gate and finally the 120 miles home before getting up early on Monday to welcome Swindon Town to Fratton Park.
The trip was made easier by the M4 having opened in recent months. Fans who did the trip will tell stories of sleeping in vans, ditches, coach seats even deck chairs!
It was though an extremely fruitless weekend with only one point and no goals to show for their efforts.
The point gained came at Watford as Pompey with Eoin Hand and Colin Blant's stout work prevented the Hornets from scoring in a came that News columnist described ‘as an instantly forgettable affair’
On to Bristol and Ron Tindall made a two changes but could not improve the performance. Jim Storrie replaced the rested Ray Pointer and Mick Travers came in for the injured Fred Smith. Goals in each half from Garland and Tainton gave the points to the home side with Pompey grateful to keeper Jim Standen to thank for keeping the score down.
Back to Fratton on Monday and with Pointer back for Storrie the luck did not change and two goals from Steve Peplow made it a very sorry Easter for Pompey who, while avoiding relegation finishing sixteenth but ending the season with a ten game winless run.
The News cartoonist 'Plum' was not amused! 