November 2025 Newsletter

Firstly a hearty welcome to our new members. We are now attracting around 20 members a month so thank you so much for joining us. October has given way to November and yet again it's been a busy month.

The second edition of the magazine is ready to go out and a further email will follow on that.

The Simon Inglis event was superb and the compliments about it have continued to come in and we’ve also been busy delivering stadium tours and over 550 customers have been taken around the stadium since the season started. A fantastic achievement for the team of seven guides so thank you to them.

We’ve been working with the City Museum team to improve the display of our memorabilia on their top floor and after Xmas you should be able to see a much better set of artefacts such as a display of items lent to us by the family of George Smith,  the manager in the 1960s.

We’re also looking forward to welcoming Mick Mellows to the Legends Lounge for a Memory Morning With Mick Mellows on Tuesday 25th November at 10.30am. Please book your free tickets using this link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/memory-morning-with-mick-mellows-tickets-1931540964019

We continue to raise funds for the Peter Harris medal appeal and are edging closer to our target. If around 200 people, roughly the number reading this, donated a tenner each then we would almost be there but please do continue to buy our books and attend our events and that would help greatly. Donations can be made at https://pompeyhistory.org/Donate

Three events to finish the fundraising year off, with the dates for your diary, are:-

1) Saturday November 29 (ko is at 12.30 so collectors need to start around 10.45) at the Bristol City game, another Bucket Coin Collection following our last very successful effort 

2) Tuesday December 2 (6.30 for 7.00) - a Curry Night with special guest(s) for the Peter Harris medal fund at the Akash restaurant in Albert Road, Southsea (tickets £25 on sale Mon Nov 10).

3) Thursday December 11 (7.00-9.00) - An evening with Barry Harris and guest(s) for the Peter Harris medal fund at Legends Lounge (tickets (£5 member £10 non-member) on sale Mon Nov 17)

More details will follow of these and then we intend to finish the project at the Blackburn game in December, by co-incidence the team that Peter made his debut against, a 3-1 win in front of over 30,000 fans at Fratton on August 31st 1946. Let's hope history repeats itself!

We need two more volunteers for the coin collection so if you can help on the 29th of this month please email us on history@pompeyfc.co.uk

We are thinking about events for next year and currently exploring something on referees and their history; a talk on ‘war and football’ from one of our committee members, and an evening of stories from the world of football media in addition to our usual ‘mornings with….’. If you think of something that you would really like to see then please do let us know.

Other items to mention this month are:

ADMIRAL JELLICOE HOUSE

Mick Comben, Chris Gibbs, Colin Farmery and Steve Tovey went along to the Royal Navy’s dementia care home in Locksway Road with Alan Knight to open their new football space which includes Sports Mails, match programmes, scarves and pictures of all kinds plus two blue Pompey seats bolted to the wall that residents can sit on and recall their time watching games. Many thanks to Alan for giving up his time. We’ve found a few tickets for a game coming up for Jodie, the Deputy Home Manager, to award to some of the staff who just work so very hard. We intend to keep the connection going and Chris Gibbs will be restocking the space with old programmes and other items over the months to come. 

PAST CHIMES

Thanks to Richard Atkins-Greg as usual for this. Every month there is another great show to listen to on Express FM with October’s show all about ex Chairman Bob Blyth with of course a mention of Milan Mandaric. Bob's great, great grandson Andrew Hind was the main guest accompanied by Mick Comben who was also on BBC Solent the day after as a “mystery guest” with presenter Alun Newman trying to guess Mick's role as Chair of our Society. Alun didn't get even close but it was a fun session! This is the link to listen back to past episodes of our Past Chimes programme:

 https://www.mixcloud.com/pompeyonexpress/  

CAPTURING FANS MEMORIES - “My First Match"

Steve Tovey is cracking on with this and has completed the 1940s recordings so soon will be able to announce the result of the September/October competition. He asked us to say “thank you” to all members who have contacted him and he will be recording the 1960’s memories this month. He will be in touch in the next few days if that applies to you. If anyone wants to join in the competition (details were in last months newsletter) please email him on tovey566@gmail.com

SCANNING OLD SPORTS MAILS

We need to scan our collection of Sports Mails so that they are available on-line for members and researchers to look as quickly and easily. We have purchased a professional scanner, we now just need someone to operate it. It can be used at home and if you are interested in helping us, for example by scanning a year or two at a time, then please do let us know by emailing history@pompey.co.uk

PHS BADGES

As you know, we have had made up some History Society badges. They are for members only, and a member may buy a badge for £5, obtaining them from one of our events or by emailing us on history@pompeyfc.co.uk and we will put one aside for them and put the funds towards the medal appeal. We are going to extend the offer where if a member refers a friend who subsequently signs up to join PHS then they can get a free member badge. We will do that until the end of the year. To qualify, you need to email history@pompeyfc.co.uk and propose a new member who we will then follow up. Provided they sign up before the end of the year there will be a free badge available for you to be collected from us eg at a home game.  

 And talking of badges, look who’s got one! Sir Geoff Hurst was at the Theatre Royal last week and was apparently very interested in our work - and he isn't looking bad for 83 is he! Committee member Paul Maidment captured him with one of our badges so if it’s good enough for him…………!

That's all for now. We look forward to seeing you at the Mick Mellows event on 25th November. We’re looking forward to it.

Play Up Pompey!

Pompey History Society