Tears of Gentleman Jim highlight pride of Fans.
Firstly the whole Trust Board would like to thank fans for their support during the bid process. We have recieved many wonderful messages which have helped us carry on the work even when things got very tough for all those invollved on putting the Pre-Share scheme together and also the bid which may see Portsmouth Football Club become the largest fan owned club in the UK.
This poem, written by Pompey Fan Martyn Russell, has been doing the rounds on Social Media and it has moved many people, Martyn has agreed it can be reproduced here in support of the Trust bid.
Why do you seem so sad and so grim?
Do you lament what the club has become?
Do you regret how the club has been run?
Is that a look of shame that I see?
In your eyes as you gaze over all that could be
Of the club that you loved and served in so well
That once was in heaven but now is in hell.
Is this the club of Gentleman Jim?
Does it reflect the glory of him?
Under his gaze, in light or in dark,
In sun or in rain, in old Fratton Park,
Can we hold our heads high and remember his name?
And be proud of the place Pompey holds in the game,
Do the Chimes still ring out? Does the pride still run deep?
Can Pompey still play up while Jimmy does weep?
We long for the glory of days now long past
When the stadium sang of a different cast
When Harris and Scoular and Phillips and Clarke
And Froggart and Flewin and Reid played the Park
When Jackson and Tinn, the managers came,
And took Pompey right to the top of the game,
Then England was ruled by the crescent and star,
Now days just a memory we see from afar.
The club it was ours and will be again,
To love and to cherish in joy and in pain,
To reclaim the honour that now has been lost,
To return the pride, and remember the cost,
Again we will rise and again we will sing
And be proud of whatever the future will bring,
Then Gentleman Jim, he will smile again,
And forget the trials, the sorrow, the pain.
Powerful stuff.
Below are some of the messages of support we have recieved from Fans via email that we would like to share with you. It is rewarding to recieve messages from fans that truely believe that PFC cuold become a Community club and regain some of the pride and respect that is referred to in the Poem. We hope we can help make Gentleman Jim smile again.
Very excited. can't wait for prospectus. I wonder if potential pledgees are aware of how historic this actually is. - P.H.
A big thank you to all concerned for a magnificent effort - I will definitely fulfil the pledge - J. H. PUP
Well done! An exciting time - hope all goes well. With you all the way. - M.T. Lymington
Bravo and congratulations on reaching this point, it is a fantastic achievement and I truly hope all the efforts and passion reach a successful conclusion. I anxiously await publication of the prospectus and feel confident that this in itself could attract further investors. I believe there are many people who doubted the Trust could reach this point, but now there is a tangible share offer they might wish to come on board. Perhaps, and with some long overdue and well deserved luck this will happen! Pompey Till I Die, - M. C.
Thank you for this information and thank you also for all the hard work you, Verisona and others have done to make it possible - you can rest assured that we will fulfil our pledge. Best Regards, - J and S H. PUP
Thank you for all that you're doing to save the club. You have my complete support and trust in what you're trying to achieve and I only wish I had skills or hard that would be of use! - M.H.