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Best Event: FA Cup celebrations
Judges unanimously voted for the FA Cup celebrations as Best Event.
On Sunday, May 18, Pompey received a heroes' welcome when they returned home from winning the FA Cup at Wembley and were greeted by more than 200,000 fans.
Players, staff, relatives and local dignitaries beamed with pride as they toured the streets with the prized FA Cup in five open top buses.
The victory parade travelled from Fratton Bridge to Southsea Common accompanied by unrelenting cheers and flag-waving fans for an hour-and a half.
And then the party really kicked off on the Common as fans of all ages sang their hearts out in celebration of their team's 1-0 defeat of Cardiff City.
Arriving at the Common, Portsmouth defender Linvoy Primus said: 'That was a mind-blowing display. This is an historic event and not something I will ever forget.'
The crowd on the day felt the same. And many of the audience at Monday's awards had obviously been present at the Cup celebrations, judging by the cheers that went up in the audience as the event was listed in the nominations and then announced as winner.
As well as the club, the celebrations were a great achievement for Portsmouth City Council.
Drusilla Moody, Tourism, Visitor Services and Events Manager at the council picked up the award.
Cllr Terry Hall, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, says: 'It's a great achievement winning the Best Event award. It is fantastic that everyone's hard work has been recognized.'
Runner-up: Goodwood Revival. The Goodwood Revival was the reader nomination in this category and is now firmly established as the largest historic motor sport event in the world.
For three days in September, the famous old circuit near Chichester was in a magical timewarp.
A record 124,000 people, many of them dressed in period costume, came from around the globe to revel in the atmosphere of motor racing as it used to be in the glory days of the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
Gary Axon from Goodwood Motor Sport collected the award.
He says: 'All of us at Goodwood are delighted and proud that the Revival was voted by readers of The News as runner-up in the Best Events category.
'Although we naturally would have liked to have received the main prize, we think coming second to Portsmouth's outstanding FA Cup celebrations is an honour in itself.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Sunday 12 February 2012
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