RICK JACKSON: I reckon those good old days aren't far away

A huge thank you must go to the manager, players and staff for putting Portsmouth Football Club back on the map again.
Michael Doyle lifts the trophy  Picture: Joe PeplerMichael Doyle lifts the trophy  Picture: Joe Pepler
Michael Doyle lifts the trophy Picture: Joe Pepler

I couldn’t believe my eyes as the team on Soccer Saturday reported on the final games of the season.

Pompey just needed to better Doncaster’s and Plymouth’s results and we’d be champions.

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I never thought it possible back in February, when it felt our season would peter out and the merry-go-round of the play-offs would be the best we could expect.

Since we lost 2-0 to Chelsea in the 2010 FA Cup final, there has been little, if nothing, to get excited about.

Another administration, this time the threat of closure. Another points deduction. Thanks again, FA.

Relegation after relegation, then we owned the club. It was safe, it was ours. We owned the stadium, we’d safeguarded the future.

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Who would want to give that up now after all the things we’ve been through?

It was great to clinch promotion, but in my wildest dreams did I ever think we could win the league? No.

Doncaster were well out of reach. We were spluttering.

But Paul Cook’s January signings finally came good around March time and off on a run we went.

Then we did it in some style. A 6-1 thrashing of Cheltenham Town and even their fans clapped as we were crowned champions.

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The good old days returned to Fratton Park as fans ran on to the pitch to face the South Stand, wanting to show their huge gratitude to Paul Cook and the players.

It was like 2003 all over again and our promotion to the Premier League, when the dream came true. Tears were shed once more.

Now everyone is waxing lyrical about us. The Sun says our fans deserve it. pointing out that Monaco took on Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in front of 16,700, our season average.

The Championship is our rightful home and with our fantastic support and a great team spirit, I don’t think those good old days are too far away.

MAYBE NATIONALISM ISN’T SO BIG AND POWERFUL AFTER ALL

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I’m sure many people heaved a huge sigh of relief when Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential elections, beating the right winger Marine Le Pen.

But what will this mean for the UK? How will this pro-European Frenchman view our Brexit?

Will the UK border return to Dover from Calais?

Will it take forever to get through immigration when catching a ferry to Caen?

Maybe nationalism isn’t such a big, powerful movement after all, as the French are certainly very patriotic.

Le Pen’s rhetoric didn’t win the day.

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Shame most of the press were more interested in the age gap between Macron and his wife than his policies.

Twenty-four years, by the way. She was his teacher. Very Mrs Robinson.

OLD BATHROBE I FOUND MADE ME LOOK LIKE DARTH VADER

I’m desperate for the summer to begin and to enjoy warm weather once again.

Remember how nice it got in April? Many of us went up into the loft and brought out our summer wardrobes.

Then the wind started to blow in from the north east.

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So this week, as the sun started to shine, out came the shorts.

Off to work I went in shorts, t-shirt and a sports body warmer.

Sadly, at 5am it was freezing.

I warmed up in the car on the way to work, only for the air conditioning to put me close to hypothermia again! I ended up hosting the breakfast show draped in an old bathrobe that had been left in the work shower.

I looked a bit like Darth Vader.