Referee Lucy Oliver: '˜Pompey FA Cup celebrations were one of the most surreal days of my life'

This week marks 10 years since Pompey lifted the FA Cup, beating Cardiff City 1-0 at Wembley.
Michael Oliver and Lucy Oliver. 
Picture: Stan SeatonMichael Oliver and Lucy Oliver. 
Picture: Stan Seaton
Michael Oliver and Lucy Oliver. Picture: Stan Seaton

The anniversary is not lost on Lucy Oliver, as 10 years on she finds herself back in Wembley’s Royal Box.

The Pompey fanatic was just five rows back from Sol Campbell when he hoisted aloft the 2008 FA Cup.

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Dating the son of chief executive Peter Storrie at the time, it presented the former Fratton Park season-ticket holder with a prime seat.

Michael Oliver and Lucy Oliver. 
Picture: Stan SeatonMichael Oliver and Lucy Oliver. 
Picture: Stan Seaton
Michael Oliver and Lucy Oliver. Picture: Stan Seaton

Oliver said: ‘Before giving up my Pompey season ticket to concentrate on refereeing, I sat in row J, seat 152 in the North stand.

‘Then in 2008 I was in the Royal Box, stayed at the team hotel, went on the team night out after winning and on the second bus for the Southsea parade. ‘There was a reception at the Windsor hotel afterwards and then the team bus took everyone into the city, with Hermann Hreidarsson doing his Elvis impression with a mike stand.

‘I have never seen anything so uncannily realistic as Hermann doing Elvis. The actions, the hair, the hips and the funniest part was, as people got more and more drunk, he didn’t forget a single word to any Elvis song.

‘I think Kanu and John Utaka sung Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing’ as well. That was one of the most surreal days of my life.’