Letter of the day

I have lost count how many time this has been said but I remember back in 1999 writing to The News with respect to Milan Mandaric taking over the club and thanking Terry Brady for all his hard work helping to save the club.

So much has happened since then I would need a book to cover it, from the dizzy heights of eighth in the Premiership and winning the FA Cup, to nearly going out of business and then all but dropping out of the league.

Here we are now in 2017 years down the line and another new dawn awaits us.

Is this the real thing this time? Will we have an owner who not only can put Pompey back where they belong but nurture the club and make it a viable business, which it has not been since Mandaric sold it?

Our eternal gratitude goes to Mark Catlin, Iain McInnes and the Trust, the fans who bought shares and the continued and increasing support through the toughest of times, without whom we would not have a club to support.

Now we welcome Michael Eisner, his family and the Tornante group into our family, to take stewardship of our club.

There are a few things that Mr Eisner and Co must realise as they come in. Starting with this – Mr Eisner and Co may own Pompey but the club is the lifeblood of Portsmouth; the city is Pompey and Pompey is the city and it is unique.

When you see kids in football shirts in Portsmouth you rarely see United, Liverpool or Chelsea – you see Pompey.

Milan Mandaric realised this as do many players who have come through the club.

Somehow you ‘catch’ Pompey and it gets in your blood – a bit like the lyrics of the Eagles’ Hotel California song ‘you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave’.

So, with this in mind Mr Eisner, please take good care of our club and do not undo all the good work that has been achieved since April 19, 2013, when the fans saved the club from extinction.

If you treat the cub well you will see a giant of a club emerge and it will reciprocate .

This will not be easy task as the club and its infrastructure has been wounded badly and has been in intensive care over the past four years and it is now up to you and your company to make Pompey fit again.

Karl Hodgkins

The Crossway, Portchester