A Pompey case of 'as you were' - North Lower life continues as it should

In some ways, reclaiming my old seat for last Tuesday night’s tussle with Shrewsbury felt unremarkable – it didn’t even feel like I’d been kept away that long. But in other ways, it was amazing: amazing to be back there in my normal spot that I’d always taken for granted, watching Pompey from the angle I’ve become used to since first standing there in 1981.

Most of the familiar faces were there and even the lack of any pies, hot chocolate or Bovril at the food kiosk didn’t take the edge off the evening. Well not too much.

As I said last week, it's 25 years since the North Terrace had seats installed and I remember the first game then, in which Pompey, who’d just welcomed Terry Venables as a coach, looked like world-beaters (vs Leyton Orient).

This time, I was watching a team grind out a 1-0 win to go top of League One.

It was quite unnerving really, going to a game after a big build-up and not coming away with at least a smidgeon of disappointment. Over the years Pompey have absolutely perfected the art of building up fans’ hopes only to send them crashing down again, usually in the cruellest of manners.

Will the hopes we have for the Danny Cowley era and for the 2021-22 season also come crashing down?

Well it’s too early to say, but if you think I’m going to change my PFC prediction from ‘missing play-offs’ to ‘running away with the title’ after four games, you’d be wrong.

I shall wait until next week, if not the one after, for such a U-turn. But for now, I’m more than content knowing we have what looks like a decent team who I can watch when I want to, from where I want to.