Portsmouth faithful create fundraising page after tragic death of Charlton supporter
Saturday’s Championship fixture at The Valley was postponed after 12 minutes
Pompey fans have launched a fundraising campaign in honour of the Charlton fan who tragically died.
Saturday’s Championship fixture was abandoned after 12 minutes following a medical emergency involving an Addicks supporter in the Covered End stand.
Charlton subsequently announced the fan had passed away, with social media identifying him as Norman Barker, often referred to as ‘Headphones Norm’.
Barker was a hugely popular regular at The Valley and his death has touched the Addicks faithful, who have been mourning his sad loss over the weekend.
Now Pompey supporter Craig New has created a GoFundMe page in memory of the late Charlton man, with a number of donations already received.
And with a goal of £2,200, he’s hoping other members of the Fratton faithful will also contribute to help reach the financial target.
Pompey, of course, tragically lost one of their own in January when Alec Lumb passed away before their Fratton Park fixture with Middlesbrough.
The 63-year-old from Gosport was taken ill around kick-off, yet the match continued, with John Mousinho’s men subsequently collecting a 2-1 victory.
On Saturday, however, the game at The Valley had reached 12 minutes before supporters alerted stewards to a medical episode, with the referee halting play.
Initially the players were kept on the pitch, yet, as the seriousness of the situation unfolded, they were advised to return to the changing room.
The match was eventually cancelled almost an hour later, with a new date for the teams to meet again now to be scheduled.
In the meantime, Charlton fans have been paying their respects to Barker, who is regarded as a popular local character and huge Addicks follower, both home and away.
And Pompey supporters have also paid their respects, with the fundraising campaign in Barker’s memory well underway.
To contribute, visit https://tinyurl.com/ywwe6vhn
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