Portsmouth Wembley appearances mean a lot… in any cup

As much as I don’t feel the need to justify my decision to go to the Checkatrade final, I’m going to anyway.

To go or not to go? It’s an issue that has caused debate among Blues fans ever since the likelihood of a Wembley appearance for Kenny and the boys loomed into view.

There are plenty who have boycotted the trophy and will continue to do so on March 31, hoping their absence brings about change – chiefly the end of bigger club’s under-21 teams being allowed to compete.

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I admire their stance and the fact they are continuing with it.

Have I boycotted the competition? Well not really.

I have never been to a single game in it, but that’s more to do with not being terribly interested in it than with staging my own protest against its make-up.

In fact I think the last time I saw a match in any of the trophy’s different guises was a particularly atrocious 1-0 home defeat to Wimbledon in the Zenith Data Systems Cup in 1989.

I’ve managed to avoid it since, along with all Anglo Italian Cup ties we ever played.

But Wembley is different. Wembley is Wembley.

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I’ve savoured every trip I’ve made to HQ to see Pompey and I can’t imagine not wanting to go.

My son is 16 and is a big Blues fan who was just slightly too young – and not yet into his football – the last time we were there, so you can imagine the reaction I’d get if I said we weren't going.

Who knows when – or even if – Pompey will get to Wembley again?

We may be there two months later; we may have to wait 69 years, as we did after the 1939 final.

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So as much as some will be disappointed in my stance, and as much as I admire theirs, this was an easy decision for me.

The only thing not so easy was having to redial Ticketmaster 185 times, then wait 40 minutes to get through.

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