Make the city proud, Pompey

If there is to be a pinnacle of Pompey's current era, tonight is surely the night.

Don't get me wrong, the trips to Wembley were gloriously spine-tingling.

But earning the right to play AC Milan in a competitive fixture? That's off the scale.

Kaka (one of the best players in the world) will line up at Fratton Park with Ronaldinho (one of the best players in the world) ready to come off the bench.

The Rossoneri are taking this seriously. That's the mark of Pompey's progress in recent years.

These are uncertain times at Pompey following Harry Redknapp's departure but, for all the scale of tonight's occasion, we mustn't cower in the face of the Italians.

Pompey are a quality team in their own right.
The worry is, of course, that the spine of this side is missing.

Jermain Defoe, Lassana Diarra and Sol Campbell are definitely out, seemingly undermining Tony Adams' faith that his charges can still pull off a Uefa Cup shock.

The creative Niko Kranjcar is also missing, although the absence of John Utaka won't break too many Pompey hearts.

Personally, I just hope Pompey do the city proud.

Historic is an overused word, but this really is a game people will remember for generations.

After the struggles of the 90s, to see the boys in blue give it absolutely everything against Milan will be enough for me.

If Adams' team do that they give themselves a chance of getting a result. That's all anyone can ask.

To those people who seized the chance to watch the likes of Seedorf, Kaka, Pato, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Ronaldinho et al train at Fratton Park last night, I applaud you.

This is not something which you can expect to come round that often.

Obviously, the hope is Pompey will build on their recent success and Euro nights like this will be more common in the future.

The reality is this may not happen.

So join me in savouring watching Pompey v AC Milan under the Fratton Park floodlights in a crunch Uefa Cup game.

Play up Pompey.

AC Milan will define glorious Pompey era

Can it get any better than this?
I think not.

Pompey will play AC Milan at Fratton Park in the biggest game in the club’s history.

No-one can quite believe it - the Rossoneri at Pompey.

It’s the best outcome possible from the never-ending UEFA Cup draw and it will define this current glorious era at Fratton Park.

Ronaldinho, Kaka, Maldini, Nesta, Pato etc will descend on Portsea Island.
And, quite frankly, It’s a dream come true.

Here’s what’s in store:
Oct 23: Braga (away)
Nov 27: AC Milan (home)
Dec 4: Wolfsburg (away)
Dec 17: Heerenveen (home)

Who would have thought when Pompey beat Bradford to stay in the Championship in 1998 that 10 years later the Blues would be playing the San Siro giants?

Who would have thought when the team beat Barnsley to (once again) stay in the Championship in 2001 that seven years later we’d been preparing to take on the seven-times European champions?

Who would have thought that when we were heading for Premier League relegation just three years ago The Great Escape would lead to Pompey mixing it with one of the biggest clubs in world football?

Well, not me.

Any Pompey fan who said they did are lying.
On the south coast, we are currently basking in the warm afterglow of the greatest cup draw they will ever have witnessed.

There is a knot of excitement in my stomach at what lies in store.

If there is a tinge of (churlish) disappointment, it’s that Pompey will not run out at the San Siro.

But, having said that, watching Ronaldinho and Kaka’s playing at Fratton Park will be a treat.
A vociferous Pompey reaction awaits them.

A home tie also gives us the best chance of a result.

Dream on I hear you say.
Well, we did that a year ago and look’s what happened since.