"When we go abroad, the stadia are modern and welcoming, the fans applaud you and people don't insult you." Thus spoke Carlo Ancelotti recently.
After tonight's Uefa Cup tie at Portsmouth, however, the AC Milan coach may care to revise his opinion. With the Pompey chimes ringing, the seven-times European champions should be granted a loud reception. Fratton Park, however, could never be described as modern.
Instead Ancelotti and his garlanded group of players should expect to be transported back in time. With its cramped confines and intimidating atmosphere, Fratton Park is a venue traditionalists savour and businessmen, who dream of the corporate revenues modern stadia generate, abhor. It is an apt home for Portsmouth, a club steeped in history and a city with football in its DNA.
As Mick Quinn, who was prolific in the Pompey attack two decades ago, said: "Just like Liverpool, Ports- mouth is a proud working-class city and a big sea port where people are passionate about football."
The comparison with Quinn's native city was not misplaced. Fratton Park can feel like a downsized Goodison Park. In footballing terms, Portsmouth is a northern working-class place that, by an accident of geography, is in the south.
It faces out to the sea, rather than inland towards genteel Hampshire, perpetuating an identity as outsiders. As a club, Portsmouth are comparable to Everton, Sunderland or Sheffield United in the fervour of their support. A strength of character is required to flourish there as Alan Ball and Harry Redknapp, who both returned for a second spell at the helm, demonstrated.
Steve Claridge, a former player and manager, believed the World Cup winner understood the fanbase. "Ball spoke of the pride of the town," he said. "He knew that the Royal Navy set out from here to win the war. There was a great tradition and history to the place and he captured the spirit."
Certain types of players have prospered at Portsmouth, and they can broadly be divided into two categories: hard men and maverick talents. As Quinn recalled: "The Portsmouth team I joined were the footballing equivalent of the Dirty Dozen, a bunch of reprobates who, because of their attitude or unruly behaviour, didn't fit in at other clubs. It was a rogues' gallery."
Men such as Kevin Dillon, Noel Blake and Mick Tait were in trouble with the FA, while Quinn's problems lay with the police. Yet while players who can mirror the abrasive attitude of the supporters have gained popularity, those who have provided an element of fantasy have also been cherished.
Robert Prosinecki and Paul Merson were granted places in the club's greatest ever XI in a recent poll. The enigmatic Nigerian, Kanu, and the Croatian creator Niko Kranjcar continue their tradition, now they are under Tony Adams' guidance.
His appointment, following Redknapp's defection to Tottenham, was a popular one, perhaps because the former assistant manager is seen as one of their own at a club where some outsiders - notably Velimir Zajec and Alain Perrin - have floundered.
Yet after Redknapp's exit from his "spiritual home", the personification of the club, for many, is John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood, the antiquarian bookseller and tattooed fanatic who is forever ringing a bell in the stands. Whether his brand of support conforms to Ancelotti's expectations remains to be seen, but he is a reason why Pompey followers are rarely quiet.
They have had much to cheer. Their FA Cup victory in May was their first for 69 years; Redknapp also oversaw a highest league finish for half a century.
The meeting with Milan is the culmination of three years of progress, but tonight's encounter at Fratton Park may be a one-off, and not just because Portsmouth hope for a larger, and more lucrative, ground.
Over-achievement is a temporary phenomenon and the likelihood is that Portsmouth will regress. So this is a unique occasion, and not just because Ancelotti, Ronaldinho and co will experience an authentic old-fashioned atmosphere.
rjolly@thenational.ae
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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