CHRIS GOES UP FIELD AND DOWN DALE...
LONG-STANDING Portsmouth fan Chris Upfield started writing ‘sarcastic’ match reports to his friends when he went to away matches – and now it’s sparked a book!
‘From Crawley to Carlisle’ is the 57-year-old’s account of life as a lower league football fan, travelling around the country following his beloved Pompey. But it’s not just a football book as Upfield takes an observational view of life in England, in the mould of top-selling author Bill Bryson. “I started sending a couple of my mates sarcastic match reports. For example, there was a game at Dagenham – I got there at half-time, it was a freezing cold evening and the football was absolutely garbage. “They liked them and said ‘you should write a book’. I’d never thought about it, but started thinking ‘maybe I’ll give it a go’.
“The book isn’t all about football. It’s got the game as a central theme, but it’s a bit of a mix.
“It’s about the frustration of the transport system, how long it takes to get to London, the grounds and the supporters you meet, how long it takes to sub a player.”
Difference
As a Pompey fan, Upfield has seen the club slide from the top-flight to League Two in the last few years – and the book also draws on that experience.
“There’s a big difference between League Two and the Premier League,” he said. “We had hospitality at a game at Cambridge and heard they were raising funds to get an extension to their social club. A couple of weeks’ wages from a Premier League footballer would cover it.”
The book covers part of the 2014-15 season and last term. Upfield admits he didn’t enjoy his London trips to Dagenham or Barnet, but nominates Cheltenham as one of the best places he visited.
“For hospitality and friendliness, Cheltenham was very good,” he said. “It’s a lovely town and had the best pre-match pub I’ve ever been in.”
As for another book, the part-time divorce lawyer, who lives in the Portsmouth area, is starting to consider it.
“Having written something, I would quite like to write some more,” he said. “Perhaps if we get promoted.”
So what does he think of the chances of Paul Cook’s Pompey taking a step back up the football ladder this term?
He added: “I’m a little bit more optimistic after our transfer window loan signing of Eoin Doyle. I would like to think we could sneak into the third automatic spot – I’m not sure we would have the bottle for the play-offs!”
From Crawley to Carlisle: A Trawl Around League Two, by Chris Upfield, published by Matador, price £8.99.