Dennis Hamley, author of the 'Following Pompey' story in this 'old-fashioned' collection of stories in a big hardback book, must be a Pompey fan. Through Uncle Cyril, he hits the nail on the head about a real football fan: 'You don't choose your football team...They choose you' (page 100). The story is about the two consecutive football league championships won by Pompey in 1948/49 and 1949/50. It gets the tension and excitement across in simple language as well as the important and constant underlying messages: have faith in your team; 'triumph and disaster...And you certainly get them all through following Pompey" (page 113). ( )