We visited Antwerp to meet Portsmouth in a match in aid of the Belgian. Dutch and British Flood Relief Funds, and we were very pleased to add our contribution to the splendid effort which has been so spontaneously forthcoming.
The occasion provided several of our chaps with their first experience of air travel, and about eight with their first journey abroad. Our party consisted of the team, together with Johnny Gregory, Tommy Moroney and George Taylor as travelling reserves, plus Trainer Billy Moore and Ted Fenton and Eddie Chapman as officials.
They left on Friday morning, lunched on the plane and arrived at Antwerp about 5 p.m. (Continental time); after settling in at the hotel most of the party spent the evening at the cinema. Saturday was spent in visiting the Mayor at the Town Hall where each club presented him with a souvenir plaque) and the match was played in the afternoon. The teams returned home by plane on Sunday, the Hammers arriving back at Upton Park about 2 p.m.
A bus strike unfortunately kept away many potential spectators, but there was nevertheless a 10,000 attendance; among these were many troops, and we were greeted by several shouts of "Up the Hammers" from Londoners
The game was very even throughout, and although both sides were all out to win this did not prevent them from playing some entertaining soccer. Pompey went ahead in the first half when Henderson netted with an overhead kick from close in, and they added to their lead after the interval when Reid followed up a long punt by Stephen to score from 10 yards. However, the Hammers reduced the margin mid-way through the second-half with the best goal of the match. Gerry Gazzard cutting in to score from 20 yards with a grand shot. Unfortunately an injury to Malcolm Allison shortly afterwards brought necessary rearrangements to our line-up, and we could not record an equaliser, Pompey gaining the day by 2-1.