Within hours of signing for Portsmouth Matt Tubbs looks like having to issue a grovelling apology to Pompey supporters.
Matt Tubbs probably thought he was saying all the right things when interviewed by the local paper the Portsmouth News following his move from AFC Bournemouth along the South Coast.
However although he did mention essentials in any new Pompey signings repetoire to excite the fans such as "Taking a pay cut to join" "massive potential" "promotion push" "Turning down a host of sides, including AFC Wimbledon, Bristol Rovers and Southend" he failed to mention the most sacred of things to members of the Blue Few.
Tubbs in his excitement at being pictured in font of some metal fencing and netting at the clubs Copnor Training base forgot to confirm that the only reason that he had joined was because of the "club's magnificent and wonderful fans who are the best in the world"
Of course this example would have been at the lower end of the scale of praise that Pompey supporters expect from any new signing, even throwing in that being part of Pompey' s rebirth was the major attraction to him signing will not endear him to Pompey supporters now.
His abject failure to mention their status up amongst the elite of World Football Fans will be seen as a major snub from a player who clearly will be seen in Pompey speak "To have no passion nipper innit"
If only Tubbs like many before him had mentioned the Fratton Faithful as being alongside Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona Real madrid or even Boca Juniors then he would be revered, but instead now he will be seen as a player who clearly knows nothing about football or its supporters, that he is a man who puts things like 30,000 plus average attendances season in season out ahead of a man in fancy dress blowing a bugle in a sparse stadium in the greatest ever supporters stakes.
But given that Tubbs experienced that "Unique atmosphere" only a week or so ago when he played for AFC Wimbledon at Fratton he will be seen as having no excuses.
In fairness to Tubbs at a few months short of his 31st birthday he is too young to remember the great days of Portsmouth Football Club as is probably his Father, back in the days before Bill haley & The Comets invented rock & roll, Pompey won championships with the Royal Navy packing the ground whilst they sat around waiting for the next war.
He is not even old enough to remember the glory years of the 60's & 70's when 8,000 would often cram into Fratton testing its then 49,000 capacity to the limits.
If as expected Tubbs does issue a full apology, one that makes it absolutely clear that no other football club has fans as passionate as Pompey, then hopefully he can take his place as a Pompey great, a position reserved only for those that sign more than a 3 month loan agreement, a rareity in these modern times and who have not within 4 games of joining prompted Pompey fans to write countless comments on the Portsmouth News site to suggest that the manager must have been clueless to sign such a useless player and therefore "Both must be drummed out of this great club"