PETERSFIELD'S John Westwood further enhanced his claim as Portsmouth Football Club's most recognisable fans at Wembley on Saturday. Already an iconic figure, John's tears were beamed around the globe before, during and after Pompey's historic FA Cup final win against Cardiff City. "I cant believe the whole country saw me crying my eyes out," John said, "and I still haven't come back down to earth. "When Kanu put the goal in I thought I'd died and gone to heaven," he said. "We were brought up on the FA Cup winners of 1939 and the League champions of 1949 and 1950, and while you are proud of them as it's part of your club's heritage, it is nice to see Pompey winning a trophy in my lifetime. Now fans can tell their own stories." After celebrating Pompey's FA Cup win with a night out in Portsmouth, John added to his many tattoos the following day. "I've got a scroll on my forearm saying 'FA Cup winners 1939', and I had an empty scroll there too. Everyone said 'you'll never get that filled in', but I had 'FA Cup winners 2008' done at midday; within 24 hours of winning the cup." "I also got an extra couple of scrolls done – I'm getting cocky now," he added. And after a taste of Wembley magic on Saturday, John wants more. "I want the European Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Premier League. We've got the best fans in the world and it's great for the city, great for the club, and for the fans who have followed us through thick and thin. "Some 250,000 people turned up for Sunday's celebrations. The population of Portsmouth is 190,000, and I was a bit worried the island was going to sink!" Proud John, who by day works at the family-owned Petersfield Bookshop in College Street, added: "It was great to have two sides and two sets of fans to whom it meant so much. "The FA Cup has become a consolation prize in recent seasons, but to Pompey fans it meant the world, and that's what the FA Cup is about. In a year of upsets it has also given hope to other teams that a side outside the big four can go on and win it. "But the last time we won the FA Cup, war broke out, so I hope that doesn't happen, but we also held onto it for six years. If that's the omen, I'll have to get another four scrolls done!" he said.
