Let’s get the full…Storrie!

March 22nd, 2009 | by: Peter Katsiris | Comments Off

After Chris’ brilliant article about the Greek taste to internal affairs at Portsmouth FC, I was compelled to write an article of my own after I found an interesting article on the well-known – at least to Greeks – website sport24.gr.

Under their Greeks Abroad page, I found an article with an excellent overview of Peter Storrie’s recent remarks after the director of the Greek National Team, Takis Fyssas, made a phone call to the director of Portsmouth, Paul Storrie.

Now it’s never a good thing when a player goes public about the on-goings inside a particular football institution, or any sport for that matter. Nevertheless, Theofanis Gekas did just that in the wake of his frustration over the lack of playing time for the Greece international. And he is absolutely right, and don’t think I am just defending my compatriot who is arguably the best striker on the Greek National Team at the moment.

While I was proud of Gekas, the rest of Portsmouth was likely pissed off; including the big cheese himself. We’re not talking Feta Cheese here, but in fact it was Feta Cheese, Fyssas, who apparently made the situation worse when he contacted the big cheese, Storrie.

In an interview with the English press, Storrie was clearly upset that Athens was calling about the lack of playing time on Gekas’ plate. The interview isn’t graphic but it does reveal a bit of anger in the Englishman who is irate at the fact the Greek National Team has the nerve to ring up the English minnows.

‘At the end of the day it is the manager’s choice which player should play.

‘To get the Greek national manager ringing me up and telling me who I should play and who I shouldn’t play I think is absolutely outrageous.

‘You know, you deal with your damn Greek side, don’t start telling us who we should play at Portsmouth Football Club.

‘If I get another call from the Greek damn national manager, he’s going to get a real kick from us because at the end of the day Paul didn’t pick this player to come to the club, Tony (Adams) did.

‘Personally, I back what Paul is doing 150 per cent.’

So as a stubborn Storrie, and an even more bullish Paul Hart continue Gekas’ bench-side misery, there appears to be no end for Gekas’ stint on the sidelines. Furthermore, the Greek contingent on the sidelines has increased to two players in recent weeks with the benching of Angelos Basinas for the past few matches.

So will Gekas ever make an appearance for Portsmouth, let alone a start? Only time will tell, but how sweet would it be if both Gekas and Basinas gave five-star performances in the approaching week when Greece tackles Israel in World Cup Qualifying? I pray they make Storrie, and Hart, eat their words.