One of the most distinguished sports journalists in the regional press has covered his 1,000th game for the club he reports on.

Multi-award winner Neil Allen has been covering Portsmouth FC for the city’s daily title The News since November 2000.

He covered his 1,000th game last Tuesday watching Pompey – which he brands “one of football’s craziest clubs – secure a 2-1 win over Cardiff City.

Now he has shared his memories of his career reporting on the club, which began with a journey to an away game in Sheffield in a pool car whose engine died on route.

Recalls Neil, pictured: “As the car gasped its final breath, it heroically dredged up enough energy to swerve across two lanes of the M1 before collapsing onto the hard shoulder.

“Stranded outside Loughborough sitting in a News pool vehicle whose engine was now dead, never to be resurrected, I contemplated whether my career would suffer the same fate.”

“Fast forward 23 years later and, upon the occasion of my 1,000th game in Tuesday night’s encounter with Cardiff, it’s abundantly clear that I survived that nightmarish Blues bow.

“Subsequent seasons saw me involved in the coverage of three Pompey promotions, three relegations, two FA Cup finals, two EFL Trophy finals and a High Court case, while working with 17 different permanent bosses and watching them play in 151 different venues.”

Neil’s early days in Portsmouth coincided with a “golden era” for the club with promotion to the Premier League in 2003 and an FA Cup win in 2008 – also against Cardiff.

But Neil acknowledges the sometimes strained relationship between the club and the paper. As HoldtheFrontPage reported at the time, he was banned by the club in 2009 after correctly predicting the then manager Paul Hart would be replaced by Avram Grant after a 0-0 draw at Hull City.

Wrote Neil: “Admittedly, using the phrase ‘dead man walking’ was rather blunt and, in hindsight, entirely unnecessary, as rightly pointed out to me at the time. There’s a lot to be said for a little diplomacy.

“Incidentally, that Hull match report helped me win two awards in 2010, including Sports Journalist Of The Year at the NUJ Regional Press Awards. Thank you, Paul Hart.”

Neil began his career in the West Midlands at the now defunct Sutton Coldfield Observer in 1998 before moving to the News in November 2000.

Despite his long involvement with Portsmouth, Neil discloses in the piece that he is actually a lifelong fan of Premier League side Aston Villa.

He concludes:  “Times have changed, journalism has changed and I now own a Hyundai Kona. Yet Pompey are still Pompey. So gloriously unpredictable, so infectiously passionate, so beautifully alive.

“This is a remarkable football family who have adopted a Nuneaton lad who supports Villa and Warwickshire County Cricket Club, welcoming him into their home. Thank you.”