IT IS one of football's most over-used cliches – especially at this stage of the season.

But for passionate Portsmouth fan John Westwood, every game really is a cup final.

It's the reason, week in, week out, the father-of-two dons a huge stove pipe hat, a curly blue wig and carries a bugle and hand bell with him the length and breadth of the country. That and the fact he's a little bit mad.

Of the 1,500 fans travelling north to witness Pompey's first-ever visit to Glanford Park, Westwood will stand out more than most.

He is the Blues' most recognisable supporter, almost possessing celebrity status given the amount of web pages and videos that bare his name (and his instantly identifiable tattoo-filled chest).

Westwood is Mr Portsmouth, quite literally. Mr John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood to give him his full title having changed his name by deed poll in 1989.

That's just one of a lengthy list of things the divorcee has done in honour of his team.

His home is a shrine to all things Fratton Park – Southampton toilet paper being the exception – just the same as his body, which sports 60 Portsmouth tattoos and has the letters PFC engrained on his teeth.

Even his pet cats – named Pompey and Chimes – cannot escape the madness.

It is Westwood's way of displaying passion, something Pompey's supporters have continued to do in abundance throughout some dark days during the past two years.

And it's that reason which never makes racking up the miles, whatever division it may be in, a chore if it means following his football club.

"I've always been fanatical," says Westwood, who will spend the next two nights in a caravan in Cleethorpes, sandwiching tomorrow's lunchtime kick-off.

"But I'm no more loyal or passionate than most supporters – I just show it in a different way.

"To me football is a day out and about having a laugh in a carnival atmosphere. If I can help that in any way I will.

"Lots of people say to me 'why do you go to football dressed like that'. My quick response is to ask them whether they would get dressed up for a cup final, to which they say 'yes, course I would'.

"Every game is a cup final to me."

Westwood's attire may be optional when it comes to following Pompey, but madness isn't.

Fans that were compos mentis prior to an action-packed past few years at Fratton Park will have been driven to insanity by numerous takeovers, administration and then almost being wound-up a year ago.

Those problems led to Pompey's exit from the Premier League, but not the Football League.

The bookies predicted a second successive relegation, fans feared it. So the fact the lowest the south coast club can finish tomorrow is 17th means it has been an 'incredible season'.

"At the start of the season we didn't know if we were going to have a club and that issue only got sorted out in October when we came out of administration," explains Westwood, who has not missed a Blues match in 30 years.

"But the two things we were lucky to secure last summer were A) David Lampitt, who came from the FA to be our chief executive and has given us some respectability back, and B) (manager) Steve Cotterill, who has been absolutely amazing.

"There are no other words to describe what he's achieved on limited resources, with the smallest squad in the country. The team spirit he's instilled is unbelievable.

"I thought the very best we could do was finish fourth bottom. So to secure safety two months from the end was unbelievable."

Twelve months ago, Westwood – an antiquarian bookseller at the family business during the week – was preparing to don his blue and white wig at Wembley, at Portsmouth's second FA Cup final in three years.

The fact he will be doing the same at the much less salubrious surroundings of Glanford Park tomorrow matters little.

"All I care about is having a team for my children and grandchildren. I don't care what level they play at as long as there is a club for people to support," concludes Westwood.

"Football is far more than just winning, it's the pride in where you come from, being with your fellow fans. You get consumed by it all.

"To be honest I prefer the Championship, and that's not sour grapes.

"I was disillusioned with the Premier League, because only five teams at the most can win it. To me that's not what football's about.

"In the Championship you can be bottom or you can be top and still beat the other.

"I could never support a team like Man United or Liverpool. Winning to them doesn't really mean that much.

"When we won the cup final, we went absolutely ballistic.

"There were blokes in their 40s and 50s at Wembley going mad, and these young kids around us looking at us thinking 'what's all that about?'

"Because they'd been supporting Pompey such a short time, they'd been watching Premier League football and half expected us to get to Wembley. They just didn't get it.

"We were the luckiest, because we know to enjoy the good times while they're there.

"You need to have the downs to appreciate the ups, that's why these fans of Liverpool and Arsenal will never appreciate winning as much as us lower league teams.

"They don't get the buzz and appreciation we do.

"I've got a great affinity for teams like Scunthorpe and their fans. They are proper fans – who do it for all the right reasons.

"I don't care about having a big posh ground, whether or not the toilets leak or the burgers aren't very nice. I go to watch a game of football."

Tomorrow will be no different.