Portsmouth Football Club gave one lucky fan a money can’t buy opportunity, to learn to ‘Save Like a Pro’, alongside Pompey’s new number-one and Republic of Ireland international Gavin Bazunu.
Ahead of the new season, Gosham Rangers Reserves’ Chris Plow, 29, was invited to Portsmouth FC Training Ground to experience a professional goalkeeping coaching session and get tips on how to save energy on and off the pitch.
The session included how to control head positioning and footwork, how to save energy when moving from one side of the goal to another and how to preserve mental energy in a tough game.
The training session was organised as part of Smart Energy GB and EFL’s ‘Save Like A Pro’ campaign, which highlights how getting a smart meter installed can help people make small changes at home to save energy and be more in control of their energy bills.
Plow was put through his paces in stunning sunshine on the south coast by Bazunu, 19, who joined Portsmouth on loan from Manchester City this summer having won four caps at international level.
Bazunu, who impressed on loan at Rochdale last season where he made 29 appearances, wanted to get involved so he could give fans like Chris a chance to experience a professional standard training session.
“Chris Plow, an amateur goalkeeper, and I’ve been sharing a few tips and tricks on the importance of having full control of his energy use,” Said Bazunu, speaking to encourage
Portsmouth fans to get a smart meter installed. Smart meters come with an in-home display which helps you see where energy is being used, meaning you can save energy and money. Smart meters also put an end to estimated bills.
“Portsmouth FC and I wanted to get involved with the ‘Save Like a Pro’ campaign, not just to educate ate our fans, but also to give people like Chris the opportunity to come in and train with me and our great goalkeeping coaches.”
“I’m great at conserving my energy on the pitch, but off the pitch it needs some work, getting a smart meter installed can help me manage my energy use at home.
The 19-year-old won the first of his four senior caps in a World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg in March and has been described by Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley as one of the best young keepers in Europe.
Portsmouth fan Plow was born in Manchester but moved to Portsmouth as a child where he was immediately drawn to Pompey.
He works for Pompey in the Community, an award-winning charity which harnesses the motivational power of Portsmouth Football Club for the benefit of the community.
He said: “I’ve been working with Gavin, doing a goalkeeping session and it went really well, I learnt lots from Gavin about my footwork and hand positioning which I’ll be able to transfer into a Sunday game.
“It was all about movement and hand positioning so you can save energy when you’re making a save.
“I was really excited to be part of ‘Save Like a Pro’, obviously the initial feeling was one of excitement but working with a first-team goalkeeper can be a bit nerve-wracking but overall, the experience was really positive.”
Plow was keen to prove that the gap between an amateur and a Republican of Ireland International isn’t as large as some might expect.
He said: “My favourite part of the session was just to be able to learn from the lads, but also to be able to show that Sunday league football has some talent on the pitch as well.
“Pompey has that real heritage of a great fan base and really great support, this season having fans back is just going to create a great atmosphere and hopefully we can see Pompey have a really great season.
Some of the tips discussed to manage energy off the pitch were, using fewer appliances and lights during the summer months, cooking for everyone at once to use the oven less, hanging washing outside rather than using a dryer, and turn your appliances off standby mode.
🧤 Gavin Bazunu put amateur goalkeeper Chris through his paces and talked about how to conserve energy on the pitch
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) September 3, 2021
🔋 Off the pitch? Find out how a smart meter could help!@SmartEnergyGB | #AD | #Pompey
Others include speaking to your energy supplier about getting a smart meter installed to control your usage. Pre-pay customers are able to top up using their mobile or online.
Robert Cheesewright, Director at Smart Energy GB said: “Footballers and goalkeepers need to know how to conserve their energy on and off the pitch, and the same goes for our own energy use at home. Getting a smart meter from your energy supplier means, through automatic billing and having greater control of your energy use, you’ll have one less thing to worry about. The in-home display allows you to see in near-real time how much energy you are using in pounds and pence – meaning you can make some great saves, just like our goalkeepers today. Join the energy revolution and help upgrade Britain’s energy infrastructure by getting a smart meter installed at no extra cost.”
If you would like to register your interest in getting a smart meter installed, contact your energy supplier. Smart Energy GB and the EFL Partnership: Save Like a Pro. For more information visit https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/2021/september/learning-to-save-like-a-pro/
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