New Pompey Book

Martin Allen

‘Mad Dog’ arrived at Fratton Park from West Ham in 1995 for £500,000 with a ‘hard man’ reputation. Being sent off after 20 seconds in one match and a particularly feisty spell at West Ham earned him the ‘accolade’. Three years on the south coast saw him play less than 50 games and prompted a move into coaching. Has since managed Barnet, Brentford, MK Dons, Leicester City and Cheltenham. Became a scout for QPR when his tenure at Cheltenham came to an abrupt end following accusations of racial abus (later withdrawn. Since then, Allen did spend a short tim)e at Eastleigh and had his fourth and fifth spells at Barnet. His legacy? “With West Ham I also picked up the name “Mad Dog”. Nowadays they even got a hot dog named after me! That’s my claim. Some people have statues. And I got a hot dog!”

Lucian Aubey

A Congolese defender who joined Portsmouth on loan in January 2008 but did not do enough to earn a permanent contract. Returned to French club Lens and has since turned out for Rennes and Sivasspor in Turkey. Played for France as an under 21 but Congo at full international level. Aubey has since been indicted for fraud and making death threats in Toulouse, where he settled upon retirement. A dispute arose when an investor demanded his money back following an attempt to set up a music label.

Milan Baros

Winner of the 2000 Talent of The Year award, Baros joined Liverpool two years later to start the first of two spells in England. Famously dropped and dented the League Championship trophy before being allowed to leave for Aston Villa for £6.5 million in 2005. He joined Galatasaray in August 2008 and was top scorer in the Turkcell Super League that season. This came immediately after a brief loan period at Pompey. Although he didn’t score a league goal for the Blues, he did win the penalty that settled the FA Cup quarter final match against Manchester United in 2008. The Czech international also created Kanu’s winning goal in the semi-final and came on as a sub in the final itself. Retired in 2020 at the age of 38 his first ever club, Banik Ostrava, having signed for them for the fourth time in 2017. In 2007 while in France, Baros was caught speeding and had his black Ferrari confiscated. The local gendarmarie claimed that the 168mph clocked by the radar was the fastest ever recorded in the region.

Kevin Prince Boateng - a bit of a clue in the question!

For such a good player, it is a shame that he will be remembered by many for his FA Cup Final penalty miss against Chelsea in 2010. He only played 22 games in blue but the club did make profit on the deal – having paid Spurs £4 million in August 2009, £5.5 million was received from Italian side Genoa almost exactly a year later. According to legend, during his stay, he was housed in a luxurious penthouse apartment in Southampton which was the setting for some outrageous parties! The Ghanian international started his career at Hertha Berlin at the age of seven and, fittingly, ended up back there in 2021. Did you know that he also fancies himself as a rap singer and released a couple songs in 2018 and 2109 under the name of PRIN$$ Boateng?

Lee Bradbury

The former soldier joined Pompey for the first of his two spells at the club in 1995. Was snapped up by Manchester City in July 1997 for £3million, but moved back south very quickly. His first stop was at Crystal Palace and then back to Fratton Park in 1999. The transfer fee for his return was a tenth of the sum that City had paid less than two years before. Bradders ended his playing days at Bournemouth and briefly became their manager before returning to Fratton Park as Youth Coach. Has since managed several non-league sides including Eastleigh who he joined in February 2022. His move to Man City, which made him the northern club’s most expensive purchase at the time and the Isle of Wight’s first million pound footballer was engineered by his agent at the time... Paul Walsh!

Arjan De Zeeuw

One of the best free transfers in the club’s history. Having already gained league experience with Barnsley and Wigan Athletic, the formidable Dutchman signed for Pompey after his contract with the Latics had expired. Arjan was an instant hit on the south coast and played his part in the winning of the First Division Championship. The following year, back in the Premier League, he was named Player of the Year and took over as captain when Teddy Sheringham left for West Ham. It was only a falling out with Alain Perrin that prompted him to move back to his previous club Wigan in a £90,000 transfer. Since his retirement, he has started a new career working as an investigative detective in the Dutch police, specialising in forensics. In a poll to celebrate the centenary of the PFA, fans voted De Zeeuw to be Wigan’s best player of all time. In an interview with the Guardian, he said that his time in football was only supposed to be a short break away from his studies to become a doctor. Did you know? Former Prime Minister Tony Blair once name Arjan De Zeeuw as his favourite Premiership player!

Ernie Butler

Became one of the Pompey’s greatest ever goalkeepers but had only ended up between the sticks by chance. While playing at leftback in a Bath & District League match, the regular keeper received a knock and, as the tallest player in the side, Ernie was given the gloves. He played in every match in both of Pompey’s Championship winning years and played over 200 league games in total. At the end of his career he stayed in the area to run a fruit and vegetable business and then the George & Dragon pub for seventeen years. Died on 31st January 2002 aged 82. He was so proud of his Championship medal that he always carried it around with him.

Jason Cundy

The former Chelsea and Tottenham defender played 9 games for Pompey in the 1999- 2000 season but was forced to retire due to injury. He has since worked in the media with talkSport and Chelsea TV including a show called ‘Sports Bar’ with Jamie O’Hara. Made the news himself when it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Now fully recovered, Jason now lives in Suffolk and devotes much of his time to a charity that raises awareness of the problem. At one time it was reported that he had fallen off a boat and died. Some fans left flowers outside Stamford Bridge before his radio co-host revealed that it was meant to be a joke. Twitter: @jasoncundy05

Jimmy Allen

An England international with two caps, Jimmy Allen appeared for Pompey in the 1934 FA Cup final against Manchester City but it was his transfer to Aston Villa a few months later that has contributed to a much longer lasting legacy. The £10,775 that Villa paid, which incidentally was only £250 less than the transfer record at the time, meant that the club had the money to build a new north stand. This increased the capacity of Fratton Park to 58,000 but it is hard to imagine how that many fans fitted into the ground. After the war, Jimmy went into management and helped to guide Colchester United into the Football League with the help of a number of other former Pompey players. He eventually returned to his adopted home and ran the Festing Hotel in Southsea for many years. Although he died in a Southsea nursing home in February 1995, I am one of many who look forward to my Saturdays in the stand that his transfer helped to build.

Bobby Campbell

Bobby Campbell started his football journey with Liverpool after signing professional forms in 1958. He was used sparingly in Bill Shankly’s inaugural season as manager in the 1959/60. However, it was clear that he was not in the manager’s plans and he moved to Pompey before finishing his career with Aldershot. Although he was not too prominent as a player, he moved into management where he truly made his name. He started his career managing George Best’s Fulham side before moving back Fratton Park. Led the team to the Third Division championship in 1983 but was sacked the following season and eventually ended up as Chelsea boss. He died on 6 November 2015 and Chelsea players wore black armbands in the following game against Stoke City as a sign of respect to the man who promoted them back to the top tier of English football.

Arjan De Zeeuw ... again!

Papa Bouba Diop

It came as a great shock when, in November 2020, it was announced that the man mountain that was Papa Bouba Diop had passed away at the age of 42. Pompey had paid Fulham £3.5 million in 2007 and he repaid the outlay handsomely over the next three years. At 6ft 5ins and solid as a rock, the Senegal international must have been a formidable sight for any opponent, including the Cardiff players who came up against him in the 2008 FA Cup Final. Sadly, the familiar story of the club’s ailing finances prompted his departure for a cut-price fee and a new adventure in Greece with AEK Athens beckoned for the player nick-named ‘The Wardrobe’. His death, in the northern French town of Lens, came after a long illness and it was reported that he may have been suffering from motor neurone disease.

Dion Donohue

Dion Donohue had a short but quite turbulent career. Initially, spent six years in Everton’s academy, but had to wait another five years before making his league debut for Chesterfield. Was named the Spireite’s Player’s Player of the Year in 2016/17 and then agreed to move to Pompey during the following close season. The Welshman displayed all the right attributes but could never gain a regular starting spot. It was from there that things went downhill. Whilst at next club Mansfield, he was arrested and subsequently found guilty of affray and GBH following an incident at a local night club. Despite this, Swindon Town gave him the chance to resurrect his career but a combination of injuries and desire to move back to Wales prompted him to retire at the age of only 27. Since then, the bustling midfielder has worked as a plasterer and accepted the offer to play for Caernarfon Town. It proved to be a good move as he was named in the Welsh League’s 2021-2 Team of the Season and called up to play for the Wales ‘C’ Team.

John Durnin

‘Johnny Lager’ was a colourful character both on and off the pitch. His career started at Liverpool, where he had scored 62 goals in 90 games for their Central League side, but it was a £200,000 transfer from Oxford United that kick-started a six-year stay at Pompey.

Popular with fans and team-mates alike, the Bootle boy notched up 181 games and scored 31 goals before injury ruled him out of action, and ultimately led to his departure. Typically, there was a story – he had dislocated his elbow while crashing a buggy during a round of golf! His career never recovered and after a few coaching posts, he decided to concentrate on his media work with LFC TV and Radio City-Merseyside. In 2019, he was in the news again but on the front rather than back pages. Following two ‘road-rage’ incidents the previous year, the former striker, who describes himself as “a very accomplished individual” on LinkedIn, was convicted of common assault and impersonating a policeman.

Craig Foster

An Australian international who may well have stayed longer had it not been for the fact that the club was in administration and had to reduce the wage bill. As one of the higher earners, Foster was allowed to join Crystal Palace on a free transfer. The former Socceroo’s captain played in south London until 2000, when he returned home to ‘Oz’. Played out the rest of his senior career with Northern Spirit FC before retiring in 2003. Won numerous awards as a commentator but is now probably better known as a human rights activist. Attained a law degree in 2019 and stands up for the rights of refugees and the homeless. This work resulted in him becoming a finalist for NSW Australian of the Year in 2021 and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the same year.

Gerry Francis

The former England captain had his best days playing for QPR and Crystal Palace. He joined Pompey briefly at the request of his old England team mate Alan Ball but only made a few appearances before ending his playing days at Bristol Rovers. This was to be the start of a successful management career with QPR and Spurs. He also set up an Antiques business in Chertsey, Surrey. Bizarrely, he once struck up a friendship with the boxer Mike Tyson thanks to their shared love of pigeons. Not only did he keep over 100 of the birds at his Surrey home, Francis’s name appears in the credits for a film called Valiant, based on the true story of homing pigeons who ferried vital intelligence across the Channel during the Second World War, and featured the voices of Ricky Gervais and John Cleese.

C.B. Fry

The story of C.B. Fry sounds almost unbelievable and better suited to a TV drama series than a book about former footballers. He lived in the early 1900’s and earns his place on these pages by virtue of three games in a Pompey shirt. The third of of these turned out to be his last ever match due to injury. Apart from his brief footballing career, he was also a sportsman, politician, diplomat, academic, teacher, writer, editor, publisher, and first class cricketer. He played for both the England international football and cricket sides, played in an FA Cup final for Southampton and equalled the world record for the long jump. If that was not enough, he also stood as an independent candidate in the General Election and was reputedly offered the chance to take over the throne in Albania. He later launched and edited two magazines for boys, C.B. Fry’s Magazine and The Captain, and then started a career in broadcasting. In the late 1920s, he had a breakdown and became paranoid. For the rest of his life, he dressed in bizarrely unconventional clothes and was occasionally seen running stark naked down Brighton beach. This remarkable man died on 7th September 1956 aged 84.

Fitzroy Simpson

In a twenty year career, the 169 games played for Pompey were the most appearances that Fitzroy Simpson made for any one club and were arguably his best days. During his stay he represented Jamaica at the 1998 World Cup finals and was a regular fixture until his move to Hearts in 2000. After a spell on the Costa Del Sol working in property, he returned to the south five years later and turned out for both Havant and Eastleigh. Simpson now works as an agent and has teamed up with Belgian-based Business2sport Group with the aim of promoting Jamaican culture and sport (including the country’s ladies team, the Reggae Girlz!).

Jon Gittens

A former Southampton player who despite two spells at the Dell, actually signed for Pompey from Middlesbrough. Jim Smith snapped him up on a free transfer and played him in almost every game for two consecutive years. When Terry Fenwick took over as boss, Gittens’s chances became limited and this prompted a move to Torquay United in 1996. Five years later he was back in the area, coaching with Fareham Town, where he was famously ‘sent off’ for calling the linesman a “chicken nugget”. Having qualified as a coach, the likable former defender became a role model and pioneer in coach education. As a black coach developer Gittens was a leading voice in the conversation on equality, diversity and inclusion during his time with the governing football body. It came as a shock to the football community when he died in 2019 at the age of 55. As a tribute, the FA named one of the pitches at the national football centre in his memory. In April 2022, an ex-Pompey XI took on a team of former Fareham players to raise funds for charity.

Jeroen Boere

A 6ft 4in Dutch striker who played five league games for Pompey on loan from West Ham in 1994. Had to retire from football when he lost an eye, due to a stabbing . This took place in Tokyo, Japan, where he had been playing (and scoring goals) for local club, Omiya Ardija in the Japanese second division. Went on to run the Half Moon pub in Epping but died in 2007 at the age of 39 while living in Marbella, Spain and working as an estate agent.

Greg Halford

Greg Halford is still playing at the age of 37 and 20 years after making his league debut for Colchester United. Having previously been valued at £3 million when moving from Reading to Sunderland, the Essex boy spent two seasons at Fratton Park and is possibly remembered for his long throw as well as battling performances in a variety of positions. It was unfortunate that his stay was at a time when money was scarce, and this contributed to his departure. Now at his 19th club, he signed for Isthmian League North division side Hashtag United in August 2022 and scored on his debut. Formed by a YouTuber called Spencer Carmichael-Brown, Hashtag United are based in Pistea in Essex and originally only played exhibition matches which were then uploaded to their YouTube channel.Such was their popularity, Carmichael- Brown successfully applied for the club to be admitted to the non-league pyramid in time for the 2018-9 season. Click here for the full story!

Scott Hiley

Scott Hiley spent eighteen months at Southampton before joining Pompey and then sold back to his first club Exeter by Harry Redknapp. He is still fondly remembered by their fans for the time he nutmegged Cristiano Ronaldo during an FA Cup match against Manchester United. Ironically, the Devon boy now lives in Manchester! He is working for Ocado as a site marshall.

(You can see it for yourself on YouTube).

Danny Hinshelwood

A member of the famous footballing Hinshelwood family, Danny was once an apprentice at Nottingham Forest where one of his duties was to walk Brian Clough’s dog! Despite this important role, he was released in 1996 and joined Pompey. Four games later he was on his way again. He became manager of Selsey in 2004 and has lived in the area ever since.

Hermann Hreidarsson

Everyone’s favourite Icelandic export, ‘The Herminator’ etched his name in the club’s history and the fans’ hearts when he lifted the FA Cup in 2008. Despite the adoration, he actually only spent a third of his 15 playing years in England wearing a Pompey shirt. Incredibly, he was relegated from the Premiership with five different clubs but this did not stop him from earning a solid reputation and 89 international caps. His playing career came to an end in 2013 at Icelandic club IBV where he then made the move into management and lured former team-mate David James to come and join him. They were re-united some years later when he took the reins of Kerala Blasters of the Indian Super League. The 2008 old boys club sprung into action again in 2019 when Sol Campbell asked him to be his assistant during a short-lived stint as boss at Southend United. Hermann returned to home-town club IBV in 2021. Instagram account is ‘herminator74’!

Noel Hunt

Noel Hunt was a well-travelled and battling striker when he arrived at Fratton Park in 2016. Despite only scoring one goal in his 20 appearances, he was a handful for opposing defenders. The Eire international retired a couple of years later and made the successful transition into coaching. Reading appointed him as manager of their Under 23 set-up in February 2022 but he also has an eye for business. In 2012 he became a partner in ‘The Dugout’, a pub in County Ennis and is now “an inquisitive crypto investor”.

James Hurst

If you include West Brom and Pompey, James Hurst has spent time with 22 different clubs even though he is still only 30. He apparently chose to sign for the Blues in 2008 despite interest from other Premiership clubs. Although he never quite made the expected breakthrough, he is still playing today, albeit in the Southern League Premier Division for Tamworth. The well-travelled defender hit the Scottish headlines in 2020 when he was remanded in custody for coughing at police officers and telling them that he had Covid.

Mick Kennedy

Mick Kennedy took few prisoners as a no-nonsense hard tackling midfielder. This earned him the wrath of many a referee but also the seal of approval from the club’s supporters. As a Republic of Ireland international, he won two caps and could also take a mean penalty. After quitting football he settled in Ennistymon, County Clare, where he lived a quiet life and shied away from football fame. Died on 9th February 2019, aged 57. He had been inducted into the Pompey Hall of Fame only the year before. In an interview with TJ Flynn of The Clare People in April 2008, he claimed that “the Portsmouth team were hellraisers, lunatics and madmen and were a throwback to a time when the players burned the candles at both ends then blow-torched the middle”. Fans have created an interesting appreciation group on Facebook

Dave Kitson

Is Dave Kitson the ‘Secret Footballer’ (if you have not read any of the books, they are full of juicy gossip!)? The Daily Mirror are convinced that he is and refer to him as such. Although not as prolific in a Pompey shirt, the flame haired striker’s time at Reading was an undoubted success and earned him a £5.5 million move to Stoke City in 2010 (both were in the top flight during his time). He made his way to Fratton Park, valued at a fraction of that amount, less than two years later as part of the deal that took Marc Wilson the other way. Successive managers failed to get Kitson performing to his best and with club finances becoming an issue, it was mutually agreed to terminate his contract in August 2012. In 2021, Kitson became Chairman of Arlesley Town in Hertfordshire, one of his first club’s,and where he had briefly

David Hillier

Having played 142 matches for Arsenal, England under 21 international Hillier was sold to Pompey for £250,000 in 1996. This was despite testing positive for cannabis in drugs test the year before. 61 matches in two and a half years at Fratton Park were followed by spells at Bristol Rovers and Barnet before retiring in 2003. He then became fireman in the Bristol area and managed non-league team, Oldland Abbotonians. In 1996 Hillier was fined £750, having been accused of stealing luggage worth £3,000 at Gatwick Airport. Now commentates on Arsenal games and promotes his own building maintenance firm on Instagram ‘hillier_maintenance’.

Ognjen Koroman

A Serbian international whose performances at the 2006 World Cup were overshadowed by pretending to wave imaginary yellow cards in the hope of persuading the referee to book opposing players. He was registered as a Pompey player at the time thanks to a loan arrangement with Russian club FC Terek Grozny. Scored a cracking goal against Liverpool but never established himself and joined Red Star Belgrade the following year.

Tresor Lomans LuaLua

Despite scoring on his debut and showing fleeting signs of brilliance, LuaLua was also extremely unpredictable during his time at the club. Disciplinary problems and a bout of malaria were interwoven with some spectacular goals (and celebrations – apparently he had always dreamt of becoming a gymnast). His son died of pneumonia while the Congalese international was living at Port Solent and this combined with reported marital differences resulted in a £4 million move to Olympiakos. The unforgettable LuaLua, who is a devout Christian and regularly prayed with Linvoy Primus before matches, was a popular and one of the most entertaining players to have ever worn a Pompey shirt.

Alex Mackie

Legend has it that Irishman Mackie bought a monkey with his first week’s wages after he had signed for Arsenal in 1922! Apparently, this was what he had wanted all his life, and one of the wealthy chairman’s contacts helped to make his dream come true. The popular right-back joined Pompey six years later, after 100+ games for the north London club. ‘Towser’, as he was known to his team-mates, more than doubled that tally in a Pompey shirt and appeared in both the 1929 and 1934 FA Cup finals. He will also be remembered for a powerful clearance during a match in 1930, which accidentally hit the ref and knocked him clean out. Mackie died in June 1981, aged 81 but nobody knows what happened to the monkey.

Mark Morrison

At the age of 34, Michael Morrison can be classed as a veteran but one with over 500 league appearances and a reputation for being a strong powerful defender. Born in Suffolk, he was Cambridge United’s Young Player of the year for three consecutive seasons and won 8 England C caps. This kick-started a career which has seen him give excellent service to numerous clubs, the most recent being Reading, where he spent three seasons. It did not take long for him to become a regular fixture in the Pompey back four when drafted in on a free transfer in July 2022. Outside of football, he is an ambassador for Show Racism the Red Card and the co-owner of ChopHouse Barbering in Newmarket, Ely and Sawston, Cambridgeshire.

Aistultan Nazarbayez

This must be the strangest story in the book, and possibly in the history of Portsmouth Football Club. It is reported that Aistultan Nazarbayez, who was a grandson of the Kazakhstan President of the time, spent six months at Fratton Park in 2007 following a stint in Chelsea’s academy. When a career in football appeared unlikely, he graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy in 2010 and was working for the MOD in his early 20’s. The family’s wealth then ensured a glittering bash when he married the daughter of one of his home country’s richest businessmen. In fact, Kanye West was paid mega-bucks to perform at the party. The fairytale does not have a happy ending though. After his father committed suicide, Aisultan became addicted to cocaine and started to act more and more irrationally. This led to a conviction for assaulting a policeman, spells in rehab, and a wild claims on social media. In 2020, a heart attack resulted in his death only days before his 30th birthday.

Aidan Newhouse

A former England youth international who spent a month on loan at Fratton Park. Aidan Newhouse was registered to Wimbledon at the time and had appeared for them in the top flight. Jim Smith decided against parting with the required £300,000 for a permanent move and he eventually joined Fulham instead. After retiring from football, he became a maths teacher at Rainhill High School and can count Preston and ex-Liverpool midfielder Ben Woodburn as one of his former pupils. Unfortunately, Torquay United fans remember him for a glaring miss against arch rivals Exeter City, which has since been watched over one million times on Twitter since becoming a ‘Crap90sFootball’ Hall of Fame entry.

You can see it here.

Jermaine Pennant

Former loanee Pennant regularly hit the headlines during an explosive career. As a 15 year old he went from Notts County trainee to Arsenal’s youngest ever first team player in a record £2 million move and scored a hat-trick on his full debut. He played 13 games on a surprisingly uneventful spell at Fratton Park while on loan from Liverpool. Despite a career total of over 350 games, it was off the field where he gained most notoriety. Having claimed that football saved him from a life of crime, he did have regular run-ins with the local constabulary and numerous high-profile bust-ups. During one arrest for drink-driving, he gave his name as ‘Ashley Cole’ and another resulted in being sentenced to 90 days imprisonment. Other colourful stories include relationships with TV stars and glamour models, forgetting that he owned a swanky Porsche Turbo (it was found abandoned at a railway station!) and appearing on Celebrity Big Brother.As you can imagine, his autobiography ‘Mental: Bad Behaviour, Ugly Truths and the Beautiful Game’, published in 2018, makes particularly interesting reading.

Richie Reynolds

The former Plymouth hitman might never have played for Pompey had he not chosen the security of a two year contract instead of a shorter deal being offered by Manchester City. He put pen to paper in June 1971, and only took a week to notch up his first goal for the club. He ended the season as top scorer and winner of the Player of the Year award. During his stay he was paired with a variety of striking partners but had to endure relegation and was finally released in 1976. Played in Holland and America before managing local teams Chichester City and Petersfield. Having always been a passionate race-goer, he set up a company selling shares in race horses. This has led to ownership of such fine names as: Fratton Park, Play Up Pompey, Star of Pompey, and even Blue Army.

John Sullivan

Sussex born ‘keeper John Sullivan seems to have spent more of his career out on loan than he did as a permanent fixture at any one club. His chance to shine at Pompey came in 2013, but a 4-1 defeat on his debut and a couple of subsequent clangers resulted in being dropped to make way for Trevor Carson. After a brief stint at Whitehawk FC, his bags were packed again and on their way to Nevada in the United States. It is among the bright lights of Las Vegas that he discovered that he had what it takes to become a very successful (and wealthy) estate agent.

Joe Morrell

Did you know that Joe Morrell is one of the co-owners of Merthyr Town (as is Line of Duty star Vicky McClure)? The club is fan-owned and the Welsh international responded to their plea for support. Signed from Luton Town in August 2021, he had only played 10 games for the Hatters but was already well established in his national side. Since that time, he has notched up more appearances for Pompey than any of his previous employers.

Lee Sharpe

One of the 1990’s ‘poster boys’, Sharpe had jumped from being a 17 year old trainee at Torquay to first team player at Manchester United in the blink of an eye. At Old Trafford, he won a cabinet full of trophies including England caps at Under 23, ‘B’ and full level. He had also been the subject of a £4.5 million move to Leeds United, played in Italy for Sampdoria, and joined Bradford City by the time he signed for Pompey on loan in 2000. He retired in 2004 and became a regular on out TV screens in a variety of programmes ,which have ranged from an appearance in Coronation Street to ‘Celebrity Love Island’ and ‘Harry’s Heroes’. In 2021, he moved to Spain with is wife and two children, became a professional golfer and opened a bar in Javea called ‘Sharpey’s’. See: https://www. sharpeyssportsbar.com

Kevin O'Callaghan

‘Cally’ helped Pompey back into the top flight in 1986/7. He formed part of a deadly striking formation that also included Mick Quinn, Paul Mariner and Vince Hilaire. Although he was an effective winger and holder of 21 international caps, he could well be remembered for his role in the 1981 film ‘Escape to Victory’, where he played the part of goalkeeper ‘Hatch’. In the company of Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Bobby Moore and Pele, Hatch saved a penalty in the last minute of the match against the Nazis to secure a victory for the Allies’ side. His ‘real’ playing career was cruelly cut short by a serious knee injury sustained while playing for Southend in 1993. This prompted a move into coaching with Millwall ,where he helped to develop promising youngsters.

Dusko Tosic

Dusko Tosic’s Pompey story could have been very different had the club not been in such a financial mess. He was an established Serbian international who had played for some serious European clubs, but his single opportunity here was to warm the bench and enjoy a great view of the famous 4-1 win at Southampton in 2010. Despite this, he went on to clock up almost 400 senior appearances in England, Serbia, Turkey and China. His contract with Chinese side Guangzhou was rumoured to be worth over £5m per season. He was also married to one of Serbia’s most popular singers until 2022 - Jelena Karleusa had hits galore and was the most-followed woman from Serbia on Instagram!

Jhon Viafara

A tall and athletic Colombian midfielder Viáfara made his name with Once Caldas, for whom he was instrumental during his club’s success in the Copa Libertadores, the South American version of the UEFA Champions League. This earned him a £800,000 move to Pompey at the beginning of the 2005-06 season but was quickly dropped when Harry Redknapp returned from his brief break up the M27, and loaned out to Spanish Primera División club Real Sociedad. Ironically, he signed a three year deal with Southampton the following August. Two seasons later, he was on the plane back home to re-sign for his first club and did then enjoy on-field success until retiring in 2015. It was then that things took a turn for the worse. He became involved with the Gulf Cartel, a Columbian drug-smuggling gang and was eventually caught, extradited to the United States and sentenced to 11 years in a Federal jail for importing an alleged 2 tonnes of cocaine, which was worth a staggering £21 million.

Fred Worrall

Fred Worrall was an outstanding winger who was capped twice for England and was the only player from the 1934 FA Cup final side to play for the Pompey team that beat Wolves 4-1 in the 1939 FA Cup Final. Incredibly superstitious, he insisted on putting a small horseshoe in his pocket and a sprig of heather in each sock before each cup tie. On the pitch, he was a consistent performer and rarely missed a league match between 1932 and 1939, clocking up over 300 appearances in total. Worrall later became a trainer at Chester and, rather unusually, Warrington Rugby League club, who he took to a Wembley cup final before returning to soccer and being credited with the discovery of future England star Roger Hunt. Fred died in April 1979 at the age of 68… would you believe on Friday 13th?

Steve Finnan

Steve Finnan is an Irish international rightback who made his name with Fulham and Liverpool but ended his playing career at Fratton Park in the 2009/10 season. He joined from Spanish side Espanyol in July 2009 and his last appearance was in the 2010 FA Cup final against Chelsea. Then having settled in London and become a property developer, it was reported that he was selling off his Champions League medal and many other possessions because he was left £3.5 million in debt following the collapse of his business.

Shaka Hislop

Shaka kept goal for the Pompey’s First Division title winning side in 2002/3, having arrived from Newcastle United the previous year. Retained the number 1 jersey until Alain Perrin took over as boss and preferred Sander Westerveld. An international with Trinidad & Tobago, Hislop then returned to his old club West Ham. He is now working in the media for ESPN. The proud Trinbagonian was named the as the first winner of the PFA Special Merit Award in 2005, has been inducted into Trinidad & Tobago’s Hall of Fame, and is the Honorary President of Show Racism The Red Card. Did you know that, at one time, Shaka Hislop worked as NASA space agency? “I had been attending university in the US on a football scholarship, and had been doing a summer internship at NASA the year before I graduated”.

Sully Muntari

A Ghanaian footballer who, despite falling out with team-mates and the footballing authorities, helped his country reach the quarter finals of the 2006 World Cup in South Africa. He is far better to known to Pompey fans as a starring member of the team that won the FA Cup two years later. The club broke their transfer record by paying Italian side Udinese a reported £7 million, despite the talented midfielder having been sent off three times in 16 matches the previous season. In addition to rapidly becoming a fans’ favourite, he played his part on the pitch and proved to be a wise financial investment. Shortly after lifting the trophy, Serie A giants Inter Milan parted with £16m to lure him back to Italy. This represented an impressive ‘paper profit’ after only one season. However, it proved to be quite a season. He was outstanding and played a significant role in the lifting of the cup as well as being voted an All-Star Player during the African Cup of Nations. Muntari’s wife is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. She is also a former beauty queen who was named Miss Universe Ghana in 2004. Wikipedia states that she has appeared on the cover of many magazines such as New African Life, Maxim Italy and… Pompey Life!

Steve Foster

Ian St John’s decision to try ‘Fozzie’ in defence during a reserve game proved to be a key moment in the Portsmouth born player’s career. Although he had scored goals regularly as a youngster, he immediately looked comfortable in the centre-half position. Despite the club’s poor form and subsequent relegation, Foster‘s performances stood out and ultimately earned him a £130,000 move to Brighton (who had just been promoted to the old First Division). Although he had to go through the agony of relegation at his new club, he did win three England caps and captained his side in an FA Cup final replay against Manchester United. The fans’ favourite was sold to Aston Villa and later played for Luton Town and Oxford United before ending his career back at the Goldstone Ground. He still lives in the Brighton area where he set up a successful insurance business offering cover to professional footballers. Arguably, the highlight of a colourful career was being included in England’s 1982 World Cup squad. His selection came as quite a surprise to many… including the player himself!

George Ley

Left-back who once topped a poll for best looking footballer, beating off the challenge of other players such as George Best! Originally from Exeter, Ley had joined Pompey from his local club in an £8,000 deal in 1967. Enjoyed five years at Fratton Park and was popular with the fans, although he was pipped to the club’s first Player of the Year award by Ray Pointer. Later had a spell as Luton Town’s youth coach before emigrating to the US. Inducted into the George Ley Pompey Hall of Fame in 2014.

Lindy Delapenha

Lloyd Lindbergh Delapenha was the first Jamaican to play professional football in England. After 380 league games for his three clubs, ‘Lindy’ returned to Jamaica and became a popular face as a sports reporter. He worked for the Jamaican Broadcasting Service for over 30 years. Having suffered a stroke, he died in January 2017, aged 89. Whilst at Middlesbrough, he was the only player to have a car (a Ford Anglia) and turned down a move to Manchester City because he wanted to stay close to his wife to be who was a local schoolteacher. In 1974 he was inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame at a ceremony in New York.