Toast has asked some of Pompey’s oldest fans to write guest articles as we run up to the Semi-Final. We will be publishing them in special editions during the coming week.
First is Steve from Basingstoke who has been supporting Pompey for more that 50 years. Steve has chosen to highlight the last FA Cup meeting between Pompey and the Baggies. Over to Steve –
‘As we prepare to meet Albion in the Semi-Final I am reminded of a previous encounter in the FA Cup. It was on Saturday 9th March 1968 in front of 42,642 spectators, the prize was a place in the Quarter Finals. Albion were then in the old First Division and Pompey were going well in the Second Division (eventually finishing 5th). The atmosphere was electric and I had never heard the ‘Chimes’ sang so loudly by so many people (nor since!).
The Pompey team was Milkins, Pack, Ley Smith (George), Tindall, Harris, McCann, Trebilcock, Hiron, Kellard and Jennings. Sub was Mickey Travers. Ray Pointer had been injured the previous week when Birmingham came to the Park and took away Pompey’s unbeaten home record. Albion went 2-0 up but Pompey hit back with a goal from Ray Hiron and pushed forward for an equaliser. Mike Trebilcock almost scored following a mix up in the Albion defence, the ball going for a goal kick. At this point an almighty row broke out between the Albion keeper, John Osborne, and his central defenders, which could be heard, clearly in the upper tier of the South Stand where I was sitting.
Then came a bizarre incident, which was rarely been repeated at many games since. One of Hampshire Constabulary’s finest who had been controlling the cinder track behind the Fratton End goal came on to the pitch to remonstrate with the Albion defenders. As the Police Officer calmly pointed to the Police Van parked outside the Frogmore Road entrance (used normally for carting away hooligans) a massive cheer went up from the Fratton faithful followed by the customary ‘Off!, Off!, Off!’ chant.
The referee, who had gone back to the centre circle for the ensuing goal kick raced back to intervene but the Constable would have none of it and ushered the ref to one side so that he could finish his own ‘caution’. After a brief word with the referee the officer allowed the game to continue. When the game restarted and Albion hung on to win 2-1 and went on to triumph at Wembley over Everton.
In the press the police explained that had such language been used on the terraces the perpetrators would have been ejected from the stadium or even arrested!! Being a player in a match did not exempt him from the ‘Ground Regulations’ nor the law of the land – those were the days!’
Steve had the ‘pleasure’ of watching the United game from the Stretford End after missing the chance to buy tickets from Pompey being in Rome to watch Roma v Fiorentina!! I intend to get Steve to write more articles for us in the future. One word of warning, don’t sit too near Steve and our eastneydave when they are in deep discussion. One conversation recently went something like..
Steve ‘I was watching a game at Stoke when Stanley Matthews gave the left back we got from Palace in 1962 a roasting. What was his name?’
Dave ‘Roy Lunniss, got arrested for stealing a woman’s handbag’
Steve ‘Yes he went off to South Africa didn’t he?’
Real cure for insomnia that!!
Challenge Dave #9 – Half own goal
Chix asked me many moons ago – I had a conversation with some old geezer in the beer queue on Saturday who reckons Pompey have the only instance of a player being ‘officially’ credited with a player scoring HALF an own goal – Again details a bit sketchy but (and this might be wrong and therefore a bit of a red herring for Dave) It was in 1954 and the player in question he said was Jack Froggatt apparently he was credited with half and so was the attacker.
Well after a great deal of research I found the answer on the Chesterfield official site! Jack had by the time left Pompey and was at Leicester City. The game was Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge on 18th December 1954. The other player involved was Stan Milburn of Leicester, younger brother of Geordie hero ‘Wor’ Jackie. Milburn and Froggatt were involved in a misunderstanding during a Chelsea attack and they ‘simultaneously booted the ball into their own net’. Hence they have a unique place in football history. Today they would have replayed the incident over and over again until it was decided who had the final touch – it has just taken the romance out of football.
The game finished 3-1 to Chelsea who went on to win their first Championship and Leicester, the perennial yo-yo team, were relegated. Sorry for the delay Chix!!
Birthdays
31st March – Jim Storrie will be 68
1st April – Ian Baird 44
2nd April – Teddy Sheringham 42, Thomas Thogersen 40, Eyal Berkovic 36
4th April – Steve Berry 45
5th April would have been Eddie Lever’s 97th. Eddie was of course Pompey manager from 1952 to 1958. Alton schoolteacher Lever had recommended a young Jimmy Dickinson to Pompey.
Sorry
I apologise for an error in the Toast #1 competition. Indirectly Steve Gordos (former sports editor Express & Star, Wolverhampton) told another site that ‘your story is wrong to say Knowles kicked the ball out of the ground after scoring the winner at Portsmouth. Knowles hit the equaliser and it was Ernie Hunt who made it 3-2’.
Steve, Toast bows to your better knowledge.
See you all sooner than you might think!
Written by eastneydave.
The views within this article are the views of the individual who wrote and submitted this piece, sometimes solely theirs. They are not necessarily shared by the Vital Pompey Site Journalists.
