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This Sunday morning we wake with another point in the locker after yesterday’s goalless draw at Upton Park. The other news likely to be in the headlines on the back pages is the police enquiry into the transfer of Jermain Defoe to Pompey back in January – more of the wrong type of headlines sadly.
England coach Fabio Capello was at Upton Park and shortly after nine o’clock he named his squad, for the friendly with Germany. All four Pompey stars keep their places and let`s hope that we get all of them on the pitch.
Also of interest is the fact that Marcel Shäfer the Wolfsburg uncapped midfield player is called into the German squad by coach Joachim Löw. The game is played at Berlin`s Olympic stadium kick off 19.45 GMT – live coverage on ITV1.
Time flies as they say and it sure is true. On Monday it will be six months since we won the FA Cup; only another six months and we will have to give it back. Last time we won the Cup we held it for seven years sadly it is unlikely we will do that again.
Birthdays
17th November Brian Carter – 70 – Well you know that the Toast specialises in digging up coincidences and strange events, well here is another. Brian was a wing half who came from Weymouth in 1957 and played 44 games for Pompey in three seasons. Well strangely I moved up from Weymouth in the 50’s and Brian featured in the first game I ever saw Pompey play at Fratton Park back in 1959,
Jack Froggatt was born on this day in 1922. ‘Jolly’ Jack as he was known was a great favourite through the Championship years and early fifties and in total managed 279 league appearances, 65 goals. A left winger who could also play at centre half even for his country – now who else can boast that on their CV? Jack in fact, in all games for Pompey, played 148 games on the left wing 94 at centre half, 34 at centre forward and 24 on the right wing. He also wore a few other shirts too!! Bob Jackson moved him to centre half in 1951 as Reg Flewin`s career began to draw to a close.
Jack, a stocky, muscular left winger came into the Pompey side straight after the war and played through the championship years missing just four games and scoring fifteen goals in each season. Jack actually scored on his War League debut for Pompey at the Dell which of course added to legendary status.
Toast made a point a few weeks ago which needs following up on. The point was that the war prevented Pompey being the kings of English football for longer and perhaps Jack’s career helps make that point. Although he came to Pompey via the RAF he was nearly twenty four when he made his league debut which was several years wasted. Add to that players like Flewin, Jimmy McAlinden, Bert Barlow and Cliff Parker played both before and after the war perhaps there is some credence to my point. Of course in 1944 Len Phillips was storming the D Day beaches what a waste that was surely, he would have been better storming Highbury or Old Trafford.
During his time at Pompey Jack played thirteen times for England actually scoring on his debut against Northern Ireland in a 9-2 win at City’s Maine Road. This game was a Home International which eventually doubled as a World Cup qualifier but whether this goal counts as a World Cup goal is dubious. Jack is one of only three Pompey players to score for England since the war, when will Peter Crouch make it four?
Jack eventually left to join Leicester and finished his career at Rockingham Road, the home of Kettering Town. On retiring Jack returned to Portsmouth and ran The Milton Arms and the Older Manor House for a time. Sadly Jack passed away in February 1993.
19th November 1961 Mark Chamberlain 47 – another England International winger, Mark signed from Sheffield Wednesday in 1988 for a sizeable fee and made goal scoring debut in a 4-0 win over Leeds United. Mark’s greatest moment in a Pompey shirt was ruined by a Ronnie Whelan injured in 1992 semi-final by challenge that should have been the perpetrator sent off. Whelan stayed on the pitch and as we all know scored the equaliser.
Mark is now back on the club staff working with the Academy players. Saw him in the club car park recently and he has not changed. At Pompey he managed 167 games with 20 goals.
Paul Harries 31 – a lesser known member of El Tel’s Aussie brigade made just one appearance as a sub at Stockport in 1997.
20th November Peter Mellor 61 – popular keeper in the late seventies and early eighties who always carried the millstone of his errors in the 1975 cup final for Fulham against West Ham which gifted Alan Taylor his two goals.
Peter was a member of the side that escaped from the Fourth Division in 1980 and was the fans player of the year in 1979. He came form Hereford the big blond keeper who tried shadow boxing at Port Vale after being threatened by the crowd. Peter, who is now working in the United States, maneged129 games for Pompey.
21st November – Warren Neill 46 – He was an apprentice at QPR before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup Final against Oxford four years later.
Warren then moved to Pompey and played 218 games with two goals. The Pompey match he would like to forget might be the semi-final replay with Liverpool where he missed in the penalty shoot out.
22nd November Russell Hoult – 36 Signed for Pompey in 1999 from Derby and amassed forty games over two seasons.
The goalkeeper with the chequered private life is now playing at the League’s oldest club Notts County. County are only Russell’s sixth club but he has been on loan at eight others. Hoult got close to the England side when at West Brom as Sven Goran Ericksson watched him on several occasions and Albion fans also voted him in the best ever sixteen players.
Ayegbeni Yakubu – 26 the only Pompey player not to need a shower following a game after just strolling around aimlessy for ninety minutes in the matches leading up to his transfer to Boro. He still does it now, believe it or not.
One of Harry’s steals in the transfer market, this one from under the nose of Alex Ferguson. Scored the winner in the local derby on 2004 and it total played 81 games with 35 goals. The Yak is now being linked with a move to Spurs in the January window.
Horror Clash
The Toast picked up some good news about Crystal Palace academy goalkeeper Kieron Thorp. Thorp was involved in a horrific clash early in the second half of the Eagles clash with Pompey academy last week and as the medical team rushed on to the pitch he suffered a fit.
Thorp was rushed to hospital where he recovered and x rays showed no more that bruised ribs, he should be back playing in three weeks. Tough job goalkeeping – oh Pompey lost 2-1.
Toast special on the Academy side is coming up shortly – honest. One of our trusty reporters who has seen most of the home academy games, turned down a trip to Upton Park to post a report on how our young hopefuls are faring. It should be a test against Arsenal’s table topping youngsters.
See you all next week when we hope to have an interview with Milan star, Ronaldinho on his visit to Fratton Park and other build up to what is possibly the biggest game ever to take place on the green space behind 42 Frogmore Road.
PUP.
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