Well another point on the road and with the bottom three all losing we can look forward to the two upcoming home games with some expectation although sadly Glen Johnson will have the Easter holiday off.
Paul pulls it off!!
We have a Teaser winner at last, it is paulsmouth for naming Crystal Palace as the club to have been relegated at the end of each of their four seasons in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace were relegated in 1992/93 the first season of the Premier League, 1994/95, 1997/98 and 2004/05; thus spending just four seasons in the Promised Land.
Competition time
Win that Arsenal ticket!! It is a great competition so keep looking for those questions and remember you need 150 points on that scoreboard on the right of the screen. There may be a surprise later!!
Birthdays
Remember the link to Pompeyrama stats – just click on the player`s name.
4th April – Steve Berry was 46 – midfield player who came through the ranks. Made his debut on the opening day of the 1981/82 season at home to Lincoln City. Will be best remembered for his only Fratton goal when he ran the length of the pitch to lob Bristol City giant keeper Jan Moller. After a spell at Aldershot on loan moved to Sunderland in July 1984 on a free transfer.
5th April – Portsmouth Football Club – Pompey are 111 years old today. They were formed on 5th April 1898 in a meeting in the High Street Old Portsmouth.
7th April George Ley 63
Oliver Albert George Ley was born in Exminster, Devon on 7 April, 1946 and on leaving school was associated with Hitchin Town before joining local league club Exeter City in 1963. George was a big success at the Grecians and played ninety three games scoring seven times before joining Pompey in April 1967. Manager George Smith had been trying to sign Arsenal defender Tommy Youlden on loan but Gunner`s boss Bertie Mee would not agree and he switched his attention to Ley.
Despite being signed after the transfer deadline George made his debut at Leeds Road, Huddersfield on the last day of the 1966/67 season – Ray Pointer scored in a 1-1 draw. Players were allowed to appear in games after the deadline if the game had no bearing in promotion or relegation matters.
The next season was to see a transformation of the Pompey side as they topped the table for long spells before tailing off to finish fifth. George with Full back partner Roy Pack were part of the reason for the improvement. Both were strong defensively and able to get forward to support their attack. George had the advantage of also possessing a powerful left foot shot and scored more than a few memorable goals.
For five seasons George was a regular mostly at left back but latterly further forward in midfield. He scored 10 league and just one cup goal in a total of 204 games. The one cup goal came in what was probably Pompey`s best result of the 1970s. Drawn to play Arsenal at Fratton Park in the FA Cup fourth round in 1971 Pompey appeared to be in for a hiding. The Gunners were on their way to the league title and their side packed with internationals.
Fratton Park was packed in the pouring rain on a late January afternoon. Arsenal attacked the Fratton End and played some fantastic football in the first half but Pompey contained them to only one goal. This was a penalty from Peter Storey after George Ley had saved a shot on the goalkeeper style – an instant red card these days but just a penalty then. The second half was a different story as the Pompey crowd lived up to it`s reputation and roared on their favourites. The game turned on its head and Pompey laid siege to the Arsenal goal. The equaliser would not come as near miss followed near miss until with seconds left Roy Pack hit a long cross from the right and Mike Trebilcock scored at the far post; pandemonium and a replay.
At Highbury after a wash out Pompey took at early lead through Norman Piper to the shock of the packed crowd but the home side recovered and lead at half time. On the hour George strode forward and lashed home a left foot special from fully thirty yards. The Gunners won with a late penalty and went on to win the double but George had played a full part in giving them a massive scare.
At the start of the 1972/73 season now manager Ron Tindall was rebuilding the side and George was sold to Brighton for £25,000 on 20 September 1972. He later joined Brighton and in later years spent a great deal of time playing and coaching in the United States as well as being coach at Luton Town.
However it was not on the football field that George won his greatest honour it that period but in the pages of the Football League Review. They use to hold a poll of the best looking footballer and one season George won the award England`s most attractive footballer ahead of, of all people, George Best. That was about the only thing that a Pompey player won in the 60s and 70s.
Derek Gamblin 66 – Derek Gamblin will be an unfamiliar name to most. He was one of a few amateur players that George Smith had as emergency cover when he decided to run just one team in the mid 1960s. Gamblin, an England Amateur International full back, played just one game for Pompey which was in fact the last game before the 1966 World Cup when Bury were thumped 4-0 at Fratton.
Basil Hayward 81 – Basil joined Pompey in 1958 after a long spell at Port Vale. A defender Basil spent his first season at left back or centre half as Pompey were relegated. The next season he started in defence and then played twelve games at centre forward netting four goals before losing his place to Jimmy Campbell. He then drifted on to Yeovil Town. Basil also managed Gillingham between 1966 and 1971 replacing the man who signed him for Pompey, Freddie Cox.
8th April Tony Barton Born 1937 Died 20 August 1993 aged 56. Tony is the only former player who has gone on to manage a European Cup winning team.
9th April Mick Kennedy 48 – does anybody know how Mick is? Last we heard he had fallen on hard times back in his native Republic of Ireland.
10th April Harald Wapenaar 39;
Steve Claridge 43 – is it true that Steve has a major holding in Setanta Sports?
11th April Jimmy Campbell 72 – Died in 1994. Jimmy, a right winger came from West Brom in 1959 having scored against Pompey at the Hawthorns the previous season. Played for three seasons before moving to Lincoln City.
A year ago today we were all at Wembley for the FA Cup semi final with West Brom. How time flies since all of us made our first visit to the great stadium with OUR team. When will we return we ask ourselves?
Three more caps
Pompey provided three lions to the England team on Wednesday but who else played for their countries around the world?
Well Niko Kranjcar played a full ninety minutes for Croatia in Andorra. The match was interrupted twice by the visiting fans who threw flares on to the pitch. The visitors ran out 2-0 winners including a goal from Eduardo.
Hermann Hreidarsson according to Pompey`s official site played the full 90 minutes for Iceland in their 2-1 defeat to Scotland. However I cannot find his name on any teamsheet.
In Iraklio Crete, Greece captain Angelos Basinas played for the last six minutes to make his 100th appearance for the national team in their 2-1 win over Israel. Theofanis Gekas was replaced by Giorgios Samaras after 63 minutes who then scored the winning goal from the penalty spot. Fans will be pleased (shocked) to hear that Kostas Chalkias is now the Greek number 1!! Don`t ever remember that being chanted by the Fratton End! Ben Sahar started for Israel.
Jamie`s dad still not popular
Gandor wrote is the forum this week – ‘My friend was on a flight last week with you know who coming back from Spain. His PA had a very uncomfortable flight having to overhear people talking about HIM in a very unflattering manner. Just hope he heard some of it as well. Mind you, he has skin as thick as a rhinoceros – as ugly as well`.
Make your own minds up on that one.
‘In it to win it no.2’ – Question no.3…
Greek international, and former Arsenal defender, Efstathios Tavlaridis had a loan spell with Pompey in the 02/03 season – true or false?
Do not shout out the answer! Mail it to Rug by clicking here
Now where did that come from? Toast readers will know the answer because we ran an article on Tavlaridis some time back.
See you all Easter Sunday and send the eggs please.
PUP
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