|
Trips to Portsmouth have not been that frequent over the years and although we have to go back over 28 years to our last victory there it is just four games without a win.
That last victory, in October 1981, came after we'd started the season with six defeats in the first eight games. Bob Lord announced his departure from the club on the morning of the game and in the afternoon goals from Kevin Young and Andy Wharton gave us our first away points and started a run of twenty league games without defeat that led to us winning the Third Division.
Bill Holden and Brian Pilkington were the scorers last time we won a top flight game there. That was in March 1955.
I think it is fair to describe Pompey currently as the crisis club in English football. They've paid their players today for November, after securing a loan, although the payments were late for the second time this season.
They seem to be involved in a takeover every other week and still appear to be without funds. Managers come and go as quickly as bread comes off the shelves at Tesco and recently chief executive Peter Storrie was charged over a transfer deal.
It's all a long way from the days of 'Arry & Jim or even from Redknapp's second period at the club and that ended little more than a year ago.
Paul Hart was in charge at the start of this season and with his hands tied firmly behind his back he couldn't get them off the bottom of the league. He's been replaced by Avram Grant who took charge for the first time last week when they were beaten by Manchester United.
They are currently seven points from safety and in a poor start to the season their only home points have come in a 4-0 demolition of Wigan.
There have been mixed messages coming out of Portsmouth regarding David James' fitness. He was expected to be ruled out with a calf injury which Grant appeared to confirm. He said he'd return to training next week. Now there are suggestions he could be back in time for tomorrow's game.
He's definitely without Linvoy Primus and Ward who have ankle and groin injuries respectively and Younes Kaboul (suspended) whilst doubtful are Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) and Steve Finnan (groin).
Their side against Manchester United last week was: Asmir Begovic, Tal Ben-Haim, Younes Kaboul, Marc Wilson, Hermann Hreidarsson, Frederic Piquionne, Hassan Yebda, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Michael Brown, Jamie O'Hara, Aruna Dindane. Subs: Jamie Ashdown, Anthony Vanden Borre, Richard Hughes, Nadir Belhadj, Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka, Tommy Smith.
A one match suspension for Steven Caldwell means Owen Coyle will be forced into his first change since Chris Eagles replaced David Nugent for the home game against Wigan in October.
He has a number of options. Either of Andre Bikey or Stephen Jordan could move into the central defensive position or he could opt for Michael Duff or David Edgar. I think the most likely will be Bikey moving back into the central defensive position which gives an opportunity for either Kevin McDonald or Joey Gudjonsson to come into the midfield with McDonald the favourite.
With Graham Alexander fit again, and with Stephen Jordan well again, I don't envisage any other changes to the side although there will be extra places on the bench with both David Nugent joining Caldwell on the sidelines, unable to play against his parent club.
We could line up: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Kevin McDonald, Chris Eagles, Wade Elliott, Robbie Blake, Steven Fletcher. Subs from: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Richard Eckersley, David Edgar, Brian Easton, Christian Kalvenes, Joey Gudjonsson, Fernando Guerrero, Steven Thompson.
Our last visit to Fratton Park was in April 2003 on the night Portsmouth won promotion to the then named Premiership with a 1-0 win over the Clarets, the goal coming from Svetoslav Todorov late in the game.
We went into the game in shocking form and were thankful for a missed penalty from Paul Merson. It was a better performance than of late for the Clarets but we could have no complaints in the end at the result.
Paul Weller starred for the Clarets but it was bad news for Brad Maylett who had been recalled from a loan at Swansea to play in this game. He was named as a substitute, brought on after just eight minutes, and hauled off again eight minutes into the second half to a blasting from manager Stan Ternent. He was to play just once more for Burnley.
The teams were;
Portsmouth: Shaka Hislop, Linvoy Primus, Hayden Foxe, Arjan de Zeeuw, Gianluca Festa, Steve Stone, Tim Sherwood, Paul Merson, Nigel Quashie, Lee Bradbury (Vincent Pericard 70), Svetoslav Todorov. Subs not used: Yoshi Kawaguchi, Gary O'Neill, Lassina Diabate, Kevin Harper.
Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Dean West, Mark McGregor, Graham Branch, Arthur Gnohere (Richard Chaplow 82), Dimitri Papadopoulos (Brad Maylett 8, Matt O'Neill 53), Paul Weller, Steve Davis, Robbie Blake, Ian Moore, Gareth Taylor. Subs not used: Gordon Armstrong, Joel Pilkington.
Our last ever top flight game at Fratton Park also ended in defeat. That was in November 1958 and we were 2-0 down in the first twenty minutes. Goals either side of half time from John Connelly brought us level but Portsmouth ended the game as they started, hitting two more in the last twenty minutes to win it 4-2.
The Burnley team was: Colin McDonald, John Angus, David Smith, Bobby Seith, Tommy Cummings, Jimmy Adamson, John Connelly, Jimmy McIlroy, Ray Pointer, Jimmy Robson, Brian Pilkington.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1994/95 | 1 | a | 0-2 | 9,067 | . |
| . | . | h | 1-2 | 10,666 | Eyres |
2000/01 | 1 | h | 1-1 | 15,494 | Weller |
. | . | a | 0-2 | 12,941 | . |
2001/02 | 1 | h | 1-1 | 14,123 | Taylor |
| . | . | a | 1-1 | 18,020 | Johnson |
2002/03 | 1 | h | 0-3 | 15,788 | . |
. | . | a | 0-1 | 19,221 | . |
2007/08 | LC | h | 0-1 | 8,202 | . |
