THE OFFICIAL DIGITAL MAGAZINE OF PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB
HEAVEN’SLIGHT EDSAPCE / WHAT POMPEY MEANS TO ME / OUT OF THE SHADOWS STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW / JOHNNY MOORE / TOM WHITE
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CONTENTS 05 Edspace 07 What Pompey Means To Me 09 Out Of The Shadows 11 Stakeholder Interview
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14 Johnny Moore 17 Bygone Blues 18
Tom White
21 Josh Sweetman 25 Goals Of The Season DESIGN The Graphic Design House, www.tgdh.co.uk Designers Leigh Griffiths, leigh@tgdh.co.uk Andrew Sanders, andy@tgdh.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Colin Farmery, Tom White, Simon Hill, Matt Pantling, Pompey Press
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GOALS OF THE SEASON
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THE 2014-15 SEASON HAS COME TO AN END, AND POMPEY NOW FACE A BUSY SUMMER
} Welcome to the May edition of Heaven’s Light.
The 2014-15 season has come to an end, and Pompey now face a busy summer. As usual this edition of Heaven’s Light is packed full of news about life off the pitch at Fratton Park. My column looks back at some of the highs and lows from the 2014-15 season, and we also have a column from Josh Sweetman about Jed Wallace’s contributions last season. This issue also contains an out of the shadows feature with Pompey’s marketing and sponsorship executive Sasha Burford, a stakeholder interview with the managing director at Eurotech Fire Systems, Michelle Agius, and another one of Johnny Moore’s favourite years. We will also be speaking to another fan to find out what Pompey means to them. If you would like to be in a future edition of Heaven’s Light saying what Pompey means to you then please feel free to contact me. You can email me on tomwhite@pompeyfc.co.uk and you can also send any comments, ideas or suggestions for our publication to that email address. Yours in Pompey, Tom White Heaven’s Light Editor
MY COLUMN LOOKS BACK AT SOME OF THE HIGHS AND LOWS FROM THE 2014-15 SEASON
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W H AT D O E S
POMPEY MEAN TO ME?
SAM BROWN, 23, FROM WATERLOOVILLE TELLS TOM WHITE WHAT POMPEY MEANS TO HIM Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m an engineer and I work locally, and I’ve been doing that for three years. I’m 23 and I go to as many away games as I can. I don’t miss any home games. When my girlfriend moved here I said that I’ll be going to football on Saturdays.
SB
What does Pompey mean to you? Whatever’s going on at home you can come for 90 minutes and take your mind of whatever’s happening and be solely focused on Pompey. When you’ve been going for quite a long time it feels like a second home. Everybody else is on your team and it’s like a second family.
SB
Can you remember when you started supporting the club? My dad supports Pompey, my grandad supports Pompey and everyone in my family that likes football supports Pompey, so I’ve grown up with it. I’ve always supported Pompey and I’ve always gone to the football.
SB
Do you have any particular highlights from your time supporting the club? 4-1 away at Southampton. It was my first game away at Southampton and we had barely won a game all season, which made it twice as good. For the AC Milan game the noise in the first half was incredible, and Manchester United away when we lost 4-1 in the FA Cup was another highlight. We played so well that day and did not deserve to lose 4-1. I’ll always remember when Nigel Quashie went through on goal and smashed it over the bar. I went up to Highbury in the first season of the Premier League when we drew 1-1. We played so well that day, and we didn’t realise how good Arsenal were going to be that season. We went 1-0 up, Teddy Sheringham scored,
SB
and I thought we’d made it. The promotion season was incredible, and the promotion parade after was brilliant. One of the best days I’ve had with Pompey is when we went away to Bradford on the last day of the season and won 5-0. Do you have any favourite players? The best player I’ve ever seen in a Pompey shirt is Lassana Diarra. In terms of favourite players, I love Steve Stone. Paul Merson was incredible because he was just so effortless. Svetoslav Todorov, Arjan de Zeeuw and Pedro Mendes were all class, and Matt Taylor was unbelievable for us. Jed Wallace also deserves a lot of credit, and I liked Erik Huseklepp when we had him because he had a bit of flair and he worked so hard.
SB
Do you have any favourite goals? Joe Devera’s goal against Stevenage is up there. What a moment that was, that’s possibly the moment of the season that Devera goal. Ryan Taylor’s winner against Tranmere and Joel Ward’s goal against Southampton are also up there. Frederic Piquionne’s goal against Tottenham is another favourite – that was an unbelievable day.
SB
How did you feel when the Trust bought the club? It was brilliant. There were people crying by me when we beat Sheffield United 3-0 after they had just taken over. It was so emotional, and there was a collective relief. It was huge. They’ve worked seriously hard and they’ve put a lot of money into the club.
SB
What are your hopes for the future for Pompey? Progress. I genuinely think that we should be at least in the play-offs next year. It doesn’t concern me not going up next year but it does concern me if we’re still mid-table next year.
SB
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OUT OF TH E
SHADOWS
POMPEY’S MARKETING AND SPONSORSHIP EXECUTIVE SASHA BURFORD TALKS TO TOM WHITE } Marketing and sponsorship executive Sasha Burford may be one of the newest members of the Pompey team, but she has already settled in and is enjoying her time at the club. “I started in January,” said Sasha. It’s been really good and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve been chucked in at the deep end but I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I’m stupidly busy I can lean on people for support and everyone pulls in and puts all the effort in together. We do it as a team which I think is fantastic, you don’t get that in a lot of places and that’s what I love about the team here. Pompey have had such great success in the past and have got so much potential. It would be great to grow with the club.” Sasha was drawn to sports marketing from a young age. She said: “I’ve been quite lucky because from a young age I’ve always known what I wanted to do. I always knew that I wanted to go into marketing and because I grew up playing sport and loving sport I thought that the two would go together well. I did a sports marketing degree at Leeds and then applied for the job here thinking that it was a chance in a blue moon and nothing would happen, but then I got an interview and then got the job.” Sasha’s role at the club is wide-ranging and always keeps her busy and on her toes. “One of my main priorities is to deliver for the sponsors and promote their businesses,” said Sasha. “I’ve recently been getting involved with a lot of the corporate events as well, and we’ve done a lot of matches for Jobsite and other sponsors now that the season has finished. Another one of my main priorities at the moment is the Madness concert. General admissions are sold out but we’ve still got a few hospitality places left.”
Sasha is always looking for new sponsorship and marketing opportunities at the club and is always on the lookout for new sponsors. She said: “You’ve always got to be on your toes and think of fresh ideas to get the sponsors to buy into the club. At the moment I am communicating with the sponsors and making sure that they’re happy. We’re not a closed book and we’re always open to new ideas.” Despite only working at the club for a few months so far, Sasha has already been impressed by the passion of the Pompey fans. “The fans here are so passionate,” she said. “If I’m at the shop or something I’ll always run into a fan and they’re always so passionate about the club. Even if we’re not doing so well they’ll always leave on a good note.”
WE DO IT AS A TEAM WHICH I THINK IS FANTASTIC, YOU DON’T GET THAT IN A LOT OF PLACES AND THAT’S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE TEAM HERE
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STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW
EUROTECH FIRE SYSTEMS TOM WHITE INTERVIEWS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AT EUROTECH FIRE SYSTEMS, MICHELLE AGIUS How did Eurotech Fire Systems first get involved with Pompey? I was born in Portsmouth so being a local I have always been associated with the club in one way or another and in fact my first match at Portsmouth was to see George Best play. In my previous organisation we sponsored the away end, so I had a lot of dealings with the club. When I started Eurotech Fire Systems Ltd, I wanted to promote and advertise the Eurotech name and enhance brand awareness. I wanted to stay with the club, so it made sense for Eurotech to work with the club to promote the company and brand awareness considering we are a new organisation based in Waterlooville.
MA
Have you noticed any particular benefits from being associated with Pompey? Eurotech Fire Systems trade in fire detection equipment, emergency lighting, disable refuge to name a few and with Portsmouth having a very strong fanbase, it is the trade that Eurotech would like to engage with. There
MA
must be a lot of electricians, builders and general trade people who support Portsmouth that are dealing with any commercial building and there should be a good fit with Eurotech. There will be a lot of Portsmouth fans who know nothing about Eurotech and I believe by being associated with Portsmouth, this is a good way to get our message out there. One of the events that we are going to do is host a trade evening at the club, jointly with Anna Mitchell, and get a couple of players to attend. Anna will reach out to the database promoting Eurotech, and then Eurotech will have an opportunity to do a brief presentation. We are in our fifth year of trading and when we started we focused on international business, but for the last 18 months we have focused on growing the UK business and working with the trade would work in line with our strategy. We’ve always sponsored some Portsmouth players. The sponsor evenings are a great way to get to know the club and the players. This year we were allowed to take 12 children from my son’s football team, Widbrook United. We sponsor the football team as well so they were all wearing Eurotech tracksuits. The
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Are you optimistic looking forward?
WHAT’S BEEN PLEASING IS TO SEE THE CLUB COME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY players were amazing with the boys and have created memories that they will cherish, and we had a thank you from Paul Hardyman on the behaviour of the boys. How has the partnership with the club been going? That’s a difficult question to answer because we’re in a specialist industry so to try and get our products known is quite difficult in this area. I know it’s going to take a couple of years, but the trade event is the one that I will be able to judge the partnership on because the reach that Portsmouth has is far greater than we have with Eurotech. Eurotech is privately-owned and is very proactive with its customers, and seeing the way Portsmouth has come back to be a community club it’s the exact parallel that we want.
MA
How are things going at Eurotech Fire Systems? It’s going really well, thank you. We export on an international basis and now have distributors in 36 countries with the Middle East remaining as our prime territory. As previously stated our strategy has been to grown our sales in the UK and our business has gone from less than 20 per cent sales in the UK to 41 per cent, which is really pleasing. This is our home market and we want our products to be more widely used at home as all of our products are made either in the UK or the European Union, a fact we are very proud of. We have just taken on four new international distributors in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Dubai and Iran, so our growth next year is targeted to be a 28 per cent growth on this year.
MA
Have you got any plans for the future? We’ve got new product lines to launch, and a new website is underway that should be unveiled in about two months’ time. There are new exhibitions to attend in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia this autumn which will allow us to target new areas for us in India and the Far East.
MA
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is now helping and the reason MA Legislation I’ve stayed in this industry for 25 years is
because it’s life safety equipment. Fire detection saves lives, and it’s all about life safety and protecting people. You’re most vulnerable when you are asleep and the equipment could be the only thing that will wake you up and save your life, and to be honest that’s my passion for the industry. There is now firm legislation in place for every commercial building to have fire detection and we have the knowledge and staff to assist electricians and electrical contractors with their fire detection requirements. Are there any specific challenges for Eurotech Fire Systems? The challenges remain competitive product coming in from the Far East. In the UK and Europe, and to an extent the Middle East, there’s still kudos in British-made products. All of our products are made within Europe. There is always constant price competition, and the challenge for every purchasing manager is price versus quality.
MA
Have you noticed any changes at Pompey since the fans bought the club? Stability is the biggest thing. What’s been MA pleasing is to see the club come back to
the community. In terms of being able to talk to business people who are passionate about football, even if they don’t support Portsmouth, it always comes out as a positive. So for Eurotech to be associated with Portsmouth has been a positive, which is great. I know a number of the directors on the board and they’re all approachable people. You look at the way Portsmouth is being run and you can’t help but be enthused by the passion. Eurotech is very strong on professionally integrity and you can see the integrity of the people running the club.
YOU LOOK AT THE WAY PORTSMOUTH IS BEING RUN AND YOU CAN’T HELP BUT BE ENTHUSED BY THE PASSION
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1997-98 S
E
A
S
O
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} The 1997-98 season was yet another significant
landmark in my life. There were three defining factors in this season above and beyond another relegation fight. One was that I attended my first ever post-match press conference. Another was that I received my first ever credit card and thirdly I made my first ever internal flight to a Pompey away match. It has to be said that I didn’t quite understand the mechanisms of credit cards but was nevertheless greatly excited by the £750 cash limit that came with it. In short I was like a modern day Mr Micawber set loose in a butchers shop. The first match I actually used it for was an away evening match at Middlesbrough followed by another lengthy trip to Bury three days later. It was great to get things like hotel bills and train fares without releasing any cash. I felt extremely elite, one of the privileged classes. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting to happen a month down the line but I had kind of worked out this system in my head on how it would all eventually be paid back. There was also another away game at Birmingham before the dreaded bill fell on the mat and it was here that my gay abandon of the previous four weeks hit home. Sure I had another month till I paid it but there was another series of away games coming up at Ipswich, Norwich and Port Vale in between. You may detect my naivety on the financial front. I received a valuable lesson in the laws of interest, that paying of an accrued bill of £300 at £20 a month slowly accrued greater bills. As Micawber had observed: “Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 19 pounds 19 and six, result happiness. Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 20 pounds nought and six, result misery.”
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Very soon the new world and freedom that my credit card had promised became a millstone round the neck and I learnt a hard lesson of economic facts. It was great to just put a card into a black hole and key in a number to spend money you didn’t actually have. But come the day of paying it back you actually still didn’t have it and now owed a whole lot more. This was also a season where I had begun a little project at Fratton Park even though I had yet to fully work there in any sense. For the early games this involved some media work and my first ever post-match came at Sheffield United when I interviewed the then player-manager Nigel Spackman. Well to be absolutely honest I didn’t actually interview him. I held a Dictaphone under his nose while about ten other far more distinguished journalists did the work for me. To be honest Pompey had lost 2-1 as I sat behind a glass screen on a baking August afternoon and my appetite for what would turn out to be a very short-lived badly thought project was already starting to wane. I needed a drink or two. By the following Tuesday I had another stab when Peterborough visited town for the second leg of a CocaCola Cup match. What should have been a fairly routine night against lower-league opposition after a 2-2 draw first time round turned out to be an excruciatingly bad night with Pompey bowing out 2-1. So the enthusiasm with which I again held a Dictaphone under the nose of Barry Fry while everyone else asked the questions was not one that exuded a relish for the task in hand. It was here that the office word processor broke down and we were unable to pass these on to the intended bigger audience which was the hallmark of the project. And it was this night that it died a death after two games.
Monday it was returning director Terry Brady who proudly introduced him to the press at Fratton Park as if it was his jewel in the crown.
THE ENTHUSIASM WITH WHICH I AGAIN HELD A DICTAPHONE UNDER THE NOSE OF BARRY FRY WHILE EVERYONE ELSE ASKED THE QUESTIONS WAS NOT ONE THAT EXUDED A RELISH FOR THE TASK IN HAND
It was at this press conference that Ball announced: “That people went to war from this city,” and where you suddenly believed anything was possible as he set the tone. Whoever brought him back there is no doubting the influence he had as the famous ‘wall of noise’ match created by 8,622 in an evening match against Stockport was directly attributable to the small red head in the flat cap. The fact that a seven-match unbeaten run still took them to the final day away at Bradford City needing a win was indicative of where Ball had brought them from.
The season had started well enough with a 2-2 opening draw at Manchester City the highlight of which was an offensive gesture made at Pompey fans by Liam Gallagher, though in the interests of balance I do believe he had been the target of some fairly offensive comments also. At this time having about as much idea of the pop culture as the workings of credit cards I was totally oblivious to who the guy actually was. This was followed by a home win against Port Vale and in both opening games Australian striker John Aloisi had served notice of an exciting talent, unlike most of the other Aussies joining around this time. But this new dawn was to have the usual dark clouds hovering not far away. Hence a cup exit to Peterborough, the loss at Sheffield United and then wages unpaid to Fratton Park staff by November.
It was certainly no state for a club which the previous month had celebrated its 100th birthday to be in as we entered that final day. And it was here where I experienced my third first by flying from Southampton with three others for the final game at Valley Parade where Pompey’s glorious win relegated Manchester City instead. A Manchester City side that had started the season against Pompey with both Lee Bradbury and Kit Symons. Now I wondered how Liam Gallagher felt still not much the wiser who he actually was and why he created such interest. As for me I waited for the return flight with a plane fare entirely paid for in hard cash. As Micawber might have mused: “Victory on the last day at Bradford paid by ready cash, result happiness.”
Around the time my credit card arrived in the post Pompey were embroiled in yet another battle for league survival as well as survival of a quite different nature. The dream team of Fenwick and Venables which had also been the start of the new dawn also went out under a January cloud as did Pompey at Villa Park in the FA Cup. The return of Martin Gregory to the hot seat kept warm for him by Venables was softened by the fact of Alan Ball returning as manager. Though whose influence actually brought him back was shrouded in mystery. After a 1-0 defeat at Oxford Brian Howe, unconnected with the club, announced the coming of Ball which turned out to be wholly accurate. Martin Gregory also took the plaudits for this, but on the
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portsmouthfc.co.uk / 17
BYGONE BLUES
Johnny Moore looks at Ron Tindall’s contribution to Pompey
DURING HIS TIME AT POMPEY, RON TINDALL PLAYED AS A CENTREFORWARD, CENTREHALF, FULL-BACK AND GOALKEEPER.
He did return to a more familiar striking role for the odd game, however, and notched a memorable brace in a 4-2 away victory against the Cobblers. Soon after, Tindall announced the end of his cricket career, having scored more than 5,000 runs and taken 150 wickets for Surrey.
He also skippered the side, coached them and was manager. And, oh yes, he also found time to play cricket for Surrey. The all-round sportsman spent more than 10 years at the club, packing everything imaginable into his career at Fratton Park, where he scored nine goals in 181 appearances. Tindall signed professional terms with Chelsea in 1953, having originally joined them at the age of 16, and made his debut during the 1955/56 campaign. The striker found the target 67 times in 155 league fixtures before moving across London, but his time at West Ham was not a success and he lasted less than a year there. Third division Reading – where he had a trial spell before his career took off – was the next destination and upon leaving Elm Park in 1964, the 29-year-old fully intended to finish with English football. Tindall planned to take a coaching course in South Africa, which would allow him to return home each summer so he could fulfil his cricketing responsibilities. But Blues boss George Smith offered a contract that included a clause which allowed him to continue his Surrey duties when the two sports clashed at the beginning and end of each soccer season. And so began the most colourful and eventful episode of his footballing career. Tindall made his debut in a 1-0 defeat at Rotherham in September 1964 and then made his Fratton bow in a 5-0
WHEN JOHN MILKINS HAD TO LEAVE THE FIELD WITH A BROKEN ARM IN A HOME MATCH AGAINST WOLVES, IT WAS RON WHO TOOK OVER BETWEEN THE STICKS rout of Swindon. But it took 15 matches before he broke his goalscoring duck in a 3-2 away defeat to Bolton and four more games without finding the target persuaded Smith that the player’s strengths lay elsewhere. Ron was moved into defence and played across the back line, including on the left when Pompey avoided relegation at Northampton in Jimmy Dickinson’s last game on the final day of the 1964/65 campaign. RON TINDALL DOB: 23/09/35 POSITION: UTILITY MAN POMPEY CAREER: 1964-1970 POMPEY APPS: 181 POMPEY GOALS: 9
Perhaps one of his most cherished goals came at Tottenham, when operating as a right-half, in a 3-1 FA Cup defeat watched by 57,910. A week after that game, he would find himself in a position that no-one could have imagined. When John Milkins had to leave the field with a broken arm in a home match against Wolves, it was Ron who took over between the sticks for the last eight minutes of a 3-2 defeat, as Pompey made their first ever appearance on Match of the Day. Not long after, he was made captain of the side and continued his defensive partnership with Welshman Harry Harris. And he made a second goalkeeping appearance when Milkins went off against Watford – this time after suffering a smashed cheekbone. Tindall stopped playing at the end of the 1969/70 season and took up a coaching role before becoming manager when George Smith moved upstairs. One of his most memorable moments in charge occurred in 1971 when Pompey drew 1-1 with eventual double winners Arsenal in the FA Cup. When new owner John Deacon arrived and installed John Mortimore as boss, Ron took up a position as general manager, a role he held until 1975. He later emigrated down under and was appointed director of coaching for Western Australia, later being awarded the Order of Australia medal for services to sport.
TOM WHITE’S
VIEW FROM THE
FRATTON END
} And so the 2014-15 season has come to an end. The season was ultimately a disappointing one for Pompey, who finished in their lowest-ever league position after ending the campaign in 16th place in League Two. The season had started brightly as Andy Awford’s side continued the momentum they had built up at the end of the 2013-14 season by picking up ten points out of a possible 12 from their first four league games. After earning a 1-1 draw at Exeter City on the opening day of the season, the Blues won 2-1 at home to Cambridge United, 2-0 at home to Northampton Town and 1-0 away at Oxford United to sit in second place in the League Two table. However, Pompey then fell to three league defeats in a row, as they lost 1-0 at home to Newport County, 2-0 at Burton Albion and 2-0 at Southend United, and from that point onwards it’s fair to say the Blues were consistently inconsistent for most of the rest of the season. As a general rule Pompey impressed at Fratton Park but struggled on their travels. The Blues won 11, drew six and lost six of their 23 home league games this season, but only won three, drew nine and lost 11 of their 23 away league games this season. Pompey won just two league games across November, December and January, and that run
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included the club’s first ever defeat against non-league opposition in the FA Cup. The Blues drew 2-2 at home to Conference outfit Aldershot Town in the first round of the FA Cup, before crashing to a 1-0 defeat at Aldershot in the replay. The festive fixtures weren’t particularly kind to Pompey either, as the Blues crashed to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon on Boxing Day. Frankie Sutherland and Matt Tubbs scored the goals for the Dons, although one silver lining was that Tubbs, who finished the season as the top goalscorer in League Two, signed for Pompey in January.
MARCH SAW POMPEY RETURN TO THEIR INCONSISTENT WAYS, AND A 3-1 DEFEAT AT MORECAMBE ON APRIL 11 LED TO AWFORD LEAVING THE CLUB
The Blues picked up in February and collected 14 points out of a possible 18 to earn Awford the February Manager of the Month award in League Two. One of the more dramatic moments of the season came on Valentine’s Day as Jed Wallace made up for his missed penalty by scoring in second-half stoppage time to earn Pompey a 1-0 win against Exeter City and send Fratton Park wild with delight.
another busy one at Fratton Park. Several Pompey players are out of contract this summer, and it is expected that Cook will want to bring his own players and let other players go. After an eventful campaign at Fratton Park here’s hoping that the 2015-16 season will be a successful one for Pompey.
February also included the standout result of the season, the comprehensive 6-2 victory at Cambridge United where Tubbs scored a perfect hat-trick and Wallace, Paul Robinson and Ryan Taylor were also on target. The month also contained the thrilling comeback against Tranmere Rovers, as three goals in nine second-half minutes turned what looked like being a disappointing 2-0 defeat into an ultimately entertaining 3-2 victory. March saw Pompey return to their inconsistent ways, and a 3-1 defeat at Morecambe on April 11 led to Awford leaving the club. Gary Waddock stepped up as caretaker manager and oversaw narrow 1-0 defeats against Stevenage and Bury, before earning a 2-1 win at Mansfield Town and a 1-1 draw at home to York City on the last day of the season. Paul Cook has since been appointed the Blues’ new manager, and this summer is set to be
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JOSH SWEETMAN’S
POMPEY C H A T } As the final curtain was closed on Pompey’s season I have no doubt that the collective sigh echoing round Fratton Park was one of relief.
those who paid money to see him perform week-in-weekout, but no one will hold it against him when he eventually moves away from the club.
As we all know, it hasn’t been quite the year we had all hoped for. Another season full of ups and downs and the confirmation that, for at least one more year, we will be playing League Two football once again.
Pastures new obviously beckon, with a move to the Championship likely to be on the cards. It will be difficult to accept, but the fact Wallace will be given a chance to flourish is all that Pompey fans want to see.
But despite our struggles, there have been plenty of positives to reflect on moving into the off-season, none more so than a certain 21-year-old destined for greater things.
In a season that promised so much but delivered little, Wallace has kept us all with a smile on our face. The club will turn a tidy profit, and will be able to recycle the money to fund Paul Cook’s summer transfer activity, to which we hope, will get us back up the leagues where we rightfully belong.
Jed Wallace’s performances in the famous blue mirrored what every fan displays in the stands, passion, hunger and the will to win. Throughout the heavy tides that have seen us relegated from the Championship, the former Lewes youngster has been the shining light since his introduction to the first-team fold. And Wallace for one has not looked back since being given that opportunity. His emotional farewell two minutes from time against York signalled just what he means to the Fratton faithful. An academy graduate adored by the fans that know they are helpless when it comes to keeping the midfielder at the club this summer. I for one was sceptical when Gary Waddock was handed the role as caretaker manager until the end of the season, but despite this, his greatest decision during his short spell in charge was to give Wallace the standing ovation he well and truly deserved by replacing him with just two minutes to go. Seventeen goals from midfield is a fine achievement for anyone, let alone a midfielder of such tender years in a side that didn’t finish in the top half. His 30 goals in just over 100 appearances have earned him an iconic status with
A summer break is just what we need, refreshing the batteries to make sure we are physically prepared for the rollercoaster ride next season will bring. And Jed, it has been an absolute pleasure watching you during your time on the south coast, and I wish you the best for the future. Play Up Pompey.
HIS EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TWO MINUTES FROM TIME AGAINST YORK SIGNALLED JUST WHAT HE MEANS TO THE FRATTON FAITHFUL 21
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22
JOE ATKIN PICKS HIS FAVOURITE FIVE POMPEY GOALS FROM THE 2014-15 SEASON
GOALS OF THE SEASON 5. Ryan Taylor v Tranmere: With Portsmouth trailing 2-0 in the game against relegation-threatened Tranmere Rovers, they needed a hero. Pompey eventually drew level after falling 2-0 behind after 50 minutes. Craig Westcarr reduced the arrears in the 76th minute, with Ryan Taylor equalising in the 82nd minute. Three minutes later, Taylor completed an unlikely Pompey comeback. A corner was nodded into the path of Taylor at the back post by Jack Whatmough, with Taylor invitingly nodding home past the helpless Owain Fon Williams in the Tranmere goal. This goal wasn’t the best strike you’ll ever see, but it was a hugely important one.
4. Craig Westcarr v Yeovil: Pompey were cruising in this Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at Huish Park, leading 2-0 after a brace from Jed Wallace. They were put in an even more convincing position in the 74th minute by a magical goal from Craig Westcarr. The former Walsall striker was picked out superbly but what followed was extraordinary. A beautiful first touch to pluck the ball out of the air and then the audacity to flick the ball over the on-rushing Yeovil keeper Chris Weale. A simply spectacular bit of skill from the striker who has scored Six goals in 33 league appearances for Portsmouth this season.
3. Joe Devera v Stevenage: Joe Devera was the unlikely hero for Portsmouth as Pompey beat Stevenage 3-2 at Fratton Park in October. After making a defensive howler for Chris Beardsley’s equaliser, Devera wanted to make amendments. After Danny Hollands’ goal-bound effort was cleared off the line, the ball fell kindly for Devera whose first touch was a peach. The defender then struck a rasping effort through a crowded penalty area, seeing the ball nestle in the bottom corner, sending the Pompey faithful into raptures.
2.
Johnny Ertl v Wycombe: This goal from the Austrian was his first goal since September 2013, but it was certainly worth the wait. With Pompey trailing to a deflected Sam Wood strike, they had to rely on a exquisite strike from centre-back Ertl. A corner from Dan Butler saw Ertl lose his marker in the penalty area and execute an inch-perfect volley into the net. Despite taking a slight deflection, you can’t fault Ertl’s precision and effort. A fine goal that was hugely important for the player and the team.
1.
Jed Wallace v Carlisle: Finally, we reach the conclusion of this season’s best goals. This goal from Jed Wallace, a player who represented Portsmouth in the PFA League Two Team of the Year alongside Matt Tubbs, was an absolute beauty. Wallace was one of the best players in the Pompey team this season and there may well be a huge amount of interest for the midfielder in the summer. This goal against Carlisle will certainly have boosted his price tag. Striding forward from just inside his own half, Wallace didn’t need the support of his team-mates as he let fly from 25 yards, his shot leaving Carlisle keeper Dan Hanford stranded. Pompey suffered disappointment, eventually surrendering a 2-1 lead in this game after Charlie Wyke’s last-minute goal, but Wallace’s strike was certainly a high point.
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