Hall Of Fame


Andy Awford

Inducted January 2010 Andy Awford, not as some might believe a local lad, but blue & white through and through nonetheless, moved to Pompey from Worcester F.C. where, when he came on as substitute in a tie at Boreham Wood, became the youngest player ever to appear in the F.A. Cup, aged just 15 years 88 days. Awford's first Pompey appearance, an away fixture at Crystal Palace in April '89, saw him set another record. Due to injuries to Gavin Maguire and Graeme Hogg, Pompey manager John Gregory believed Awford had shown enough of what it takes and at the age of 16 granted him the honour of becoming the youngest ever player to play for Pompey's starting eleven. The quick and intelligent left sided player made three further appearances that season but it wasn't until 91/92 that new manager Jim Smith gave Awford, together with a number of other young players (Darren Anderton, Darryl Powell, Chris Burns to name a few) their big break. Awford played all but one game that season which included lining up against the likes of Ian Rush & John Barnes in the now infamous F.A .Cup semi-final against Liverpool. The following season saw Andy start to play alongside another youngster; Kit Symons, at the heart of Pompey's defence. Their partnership conceded only nine goals at home that season but again the campaign was to end in heartbreak as Pompey missed out on promotion by a single goal scored. Despite making over 400 appearances for Pompey some would argue that his career was a classic case of what might have been. Having missed out on the FA Cup Final and promotion in successive seasons, any hope of glory or indeed a big money move were dashed when in 1994 he suffered a number of injuries (the worse a broken leg) which kept him out of the game for over 14 months. In some respects Awford never quite recovered from his injury setbacks, but nobody could ever question his passion or commitment whenever he pulled on the famous blue shirt. Following his retirement in November 2001 at the age of just 28, Awford took up the post of Chief Scout and later Reserve Team Coach at Fratton Park a position he held until he joined his former Pompey boss and Harry Redknapp sidekick Jim Smith as first team coach at Oxford United in April 2006.

John Milkins

Inducted January 2010 John Milkins was an English professional footballer (soccer player) whose career ran from the start of the sixties to the end of the seventies. Born in Romford on 3 January 1944 Milkins won one England Youth cap whilst with his first club Portsmouth, to whom he was to give 15 years of loyal service . He made his debut for the first team in their very last match in the English First Division, although he was to wait a further two years for his next appearance. In all Milkins was to make over 300 appearances for Pompey and was to prove such a popular player that in 1970 he was awarded the inaugural Player of the Year trophy . The following year he was awarded a testimonial against local rivals Saints which resulted in an ignominious 0-7 defeat. In the 1974 close season he was sold to Oxford United for whom he played sporadically to his last league appearance in May 1979. After a brief spell as player-manager of now defunct Southern League side Waterlooville[8] he retired to run a sports shop/ snooker hall consortium.

Len Phillips

Inducted January 2010 Len Phillips was possibly the most gifted inside-forward ever to play for Pompey. Spotted playing locally for the Royal Marines, he became a key figure in the squad that manager Jack Tinn assembled to be a championship-winning side two seasons running. Phillips was a ball-playing schemer who possessed terrific control and was capable of destroying a defence with a single pass. He formed a terrific goalscoring partnership with winger Peter Harris and was rated among the best inside-forwards in the country. But because of Wilf Mannion, Len Shackleton and Eddie Baily, Pompey's superb technician was only called on three occasions to play for England. Born in Shoreditch in the heart of London's East End, Phillips excited large Fratton crowds who craved creative build-ups. In the 1948-49 season, every time Len scored, Pompey won. But then Pompey only lost nine games all season! The occasionally rebellious Londoner had a tremendous football brain and, as well as leading Pompey's match-winning attack, Len scored his fair share of goals too, finishing second-leading scorer with 11 and 13 in 1950-51 and 1951-52 respectively. Unfortunately, while training with the England team, he suffered a knee injury which ended his international career prematurely. But after Jimmy Scoular's departure to Newcastle, Phillip's creative genius slotted into midfield where he could keep possession until a chance opened up for Harris to run on to and score. Harris thrived on the precision service he received from Len - one of the reasons why Pompey were such a force in the early 50s. After tearing a muscle ligament in an FA Cup tie against Grimsby in January 1956, Len left league football and played for Poole Town, Chelmsford and Bath City. After scouting for Leeds United, he saw out his working career as a lathe operator at De Havilland's in Portsmouth.

Duggie Reid

Inducted January 2010 John Douglas Jamieson "Duggie" Reid (3 October 1917 - 8 February 2002) was a Scottish footballer. An inside forward, he played for Stockport County and Portsmouth. Born in West Kilbride, Reid started his working life as an apprentice plumber in Manchester. After a spell in amateur football, he joined Stockport County, and turned professional in 1936. Playing at wing-half, Reid was part of the team that won Division Three North. In 1946, at the age of 28, he was sold to Portsmouth for £7,000. Although Portsmouth fans were initially sceptical, he won them over by scoring 29 goals in his first season, ending it as the club's top scorer. Known for his blistering shots, his nickname; 'thunderboots' was re-affirmed when, at Fratton Park he put the ball through the net and into the crowd when scoring a penalty against Manchester City. His goals helped Portsmouth win Division One in 1948-49 and 1949-50, with a hat-trick in a 5-1 final-day win in the 1949-50 season helping Portsmouth claim the title on goal average. With his Portsmouth days over, Duggie moved to non-league team Tonbridge in 1956 before returning to the south coast once again as Portsmouths groundsman, a post he held until 1978. Reid also ran a hostel for the club's young footballers in Southsea. Reid's son David also played for England at amateur level.

Mick Tait

Inducted January 2010 Mick Tait is avidly remembered by Pompey fans as 'Yosser', a nickname given to the friendly Scouser from the BBC TV series 'Boys from the Blackstuff'. Although one of soccer's wandering players, Mick spent seven seasons with Pompey - the longest spell out of his seven clubs - and never gave anything less than 100 per cent in all of the 240 league games he played. He was popular from the day he arrived from Hull City for £100,000 in June 1980 until fans mourned his surprise departure in August 1987 when he was released to third division Reading by Alan Ball. Tait was well known to Pompey before he signed. He had scored against them often enough! As a 19-year-old in November 1975, he stole the show single-handedly at Fratton Park with two goals for an Oxford away win and then repeated the dose the following season at The Manor. One year later he netted another goal against Pompey, this time in a Carlisle shirt at Brunton Park. His first Pompey goal came against Burnley at Fratton Park in a 4-2 win during October 1980. Four months later Tait scored an astonishing hat-trick in just five minutes to help Pompey demolish Exeter 5-0 at Fratton. He was an inspiration to the team. He served Pompey dependably at third and second division level as a forward, midfielder, defender and even winger, such was his ability and willingness to play anywhere under Frank Burrows, Bobby Campbell and Alan Ball. Players and supporters alike respected his unfailing commitment to the cause. Tait had no particular flair. He just got on with the job he was asked to do in whatever shirt he wore - and during his Pompey career he played in every one of them except Alan Knight's goalkeeping jersey. The tag of 'Mr Dependable' followed Tait to Reading and Darlington, his next two clubs. Wherever he went he brought the team luck in winning silverware and avoided injury to clock up more than 650 appearances. The man from Wallsend had moved back to his birthplace with his family - and went on to spend a spell as manager of Hartlepool United - but he still regards Pompey as a special club and has happy memories of the famous League Cup match at Anfield and the third division championship triumph.

Jimmy Dickinson

Inducted March 2009 James William 'Jimmy' Dickinson (25 April 1925 – 8 November 1982) was an English football player. Dickinson holds the record for number of league appearances for Portsmouth (764). Only Swindon Town's John Trollope (770) has made more appearances for a single club. Signed for Portsmouth F.C. as a trainee and made his debut in 1946 against Blackburn Rovers F.C. Settling into the side quickly at either wing-half or left-half, he was part of the team that won successive league championships in 1948/49 and 1949/50. His performances earned him a call-up to the England national football team. He went on to win 48 caps for England, making him Portsmouth's most capped English player of all time. During his record 845 club appearances for Pompey and his 48 England caps he was never once booked or sent off, earning him the nickname Gentleman Jim. Awarded the MBE in 1964, he played his last match for Pompey a year later, helping Pompey to a 1–1 end-of-season draw at Northampton Town that secured safety from relegation. And when he retired from playing, his association with the club continued. He served Pompey as public relations officer and then secretary before accepting the position of manager in May 1977. Relegation from the Third Division was avoided, but the next year Pompey dropped down a league. After three heart attacks, Jimmy died aged 57 in 1982. The famous 'Pompey Chimes' rang hauntingly around St Mary's Church in Fratton at a packed memorial service for the much-loved legend. In 1998 he was included on the list of 100 Legends produced to celebrate the centenary of the Football League. Dickinson's image can be seen in the seating in the Fratton End stand in Fratton Park.

Peter Harris

Inducted March 2009 Local boy Peter Harris is Pompey's most successful marksman whose tremendous goalscoring record will probably never be beaten. The flying winger scored 208 goals for Pompey in 516 games in all competitions. But he is not only a hero in terms of goals. He was a Fratton stalwart who won the respect and admiration of many football supporters with his loyalty, dedication and durability in serving his local club for 14 solid years. With 479 appearances, he is the third longest serving player in Pompey history, behind Jimmy Dickinson and Alan Knight. Born in Portsea, Harris joined Pompey just before the end of the second world war. He was a wing forward with an astonishing turn of speed, prodigious pace and a stunning weight of shot. He developed impeccable ball control and accuracy in shooting which made him one of the most prolific goalscorers of the immediate post-war era; remarkable considering he was a winger. Rated by many in the same class as Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney, he became the undisputed owner of the number seven shirt from 1947 to 1959 until a serious chest illness brought his career to a premature end. During Pompey's two championship seasons, Peter netted 33 goals and ended top scorer at Fratton Park in a further five different seasons. His first hat-trick came at The Dell during the war and his first peace-time triple came against Stockport County in the FA Cup in a 7-0 win in 1949. He scored five more hat-tricks throughout his career together with four against Sheffield United in 1954 and all five in a 5-2 win over Aston Villa in one of Peter's last games, aged 32, in 1958. Yet ironically, Peter was capped only twice by England; first against Eire in 1949 at Goodison Park, one of Peter's favourite grounds, and then four years later in Budapest as England crashed 7-1 to the Hungarians. Peter, who retired to Hayling Island, is still fondly remembered by today's older generation of Pompey fans for his flying runs down the wing. Most record books state that Peter Harris scored 194 league goals for Pompey. The true figure is 193 because one goal at Newcastle in November 1953 that Peter originally claimed, was actually an own goal.

Ray Hiron

Inducted March 2009 Ray Hiron was a Portsmouth fan at childhood and was from the City and in the late 1960’s he made a real impression for his new local club. He was a prolific forward who partnered Mike Trebilcock for most of the late 60’s up front. He was in prolific form during the 1968-69 season for Portsmouth as he finished the season off as their top goal scorer, netting in 17 league goals.

Alan Knight

Inducted March 2009 Alan Edward Knight MBE (born 3 June 1961 in Balham, London) is a former English footballer. He holds the record for the most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper, having played 801 games (683 in the league) for Portsmouth F.C. between 1978 and 2000; this superseded Peter Bonetti's record of 600 goalkeeping appearances for Chelsea. In addition to his goalkeeping record, Knight is the second-longest serving Portsmouth player of all time behind Jimmy Dickinson, and is also the only player to have appeared in all four divisions of the Football League for the club. He was capped at under-21 international level, but was never selected for the full England squad. Known by the Fratton Park faithful as The Legend, Knight spent almost all of his 25-year playing career at Portsmouth. His 800th appearance, as a substitute in a cup tie at Blackburn, saw fans in all corners of Ewood Park rising to applaud his appearance on the pitch. A few weeks later, he played his last match for Portsmouth, at Norwich in January 2000. In 2001, his loyalty to Portsmouth received royal approval when he was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List. In 2003-04, due to an injury crisis, Knight was called on to the substitutes' bench for Portsmouth and was listed as a squad member, but was never actually called into action. He played briefly for the local non-league side Havant & Waterlooville towards the end of his career. He also worked as goalkeeping coach at Portsmouth until he quit the job in summer 2005. Knight was named goalkeepers' coach for the American Major League Soccer team FC Dallas in 2006. The head coach at Dallas was at the time, Knight's former Portsmouth teammate Colin Clarke. In 2006 Knight ran football coaching clinics for B.E.S.T (British European Soccer Tuition) in the USA. The B.E.S.T patron of honour was Knight's former Portsmouth manager and World Cup winner, the late Alan Ball. On 12 December 2006, it was announced that Alan Knight was made AFC Bournemouth Goalkeeping Coach. Knight also served as Goalkeeping Coach at Conference South Side Dorchester Town F.C., where he was also a registered player, for the 2006/07 season. Knight appeared on the bench as a substitute, but did not make an appearance on the pitch. Knight's autobiography entitled 'Legend' was published in September 2003 by Legendary Publishing. On October 8, 2007, Knight was appointed Goalkeeping Coach at Havant & Waterlooville F.C. by new manager Shaun Gale.

Guy Whittingham

Inducted March 2009 Guy Whittingham (b. 10 November 1964 in Evesham) is a retired professional footballer with over 450 appearances for a number of English clubs, after leaving the British Army. He spent the majority of his career at Portsmouth where he scored 99 times in 173 league appearances, including Pompey's all-time scoring record[1]of 42 league goals in the 1992-3 season (48 in all competitions). He was known while at Fratton Park as "Corporal Punishment".[2] Afterwards he played in the Premiership for Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, proving to be very popular at the Owls. He retired from professional football with Wycombe Wanderers at the end of the 2000/2001 season. Guy later went on to become player-manager of Newport Isle of Wight. He left them in May 2005 when the club ran into financial difficulties. Guy returned to management at AFC Newbury but when that club suffered financial difficulties and the loss of their ground, Whittingham left in June 2006. In August 2006 he took up a coaching role at Eastleigh. In January 2009, he joined the Portsmouth first-team coaching staff as development coach.

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