By Dave P
December 12 2005

It’s time for another dig through the archives and a look at a few matches and personalities that are associated with both sides. Other results this weekend have left us in a very strong position as we head into Christmas Once upon a time 17 – Portsmouth at Home

It’s time for another dig through the archives and a look at a few matches and personalities that are associated with both sides. Other results this weekend have left us in a very strong position as we head into Christmas and if we win today Arsenal will be below us on Christmas day no matter what happens next weekend. But first lest have a look through the archives.

The first league matches against Pompey went their way, our first Football league meeting taking place at Fratton Park in September 1927. They won 3-0 and repeated that feat later on that season (March 1928) at White Hart Lane. Our first league win against Portsmouth came the next time we met in the league 5 years later when on 14th October 1933 we won 1-0 at Fratton Park in front of 25,679 fans. A fine strike from Taffy O’Callaghan sealing the victory.

A couple of wartime fixtures aside we did not lose to them (in Football League matches) until November 1951 when they won 2-0 at Fratton Park. A couple of years before that and on our way to our first League title we won 5-0 at the Lane in front of an impressive 66,402 paying fans. That match on 4th November 1950 had goals scored by Sonny Walters, Len Duquemin and also included Eddie Bailys’ only hat-trick for the club.

Our history of playing Portsmouth goes back a long time before the Football League however and the earliest recorded match against them came on 18th September 1899 at our old Northumberland Park ground in the Southern and District Combination. On that occasion, watched by 4,000 we won 2-0 with goals from John Cameron and John Kirwan. John Kirwan was on the scoresheet again in the Southern League game in the same year (On Christmas Day 1899) when we won 3-0, David Copeland and Tom Pratt scoring the other two. I would be very interested in seeing if anyone has the team sheets for these two matches as Portsmouth were formed in 1898 as Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company Limited and one of their founders was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was also Portsmouths first ever goalkeeper so I wonder if he played in those early encounters. It is also interesting to note that a certain CB Fry (the legendary cricketer) also occasionally played in Portsmouths colours prior to the First World War.

While the Sherlock Holmes author was Portsmouths first goalkeeper their first manager also has a Spurs connection. Frank Brettell, born in Liverpool circa 1854 was one of Everton F.C.s founder members having signed as a professional for them in 1878. He played in every position for Everton before retiring to work as a reporter on the Liverpool Mercury. This did not last long however as he soon returned to football as assistant secretary and then secretary of Everton. He moved to the same postion at Bolton before moving to Spurs as secretary/manager of Spurs in 1898. After establishing Spurs as a major force in Southern League football, it was only to be twelve months before Portsmouth offered him a substantial salary to become their first manager where he established them in the Southern League as well before then moving to Plymouth Argyle also setting up the Pilgrims as a respected Southern League side.

Having mentioned Eddy Bailys’ hat-trick in the 1950/51 season it is appropriate to mention another player from that first championship side. In the week we learned Englands’ opponents in the World Cup next year let us have a quick look at the life of Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey. Born in Dagenham in 1920, Alf, a solid and efficient right back started his professional career at Southampton after being on Portsmouths books as an amateur. Two years after winning a Third Division (South) medal with the Saints he moved to Spurs for £21,000 in May 1949 Helping us win successive Division 2 and Division 1 titles as part of Arthur Rowes ‘Push and Run’ side that some reckon invented the modern game. After 250 appearances, during which he score 24 goals and gained 31 England caps (He already had one before he joined us) he left Spurs in 1955 for the job as manager of Ipswich Town holding that position until 1963 when he took on the England job. The rest is history as we all know.

No Sherlock Holmes mysteries today please Spurs. Let’s ensure that we reach Christmas above the South London Gypsies in the Table.