Pompey 1970s Eleven

Pompey 1970s Eleven

The sombre 70s brought strikes, power cuts and the three-day week, on the pitch it was much, much worse

Formation

Peter Mellor

Sixties stalwart John Milkins proved a difficult act to follow, and it wasn’t until the appearance of charismatic Mellor between the sticks that the position felt properly filled. Sadly, the big blond’s enduring legacy is a couple of errors in the 1975 FA Cup final when playing for Fulham.

Billy Wilson

If he wasn’t pulling the shirt of his opposing winger then Wilson was likely to be pulling pints – as the likeable full-back was for many years the landlord of the Pompey Pub. After home games on a Saturday he often left the pitch at full time and would still be ready to open the bar for supporters an hour later. Sadly Billy recently passed away at the age of 71.

Paul Went

The commanding centre half won ‘Player of the Year’ in his first season at the club after signing from Fulham for £155,000 in 1973. His fabled partnership with Malcolm Manley was curtailed due to the latter’s career-ending injury. Went’s Pompey career was also cut short when the need to get him off wage bill meant he was sold on cheaply. 

Eoin Hand

The £7,500 handed over to Irish league side Drumcondra FC was money well spent as the big-hearted Irish stopper racked up over 300 appearances in Pompey blue. A great servant to the club, he was inducted into the players’ Hall of Fame in 2013.

Phil Roberts

Signed from Bristol Rovers as part of John Deacon’s rebuilding revolution, the reliable full-back won four international caps for his native Wales during his time at Fratton Park. His final game for the club saw Pompey consigned to the fourth tier for the first time.

Nicky Jennings

Tricky Nicky was a pocket-sized winger with bags of skill who specialised in beating his man and whipping over a cross. He signed from Plymouth in 1967, scoring an impressive 45 goals in 206 appearances. Nicky passed away recently and is fondly remembered by all who saw him play.

Norman Piper

Bought from Plymouth for a then club record fee of £40,000, Devon boy Norman Piper is the PompeyElevens player of the 70s. A hard running and creative midfielder, he was one of the first names on the team sheet for a large part of that decade. Went on to play indoor football in the States.

Richie Reynolds

Equally adept in midfield or up-front, Reynolds was another capture from Argyle and signed on a free in 1971. He won the Player of the Year award in his first season and made a total of 140 appearances for the club. A feat made more impressive by the fact they were all played on a dodgy knee.

Peter Ellis

Pompey boy Ellis came through the youth ranks and signed on as a pro in 1974. The sun-bleached blond’s strength was his versatility and he filled in most positions across the back and in midfield during his 10-years and 246-appearances stay at the club.

David Kemp

As Pompey struggled on and off the pitch in the 70s and the fans were desperate for a hero to lift the gloom. He came, all too briefly, in the curly-mopped form of ace marksman David Kemp. He may have only played 64 times for Pompey, but his 32 league goals assure his enduring legend.

Colin Garwood

The plucky poacher (pictured above) was brought in from Colchester with the unenviable task of filling Kemp’s boots. Yet Garwood stuck to his task manfully netting 34 times in 71 appearances. His 17 goals in the 1979-80 campaign helped Frank Burrows' side go up – a scant consolation to Garwood who’d scored them all before December the month in which he was perplexingly sold to Aldershot.