Where are they now? The Portsmouth team from that night in Plymouth in 2012
To fully appreciate where Portsmouth are now, one has to have been there in the darkest hour.
Administration. And again. Winding-up orders. Rising debts, failed takeover attempts, relegations. These are the words that define Pompey between 2010 and 2013.
The crucial deal that was struck for the Pompey Supporters’ Trust to buy the club, the reins of which then issued to the Tornante Company in 2017, and most recently the promotion of Portsmouth back to the top two tiers as League One champions, have since brought Pompey back from a mere carcass.
In 2012, then-manager Michael Appleton had steered through a pre-season rife with uncertainty over players, finances and – to be frank – existence.
He had at his disposal a clutch of trialists with league experience, including the likes of Johnny Ertl, Izale McLeod and Jon Harley – now John Mousinho’s assistant head coach at Fratton Park.
Drawn away at Plymouth Argyle in the first round of what was then the Capital One Cup, four days prior to the League One opener against Bournemouth, Appleton was barred from signing any players to contracts and therefore unable to register the trialists as part of his squad for the trip to Home Park.
A team with an average age of 19 was fielded – which included a 35-year-old coach – and here we take a look at how their careers have panned out.
Lining up for Portsmouth tonight…
Simon Eastwood – The second-oldest member of the squad at the ripe age of 23, Eastwood was brought in on non-contract terms to ensure Pompey had a goalkeeper. He went on to make 30 first-team appearances, spending three years with Blackburn Rovers before a stalwart spell at Oxford United, where he has now been for eight seasons – a former teammate of Mousinho.
Adam Webster – Now an established Premier League defender, Webster broke through professionally at Portsmouth and was often deployed at right-back. He had made his league debut in the previous season aged 17, and was sold in a lucrative deal to Ipswich Town in 2016. Webster has since enjoyed five years in the top flight with Brighton & Hove Albion, via an excellent season at Bristol City.
Alex Grant – Australian youth international Grant made his only appearance for Pompey that night in Devon, starting at centre-back aged 18. He signed for Stoke City in 2015, but didn’t make an appearance for the Potters, opting to return to Australia with Perth Glory. Grant went on to South Korea, before this year moving to China with Tianjin Jinmen Tiger.
Sam Magri – A local lad who grew up a stone’s throw from Fratton Park, Magri was named at centre-half following a successful scholarship. Magri, 18, was to play his only game for his boyhood club that night, later signing for QPR and Crystal Palace before carving out a non-league career. The defender has battled injuries and joined AFC Totton in 2023. Magri has seven Malta caps, eligible through his grandfather.
Dan Butler – Butler made his debut at Argyle aged 17, and went on to represent Portsmouth longer-term. The left-back had played over 50 times for Pompey by the time he left for Torquay United in 2015. Butler spent three years at Newport County and twice won their Player of the Year award, before a move to Peterborough United. Butler, now 29, plays in League One for Stevenage.
Ashley Westwood – The coach who had to play. That’s meant with no disrespect at all to Westwood, who enjoyed a 17-year playing career having been on the books of Manchester United as a teenager. Westwood was Appleton’s first-team coach in the summer of 2012 and, aged 35, was drafted in to start the match. He sustained an injury in the first half and was forced off. Westwood is now the head coach of the Afghanistan national team.
George Colson – Colson was a Wales Under-16 international and showed good promise as a scholar at Pompey. He started the match in midfield for his debut aged 18, but it would prove to be his sole Portsmouth outing. Colson went on to carve out a solid non-league career, which included four years at Salisbury where he racked up over 100 appearances.
Andy Higgins – A second Aussie in the starting XI, Higgins moved to England at 16 to sign his scholarship with Portsmouth. Having just signed his first pro contract, he was thrust into the XI for his debut on the wing. Higgins remains a winger, who also operates at left-back, at local club Perth RedStar. Higgins has also represented Perth Glory and ECU Joondalup in his homeland.
Jed Wallace – Another major success story from the Portsmouth academy is that of Jed Wallace. A lively performer on the night who was another to make his debut at Home Park, Wallace went on to make 121 Blues appearances before joining Wolves. Seven years and over 200 games at Millwall followed, before the winger joined West Bromwich Albion in 2022. Still only 30, he has made over 500 career appearances.
Ashley Harris – Harris made his Portsmouth debut the previous season in the Championship as a scholar, and this start at Plymouth was his sixth first-team appearance. An exciting talent in the Pompey ranks, Harris came closest to scoring on the night with an effort just wide. The forward left Fratton Park in 2014 and has since been a prolific goalscorer in non-league, recently with Bosham.
Dan Thompson – Striker Thompson was recruited as a 17-year-old from Hampton & Richmond Borough, and at 18 was named up top against Argyle. Braintree Town, Farnborough and Worthing are amongst Thompson’s later clubs, as the forward journeyed through non-league. The 30-year-old last played for Phoenix Sports, based in Kent and competing in the Isthmian League South East.
Jack Maloney – Isle of Wight native Maloney was a 17-year-old when he replaced the injured Westwood during the first half of the tie in Devon. He went on to play 56 minutes on the night, and accumulated 11 senior Pompey appearances in total before joining Bognor Regis Town. Maloney went on to join Horndean, where he found his footballing home with over 100 matches for the Deans.
Bradley Tarbuck – Introduced in the 72nd minute of the tie at Home Park, Tarbuck was just 16 when he pulled on the first-team shirt for the first time, replacing Higgins. A prolific academy forward, Tarbuck has grown into a strong wide player, who can fill in at full-back. He is now at Gosport Borough in the Southern Premier South, having played three times for Pompey.
Jack Whatmough – The only unused substitute of three at Appleton’s disposal on the night, the understandable fact of the matter was that Whatmough was just 15. If you’re wondering how he’s 27 and been around for so long, there’s your answer. Growing into a superb centre-half at Championship level, Whatmough played 136 times for Pompey, before an immense League One-winning season with Wigan Athletic, now at Preston North End in the second tier.
Pompey lost the game 3-0, with Plymouth scoring two late goals. But we both know where the loudest cheer in the ground was coming from. And still does, 12 years on.
In other Portsmouth news, the possibility is assessed of Alex Robertson rejoining the club.
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