Portsmouth supporters have enjoyed several legendary figures on the pitch at Fratton Park throughout generations.
Whether they have been long-time servants, prolific goalscorers or those who have earned trophies in Pompey blue, they are always welcomed back or remembered fondly by the fans.
With Portsmouth having competed in every league division in the club’s recent history, all manner of players have come through the door in PO4, always given an endearing welcome by the Fratton Park faithful – though some, naturally, are recalled more memorably than others.
Kanu
- Appearances: 167
- Goals: 28
- Years at Portsmouth: 2006-2012
- Trophies: FA Cup 2008
Kanu ranks among many of the Portsmouth squad from the peak 2000s era, in terms of how fondly he is recalled among the Fratton Park fans.
Linvoy Primus, Arjan De Zeeuw, and later the likes of Sol Campbell, David James and Niko Kranjcar – all players who, under Harry Redknapp, performed wonders in the blue and white.
‘King Kanu’, however, scored Portsmouth’s most important goal for generations when he notched the FA Cup final winner against Cardiff City at Wembley in 2008. Having also netted the winner in the preceding semi-final against former side West Bromwich Albion, Kanu was the quintessential ‘big-game player’ for Portsmouth since the turn of the century.
Kanu won 11 major trophies throughout his career at clubs such as Arsenal, Ajax and Inter Milan – but it’s that Wembley goal which will forever stand out on the South Coast.
Jimmy Dickinson
- Appearances: 828
- Goals: 10
- Years at Portsmouth: 1946-1965, 1977-1979 (as manager)
- Trophies: English League champion 1949, 1950
Jimmy Dickinson, or ‘Gentleman Jim’ as known on the South Coast – having never been booked or sent off throughout his career – spent his entire footballing life at Portsmouth spanning 19 years, 828 appearances and 10 goals.
The left-half was a superb performer showing ridiculous levels of consistency, to the point he continues to be appreciated by generations since who never had the pleasure of watching him live. Dickinson holds the all-time record for the number of senior appearances at Fratton – a feat only Alan Knight has come close to reaching.
Portsmouth’s back-to-back league titles in 1949 and 1950 saw Dickinson at the heart of it, and his overall contribution to Pompey lasted 32 years, having managed the Blues as well as taken up roles such as chief executive and club secretary. He also held 48 England caps, a record for a Portsmouth player.
As a result of his unrivalled impact on what Pompey is today, Jimmy’s portrait adorns the Fratton End at Fratton Park all these years on.
Alan Knight
- Appearances: 801
- Goals: 0
- Years at Portsmouth: 1978-2000
- Trophies: Third Division title 1983
Alan Knight continues to act as a Portsmouth club ambassador today, having been the only other player, alongside Dickinson, to make over 800 appearances for Pompey.
With 801 games to his name in blue – or more often than not green – Knight is the only player to represent Portsmouth across four separate decades, and was part of the Blues side to achieve three promotions from Division Four to Division One in the 1980s.
Affectionately known as ‘Knightsie’, Knight also represented the England Under-21 side while a youngster at Pompey, and played in non-league around the area after leaving the Blues. He even returned as an emergency goalkeeping option in the 2003-04 campaign in the Premier League, though did not add to his wealth of appearances.
Peter Harris
- Appearances: 515
- Goals: 211
- Years at Portsmouth: 1946-1960
- Trophies: English League champion 1949, 1950
Peter Harris was another to rack up over 500 Portsmouth appearances, having played alongside Dickinson in the double title-winning side of 1949 and 1950.
Harris boasted a prolific goalscoring record from the outside-right position, 194 of his 211 strikes coming in league action at Fratton Park, his boyhood stadium.
Across the two league-winning seasons, Harris bagged 39 goals, and was only deprived of more than two England caps due to the star-studded attack in the Three Lions squad, which included Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney.
Guy Whittingham
- Appearances: 226
- Goals: 115
- Years at Portsmouth: 1989-1993, 1999 (loan), 1999-2001, 2011 (joint interim manager), 2012-2013 (manager)
- Trophies: PFA Team of the Year 1992-93
Guy Whittingham is still heavily present around Fratton Park now, undertaking media duties with BBC Radio Solent, but in his playing days was a prolific attacker.
Whittingham made history for Portsmouth in the 1992-93 season, netting 42 goals in the Football League First Division (47 in all competitions), a record which stood in the second tier until it was beaten by Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic (43) in 2021-22.
The former striker amassed over 450 professional appearances throughout his career including three separate spells at Fratton Park, and also represented Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday before retiring from playing in 2005. Whittingham took the reins for just over a year as Pompey manager, in both League One and League Two between 2012 and 2013.