Pompey profit from Bristol Rovers deadline day transfer gaffe as Peterborough United plead innocence

Portsmouth got back to winning ways on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Peterborough United.

Despite going behind to Ricky Jade-Jones’ goal, Colby Bishop, Abu Kamara and Regan Poole were all on target for John Mousinho’s side as they ended a slight goal drought in the league.

The only slight on Pompey was Joe Morrell’s red card in the 85th minute. He will now miss Portsmouth’s next League One match which is against Derby County on Saturday, September 16.

A large part as to why Peterborough lost however could be down to the absence of Jonson Clarke-Harris. The 29-year-old was not included in Darren Ferguson’s squad for Saturday’s clash, despite making the trip to Hampshire.

Clarke-Harris was part of a failed transfer deadline day transfer that could rumble on until January. A few transfers involving EFL clubs failed to go through including Luke Armstrong’s proposed move to Wrexham from Harrogate Town.

Last season’s joint-Golden Boot winner was set for a return to the Memorial Stadium, after a bid had been accepted by the Posh. He had been due to be a part of the squad to face Pompey on Saturday, but after a bid accepted he was whizzed out in an Uber, and was on his way to conduct a medical.

What Bristol Rovers are saying

A club statement was published on Saturday, prior to the Gas’ 1-1 draw with Lincoln City.

It read: “This morning an EFL representative confirmed that our contract application for Jonson Clarke-Harris was rejected. The club had worked throughout the day to agree terms with Peterborough, the player and his representatives, however, late changes to the deal prevented it being completed.

“The outcome is a disappointing one for all involved; however, everything possible was done to finalise the agreement and register the required documents with the EFL ahead of the deadline.”

Following the match, first-team manager Joey Barton was able to speak about the situation, though he didn’t dwell on it too much. He said to BBC Radio Bristol: ‘The good thing for us is that we’re in the mix to attract that calibre of player. We’ve had a fantastic window and that (signing Clarke-Harris) would have made it an almost perfect window for us.

‘We’ve still got enormous quality in our building which is a good indication of the progress we’re making as a collective in the last few years.

‘Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to get it over the line by inches, seconds by the sound of things. I thought it was done, but that is life and that is football.

‘January is a long way away. I might not even be sitting in the seat. You’ve got to take care of business every single week."

What Peterborough are saying

Darren Ferguson said to the Peterborough Telegraph: “It was a very hectic last day but up until 10 to 11, it was quite smooth. Jonno travelled with the team in the morning, we had the team meeting about Portsmouth and he would have been in the team, he played very well last week.

“At about five o’clock the chairman told me there might be a chance that he’ll get permission to talk to Bristol and at quarter to six, I went down to see him and we agreed it was the right time for him to move on. He was getting a three-year deal at 29, which is very good, and a large part of his family is down there.

‘He got in the car, Liz (Elsom, Head of Football Operations) sent over the agreement at 8:30, which they agreed with and told us so at nine o’clock. At ten to 11, we were told he was still not registered.

‘You can put a request in to get another 15 minutes and they didn’t do that until 20 past 11. Unbelievable, we were just like ‘what?’

What next?

Clarke-Harris didn’t make the match-day squad against Pompey on Saturday, and probably with good season. It wasn’t until the morning of the game, that the EFL informed both Bristol Rovers and Peterborough that the move hadn’t gone through. Clarke-Harris may have been eligible to play, but given he didn’t know if he’d still even be a Peterborough player, a decision was taken for him not to feature.

After two meetings in a midweek, the Blues and the Posh don’t meet now until Saturday, March 16, 2024, and by then Clarke-Harris’ future may be elsewhere. Clarke-Harris now will have to keep his head down and find a way of being integrated back into Ferguson’s plans.

He had been transfer listed all summer by Posh, who had been keen to move in a younger direction, but despite his availability for a transfer, he kept around their first-team, and had chipped in with a few goals this season.