Linvoy Primus wins Pompey vote: 'A hero that epitomised what a supporter looks for in a footballer'

Wayne Rooney is thwarted by a perfectly timed Linvoy Primus tackle - an incident remembered by a number of people who voted in the defenders' poll / Picture: Barry Zee

We started with 50 and ended with one. And that one is Linvoy Primus... which will probably come as a surprise to no-one.

The man who served Pompey on the pitch with distinction for the best part of the first 10 years of the 2000s, and has been just as big a figure for the club off the field, came out of my poll to find your favourite PFC defender - and quite comfortably too.

Even when pitted in the final against another fan favourite from the same era, Arjan De Zeeuw, there was no stopping the Linvoy Landslide.

This bid to find fans’ favourite defender took the form of a knockout tournament through a series of 24-hour Twitter votes.

Linvoy celebrates on his way to a double at West Ham in 2006 / Picture: Steve Reid

Thursday’s final drew 824 votes – and Primus took 71.8 per cent of them.

It had been a similar story in his semi-final, in which he was up against the cult-hero figure of Ricardo Rocha. Of 543 votes, Linvoy took 68.1 per cent.

And, yes, you guessed it, he’d won his quarter-final with a lot to spare too – of 542 votes cast in the Linvoy v Matt Taylor last-eight clash, our man netted 66.8 per cent.

So, Taylor, Rocha and De Zeeuw all despatched with the certainty of a Linvoy clearance or last-ditch tackle. And you can’t help think that if there’d been a vote between him and all the other defenders in the tournament put together, he’d have won that too.

Arjan De Zeeuw was a more than worthy finalist but was well beaten by Linvoy in the end

Not long ago, the Forgotten Pompey Goals Twitter account ran a similar poll for all Blues players.

Linvoy and Alan Knight reached the final. Guess who won...

In my poll, comments from voters taking part in the final summed up rather neatly the popularity of the former Barnet and Reading man whose career was transformed when he forced his way into Harry Redknapp’s Pompey side in the Championship and refused to be budged.

Simon Doyle said: ‘Linvoy went from being a disappointing replacement for Darren Moore to a guy that came out level one on one with Thierry Henry in the league draw at Fratton – a hero that epitomised what a supporter looks for in a footballer.’

Pompey Hobgoblin suggested Linvoy would win any contest going: ‘Best Hair Poll, Linvoy. Best Boxing Day goal, Linvoy. Best Smile, Linvoy. Best at keeping Rooney in his pocket, Linvoy. Best post-match interview, Linvoy. Nicest bloke, Linvoy.

‘In future just give one option... Linvoy.’

Paul Mokler felt both finalists were worthy of being in it. He said: ‘Two wonderful blokes. ADZ was an inspirational captain and as brave as a lion. Linvoy has also carried out tremendous work around the city.’

Our defenders’ vote – which I stress once more was unscientific and unofficial – began with 50 defenders, 18 of whom were knocked out in qualifying groups before the straight knockouts started with the last 32.

Jimmy Dickinson, Noel Blake, Kit Symons and Sol Campbell were among those who fell by the wayside before semi-finals that also featured De Zeeuw, Rocha and Matt Clarke.

In total, around close to 15,000 votes were cast, so my thanks go to everyone who got involved.

Next, in a few weeks’ time, we’ll do a Pompey midfielders’ poll, so start thinking about who must be involved.

I’m thinking, for starters, Mick Kennedy, Alan McLoughlin, Robert Prosinecki and Paul Merson – but I’m sure you will all have suggestions of your own. Watch this space!

How the semi-finals shaped up.

The last eight in the PFC defenders' poll.

Last 32 results.