Portsmouth legend Alan Knight dies, aged 65
The Pompey family are mourning the passing of club legend Alan Knight.
Pompey legend Alan Knight has died, aged 65.
The former Blues keeper, who made 801 appearances for the club and served the Blues with distinction, passed away on Tuesday morning.
He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024.
Born in London in 1961, Knightsie, as he was affectionately known, joined Pompey as an apprentice when just 14.
He was handed his first professional contract by the club in 1977 and made his first-team debut against Rotherham a year later, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 win in the old Third Division.
But it wasn’t until the 1981-82 season that the former England under-21 international established himself as Pompey’s first-choice - a proud title he would retain for many years to come.
Not only that, Knightsie would also become the second longest Pompey player of all time behind Jimmy Dickinson, playing his final game for the club against Norwich in 2000, at the age of 38.
He also held the record for the most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper and would represent the Blues in all four top divisions of the English game.
Knightsie, who was awarded an MBE in the 2001 New Year’s Honours List, won three promotion medals with Pompey and was part of the Blues side that lost to Liverpool in the 1992 FA Cup semi-final to Liverpool on penalties, after the initial game went to a replay.
He would later enjoy goalkeeping coaching roles at Pompey, as well as similar jobs at FC Dallas, under former Fratton Park team-mate Colin Clarke, AFC Bournemouth, Dorchester Town, where he also acted as manager, the Hawks and Aldershot.
The Pompey legend also briefly managed Horndean.
Knightsie was granted the freedom of the city of Portsmouth, his adopted home, in 2025.
Stints with the local media, including a weekly column in The News, also formed part of his extensive and varied CV, as did his work as an ambassador for Pompey in recent years.
A minute’s applause plus other tributes will be held ahead of Pompey’s Fratton Park fixture against Cardiff on Saturday.
Knight is survived by his wife Heather and his daughters Jade and Rebekah.
Rest in peace, The Legend!