The story of how Portsmouth’s new great survivor held on for Fratton future

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There was a time when Linvoy Primus used to grip his hand into an imaginary wall and smile his broad smile, the clear inference he was holding on to his Pompey career by his fingernails.

Back in the noughties there was always an upgrade around the corner for the man who would become a Blues legend, always a sense whoever was the manager at the time didn’t quite fancy what he had to offer.

Yet the central defender perennially found a way to dig in and stay, he continually remained when it appeared a deal had been done to action his Fratton exit.

Pompey legend Linvoy Primus was a great Blues survivor.Pompey legend Linvoy Primus was a great Blues survivor.
Pompey legend Linvoy Primus was a great Blues survivor. | imago sportfotodienst

Sound familiar Ryley Towler?

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Pompey this month had splashed out their biggest transfer fee in 14 years to recruit a new option in Towler’s position in Hayden Matthews, and landed a bonafide Championship operator on loan in Bristol City’s Rob Atkinson. With Conor Shaughnessy returning to fitness, Towler once again found him sliding down the central defensive pecking order.

And with the 25-man Championship squad limits to consider and seven out-and-out options in his position at the club, it looked like the 22-year-old’s Pompey number was up.

The News understood a host of League One sides were battling to secure the Bristol City arrival’s temporary signature, and Towler himself had indicated to supporters after the defeat to Millwall last week he was likely going out on loan. That after he was left out of the squad to face the Lions.

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Yet here we are with the dust settling on a busy finale to a transfer window in which 16 pieces of business were conducted in and out - and Towler isn’t one of them.

Pompey's Ryley Towler.Pompey's Ryley Towler.
Pompey's Ryley Towler. | IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

In the end, it was Tom McIntyre who was the man to make way as he agreed a loan move to League One side Charlton an hour before the official cut-off for activity.

From Pompey’s side it always looked like it would be Towler and not the Reading man who would go, simply due to the volume of interest in the former. That wasn’t matched by those coming in for McIntyre, until the picture shifted fairly late in the day.

McIntyre’s involvement under John Mousinho has become increasingly limited, with no league minutes in 11 games since a difficult night in the 4-0 thumping at Derby in December. Towler, in contrast, started six games in that time underlining his position further up the pecking order than his central defensive team-mate.

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So one of the most popular figures from the current set-up with the Fratton faithful remains, with a good section of the fanbase questioning how he’s not been involved more at times this season.

Yet this has been a campaign in which Towler has stepped up to Championship level and surpassed his total League One involvement for Pompey, with four successive second-tier starts at the season’s opening. With a further run of five league starts across the Christmas period, few back in August would have anticipated the happy-go-lucky character making the 12 league appearances he has so far - but here we are.

low maintenance

Like the hall of famer whose pathway Towler’s increasingly echoing, a low maintenance approach has given the 6ft 1in man a chance of staying involved. There’s been no agitating from the player when things haven’t gone his way and his professionalism has been maintained.

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So now the great Pompey survivor remains, although his pathway to minutes again looked blocked by the re-emergence of Conor Shaughnessy and his partnership with Rob Atkinson.

But, just like with Primus all those years ago, you wouldn’t write off Towler yet having a say on his side’s survival hopes this season.

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