'The truth about defining moment of my TV career - and my Sky Sports telling off!': Ex-Leeds and Sheffield United man Chris Kamara on the iconic Portsmouth gaffe against Blackburn

Today signals 13 years since Chris Kamara’s infamous Sky Sports mistake involving failing to realise the Blues’ Anthony Vanden Borre had been sent off.

That iconic April 2010 incident against Blackburn has since been rewatched by an estimated 20 million people

Kamara embraces the notoriety, regarding it as the ‘defining moment of my TV career’ – despite afterwards receiving a telling off from his Soccer Saturday producer.

And in an interview for 2020 book Played Up Pompey Three, he lifted the lid on the full story behind that memorable Fratton Park day.

‘I've made a lot of funny mistakes, but missing Anthony Vanden Borre’s sending off was probably the one moment that if you said “Chris Kamara” to anybody, it’s the one they’ll remember!’ he told Played Up Pompey Three.

‘I don’t mind people mentioning it, not at all. There are defining moments in your career, such as playing for Pompey, playing for Swindon, all defining moments. The one defining moment in my TV career is not seeing Vanden Borre’s red card.

‘Straight after that moment, I was told off by the Soccer Saturday director, Karen Wilmington: “Watch the game, will you?”. So, on the way home, I rang the producer, Ian Condron, to apologise and he told me: “You can just about get away with it, because it’s you!”.

‘This was 2010 and I had been working there since 2002, with loads of other funny incidents occurring along the way. Yet it worked out well for all concerned and remains one of those things people still watch and giggle. It has become iconic.

‘What genuinely happened during the build-up to the incident was health and safety wouldn’t let us onto Pompey’s gantry, so I was instructed to do my report in the corner of the Fratton End and North Stand.

‘I wasn’t happy, but went down there with the cameraman and set up by the side of the pitch, only for it to start raining during the match.

‘Health and safety came down again and we were told that, as it was a walkway and fans leave that way, they could be electrocuted should they touch our equipment. Well, they couldn’t because it’s insulated, but we had to move the camera further back.

‘Then Sky’s production coordinator, Carly Bassett, mentioned in my ear I was next on, so I had to walk over to the camera, looking over my shoulder watching the game, but now my view was really restricted.

‘Suddenly, Charlie Nicholas shouted “Goal”, so it went over to his match. “Don’t worry, you’re next,” came the message, so I’m looking over my shoulder again. Then Phil Thompson shouted “Goal” and it was over to him. 2Right, you are definitely next” – and Jeff Stelling introduced me.

‘He said: “We’re off to Fratton Park where there has been a red card, but for who Chris Kamara?”. I had no idea whatsoever, I hadn’t seen any sending off. I had noticed Avram Grant on the touchline and that was it.

‘So I responded: “I don’t know Jeff, has there?” – and there’s laughter in the studio. Jeff said: “Chris, let me tell you, according to our sources, Anthony Vanden Borre has been sent off for a second bookable offence. Get your fingers out and count up the numbers of Portsmouth players who are on the field”.

‘I replied: “No, you’re right, I saw him go off, but I thought they were bringing a sub on, Jeff”.

‘It wasn’t until later that I realised I wasn't the only one that day who missed Vanden Borre’s dismissal – the press pack in the gantry also didn’t realise. The reason was, before he received a second yellow card for intentional handball, he walked.

‘If it was an English player they would have protested to the referee and waited for it, but he knew immediately and had gone. That’s why the confusion happened.’

A Tweet containing footage of the Vanden Borre moment was today posted by @PompeyNewsNow to mark the anniversary.

And it prompted Kamara to playfully respond with: ‘Ok so you make one mistake 13 years ago & no one will let you forget it’.