Whittingham, Kanu, Claridge, Reid, Chaplin - vote for your favourite Portsmouth striker of all time

The race to be crowned your favourite Pompey striker of all-time is under way – and it’s hard to pick a likely winner.
By Steve Bone
Published 24th Apr 2022, 15:48 BST
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This is the fifth and final of the unscientific, unofficial votes we have run throughout the season to see who readers rank as their Pompey favourite in each area of the pitch.

And this promises to be the most competitive yet – with some top names winning their first-round ties by an absolute landslide, suggesting they have the support to go all the way.

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Earlier in the season these for-fun-only Twitter tournaments crowned David James, Linvoy Primus, Paul Merson and Darren Anderton as readers’ No1 Blues keeper, defender, midfield man and winger/wide midfielder.

But when it comes to strikers, competition is even hotter.

After nominations were invited, the first round featured 64 Pompey strikers from through the ages.

High-profile casualties in the opening stage have included the much-loved Benjani – beaten by Alan Biley – and 80s legend Billy Rafferty, well defeated by Paul Walsh.

Some ties were close – some not.

Pompey's 2008 FA Cup final goalscorer, Kanu, has made the last 32 - but there's no place for BenjaniPompey's 2008 FA Cup final goalscorer, Kanu, has made the last 32 - but there's no place for Benjani
Pompey's 2008 FA Cup final goalscorer, Kanu, has made the last 32 - but there's no place for Benjani

You have to feel sorry for George Hirst, for example, who despite his current season’s heroics, took only just over one per cent of the vote against Toddy Todorov.

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Likewise, Dave Kitson, who was never really likely to go far, was never in it versus Corporal Guy and picked up only 1.7 per cent of the vote.

It was a shame to see Len Phillips go out to Conor Chaplin – that can happen in an age when most on Twitter remember Chaplin but arrived long after Phillips had left us.

But if you look at the draw on these pages you’ll agree we are left with a strong last 32 – perhaps best demonstrated by the Yakubu v Sheringham clash.

Voting will be on my @stevebone1 Twitter timeline from today and we’ll have an update in the Sports Mail next week. Get voting!

The draw

1 Paul Walsh v Vincent Pericard

2 Derek Showers v Ray Crawford

3 Teddy Sheringham v Yakubu

4 Mark Hateley v Peter Crouch

5 Mick Quinn v Aruna Dindane

6 Jeff Hemmerman v Guy Whittingham

7 Ron Saunders v Ray Hiron

8 Derek Dougan v Ray Pointer

9 Svetoslav Todorov v Terry Connor

10 Albert McCann v Marc McNulty

11 Brett Pitman v John Aloisi

12 David Kemp v Duggie Reid

13 Frederic Piquionne v Kanu

14 Nicky Morgan v Alan Biley

15 Colin Garwood v Steve Claridge

16 Bert Barlow v Conor Chaplin

Related topics:PortsmouthGeorge Hirst