Sports Mail nostalgia – the day ‘wing wizard’ Chamberlain helped Portsmouth defeat Plymouth

In the build-up to every Pompey first team fixture in 2022/23, Roger Holmes will be looking back at a corresponding match by featuring an archive Sports Mail front cover and an inside page here at portsmouth.co.uk

Roger almost certainly boasts the largest collection of Sports Mails among Pompey fans - he has over 3,000 of them.

He wrote a weekly nostalgia page in the Sports Mail for most of the 21st century, right up until the end of last season.

With the Blues hosting Plymouth on Saturday, Roger turns the clock back to November 1988 …

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Mark Chamberlain and Mick Quinn were the goalscorers in Pompey’s 2-0 win at home to Plymouth Argyle.

Both goals came in the first half of a game marred by a serious injury to Argyle’s Leigh Cooper, who suffered a broken leg and was out of the team for 15 months.

The win moved them into third place in Division Two, while in the same division Harry Redknapp’s AFC Bournemouth claimed a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace and Brighton suffered a 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers.

Pompey’s bright start did not continue. They only won one of their last 13 league games - losing the last six in a row - to finish fifth bottom of the second tier.

Pompey: Knight, Neill, Sandford, Kuhl, Hogg, Ball, Chamberlain, Horne, Aspinall, Quinn, Hardyman.

Aldershot were thrashed 4-0 by Blackpool in a Third Division fixture at Bloomfield Road.

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On one of the rare occasions that Pompey and Southampton both played at home, Saints beat Aston Villa 3-1 to go third in Division One.

Norwich City topped the division, four points clear of Arsenal, after drawing 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Gary Stevens, who would later play for Pompey, was carried off on a stretcher following a two-footed tackle by Vinnie Jones. It was confirmed at half-time that Stevens had suffered ligament damage.

Spurs went on to win 3-1 with their first goal scored by Terry Fenwick, later to manage Pompey.

Watford remained top of Division Two despite being beaten by Manchester City at Maine Road.

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A heavily-depleted Pompey Youth team went down 2-0 to Gillingham at Eastney. The home XI included Russell Perrett, Stuart Doling and Darryl Powell.

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Fareham Town struck three first-half goals and eventually won 4-2 against Beazer Home Premier League title challengers Crawley Town at the Sussex club’s Town Mead ground.

Gosport made it five straight wins as goals from Steve Ingman and Nigel Mottishead brought them a 2-0 victory over Worcester City at Privett Park.

Waterlooville were indebted to goalkeeper Neil Hards as they held Wealdstone to a goalless draw.

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The government were still refusing to take the one step which the football authorities and most football lovers felt would cure the greatest ill.

They refused to withdraw the passports of people who were convicted of dragging the name of England and English football through the mud.

This seemed to be the action needed to re-open the door to European competition for English clubs.

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Following a nasty incident involving Viv Anderson of Nottingham Forest and Wimbledon’s John Fashanu, Pompey boss Alan Ball said that players ‘have to keep their emotions under control.’

He continued: ‘Many’s the time I’ve felt incensed after a match but it’s vital everyone keeps control at those flashpoints.’

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In rugby, Havant beat Cheltenham 23-4 at Hooks Lane, to keep their Championship South area League title challenge rolling.