Gary Fitchet lashes the ball clear as saints’ goal comes under pressure from Portsmouth. Roy Bougourd is the referee and Alan Biley is the Portsmouth player with the periodical Bowie hairdo. (0579421)

IT’S cup final day at Wembley and win or lose for the fans of Cardiff City and Portsmouth it will be one to remember. Last week Rob Batiste revisited the time Guernsey had the better of the Welsh half of today’s finalists. Today it is the turn of Pompey, who have never fallen to the Sarnians.

WE MAY have turned over Cardiff, but Portsmouth never seemed to have trouble putting Guernsey in its place when it comes to football.

Today’s cup finalists have played twice against local opposition in the past 30-odd years and on both occasions enjoyed themselves in front of goal. Most recently Pompey played at Blanche Pierre Lane to christen the club’s new floodlights.

The date was Sunday 20 November 1983 and the visitors,. Managed by Bobby Campbell and including World Cup winner Alan Ball, hit five without reply past Saints’ rookie keeper and Southampton trialist Jamie Greening.