The story of Portsmouth is a sad one. FA Cup winners in 2008, and welcoming the likes of AC Milan to Fratton Park the following season, what transpired next was nothing short of a nightmare. Taking no heed from the fiscal woes of Leeds United some six years earlier, the south-coast club lavishly spent to their hearts' content, without thinking of the perilous consequences. As a result, they currently sit one division above the Conference and supporters are looking forward to a trip to York City on Saturday. Anyway, former England number one David James was just one in a long line of Portsmouth players who were told to find a new club midway through the club's relegation season of 09/10, reminiscent to Leeds' desperate cost-cutting scheme in 03/04. With the World Cup in South Africa looming, the 39 year old was still harbouring hopes of making the squad, but Stoke's reluctance to pay his full £50k p/wk salary proved to be the stumbling block in a potential transfer.
''I must tell you honestly that I don't know what happened. From my point of view, he was training with the team and nothing happened. There wasn't any problem and I don't know what was happening. He belongs to the team and I want him to stay in the team.'' - Avram Grant, January 2010.
Instead, Stoke decided to settle for James' back-up, the 22 year old Asmir Begovic. Somehow, they will probably feel that they made the wiser choice by swooping for the Bosnian international.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
