ON THIS DAY

The early 2000's saw Portsmouth enjoy some good times - 7 seasons in the Premier League and 2 FA Cup finals winning one of those finals which saw them qualifying for what has been their only season in European competition. The highlight of that season in the UEFA Cup was on 27th November 2008 when in a group match they entertained Italian giants AC Milan who had World Player of the Year Kaka in their ranks. A 20,403 Fratton Park crowd saw Pompey make a great start - they took a 2-0 lead with goals from Younes Kaboul and Kanu while Peter Crouch missed three good chances. Sadly in the 84th minute Ronaldinho scored from a free kick for Milan with Inzaghi scoring the equaliser in injury time. A draw but Portsmouth failed to qualify from the group and the European dream was over.

The Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland marked the first anniversary of the death of George Best when they issued 1 million £5 notes in honour of the greatest player to come from the north of Ireland. They were legal tender but I bet not many were found in change as they immediately became worth more than face value in the souvenir market.

Future England manager Bobby Robson made his England playing debut, against France at Wembley. Times have changed - he had first discovered that he had been selected for the England squad when he read the news in a newspaper stop press column! He scored twice in the 4-0 victory. Manchester United's Tommy Taylor scored the other two but tragically that was the last time that he, Duncan Edwards and Roger Byrne were to play for England with the Munich tragedy claiming their lives before England played again, against Scotland in April 1958. Despite scoring twice on his debut Bobby Robson also missed the Scotland match being dropped and replaced by a player who made his debut. That player was Bobby Charlton - not sure if he had much of an England career after that!!

Colchester United’s old Layer Road all-time record crowd of 19,072 was set on this day at a First Round FA Cup tie against Reading. The match was abandoned after 35 minutes because of fog!

Hartlepool United's Victoria Ground recorded an unwelcomed footballing first - the first English ground to be bombed in a war-time air-raid. Two First World War German Zeppelins jettisoned their bombs over Hartlepools when confronted by the Royal Flying Corps, destroying the main stand at the Victoria Ground. After the war ended the club demanded £2500 from the German Government to cover the damage - they didn't get it!