Sports Mail nostalgia: The day ‘punchy’ Portsmouth triumphed at Cardiff City

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 travelling to Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, Roger looks back to an early-season victory in South Wales almost 60 years ago…

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Pompey produced a workmanlike performance to overcome Cardiff City in front of 17,523 at Ninian Park on September 7, 1963.

They got off to a perfect start after three minutes as John McClelland floated a corner into the goalmouth and Roy Summersby headed his first goal for the club.

The visitors took control of the first half with the speed of McClelland and hard graft from young Keith Blackburn causing problems for the hosts.

The legendary John Charles headed an equaliser ten minutes after the break and Cardiff then began to exert some pressure.

Blackburn, though, brought Pompey the winner on 78 minutes with a low shot that crept past goalkeeper Dilwyn John.

Pompey: John Armstrong, Phil Gunter, Alfie Noakes, Bobby Campbell, Jimmy Dickinson, Harry Harris, John McClelland, Roy Summersby, Ron Saunders, Johnny Gordon, Keith Blackburn.

After winning 2-0 at Manchester City on the opening day, Pompey had subsequently lost three games in a row - 3-0 at Sunderland, 4-1 at home to Swindon and 4-2 at home to Sunderland.

The last defeat was just three days before the victory at Cardiff.

Prior to winning in Wales, Pompey manager George Smith said: ‘Our performances this season have been rough apart from the first match at Manchester City and something had to be done.’

He was referring to midweek when he made seven changes for Pompey’s meeting with Sunderland that ended in a 4-2 defeat.

He added: ‘I can’t say the changes worked wonderfully well but at least it gave the team a bit more life and made an entertaining match.’

Pompey ended the season in ninth place, with the win at Cardiff one of seven away league successes. The Bluebirds finished 15th.

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Pompey ‘A’ beat Pirelli general 5-2 in their Hampshire League Division one clash while the club’s Juniors went down 4-3 at Charlton Athletic.

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First Division leaders Manchester United drew 1-1 at Birmingham City, and West Bromwich Albion’s 3-0 win at home to Fulham kept them in second place.

Andy McEvoy scored four goals in Blackburn Rovers’ 7-2 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur at Ewood Park.

Bolton Wanderers were still searching for their first point after going down 4-3 to Arsenal at Highbury, after leading 3-1 at half-time with Brian Bromley - later to play for Pompey - among the scorers.

In a Division 2 fixture. Southampton lost 5-4 to Preston North End at The Dell, Doug Holden grabbing the winner in the closing stages.

Bournemouth claimed a 2-1 win at Colchester United in Division 3 and Brighton were still looking for their first Division 4 win after losing 2-1 at home to Stockport County.

Also in the fourth tier, Aldershot won 5-4 against Tranmere Rovers at the Recreation Ground with all the Shots’ goals coming during the first half.

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Fareham Town lost 4-3 to Basingstoke in the FA Cup first preliminary round. Ray Hiron, later to sign for Pompey, struck twice for the Reds.