Looking back at the last Blues stopper who was faced with half-time hooking
KENNY JACKETT took the unusual step of substituting his goalkeeper at half-time of a competitive fixture.
In doing so, the Stevenage moment became the first occasion since May 2003 it has happened at Pompey.
Alex Bass paid the price for an uncertain opening 45 minutes in the Carabao Cup encounter which saw the Blues limp into the interval trailling 3-2.
Jackett subsequently sought one change – introducing Craig MacGillivray in goal for only his third appearance of 2020.
Not since Yoshi Kawaguchi replaced Shaka Hislop at Bradford City more than 17 years earlier had such a substitution been implemented by the Blues.
Albeit those circumstances were considerably different – with that half-time switch pushed for by Hislop himself.
Harry Redknapp’s side headed to Valley Parade on May 2003 for the final match of their glorious promotion campaign.
The Blues had already secured a Premier League spot – and the Division One title – entering the game against a Bantams side who would finish three places above the relegation zone.
To mark the occasion, Pompey’s players wore white A-line boots, the sportswear company team-mate Gianluca Festa was involved with.
Meanwhile, during the build-up, Hislop had discussed with goalkeeping coach Alan Knight his idea about stepping aside at half-time and handing Kawaguchi a rare appearance out of respect.
Hislop, a summer recruit from West Ham, started all of Pompey’s 49 league and cup fixtures that season. However, he wouldn’t finish that Valley Parade game.
With the Blues leading
1-0 at the interval through Festa’s goal, Hislop told Redknapp to substitute him to enable his deputy to feature in the second half.
It was the first time the Blues boss had heard of the request and was initially reticent, yet Hislop was adamant.
It meant Kawaguchi was handed his first outing of the season – and would also prove to be the final Pompey appearance of his career.
Redknapp’s men eventually ran out 5-0 winners, with Svetoslav Todorov grabbing a 13-minute hat-trick and Steve Stone also netting in that second period.
For Kawaguchi, it was a clean sheet on his 13th – and last – outing for the club he had arrived at in October 2001 for a £1.8m record transfer. During the 2003-04 season, the Japanese international spent time on loan at Danish club Nordsjaelland, before eventually returning home with Jubilo Iwata.
He would go on to make 116 international appearances – putting him third in Japan’s list of mostcapped players.
Back to the present, Jackett’s goalkeeping substitution was implemented in the first match of the 2020-21 campaign.
It also signifies the likely dropping of Bass moving forward, rather than the token appearance handed out to Kawaguchi 17 years earlier.
Years since Yoshi Kawaguchi replaced Shaka Hislop at half-time at Bradford