How Copacabana Beach helped resurrect Igoe’s Pompey career
SAMMY IGOE has revealed how a stint of beach football in Rio de Janeiro against World Cup greats signified the turning point of his Pompey career.
The midfielder emerged through the Fratton Park ranks to make 177 appearances and score 11 goals during a 13-year Blues stay.
However, he admits he was heading through the Pompey exit under Jim Smith when an unusual footballing opportunity was presented to him.
Igoe explains in Played Up Pompey Three how he represented England in the inaugural 1995 Beach Soccer World Championship in Brazil.
He and all-star team-mates finished third, beaten by a Brazil side featuring Zico and Junior, and Italy, with Alessandro Altobelli and Claudio Gentile.
When he returned to the south coast, it was all-change at Pompey – and a new manager who wanted him.
‘The Copacabana Beach offered a timely distraction, a wonderful opportunity to represent England internationally as my inevitable Fratton Park release crept agonisingly closer,’ he told Played Up Pompey Three.
‘I could never have anticipated that. Upon my return from taking on Zico and those brilliant Brazilians during a wonderful two weeks, my Pompey career would be resurrected.
‘It wasn’t going well for me with the Blues. As a first-year professional, I was on my way out of the door under Jim Smith, the first team boss who didn’t believe I offered what he was looking for.
‘My former youth team manager, Kenny Todd, once confessed that 12 months earlier a voting system had been employed to decide which of his second-year apprentices would be retained.
‘I failed to receive Smith’s backing on account of being a ‘five-a-side player’ and ‘lightweight’ – yet thankfully he was outnumbered.
‘By January 1995, however, the writing was on the wall. I knew I was heading out the door, challenged to find another club and start again.
The signs were there.
‘Then my team-mate
Paul Wood approached and explained how he had been offered the chance to play for England in the inaugural 1995 Beach Soccer World Championship in Brazil. ‘However, considering he still had first-team commitments, Pompey were never going to allow his attendance.
‘Instead he offered the opportunity to me. I was nowhere near selection under Jim Smith – so I jumped at the chance.
‘I was accompanied to
Rio de Janeiro by another Blues apprentice, Aaron Cunningham, linking up with an England team which also consisted of Luther Blissett, Russell Osman, Frank Worthington, former Watford ‘keeper Steve Sherwood and ex-Pompey defender Gary Stevens, by then all retired.
‘Aaron and I were the kids, the younger players required to do the running. As you get older in your career, when your legs don’t work as well, the idea of having a couple of youngsters carrying out your work definitely appeals.
‘The Beach Soccer World Championship involved eight nations, taking place in the evening, with temperatures still soaring at 42 degrees, consisting of five-a-side games with unlimited subs.
‘Worthington would come on for a minute, do a bicycle kick, and then go off ! Considering we were playing on sand, it was difficult to pass, so technique was important, basically flicking the ball up and focusing on distributing it in the air.
‘Brazil, featuring Zico and Junior, obviously won the competition, with an Italy side containing Alessandro Altobelli and Claudio Gentile runners-up and us in third.
‘Our team were quite a bunch and, during that fortnight, took us under their wing. We spent almost every evening drinking in a place called the Scotch Bar and doing all sorts of stupid things.
‘Still, it was time to come home, and, when we returned, Jim Smith had been sacked – my Pompey career had suddenly been saved.
‘His replacement was Terry Fenwick and, after a few weeks of him being around the club, the new manager called me into his office and said: “I’ve heard you’re a bit of a nutter, but I’ve seen the ability you’ve got. Get your head down and things will work out all right for you.”
‘Within three months I had been granted my firstteam debut, appearing as a substitute in the final match of the campaign against Oldham Athletic, and that summer earned a new deal.
‘Before Fenwick’s arrival, I was almost back training with the youth team and reserves. The reserves would sometimes join the first team for a shooting exercise or bit of team shape, but that was it. ‘Suddenly there’s a change of manager who opts to bring the whole group together to enable him to look at everyone – and almost straight away he was involving me around the first team.
‘It wouldn’t have happened had Smith still been in charge, yet, in fairness, he was good to me, never horrible. I wouldn’t say a bad word against him.
‘When he later returned as Derby County boss, upon seeing me in the corridor, he said “Well done lad” and patted me on the shoulder, which was a nice thing to do.
‘It was Fenwick who awarded me a four-year deal in October 1997, providing the stability I craved and a manager who wanted me.
‘Perhaps they believed it was time to invest in me, nurture me, and then look to sell me on for a few quid in the future? Regardless, my Pompey career would total 177 games and 11 goals.’
Played Up Pompey Three
is priced £18.99 and available from Amazon, Waterstones, the Pompey Store and The Petersfield Bookshop.
For player-autographed copies, with the signatures of Richard Hughes, Igoe, Martin Kuhl, Lee Bradbury or Dave Munks, email neil.allen@thenews.co.uk
Played Up Pompey Too
remains on sale from Amazon.