3 days Ago By Neil Allen
Portsmouth FC Ex-Ipswich and Bristol City man Brett Pitman: I pleaded with Portsmouth to end my exile under Kenny Jackett for the play-offs - they refused By Neil Allen Chief sports writer Comment Published 16th Sep 2024, 17:00 BST Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Brett Pitman has revealed how he went over Kenny Jackett’s head to plead with Pompey’s hierarchy to end his exile and be included in their 2020 play-off campaign. However, his banishment remained in place and instead the prolific striker watched the Blues’ penalty shoot-out elimination while sat helpless at his Poole home alongside his eldest son. Despite plundering 25 goals in his opening Fratton Park season in 2017-18, Pitman’s relationship with Jackett - the man who signed him - became fractious.
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This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Notice and Terms of Service apply. The former Bournemouth man was requested to train away from Pompey on two lengthy occasions as their relationship deteriorated. According to Pitman in Played Up Pompey Fou r, he approached chief executive Mark Catlin and Jackett’s assistant Joe Gallen asking for them to persuade the manager to include him in the 20-man squad against Oxford United for the League One play-off semi-finals.
Brett Pitman scored 42 goals in 99 appearances for Pompey. Picture: National World | National World However, despite netting 42 times in 99 matches during his Blues career, Pitman was never recalled - and didn’t play for Pompey again. ‘From the cinema room in our Poole home, me and my eldest son Harlow watched the second leg of Pompey’s League One play-off semi-final against Oxford United.
When it headed to spot-kicks after finishing 2-2 on aggregate, the camera showed Kenny Jackett looking around for penalty takers and I laughed at the ridiculousness of it all,’ he told Played Up Pompey Four. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ‘I’d done all I could to make that squad for those July 2020 matches, yet a manager lives and dies by his decisions and, ultimately, that result probably marked the beginning of the end for him at Fratton Park. ‘I was desperate to feature in the play-offs and, with the Covid-19 pandemic delaying the season’s end, I happily agreed to extend my expiring Blues contract for an extra few months to cover them.
‘With the Football League calendar having been postponed for three-and-a-half months, nobody was match-fit, yet I was as fit as anybody else, having worked hard during that period. Nonetheless, I was left out of the first leg, which finished 1-1 at Fratton Park, despite clubs temporarily being granted permission to name nine players on their bench. ‘In the build-up, Kenny had called to inform me that I wasn’t going to be involved in the 20-man squad, before adding “But keep your phone on because I may include you in the second leg”.
That was fine. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ‘Following that draw, I rang Kenny to clarify whether I would now be involved for the deciding match - and the answer remained: “No”. So I called his assistant, Joe Gallen, and asked whether he could change the manager’s mind.
“If it was up to me,’ he said “I would have you”. ‘I believed Joe because he didn’t need to say that and it would have been easier to agree with Kenny. Then I contacted our chief executive Mark Catlin and said: “Look, come on, this is just stupid”.
He told me: “I would have you, but it’s up to Kenny”. ‘That was it. It made no sense.
Even if he put me on the bench and didn’t use me, at least the option was there, particularly should he require a penalty taker - which, as it turned out, actually was the case. ‘Pompey were able to name nine substitutes for those play-offs, yet couldn’t find a place for somebody with 42 goals in 99 appearances for the club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ‘Frustratingly, I had become used to a substitute role under Kenny Jackett.
Despite being the first Pompey player in 15 years to register 25 goals in a season, over the following two years I would be named on the bench a total of 55 times. ‘It got to the point where, during the game, I’d run up and down the touchline of my own accord, just so the fans would sing my name to annoy Jackett! As soon as we went 1-0 down, I’d be out there warming-up - not because I was expecting to come on, more to wind up the manager. ‘Now it was the semi-finals of the League One play-offs and they couldn’t even find room for me among the substitutes.
I watched at home as Cameron McGeehan missed his spot-kick as Pompey went out 5-4 on penalties - and I never played for them again.’ After leaving Pompey in July 2020, Pitman featured for Swindon, Bristol Rovers, Eastleigh, Portchester and Shaftesbury. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Now aged 36, he joined Baffins Milton Rovers this summer and on Saturday registered his third hat-trick of the campaign in a 3-1 win at Cowes Sports.
Pitman added: ‘I loved my time at Fratton Park. I thrived playing in front of those Pompey fans. I loved it.
It was brilliant. ‘For me, the ideal would have been ending my career there. I scored 42 goals in 99 appearances, only to get released on a free transfer.
With a record like that, I should have departed on my terms, rather than how I did leave.’ Played Up Pompey Four is priced £18.99 and available from the Pompey Store and Waterstone’s in Portsmouth, Fareham, Chichester, Petersfield and Whiteley.
Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It can also be ordered online from Amazon . For player-autographed copies, email [email protected] Meanwhile, tickets for the Played Up Pompey Four launch evening at Fratton Park are on sale, with Harry Redknapp, Gareth Evans, Kit Symons, Danny Rose, Mark Chamberlain, Richie Reynolds and Tommy Youlden confirming their attendance. Taking place on Friday, September 27, all ticket proceeds are to be donated to Pompey In The Community and the Pompey History Society.
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