West Brom have signed James Hurst on a two-year deal from Portsmouth.
The 19-year-old full-back left The Hawthorns in 2008 to move to the south coast, but never made an appearance for Portsmouth’s first team.
Hurst has won 13 England caps at youth level and was part of the under-17 squad for the 2009 European Championships.
He joined Icelandic side IBV on loan at the end of last season, scoring one goal in 16 appearances.
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Stoke have signed Eidur Gudjohnsen, Jermaine Pennant, Marc Wilson and Salif Diao on a busy transfer deadline day.
Gudjohnsen has joined from French club Monaco on a season-long loan, while Pennant has joined until January from Spanish side Real Zaragoza.
Portsmouth’s Marc Wilson has joined in a player-plus-cash deal, with Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson moving in the other direction.
Salif Diao, 33, has re-signed for Stoke, penning a two-year deal.
The Senegal international midfielder left at the end of last season, when his previous contract expired, and had been exploring the prospect of a move abroad.
“It is fantastic. He is not only an experienced head, but a good person to have around,” said manager Tony Pulis.
“We made it perfectly clear there would always be a welcome for him back here and we’re delighted he has signed now.”
Diao joined Stoke in a permanent deal from Liverpool in 2007 after an initial loan spell.
His new contract includes an international ambassadorial role, and he said he felt he owed a debt of gratitude to Pulis.
“It’s great to be back home. I love the club and I love the supporters, so I always hoped something could be sorted out,” he said.
“I feel there is still unfinished business and I want to help Stoke City continue the excellent progress made in my time here.
“Tony Pulis is more than a manager to me and I want to repay the faith that he has shown in my ability at this stage in my career.
“I believe I can still make a big contribution as a player but it is also very exciting that I have another important role to play which could help bring new talent to the club in the future.”
Gudjohnsen, 31, had spent the second half of last season on loan at Tottenham where he scored two goals in 14 games.
The former Bolton, Chelsea and Barcelona player was shown around City’s new 7m training facility at Clayton Wood before entering into negotiations with the club.
The versatile Wilson, 23, was the Portsmouth captain and Pompey manager Steve Cotterill wanted to keep him at the club.
But after signing a four-year deal at Stoke, Wilson said: “It is great to be back in the Premier League.
“I had a taste of playing in the Premier League last season, it is the best league in the world and I wanted to get back there as soon as possible.”
Pennant, 27, started his career with Notts County before joining Arsenal for 2m as a 15-year-old in 1999.
The England Under-21 international has also played for Watford, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool and Portsmouth before he moved to Spain in 2009.
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QPR have boosted their forward options by agreeing deals to sign Tommy Smith and Rob Hulse from Championship rivals Portsmouth and Derby.
Both deals are subject to clearance and approval by the Football League, with an announcement expected on Wednesday.
The deal to bring 30-year-old Smith to London from Pompey is reportedly worth 1.5m, while Hulse, 30, has arrived for an undisclosed fee from the Rams.
The pair have signed three-year deals at Loftus Road.
Hulse, who had missed Derby’s last three games with an Achillies tendon injury, played under Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock while at Sheffield United.
The striker played 96 games for Derby, scoring 31 goals but he would have been out of contract next summer.
Meanwhile, Smith made 22 appearances for Portsmouth after arriving from Watford last August.
His only goal for Pompey came in a 3-2 Premier League victory over Hull at Fratton Park in March.
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Cheltenham Town have signed midfielder Marlon Pack from Portsmouth on a season-long loan deal.
The 19-year-old has made two appearances for Portsmouth since signing his professional contract in July 2009.
Pack came off the bench in Pompey’s 2-0 home defeat by Cardiff in the Championship last Saturday.
He also has previous League Two experience, having spent part of last season on loan at Dagenham & Redbridge.
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The promising teenager also spent time at Wycombe last season, making nine appearances for the Wanderers.
Cheltenham manager Mark Yates told BBC Radio Gloucestershire he thought Pack would be a great signing.
“It makes sense to have as many good players as we can, and on the back of a decent start is the time to do that,” he said.
“I’m sure he’ll prove a massive hit with the supporters. I think [Portsmouth manager] Steve Cotterill just wants him to get some regular first team football and he has a chance of that with us.”
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Portsmouth 0-2 Cardiff
Jay Bothroyd struck his sixth goal of the season as Cardiff City went joint-top of the Championship.
The Bluebirds went ahead eight minutes before the break when Hayden Mullins turned the ball into his own net.
Bothroyd added their second after capitalising on a mix-up between keeper Jamie Ashdown and Ibrahima Sonko.
Portsmouth had chances through captain Marc Wilson and David Nugent, but Cardiff keeper David Marshall saved both efforts.
The Bluebirds remain second in the table, but are now level on 10 points with leaders Queens Park Rangers, while cash-strapped Pompey are bottom, with just one point from four games.
It was sweet revenge for Cardiff boss Dave Jones in the first meeting between the two sides since Portsmouth beat Cardiff 1-0 in the 2008 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Both clubs have since suffered much-publicised financial problems, necessitating a number of visits to the High Court.
But Pompey’s problems have been far greater, as was evident to see in the form of the ex-Premier League side’s threadbare squad.
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Cardiff appear to be turning a corner, and the capture of Craig Bellamy on loan from Manchester City is a sign that the new Malaysian investors mean business.
The visitors deservedly came away with the points, with the goals typifying Portsmouth’s struggles.
Both sides took their time to get going though, with Pompey striker John Utaka looking the most useful in the early stages.
But it was captain Marc Wilson, widely tipped for a move away from Fratton Park, who had the first chance on 12 minutes.
That came after Bothroyd clumsily bundled Carl Dickinson, and Wilson drilled the resulting 30-yard free-kick towards goal, forcing Marshall pushed over the bar.
Two minutes later, it was the turn of the home side to defend as Cardiff looked dangerous on the attack.
Chris Burke made a brilliant run down the right before cutting inside and laying off to the onrushing Bellamy, who curled right-footed just around the far post.
It spurred on the visitors, and they should have done better, but didn’t have players in the right places when Pompey twice failed to clear their lines.
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Cardiff joy at Portsmouth win
Keeper Ashdown was called upon to make his first save on the half-hour when he had to turn away Burke’s cross-cum-shot at the near post.
It was still a pretty even contest and with 10 minutes to go before the break, Wilson chipped a long free-kick into the box which Sonko headed just over from six yards.
But Stoke-target Wilson, who had done little wrong in the first half, was caught out two minutes later, which led to Cardiff’s first goal.
He was dispossessed in his own half by Danny Drinkwater, and the Manchester United loan signing hit a through-ball aimed for Bothroyd, which Mullins diverted into his own net.
Pompey could have made amends just before the break when Nugent was picked out in the box only to see his right-foot was brilliantly saved by Marshall.
But Cardiff showed their intent at the start of the second half and got their reward with just four minutes of it gone, moments after Mark Hudson headed just wide from a corner.
Ashdown and Sonko were guilty of messing up a straightforward clearance, allowing Bothroyd to nip in and fire into an empty net his sixth goal in as many games.
Portsmouth battled to find a way back in, but rarely looked like penetrating a stubborn Cardiff defence.
Bluebirds boss Dave Jones brought on new loan signing Andy Keogh for Bellamy in the last 10 minutes, who had the ball in the net in injury time with a header from Lee Naylor’s cross, but it was ruled out for offside.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Npower Championship
Live text and data provided by The Press Association.
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Portsmouth have opened contract negotiations with Icelandic defender Hermann Hreidarsson.
The 36-year-old has not played since rupturing his Achilles against Tottenham back in March.
Pompey manager Steve Cotterill told BBC Radio Solent that he has only recently had the chance to sit down and speak to the player about a new contract.
“I just wanted to find out where he was coming from and needed to tell him where we were coming from,” he said.
“Obviously the wages are not around like they used to be,” added Cotterill. “Hermann wants to stay which is the big thing for us.”
Hreidarsson’s contract expired in the summer but he has been training with the squad as part of his recovery.
He joined Portsmouth back in 2007 and has made 92 appearances for the club.
As Hreidarsson is currently a free agent Pompey could still sign him after the transfer window closes on Tuesday.
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Portsmouth have signed goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan on a month-long deal.
The 32-year-old made 340 starts for Southend before joining Crystal Palace in 2008 where he spent time on loan at Oldham before being released.
He has been training with the club for the last month and goes into the squad for Saturday’s game against Cardiff.
He is the brother of former Pompey keeper Aaron Flahavan who was killed in a car crash in August 2001 after playing over 100 games for the club.
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Portsmouth captain Marc Wilson is “very close” to joining Stoke, according to Pompey manager Steve Cotterill.
Stoke chairman Peter Coates has confirmed that Liam Lawrence would head to Pompey as part of any deal.
Other reports suggest that Stoke striker Dave Kitson would also head south, with Stoke also paying 3m.
Cotterill told BBC Radio Solent: “A deal is very close. If we get the deal we’re after, it will be a very good one for this football club.”
Cotterill declined to reveal any details of the deal, but Pompey administrator Andrew Andronikou suggested that Wilson would still be at Pompey for this weekend’s visit of Cardiff in the Championship.
Cotterill added: “If Marc’s here, he’ll play against Cardiff. He’s our captain.”
The Portsmouth manager also added that striker Kanu could also sign a new contract in time for Saturday’s game.
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Portsmouth boss Steve Cotterill has admitted captain Marc Wilson could leave the Championship club.
Pompey have already turned down two bids from West Brom for the 23-year-old, while Stoke City and West Ham have also been linked with the utility man.
Cotterill told BBC Radio Solent: “What do you do if someone comes in and gives us money and players? There’s lots of things going on I don’t know about.”
Wilson has started all five of Pompey’s fixtures so far this season.
But with the Fratton Park club still in administration following their relegation from the Premier League, Cotterill admitted Wilson’s future may be out of his and the club’s hands.
“Marc Wilson is a quality player, a quality footballer,” said Cotterill. “Quite possibly the football club’s not in a position, or I’ve not been here long enough, to have a say.
“There’s lots of things going on that I don’t know about. There’s sometimes I find out later, after the time of something happening, and that bugs me a bit.
“Until we get some stability above my head it will always be difficult for any of the players to have focus. Are they going to be here or not? It’s tough for them.”
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Portsmouth 1-1 Crystal Palace
Richard Hughes scored Portsmouth’s winning spot-kick as they beat Crystal Palace in a penalty shoot-out in the second round of the Carling Cup.
Edgar Davids, 37, was making his debut for Palace but saw his side go behind when David Nugent squeezed in a shot.
The Eagles equalised through an Ibrahima Sonko own goal before losing Wilfried Zaha to a red card.
Both sides missed penalties in the shoot-out before Hughes held his nerve to secure Pompey’s win.
The late spot-kick drama had started with Kieran Djilali failing to convert for Palace as team-mate Jonathan Obika also missed from 12 yards.
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And, although Tommy Smith’s effort for Pompey was saved, Nadir Ciftci had the chance to be the home side’s hero as he stepped up to take their fifth penalty.
However, he missed and Carl Dickinson also failed to score his penalty in sudden death for Pompey after Nathaniel Clyne had his strike saved by home keeper Jamie Ashdown.
Ashdown also saved from Adam Barrett before it was then left for Hughes to score the conclusive penalty.
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Carling Cup
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