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Arsenal are due to take on Portsmouth in the third round of the FA Cup this weekend and the history between the two clubs and their ex-players has come back into focus
As Arsenal prepare to take on Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round, the attention of some fans will turn towards those players who turned out for both clubs. There are a few notable examples, with Invincibles star Lauren spending two seasons at Fratton Park and Kanu scoring Pompey's FA Cup final winner in 2008, but the stand-out name is still Sol Campbell.
England centre-back Campbell joined Portsmouth from Arsenal in 2006 and captained them to that FA Cup win at Wembley. Years earlier, though, his move to the Gunners wasn't without controversy.
The timing of Campbell's Arsenal exit might have come as a surprise to some, given his final game for the club (at least until a second spell years later) saw him score in the Champions League final. Yet it was nothing compared to the manner in which he joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur five years earlier.
In 2001, the centre-back was out of contract at Tottenham and expected to move to pastures new. A move across north London to Spurs' fierce rivals hadn't necessarily looked on the cards, though - and that's before we get on to the manner in which the deal was announced.
When the press were called to Arsenal's training ground in July 2001, the expectation was that they were there for the unveiling of Richard Wright. The Ipswich goalkeeper has been signed by manager Arsene Wenger after helping the Tractor Boys to an impressive fifth-place finish the previous season but it turned out he wasn't the only new face.
“We had an agreement that never came out," Wenger would later tell club media. "Sol definitely knew before the last week [of his contract] that he was signing for us. At least, before that he promised to sign for us.
“I remember his press conference, when I said we will announce a player. Nobody turned up at the training ground. There were only two press people here. I will never forget the press’ faces when Sol came in. ‘Sol Campbell from Tottenham’, they couldn’t believe it!"
The Daily Mirror's John Cross remembered things a little differently, suggesting there were more than a couple of journalists there. However he acknowledged they were in place for Wright's unveiling and were indeed taken aback when Campbell arrived.
"It is true that it was a shock, because it was a huge deal," Cross said. "Most people had thought Sol was going to Barcelona or Inter Milan."
One thing which people can agree on, though, is that Campbell's decision didn't go down too well with fans of his former club. Plenty of Spurs supporters have never forgiven him for joining their neighbours and the fact it was a free transfer will have rubbed extra salt into the wound for some.
Fans were snapped holding up 'Judas' signs when the centre-back returned to White Hart Lane with his new employers in 2001. And the idea that he betrayed Spurs by joining their great rivals is one which some fans still haven't been able to shake.
Portsmouth fans, in contrast, have fonder memories of the centre-back. He will forever be remembered for the part he played in that FA Cup triumph and played for the club in their maiden European campaign the next season.
When we look at the care taken around transfer announcements these days, in the era of social media and incremental information, it's scarcely believable that the Campbell deal was kept secret for so long. Even now, though, the one thing which might have lasted longer than awe at the secrecy is the fury of those who supported his former club.
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