But there have inevitably been signings in Posh history who have been huge disappointments and they are the ones we are remembering here with the help of our readers.
Posh fan and talkSPORT host Adrian Durham, nominated Luke James while others also picked on fairly recent signings Tom Nichols and Jack Baldwin, Others dared to mention the Posh ‘Holy Trinity’ of Craig Mackail-Smith, Aaron Mclean and George Boyd who predictably didn’t match their feats during Darren Ferguson’s first spell as Posh boss when they returned to the club.
Lee Tomlin’s patchy form when he returned last season was mentioned, but it would be Posh heresy to include any of the four superstars.
We have though included a manager who should have done much better.
Lee Tomlin’s patchy form when he returned last season was mentioned, but it would be Posh heresy to include any of the four superstars.
.
BILL GREEN. Okay replacing the great Chris Turner after Posh had just missed out on promotion to the second tier of English football in 1978 for the first time in the club’s history was never going to be easy, but hopes were high when manager John Barnwell splashed out a then club record fee of £60,000 on big Bill Green of West Ham United. After all he’d skippered unfancied Carlisle to the top flight and then made 35 appearances for the Hammers, also in the old Division One. He looked the part with his impressive physique, but by golly he was hopeless as Posh were relegated from Division Three after a season of many managers and several mishaps. Typically Green left for Chesterfield after one season and started playing well again. He also helped Doncaster to promotion from Division Four.
.
TYRONE BARNETT. Posh caused quite a stir when making this powerfully built centre-forward the first million pound signing in the club’s history in 2012. The fee to a Crawley side then managed by Steve Evans was a whopping £1.1 million and the story says Posh boss Darren Ferguson watched Barnett for a half of football and decided he’d seen enough to believe the striker could wreak havoc in the Championship. Barnett scored a late equaliser on his debut at Doncaster and did okay in the early days, but it wasn’t long before he turned from a beast to a baby. He looked so lethargic, lackadaisical and apathetic the fans turned on him and a departure became inevitable. Each of his goals cost of almost £92k! After loan spells at Ipswich Bristol City and Oxford he left on a free to Shrewsbury. He’s now with National League side Eastleigh. | Johnston Press resell Photo: Midlands
.
PHIL CHAPPLE. This lanky centre-back was a key player in the Cambridge United glory days under John Beck before becoming a far more accomplished player for Charlton Athletic. No wonder Posh boss Barry Fry was thrilled to bits to sign him on a free transfer in 1998, although that excitement didn’t last more than a couple of appearances as it soon became clear Chapple ran as though he was pulling a milk float. Injuries soon arrived and never really left much to the player’s, as well as the fans’, frustration. Chapple was a seriously nice bloke who took a job coaching Posh reserves before he was promoted to first-team coach following the tear-filled departure of Wayne Turner in 2002. Chapple is now a scout. Photo: Midlands
.
LUKE JAMES. It took a month of hard negotiation to prise this young attacker away from Hartlepool in 2014, before an apparent £600k transfer fee was agreed. It was a staggering sum, but after a debut goal hopes were high that Posh had found another lower league gem. Sadly James, despite some committed, hard-working displays, didn’t score again for six months and rumours were rife ‘I was there when Luke James scored’ T shirts were soon available for sale. James never scored again for Posh, but it took them two further seasons before they unloaded him for good to Forest Green following loan spells at Bradford City, Hartlepool and Bristol Rovers. He scored one goal for Forest Green before moving into the National League with Barrow and now he’s back at Hartlepool. | Joe Dent/JMP Photo: Midlands
5.
CARL GRIFFITHS. The Evening Telegraph was present on transfer deadline day in 1995 when Posh chairman Chris Turner told Posh manager Mick Halsall that a club record £225k for Portsmouth striker Griffiths was too much. The deal still went ahead, but Turner was soon proved right as usual. Griffiths was a Welsh under 21 international who scored 27 goals in one season for Shrewsbury which earned him a £500k move to Manchester City before a switch to Pompey. Griffiths, a fox-in-the-box, scored after just two minutes of his Posh debut against Walsall, but scored just one other Football League goal before moving on. Posh did recoup £50k of his free from Leyton Orient and after a spell in East London he joined Luton Town. Photo: Midlands
6.
HOWARD FORINTON. Posh captain Steve Castle was so impressed after watching Forinton play for Birmingham City Reserves he went to see owner Peter Boizot to implore him to sign the striker. The £250k Posh splashed out in 1999 made Forinton the costliest striker in the club’s history and initially it looked money well spent. Forinton scored seven goals in his first 10 appearances, including a spectacular volley in a 2-1 win at local rivals Lincoln City. But form and fitness deserted him and when Posh won promotion from the old Third Division with a play-off final win over Darlington later that season Forinton was nowhere to be seen. Torquay gave him another Football League chance, but he was soon bouncing around numerous non-league clubs.
7.
MARK WRIGHT. Here was a top-class defender for Southampton, Liverpool and England with a wealth of experience and knowledge to fall back on. He was the man Barry Fry chose to replace himself as Posh manager in 2005. He’d been sacked by Oxford four years earlier after allegations of inappropriate remarks towards a linesman, but he’d rehabilitated himself at Chester who he steered back into the Football League. Wright spoke a lot of sense and his work was decent with a limited set of players, but he was accused of making more inappropriate comments during a training session and Posh sacked him for gross misconduct. “The whole thing was a farce,” Wright grumbled, but he didn’t even turn up to his own disciplinary hearing. It was a horrible fall from grace.
8.
DANNY ROSE. There was great excitement when a Spurs player who had made his England Under 21 debut the previous June arrived on loan to help Posh get to grips with Championship football in 2009. Darren Ferguson’s close friendship with Rose’s agent helped facilitate the deal, but it turned out to be a rank disappointment. Rose was deployed at left-back and in central midfield, but rarely looked interested in helping out his temporary employers. Rose left when Ferguson was sacked after a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle and made his first-team debut for Spurs later that season. He’s now won 29 England caps.