Portsmouth’s £750k transfer gamble landed them major windfall - Charlton Athletic memories are a stark contrast | OneFootball

Svetoslav Todorov gave Portsmouth and Charlton supporters rather contrasting memories

Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic are two sides recently best-associated for their lengthy spells in the Premier League throughout the 2000s.

However, both clubs have rarely, if at all, threatened to end their long spells away from the elite division of English football, as they look to consolidate themselves back in the Championship after respective promotions from League One in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

Turning the clock back to the summer of 2022, and Pompey hadn't featured in the top flight since the 1987/88 campaign, and had spent the previous 10 seasons in the second tier, only finishing on the periphery of the play-offs back in 1996/97.

However, following the appointment of Harry Redknapp, who took over from Graham Rix in the dugout in March 2002 after a brief spell as director of football, the South Coast side very much harboured ambitions of reaching the Premier League for the first time since its inception a decade previous.

Redknapp had an extremely strong blend of experienced figures and youthful flair at his disposal at Fratton Park during his first full season in charge, with notable names such as Paul Merson, Tim Sherwood, Shaka Hislop, Matt Taylor and Nigel Quashie among the ranks.

It would prove to be a bargain deal with Redknapp's previous club, West Ham United, that made the greatest possible difference as the Blues romped to the second tier title and stayed in the Premier League for the following seven years.

Yet, whilst Svetoslav Todorov very much remains a modern-day cult hero on the South Coast, Charlton Athletic supporters will seem rather bemused, as the Bulgarian endured an injury-hit spell at the Valley later in the decade.

It was Redknapp who brought the centre-forward to England during a spell at Upton Park between January 2001 and the spring of 2002.

Todorov made eight appearances following his initial move from Litex Lovech, scoring twice against Middlesbrough and Tottenham Hotspur, yet found his immediate future with the Hammers in jeopardy when his current and future boss was dismissed and replaced by Glenn Roeder in the summer of 2001.

Remarkably, after featuring just six times in the Premier League the following season whilst scoring no goals, Todorov was sold on for a profit, joining Portsmouth for £750,000 in March 2002 after Redknapp became the man in the hotseat.

"He is a very intelligent footballer and will bring good competition in the striking department," the Pompey boss said at the time.

After scoring his first goal for the club against Burnley in March 2002, those words would certainly ring true in the 42-time international's firsy full season with the Blues.

It took four games for Todorov to get off and running in 2002/03, but once he found the net in a 1-1 draw with Watford, he never looked back.

The Dobrich-born man went on to score a hatful of braces which boosted his tally right up to the 23-goal mark as Pompey coasted to promotion, and Todorov would eventually claim the division's Golden Boot after scoring a hat-trick on the final day of the season in a 5-0 rout at Bradford City.

Charlton Athletic fans have contrasting Svetoslav Todorov memories

In total, the striker went on to make 82 appearances for Pompey as he failed to hit similar heights in the Premier League, ending his time at Fratton Park with a total of 33 goals due to well-documented injury issues.

However, Todorov was given a chance to help mount another promotion bid in the summer of 2007, having joined newly-relegated Charlton on a free transfer under the management of Alan Pardew.

The frontman started the campaign in fine fashion, following up an assist in a 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday with goals against Crystal Palace and Colchester United, before disaster struck once again on the injury front.

Despite suffering a knee injury in October 2007 and watching the rest of the campaign play out from the sidelines, Todorov signed a contract extension at the end of the season. Although the less said about that, the better from his perspective.

After eventually returning to full fitness, he scored just once in his final 13 competitive appearances for the Addicks, who were relegated to League One after finishing rock-bottom, with supporters left to forget his spell at the Valley almost within an instant.