Pompey legend to feature in BookFest

The duo are taking part in the Portsmouth BookFest – a celebration of reading from across the area.

Our chief sports writer last year released Played Up Pompey, a book containing interviews with Blues favourites from across the generations.

A total of 24 former players were interviewed for the publication, among them Knight, whose 801 appearances is the second-highest in the club’s proud history.

And the pair will be at Carnegie Library, Fratton Road, on Sunday, February 21, to provide a talk on the book and those characters featured within it.

The Portsmouth Bookfest originated in 2010.

This year’s event has been running since Sunday and will finish on March 5.

Jointly organised by Portsmouth City Library Service and The Hayling Island Bookshop, a full programme of events includes author talks, poetry readings and activities for adults as well as children.

Knight served Pompey in four decades and lined-up alongside some of the club’s most popular players during that period.

Now Pompey’s ambassador and a co-commentator on Express FM’s match-day coverage, he remains at the heartbeat of the club.

And the 54-year-old will be taking questions on his Fratton Park days from the audience at the event, with tickets priced at £5.

The likes of Alan Rogers, Alan Biley, Mick Kennedy, Andy Awford, Alan McLoughlin, Mark Hateley, Noel Blake and Guy Whittingham are all former team-mates of Knight contained in Played Up Pompey.

The book also has fresh interviews with Robert Prosinecki, Sylvain Distin, Matt Taylor, Hermann Hreidarsson, Ron Saunders, Arjan De Zeeuw, Norman Piper and Paul Merson.

In addition, the last living member of the 1948-49 First Division title-winning squad, 88-year-old Lindy Delapenha, is featured.

Tickets for the Pompey talk, which begins at 2pm on Sunday, are still on sale.

They can be purchased from portsmouthbookfest.co.uk or by calling 023 9268 8037.

Meanwhile, copies of Played Up Pompey will be sold on the day, priced at £16.99.

The book is also still available on Amazon and at Portsmouth Waterstones.