Patient #1: Rory Allen
Case History: They really don't come much worse than this poor young chap. Signed as the club's first ever £1m player, a lot was expected from Rory. Unfortunately, a succession of injuries (thighs, ruptured cruciates, arms) - usually just as he was about to make another comeback - led to his early retirement. Not content with just walking off into the sunset, Mr Allen had to bizarrely go missing from the training ground and turn up in Australia watching the England cricket team.
Patient #2: Lee Bradbury
Case History: During two spells at Pompey, he established himself as player who was high on effort, although perhaps slightly low on quality. His 110% commitment won him many admirers; unfortunately one of them wasn't the Millwall defender who tried to snap Lee in half at The Den, causing him to rupture his cruciate. If you look hard enough on the internet, you can still find the picture where the tackle flies in at knee height and his leg is buckling the wrong way; of course, the referee was right to not even award a free kick. By the time Lee came back, there were plenty more strikers at the club and now he plays for Oxford.
Patient #3: Mark Burchill
Case History: The story of Burch is a tragic yet well known tale. A blistering start at the club, and it seemed as though his partnership with Crouch would be one of the best since Walsh and Whittingham. Unfortunately he decided to trip over Robert Prosinecki's heels, ruptured his cruciate, and never got a proper look in again. Now he spends his days out on loan at glorious outposts such as Rotherham and Wigan, safe in the knowledge he'll probably never play for us again.
Patient #4: Ricardo Fuller
Case History: Although he has (touch wood) yet to suffer an injury at Pompey, his move to Fratton was originally called off over doubts on the fitness of his knee. This stemmed from his days at Preston, where he ruptured his cruciate. After a check-over by the best physios in the land, the move went through - although it's an appearance related fee, just in case he should break down again.
Patient #5: Lee Mills
Case History: Yet another £1m+ player, and yet another flop. Not content with being rubbish and, by his own admission, borderline alcoholic, he ruptured his cruciate away at Stockport. On his comeback, he broke his arm doing some stretches. Since his spell at Pompey, he's gone on to the heights of Coventry, Telford, and now Hereford. Interestingly enough he has now found his level of skill, and is a bit of a cult hero at his current home.
Patient #6: Svetoslav Todorov
Case History: Got off to a slow start at Pompey, but when he got going, he REALLY got going. Winning the First Division Golden Boot and scoring the goal that won promotion, everything looked rosey for Toddy. He could finally prove wrong the doubters who had labelled him "not good enough" during his time at West Ham. Except, mere days before the start of the Premiership campaign, he ruptured his cruciate ligament. Despite battling back and making an appearance away at Anfield, it was all in vain as another knee injury has left him out until 2005 at the earliest.
Patient #7: Vincent Pericard
Case History: Finally, we come to poor Pericard. After spending almost a year out of the game with a thigh injury, it looked as though he'd finally turned the corner. Starting reserve games, playing well, scoring a good goal against Southampton - but then it all went wrong. A clash left him being stretched off and going for a scan on his knee - and sure enough, he's ruptured his cruciate ligament.
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