FA Cup crown started Pompey's downfall - James

09 April 2010 17:18

David James believes winning the 2008 FA Cup final was the beginning of the end for Portsmouth's golden era - but would love to do it all over again at Wembley this year.

Since Harry Redknapp led Pompey to glory with victory against Cardiff at the national stadium, it has been a rollercoaster ride through numerous managers and owners at Fratton Park - from a European clash with Italian giants AC Milan to financial meltdown which eventually led to administration, a nine-point deduction from the Premier League and is all set to end in relegation.

"It has had a terrible effect on the club over arguably the last 18 months," James said. "Qualifying for Europe was financially and physically damaging for the club."

The England keeper continued: "What we spent two years building up as a decent resilient side was pretty much undone in a couple of months.

"To offer people the opportunity of big bonuses to qualify for Europe seems like a pretty safe bet, simply because you do not anticipate a club like Portsmouth winning the cup and our league form in the first season I was here, as much as it was progressive, would not have led us to believe we were going to finish in the top seven.

"Had we not won the FA Cup, bizarrely it would probably have done us a lot better, because we would not have qualified for Europe and would have been able to build on two decent years of progression.

"Having won the cup, the financial impact was crippling and then as a squad we just were not kitted out to be able to sustain the European, as well as league and cup campaigns which followed. We ended up suffering on both fronts."

James, though, maintained: "Winning the FA Cup on its own was a tremendous achievement.

"This year we have got a semi-final against decent opposition, and if we can give ourselves a chance of winning the cup again, that would not be for the lure of getting into Europe - it would be winning another trophy for Portsmouth."

Source: PA