It is a week since we lost Alan Knight, and it still doesn't seem real or possible.

The tributes to The Legend, following his death last week at the age of 65, have been widespread and fulsome - of course they have.

Below is my piece from Saturday's Pompey-Cardiff City matchday programme, which contained numerous tributes to Alan and is still available to buy at the club shop or via the Pompey website.

And I am pleased to say that the Knightsie profile the below piece refers to - which was in the book published in 2023 telling the story of Portsmouth Football Club to mark the club's 125th anniversaey - will be featured in The News on Wednesday and Thursday (Sep 9 and 10), with some great photos of Alan in action.

From Saturday's programme...

March 25, 2023. Pompey v Port Vale, League One. I left home much earlier than I usually would for a Saturday afternoon game, and considerably more excited than normal. And even a little nervous.

It wasn't the prospect of us taking on the Valiants that sparked my early departure, nor my heightened sense of anticipation. It was because I had an important pre-match assignment. A sit-down interview with one Alan Knight.

The Legend had agreed to give me an hour of his time in the depths of Fratton Park for a profile of his Pompey service I'd been asked to write for the new book on the story of the club marking its 125th anniversary.

It was one of the most enjoyable interviews I've done in more than 30 years as a reporter and writer. When I retire and look back, it may well be my No1 assignment. Appropriate, really, as Pompey's No1 was its subject.

We chatted for well over an hour. Alan must have had matchday duties calling him but he didn't try to cut the interview short, nor rush any answers.

I asked him about every step of his Fratton career as a player, coach and ambassador. We talked about how Pompey snapped him up and – at various times – fended off interest from other, bigger clubs. We talked about the managers and team-mates he'd seen come and go, about the highlights and low points, his personal life, about other non-Pompey chapters in his life.

It meant so much to me to be able to do the interview and celebrate Alan's immeasurable contribution to PFC in the book, not least because he'd been part of my Pompey-supporting life since day one. My first proper game as a fan – home to Lincoln, August 1981 – was Alan's first true taste of being first choice stopper.

And there he stayed. Alan was our keeper for almost all my first 20 years as a Blues fan. Other keepers came along but he always got back in the team after spells on the sidelines.

We talked on that day in 2023 about promotions, relegation (only one), the FA Cup semi-final games of 1992, the play-off anguish of 1993, the injuries and everything in between.

I ended by asking him about the present – and future – in terms of his links with the club. "I'm happy doing what I'm doing," he replied. "I try to go a bit under the radar. The club may feel they want someone younger, brighter and prettier than me, but I'd always want to be involved in this club, in whatever role that may be. Maybe I'll end up sweeping the terraces again!"

That, to me, said so much about The Legend. There were never delusions of grandeur, never an assumption that he was important or would remain popular.

When I asked him to check over my finished article, he wasn't sure he should be talking about going under the radar. We joked that he couldn't go under the radar at Pompey if he wanted to.

My section of the history book, when it came out, was probably the proudest moment of all my days as a scribe, and the four pages devoted to Alan the greatest source of pride of all. To my relief The Legend loved it, even describing the book as 'a fantastic bit of work'.

As for Alan's wish that he'd 'always want to be involved in this club' I don't think he needed to worry.

He is no longer here in body but he certainly is in spirit. Alan, you always will be part of this club. Always.

Photo from The News archive