Avram Grant was named Portsmouth boss on this day in 2009, marking his return to management for the first time since Chelsea’s Champions League final defeat to Manchester United.
Pompey decided to wield the axe on former youth-team coach Paul Hart, with the side rooted to the bottom of the Premier League having managed a meagre seven points from 13 matches.
Grant was swiftly made favourite to replace him, having only returned to Fratton Park for a second spell as director of football the previous month.
It was a far cry from his last managerial role and his reign started with a 4-1 home defeat to Manchester United, who he had lost to 18 months earlier when a John Terry slip saw the European crown fall out of their grasp.
Grant’s Premier League campaign did not improve much after that during a topsy-turvy time in the dugout.
Portsmouth were hit with a points deduction for going into administration and finished bottom of the Premier League, where they have yet to return a decade on.
Grant did, though, manage to lead Portsmouth to the 2010 FA Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to his former club Chelsea.
The Israeli resigned from the debt-ridden club soon after and took over at West Ham.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here