20 Years; 20 Players: No.20 Paul Mortimer
We made it. 20 Players that I chose to accompany me on my journey to celebrate my 20 years of Blogging. We are finally there.
Remember, no particular order or ranking but the man occupying the last spot of no. 20 is Paul Mortimer.
Morts was signed from Farnborough Town by Lennie Lawrence in 1987 but he was such an unknown that the official programme called him Paul Mortimore for the first few games.
I think he was signed as a left-sided defender, but Lennie saw more potential in him playing further forward and Morts blossomed into a wonderful attacking left sided player who could dance inside or out and had such great balance.
Can you imagine a Premier League club signing a player from the Conference and going straight into the first team nowadays? Was Dalglish’s Liverpool team that won the title that season with Grobbelaar, Hansen, Lawrenson, Whelan, Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge any worse than today’s champions elect?
Morts was simply unable to score a straightforward goal, Norwich away in 1988 and Man City in 1990 come to mind, and he was a regular until we were relegated in 1990. He then made a big move to Aston Villa, which sadly didn’t work out for him.
In the summer of 1995 Morts re-signed for the club alongside David Whyte, who we’d had on loan the season before. Paul struggled with hamstring injuries but there were more sparkling performances and wonder goals over four seasons including the play-off one and the first season in the Premiership.
Who can forget him lording it in the snow at The Den and his barnstormer at home to Bradford in our promotion season as Curbs’ team started to have a real swagger about them with Morts an invaluable dressing room character.
Morts managed the Charlton’s women’s team and is still a regular Valley visitor and media pundit as well as a self-development coach and motivational speaker.
Appearances 225. 32 goals (1987 – 1991 and 1994 – 1999)
I remember the Bradford game well, they came to take all three points, but their attacks exposed them and they lost 4-2 as I recall. Still have a video somewhere.
The Bradford game was a rare live Sky showing. If I remember correctly, Bradford were top at that point in the season and had the Brazilian Edhino in their team. Plus Eddie Youds, who Curbs bought the next summer.
I had to do a bit of digging online, but I’m sure that the first time I saw Paul Mortimer was a home game at Selhurst Park, vs Norwich on a Friday night in November 1987. We won 2-0, but I can still remember the excitement that I felt, as a ten year old, of seeing this talent that we had discovered. I’m pretty sure that within the first twenty minutes alone, Morts had gone on a few of those mazy runs, and then tried to chip Bob Bolder, with an audacious back pass! He had so much natural talent, it was a shame that he had such bad luck with the injuries. I was delighted when he returned, and he did indeed show a few flashes of the brilliance that we all knew that he was capable of…
I think that was his debut.
that goal against Chelsea at selhurst. Our last trip there thank God as we moved abroad for 4 years. What a last game to see – I nearly didn’t go! Loved him. Can you print the whole list please so I can compare. X
I will do. Coming up soon.
According to a rumour that did the rounds at the time Morts was working in a bookshop while playing non-league football at Farnborough. How true that is I don’t know…
Morts was also part of the team that won the Guinness Soccer Six in Manchester, IIRC he scored in the final against Forest?
I think we only entered the tournament because we’d been playing up there that weekend and stayed on.
We signed Mickey Bennett at around the same time as Morts, he was a great talent but sadly did an ACL (the match after the Soccer Six win). Lennie liked taking punts on players and both Mickey Bennett and Morts were inspired choices. I know this post is about Morts but I always associate him with Mickey Bennett.
Yes, another fan of Mickey Bennett here.
And of course Morts scored the first goal against Notts Forest in the final of the Guinness Soccer Six tournament.
I can’t believer everyone has forgotten this…one of the few bits of silverware we’ve won.
The rumour was that he was working in a bookshop while playing non-league for Farnborough when we signed him. Has that ever been confirmed/denied?
Think that was true SA. And how can we forget that glorious night at the Guinness Sixes.