However, Neville Woodd’s first reaction to being called this was “I’m sure I’m not a legend”. The typical response from a humble player who played an important part in a golden era for Gosport.

Woodd’s first exposure to the professional game came when he would stand in the floodlit stadium of Fratton Park, a memory which would begin his love for Portsmouth, despite the disappointment of his grandfather who was a Southampton supporter.

His support for Pompey hasn’t wavered since a kid, going to games now with his grandson and son-in-law and being a season ticket holder for nearly 20 years.

“My grandfather was a Southampton supporter, which was quite interesting. But I used to go there sometimes because he was a season ticket holder, he would take me up there when his friends couldn’t make it,” said Woodd.

“Portsmouth though were my ‘first’ team. I went to see them as a seven-year-old in a floodlight game and from that moment on I’ve supported them.”

Woodd had always remembered playing football at school with his time spent at Stone Lane infant school in Gosport kicking a football about. He was involved in the school’s football team, first appearing at the age of 10 and being ever-present until he left Privett secondary school.

“My first memory was kicking a football about Stone Lane infant school in Gosport. I played at school from under 11s and then upwards. I always preferred playing rather than watching, it’s only since retiring that I’ve spent more time watching.”

Whilst at Privett school, Woodd was surrounded by school peers who would one day be future teammates with the likes of Graham Wake and Steve Boswell also going on to play for the Boro’.

“I think it helped us that we already had that understanding, but we also had some great local players such as Tony Mahoney, Tony Milne and Mark Foster, so there were some really good footballers from Gosport at the time.”

It wasn’t just students at Privett school that had a connection to Gosport Borough, but another Boro’ legend Peter Mullice at that time was Woodd’s PE teacher, with Privett school being his first teaching post.

“It was Peter's [Mullice] first job after teacher training and he was our football coach straight away. It was strange that we all ended up playing for the same side.”

Woodd’s first opportunity to get into football came at 14/15-years-old when his Sunday league side, Wessex and former Fareham manager Jim Warren sent him to Reading for trials and getting the chance to train with the first team.

“I used to play for a Sunday league side called Wessex and Jim Warren, the former Fareham manager, was in charge. He was keen on bringing players on, so he took a few of us to Reading for trials and I ended up playing for schoolboys at Reading, trained there in the holidays. Due to being a small club we got the chance to train with the first team.”

Despite not getting in, he had shown enough talent to be spotted by the then Gosport Borough coach, Arthur Winzar who encouraged Woodd to come along to training.

“It was after pre-season training; I knew Arthur Winzar who was one of the coaches at the Boro’. He said to me ‘why don’t you come along to training?’ and that was where my journey with Gosport started.”

It was whilst playing for Gosport reserves that Woodd reunited with his old teacher Mullice. Woodd even had the embarrassment before one reserve match of turning to Mullice in the dressing room and calling him “sir”, which unsurprisingly his teammates happily reminded him throughout the season.

“The dressing room roared in laughter. I have tried to forget about it, but I got a good ribbing for it and so did Peter [Mullice] I think.”

“But the older players did always make me feel comfortable when I was in the reserves. All my time at Boro' the atmosphere and friendship were outstanding.”

However, despite two seasons at Gosport reserves, Woodd decided to return to Saturday and Sunday League football, playing for three teams (John Peel, Three Tuns and Wanderers) over the next two years.

His discovery as a young man of ‘life outside of football’ meant that football became less of a priority in his life. In addition, the lack of confidence and self-doubt to think that he could go on to play for the first team meant that he returned to grass-roots football.

“Some of my good friends were also playing local league, so I thought I’d go back there and take the pressure off. I never thought that I would go back to Gosport. Now looking back, I regret leaving Gosport in the first place.”

Despite having the regret of leaving the Boro’, it ended up all working out for Woodd being at the right place at the right time to be invited back down to Gosport Borough to train with the team.

In 1974, Woodd, who was playing in a field outside of Privett Park, was asked over the fence by the then reserves team manager and future first team manager, Tony Brickwood whether he would like to come and train with the team again.

“When Tony [Brickwood] asked I did think that I had missed my chance. I never thought that I was better than Sunday League level”, that classic trait of modesty from Woodd.

“But I had missed that enclosure and had so enjoyed my two years at Boro’. It’s something I thought about but might not have pursued it if Tony [Brickwood] hadn’t asked me.”

Though Woodd might have had self-doubt, Brian Mesher clearly could see his talent and promoted him up to the first team. A different character to Brickwood, Mesher was known to be an explosive character at times with stuff being occasionally thrown across the dressing, a stark contrast to the calmness of Brickwood.

“Brian Mesher was a good manager, but he could be quite volatile and did have a temper. I remember at half-time, when we weren’t playing well, he would be throwing teacups around the dressing room.”

Though Woodd wasn’t under the management of Mesher for long, Brickwood, along with Peter Edgar, was promoted to first team manager. It was a match-made in heaven though with the two helping Gosport win their first league for nearly 31 seasons in 1977.

Despite the long wait for Privett Park to enjoy league success, Woodd felt the pressure of generations of fans expectation, with even some fans being ex-players.

Much like the proverbial No 8 bus, Woodd and his teammates were able to retain their Hampshire league title. Fans had to wait 31 seasons to see Gosport win one title, but the club went on to get two league titles within two seasons. The squad was further strengthened with the addition of players like John Hawes and Trevor Williams.

The league success meant that the team would become minor celebrities in Gosport, with random strangers coming up to the team in the middle of the street wanting to talk about football to him.

“We never really thought about it to be honest. I think at the end of the season there was an expectation that we would do it again.

“I think there was pressure on us in the first one, but people when we went on a good run in the next season, fans were half expecting the second title win. We had already won division one title, so I’m not sure there was that much pressure.

“I remember seeing the Gosport Mayor at a celebration reception at the town hall and the press were there after the first league title. We all became these minor local celebrities. It was very surreal at the time.

“It was exciting there was a buzz around the club and the town, people would want to talk about it, even people you didn’t necessarily know. They want to know details, and what you thought of the dressing room and the manager.”

The Hampshire league success meant that Gosport Borough was elected to the Southern League in 1978. Boro were now playing against the giants of Non-league football and winning, with Gosport earning victories over significantly better sides.

“There was excitement about going into the Southern League and stepping up. We would be playing against players that were ex-pros. The standard was a lot higher and a lot tougher, the travel was more difficult, but we settled in quite well. I think it comes back to the nucleus of that team and the comradeship; the team had played together for about three seasons.”

“We worked well though, there were no prima donna’s in the squad and we obviously had some very talented players like Richie Coulbert, Gary Juryeff and Tony Mahoney. We weren’t amazingly skillful but worked hard as a team, so coming third in our first Southern league season was a massive achievement.”

However, despite the upward trajectory of Gosport Borough, Woodd decided to leave. The traveling required in the Southern League was too much for Woodd in the end.

“The travelling by coach I really didn’t want to do for another season, so I stepped down to the reserves after Pete [Mullice] asked me to join them.”

“I played for the reserves for a year and would have kept playing on with them, but Gosport scrapped the reserves I believe due to money issues. I wasn’t frustrated, it was just one of those things, but I enjoyed playing and was grateful for the opportunity.”

The same old response by Woodd almost believing his career was just about being in the right place at the right time, but he had the skill and determination in order to become a Gosport Borough legend, even though he will try to deny it.