IF Peter Crouch wants reassurance that it IS possible to win over the Saints fans, he need look no further than Barry Horne.

The Welsh midfielder was the last player to tread the path that Aston Villa's Crouch is considering after playing for Pompey before Saints.

And he admits he received hate mail from some Pompey fans, but conclusively proved that performances on the pitch are the ultimate criteria for any football fan.

Saints are after another 'big' striker to provide cover for James Beattie, but there is concern at how Crouch - Portsmouth's Player of the Season for 2001/2 - would be received by supporters.

Horne was Pompey Player of the Season for 1987/8 and even against Saints at The Dell just 14 months before crossing the divide in 1989.

He was signed by Chris Nicholl for £700,000 and said: "The Pompey fans didn't thank me for going to Saints and Saints fans didn't like me for coming from Pompey!

"I was Southampton's record fee for a long time. Alan McLoughlin broke it but his £1m move was paid in instalments so for a while I was their most expensive player and had signed from Portsmouth!

"That was bad enough, without having scored against them the previous season.

"I soon knew I wasn't that popular. I remember the PA announcer introducing me to the crowd as the club's record signing before my debut and it was met with total indifference.

"So I had to work against that, but I like to think I won the fans round."

After 75 appearances and seven goals for Pompey, Horne made 112 appearances in his three years at Saints and scored six goals, the most memorable being a stunning shot against Bolton in the FA Cup.

"A lot of big clubs had been watching me at Portsmouth but Chris Nicholl saw me over a period of months and came up with the money," Horne, pictured, added.

"I got hate mail from Pompey fans but I honestly didn't give it a second thought, it went straight in the bin.

"I had some fantastic years at Southampton and Chris Nicholl was great for me, a good coach and a good manager.

"But I knew my days were numbered as soon as Ian Branfoot walked through the door as his replacement."

Horne was Goodison Park-bound, costing Everton £675,000. He then played for Birmingham, Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday.

He scored Kidderminster's first goal in the Football League but the final chapter on a career that included 59 caps for Wales ended just over two years ago.