'If the first date doesn't go well' - The inside story of how Portsmouth pinched Blackpool target

The 28-year-old was with Accrington Stanley at the time, and had caught the eye after scoring 31 times in 109 League One outings for the Lancashire outfit.

It’s said that Bishop was in the changing rooms at Bloomfield Road awaiting a medical, before things fell through with the Seasiders.

The forward ultimately ended up at Fratton Park, where he took his tally in the third tier up to 72 goals after finding the back of the net on 41 occasions in his first two seasons with the Hampshire club.

His contribution last year helped Pompey on their way to promotion to the Championship, as they lifted the League One title under John Mousinho.

After missing the start of the current campaign due to a heart issue, Bishop returned to action back in November, and has scored five times in his 20 outings since.

The Portsmouth perspective of the ex-Notts County youngster’s move to the South East has recently been retold by Simon Bassey - who was Danny Cowley’s assistant coach at the time.

“It was a weird one - the maddest I have come across in my time in the game,” he told The News.

“Blackpool had Colby there, but no-one was there to welcome him, then they left him sitting in a room for 20 minutes. They weren’t happy with something on the medical to do with his back, they were messing him around a bit.

“Danny’s best friend is a back specialist, so could we now get the deal done? There were no trains from there, so we flew Colby and his big suitcase down to Heathrow. But we could only get a flight landing at 10am the next morning.

“It was my day off, but I volunteered. Let’s get someone from the first-team staff to pick him up, get that personal touch, get to know them and make them feel welcome.

“Blackpool hadn’t given him any love when they should have been trying to impress him. If the first date doesn't go well, you don’t normally go on a second.

“However, it was murder on the M25 trying to get to Heathrow, I had to cut through the back roads. Then, by the airport, I found the road shut, so I cut across a curb to get around - all while on the phone to Colby, who I had never met and he’s saying ‘Where are you?’

“Next we headed to Harley Street, where two medicals were booked, but first I took him for lunch at Itsu, round the corner. I reckon he ate it in two gulps, I turned around and it had gone. He had four plates of sushi. He knew I was paying.

“The clinic was just off Harley Street and Nottingham Forest were also there that day signing Jesse Lingard, so they had paparazzi following him and his girlfriend. It was a bit busy.

“Anyhow, after meeting two people in Harley Street and having X-rays, we had to meet Andrew Cullen in Marylebone high street, before the three of us drove to Brentwood, Essex, which is probably about two-and-a-half hours, to see Danny’s friend.

“Colby was examined and we were told he saw no problem with his back, although we were advised not to run him long distances, he’s no marathon runner.

“Then we pulled up at a petrol station. It’s 10.30pm and there’s a Mexican stand-off. Colby’s over one side of the forecourt on the phone to his agent, Andrew is on the phone on the other side of the forecourt trying to get his bits done. Then it was agreed.

“We drove back to Portsmouth, via the longest motorway diversion ever, and arrived at the Village Hotel after 1am to drop Colby off. It was an horrendous drive.

“I still had to get home to Wimbledon, though. I got in at 3.30am, had two hours sleep, and then got up to return to training the next morning. It was a hell of a mission - but we had a centre-forward, which was the most important thing.”

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