Founded on 5 April 1898, Portsmouth began theirearly history in theSouthern andWestern leagues, before being elected into theEnglish Football League and newly formedThird Division in 1920. Portsmouth won two promotions in 1924 and 1927 to reach theFirst Division, becoming the first football club south of London to do so. After finishing runners-up in twoFA Cup finals in1929 and1934, Portsmouth won for the first time in1939. Normal professional football in England was suspended in September 1939 because of the outbreak ofWorld War II, meaning Portsmouth retained theFA Cup trophy for seven consecutive years (the record[2]) until the1946 FA Cup final.
After World War II, Portsmouth becameLeague Champions of England in two successive 1948–49 and 1949–50 First Division seasons. However, Portsmouth's 32 consecutive years in the First Division ended with relegation to the Second Division in 1959 and was followed by another relegation to the Third Division in 1961. In 1978, Portsmouth were relegated to the Fourth Division (formed in 1958) for the first time before earning three promotions in 1980, 1983 and 1987. After one brief season in the 1987-88 First Division, Portsmouth would remain in the second tier between 1988 until 2003.
Portsmouth became champions of the2002–03 Football League First Division (restructured as the second tier in 1992) and were promoted to thePremier League. Portsmouth won the FA Cup for a second time in the2008 FA Cup final. Portsmouth's seven-year stay in the Premier League ended in 2009–10 with relegation, signalling the beginning of a difficult period where the club entered financial administration twice and were relegated three times. After the club was purchased by thePompey Supporters Trust in 2013, Pompey would begin to recover financially and won theLeague Two title in 2016–17 and theLeague One title in 2023–24.
Portsmouth are one of only five English football clubs to have been champions ofall four tiers of the professional English football pyramid. Portsmouth's arch-rivals areSouthampton, a rivalry based in part on geographic proximity and both cities' respective maritime histories. Portsmouth are also the only professional football club in England which is not located on mainlandGreat Britain, as the city of Portsmouth and theirFratton Park home football ground are located onPortsea Island.
12 High Street, Old PortsmouthABlue Plaque on the wall of 12 High Street, Old Portsmouth (Alderman John E. Pink's solicitors' office building) commemorates the founding on 5 April 1898.
Portsmouth F.C. were formed on 5 April 1898, at 12 High Street,Old Portsmouth, as"The Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company", with John Brickwood as chairman. Although the founding of Portsmouth F.C. had been agreed on 5 April 1898, a football ground or a team of players did not exist until 1899.
In 1899, work began on developing a plot of former agricultural land near Goldsmith Avenue,Milton, Portsmouth into a new football ground, bought in 1898 from the local Goldsmith farming family. The new football ground was to be namedFratton Park after the nearby and convenientFratton railway station.Frank Brettell was announced as Portsmouth Football Club's first manager-secretary in February 1899.[3][4] A bold and ambitious application for Portsmouth's direct entry into the Southern League First Division, without the usual probationary period in the lower divisions, was accepted,[5] and the club joined theSouthern Football League Division One for the 1899–1900 season.
In the1906–07 Western Football League, the top Division One was split into equal 'A' and 'B' sections, with a play-off between the two section winners to decide a Division One champion. In their lastWestern Football League appearance, Portsmouth finished in fourth position of the 'B' section of Division One. At the end of the season, all fourteen members of the split 'A' and 'B' sections of Division One resigned from the Western Football League. Portsmouth ended their season in sixth place before thefollowing season saw the team relegated. A severe financial crisis struck between seasons and a public appeal for funds in May 1911 kept the club afloat.[7]
The team finished second place in the1911–12 Southern Football League Division Two and were promoted as runners-up. However, the club's finances were in trouble again, with losses and debts increasing to £10,000.[7] A shareholders meeting was called on 8 May 1912, whereGeorge Lewin Oliver, one of the original founders and directors, proposed that "The Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company" should be wound up and replaced with a more business orientated company. The original company was then liquidated to remove the debt and on 27 July 1912, the "Portsmouth Football Company Ltd" was formed as the new parent company of Portsmouth F.C., with substantial financial guarantees given by the board of directors. The original 1898 founding director George Lewin Oliver became the new Portsmouth F.C. chairman.[8]
Football was suspended during the First World War. Following the resumption of matches in the1919–20 season, Portsmouth won the Southern League championship for the second time. Portsmouth were then elected to the Football League Third Division as founder members.
Chart of table positions for Portsmouth since joining the Football League.
1920–1939: Establishment in Football League, FA Cup triumph
Competing in theFootball League Third Division, Portsmouth claimed the title in the1923–24 season. Debuting in the Second Division for thefirst time, they finished in fourth place. Portsmouth won promotion to theFirst Division by finishing runners-up in the1926–27 season and in the process, recording their club record win in a 9–1 victory overNotts County. Portsmouth's debut season in the1927–28 First Division was a struggle, finishing one point and one place above relegation. Despite their difficulties in the top flight, Portsmouth reached theFA Cup final for the first time, which they lost toBolton Wanderers in 1929.[9]
From 1929 to 1934, Portsmouth had become a regular top-half table finisher in the First Division. The1933–34 season saw Portsmouth again reach the FA Cup final for a second time but lost toManchester City. Having established themselves in the top flight, the1938–39 season saw Portsmouth reach theFA Cup final. This was indeed third time lucky, as Portsmouth managed to defeatWolverhampton Wanderers 4–1.[10] The start of World War II in 1939 resulted in the suspension of the FA Cup competition for the duration, so Portsmouth held the trophy until it resumed in 1945–46.
The new1939–40 season was cut short with the start of World War Two. However, football competitions did take place during the war, with the Football League being split into ten regional mini leagues, with Portsmouth in'League South' along with an annual national cup competition, theFootball League War Cup. In 1942, Portsmouth reached theLondon War Cup final.[11] Portsmouth progressed to the 1942 London War Cup final at Wembley Stadium, but were beaten byBrentford. During his wartime visits to Portsmouth,Field Marshal Montgomery became interested in Portsmouth Football Club and was made honorary President of Portsmouth F.C. in 1944 (until 1961).[12]
The Football League finally resumed in1946–47. Portsmouth won the First Division title in the1948–49 season. Bob Jackson's Portsmouth side beatAston Villa 5–1 on the last day of the following1949–50 season, winning the Football League title again for a second consecutive season – on goal average. In the following1950–51 season, Portsmouth finished in 7th position. After narrowly avoiding relegation in previous seasons, Portsmouth finished bottom of the First Division at the end of the1958–59 season, ending their 32-year stay in the First Division.
In the1960–61 season Portsmouth finished second-to-last place in the Second Division relegation zone and were relegated once again to the Third Division. Under the guidance ofGeorge Smith, Portsmouth were promoted back to the Second Division at the first time of asking, winning the Third Division title. Despite limited financial means, manager George Smith maintained Portsmouth's Second Division status throughout the rest of the 1960s. Portsmouth finished bottom of the Second Division in the1975–76 season and were relegated down to the Third Division. In November of the1976–77 Third Division season, the club found itself needing to raise£25,000 to pay off debts and so avoid bankruptcy.[citation needed] With players having to be sold to ease the club's financial situation, and no money available for replacements, Portsmouth were forced to rely on inexperienced young players and ended the1976–77 season only one place and one point above the Third Division's relegation zone but were relegated at the end of the new 1977–78 season, finishing in bottom place.
Under Frank Burrows' new management, Portsmouth gained promotion back to the Third Division after finishing in 4th place in the1979–80 season. Portsmouth would take three seasons before in 1983, Portsmouth claimed theirThird Division championship title, gaining promotion back into the Second Division. In the1986–87 Second Division season, Portsmouth finished as runners-up behind Derby County, gaining promotion back to the First Division for the first time since the 1958–59 season. By the middle of the new1987–88 First Division season, the club was again in financial trouble with the ground in a poor condition. Portsmouth were relegated straight back down to the Second Division. The summer of 1988 saw chairman John Deacon sell the club to London-based businessman and formerQueens Park Rangers chairman,Jim Gregory.
The club's parent company had a name change from 'Portsmouth Football Company Limited' to 'Portsmouth Football Club Limited' on 23 January 1989.[13] Portsmouth ended the season only two places above the relegation zone. The1992–93 Football League season saw a major restructuring of theEnglish football "pyramid" system, with the newFA Premier League becoming the new first tier and the First Division becoming the second tier. Therefore, Portsmouth played in the new "First Division" but missed out on automatic promotion by virtue of scoring only one fewer goal than second-placedWest Ham United. In the subsequent promotion play-offs, Portsmouth lost 3–2 on aggregate to Leicester City.
Terry Venables took over as chairman in February 1997 after buying a 51 per cent controlling share in the club for £1.[14] Venables sold his shareholding back to Martin Gregory in 1998. Alan Ball then returned as manager for the second time on 26 January 1998. Relegation to the third tier was avoided on the last day of the season – by 1 point. Portsmouth's centenary season,1998–99, saw a financial crisis hit the club, and in December 1998 Portsmouth went intofinancial administration.[15] Serbian-born US businessmanMilan Mandarić decided to buy Portsmouth in May 1999.[16] Alan Ball was sacked on 9 December 1999 during the1999–2000 season with the club near the bottom of the table.Tony Pulis steered the club to safety. Portsmouth escaped relegation on the last day of the 2000–01 season when they won their final game andHuddersfield Town lost theirs, keeping Portsmouth up at their expense.[17] A week before the new season began, 25-year-old Portsmouth goalkeeperAaron Flahavan was killed in a car crash on 5 August 2001 with the club retiring his number 1 shirt for the season. Harry Redknapp became manager in 2002. After a 17th-place finish, he led Pompey to the First Division title in2002–03, after an absence of fifteen seasons from the first tier.[18]
In Portsmouth's Premiership debut season in 2003–04, the partnership of Harry Redknapp and Jim Smith resulted in a 13th place final position at the end of the season. Almost halfway through the following 2004–05 season in the Premiership, Harry Redknapp unexpectedly walked out on Portsmouth in November 2004 after a row with chairman Milan Mandarić.[19]Velimir Zajec then replaced Redknapp as Portsmouth manager, but in April 2005, Zajec was replaced by FrenchmanAlain Perrin. Perrin managed to secure Portsmouth's Premiership status with a few games of the season left. During the 2005–06 season, Alain Perrin was sacked with Harry Redknapp then making a surprise return to manage Portsmouth again after leaving relegated Southampton. In January 2006, Portsmouth were sold by Milan Mandarić and bought by businessmanAlexandre Gaydamak. The club survived their third season in the Premier League one place above the relegation zone in 17th position. With large amounts of money available for Redknapp to make record signings, the club finished the2006–07 season in the top half of the table for the first time since their promotion, in ninth position.
Portsmouth won theFA Cup for the second time in 2008The scoreboard at the end of the2008 FA Cup final, in which Portsmouth beatCardiff City 1–0
The following2007–08 season, Portsmouth finished eighth in the Premier League and defeatedCardiff City in theFA Cup final 1–0. This marked the club’s first FA Cup final since 1939.
The FA Cup win had also earned Portsmouth a place in the2008–09 UEFA Cup, the club's first time playing European football. On 25 October 2008, Redknapp left Portsmouth for a second time, leaving his assistantTony Adams to be promoted to the managerial role. On 27 November 2008, Portsmouth drew 2–2 withAC Milan, going 2–0 up, but conceding two goals later in the game. Adams was dismissed in February 2009.[20] Youth team coachPaul Hart took over as manager until the end of the season, eventually finishing in 14th place. Because of the financial problems suffered by the club, Portsmouth were forced to sell several of their top players and high earners. Al Fahim completed the takeover on 26 August 2009. As the early stages of the2009–10 season progressed, the finances dried up and the club admitted on 1 October that some of their players and staff had not been paid. Owing to the financial difficulties, the Premier League placed the club under a transfer embargo.
Avram Grant took over at Portsmouth on 26 November 2009, following the dismissal of Hart.[21]HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) filed a winding-up petition against Portsmouth at theHigh Court of Justice on 23 December 2009.[22] In March 2010, this winding-up petition was dropped,[23] leaving Portsmouth with a nine-point penalty for entering administration.[24]
The club were later relegated but competed in the2010 FA Cup final losing to Chelsea.[25] Despite being FA Cup finalists, the club were denied a licence to play European football the following season in theUEFA Europa League.[26] On 17 August, Balram Chainrai completed his takeover of the club.
In October 2010, it was revealed just hours later that Portsmouth had finally come out of administration, with Balram Chainrai regaining control of the company.[27] On 1 June 2011, Convers Sports Initiatives (CSI) owned by RussianVladimir Antonov completed its takeover of the club, although an arrest warrant would later be issued for him in November 2011 following allegations ofasset stripping.[28][29] He shortly afterwards resigned as chairman of Portsmouth after parent company CSI entered administration.[30] On 17 February 2012, Portsmouth went into administration for the second time in two years, bringing them an automatic 10-point deduction.[31][32] They were relegated from the Championship in 2011–12, the first time in 30 years that the club had played in the third tier.
Following Pompey's relegation toLeague One, the entire professional playing squad left the club.[33] The team were given a 10-point deduction in December 2012 for their financial issues.[34] On 9 November 2012, Chanrai halted his attempt to buy the club.[35] Six days later, the Pompey Supporters Trust signed a conditional agreement with PFK to buy the club.[36] The club went on a record winless run of 23 matches during the season.[37] On 10 April 2013, a deal with administrators was reached,[38] although the Pompey Supporters' Trust had not yet finalised the purchase.[39] Portsmouth were relegated again at the end of the season, to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 33 years.[40] On 19 April 2013, Portsmouth exited administration when thePompey Supporters' Trust (PST) deal to buy the club was completed.[41]
The2013–14 season was also a turbulent one for Pompey with a high turnover of managers. With the club in serious danger of relegation tonon-League,Andy Awford was again made caretaker manager and guided the club away from the drop.[42][43] In a historic announcement on 29 September 2014, the club was able to declare itself debt-free after paying back all creditors and legacy payments to ex-players.[44] Following an unsuccessful2014–15 campaign,Paul Cook was appointed new manager of Portsmouth on 12 May 2015.[45] Following an unsuccessful play-off attempt in the previous season,[46] Paul Cook's side secured promotion to League One in2016–17 with a 3–1 win away atNotts County and were later confirmed as champions.[47][48] However, Paul Cook resigned on 31 May 2017 to joinWigan Athletic.[49]
In May 2017, the Pompey Supporters' Trust (PST) voted in favour of a proposed bid byThe Tornante Company, headed by former Disney chief executiveMichael Eisner, to take over the club which was completed on 3 August 2017.[50] Portsmouth finished their firstseason back in League One in 8th position.[6] In the following season, they won theEFL Trophy, defeatingSunderland on penalties in thefinal but lost to the same team in the play-offs.[51][52]
Portsmouth were due to return to Wembley to defend the EFL Trophy againstSalford City on 5 April 2020 in the final, however, theCOVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the season on 13 March.[53][54] After the league was suspended, apoints per game calculation meant that Pompey competed in the play-offs, albeit behind closed doors.[55] Nevertheless, they lost on penalties toOxford United.[56]
The delayed2020 EFL Trophy final was eventually played behind closed doors at Wembley Stadium in March 2021, with Portsmouth losing on penalties to Salford City.[57] After three seasons finishing just below the play-off positions, they won promotion in the2023–24 season as champions, ending their 12-year stay below the second tier.[6][58]
Although Portsmouth F.C. were formed in 1898, the club did not have a club badge until one was introduced for the 1913–14 season. The official Coat of Arms of theCity of Portsmouth contains an eight pointed gold star and crescent moon on a blue shield, Portsmouth's adoption of thestar and crescent is said to have come from whenKing Richard I (1157–1189), who granted the city "a crescent of gold on a shade of azure, with a blazing star of eight points" which he had taken from theByzantine Emperor's standard of GovernorIsaac Komnenos, after capturingCyprus.
The first 1913 Portsmouth F.C. badge was based on official symbols belonging to the town council of Portsmouth, which featured a golden eight-pointed star and a golden crescent moon. The club's first badge featured a horizontally elongated white crescent moon beneath a white five pointed star, with both symbols positioned in the centre of a blue four pointed shield. Portsmouth town council bestowed the privileged use (but not ownership) of their moon and star motifs to Portsmouth F.C., albeit with some colour and design changes.[59]
Throughout their history Portsmouth F.C. have tried different variations of the badge. After World War II, Portsmouth began using an eight-pointed star to match that used by the city of Portsmouth.[60] In the 1950s and 1960s, the traditional badge was emblazoned on the shirt in white rather than gold but this was due to white being a cheaper alternative to a more expensive gold coloured thread. Between 1980 and 1989, Portsmouth scrapped their traditional star and crescent badge and replaced it with an entirely new design. This badge showed a football in front of ananchor (representing theRoyal Navy) and asword (representing theBritish Army), with the whole design surrounded by an outer ring of ships rope. An alternative version included a circular version of the traditional star and crescent badge in place of the football.
During 1989 and 1993, the sword and anchor badge was dropped replaced with a simpler eight pointed star and crescent moon on a long narrow shield.[61] From 1993 until 1997, the 1989–93 long narrow shield design was replaced by an embroidered badge of the city of Portsmouth Coat of Arms.[61][62] The 1993–97 city arms badge was replaced in 1997, with an eight pointed gold star and a golden crescent moon on a blue shield edged with a gold outer rim. This new badge coincided with the centennial anniversary in the 1997–98 season.
On 6 May 2008, Portsmouth revealed a new badge with "three points" at the top of the shield were replaced with two straightened angles, with "Portsmouth F.C." written above the star on the shield.[63] The traditional elongated crescent moon was replaced with a new circular one, which closely resembled that on the city's Coat of Arms. The new badge had its debut in the 2008 FA Cup final, in which Portsmouth also wore a new 110th Anniversary all-blue commemorative home strip. As part of the World War I Centennial Commemorations in the 2014–15 season, the club opted to temporarily replace the badge with a more traditional badge. In June 2015, Portsmouth reverted the official club badge back to a traditional design.
On 4 May 2017, during a meeting between the Tornante Company the Supporters Trust, the prospective new owners identified a long overlooked ownership and copyright issue concerning the traditional Portsmouth badge – Portsmouth Football Club did not legally "own" the symbols on the badge, which had actually only been "on loan" to the club from Portsmouth City Council since 1913.[64][better source needed] On 15 March 2018, two newly redesigned club badges were finally revealed ahead of the 2018–19 season (one for players' shirts and the other for commercial purposes).[65]
In the 1899–1900 season, Portsmouth's first home colours were salmon pink shirts with maroon collars and cuffs, matched with white shorts and black socks. The pink shirts gave the early Portsmouth F.C. the alternative second nickname of 'The Shrimps'. The collars and cuffs were the same colour as the Corporation of Portsmouth's public trams, which were painted maroon at the time.[60] These colours lasted until the end of the 1908–09 season. At the start of the 1909–10 season, Portsmouth changed to white shirts with navy blue shorts and navy blue socks.
For the start of the 1912–13 Southern League Division One season, Portsmouth changed their home colours to azure blue shirts, white shorts and black socks. This was to become Portsmouth's home kit colour combination up until the start of the 1933–34 season, when the shirts were changed to a royal blue.[66] These colours remained until the start of the 1947–48 season, when the black socks were changed to red; this coinciding with the club's most successful period and has remained the favoured colours for the majority of the time since.[67] Portsmouth F.C. changed their colour combination several times during the 1966–1976 period, before reverting to the now tradition post-war blue shirts, white shorts and red stockings in 1976.[60] For the club's 110th anniversary season in 2008–09, Portsmouth played in an all blue home kit, which debuted in the previous season's successful 2008 FA Cup final win.[60] Since the 2009–10 season, Portsmouth reverted to the now traditional blue-white-red home kit.
Portsmouth had predominantly worn black socks since their first match in 1899. During the Second World War and post-war periods, the British Army'sField Marshal Sir Bernard 'Monty' Montgomery had been based atSouthwick House, 5 miles to the north of Portsmouth. Montgomery regularly attended Pompey matches at Fratton Park, becoming the honorary President of Portsmouth Football Club. Following the suggestion by Montgomery, red socks were introduced by the club as a memorial to soldiers lost in wartime as red is the traditional colour of the British Army and also the colour of theRemembrance poppy.[68][69] This also gave the Portsmouth team a patriotic blue, white and red appearance similar to the United Kingdom's red white and blueUnion Flag. The new red socks also coincided with Portsmouth's most successful period, so the red socks were retained for good luck.[citation needed]
For the2008 FA Cup final victory againstCardiff City, Portsmouth debuted an all blue home kit manufactured byCanterbury and sponsored byOki Printing Solutions to commemorate the club's 110th Anniversary year. The all blue home kit was also used throughout the following 2008–09 season.[60]
Portsmouth again reached theFA Cup final in 2010, but were defeated 1–0 byChelsea. Portsmouth, as the away team, wore a white and maroon kit inspired from elements of the original "Shrimps" era (1899–1909) kit in which maroon collars and cuffs featured on the salmon pink home shirts.
The traditional nickname of the Portsmouth Football Club isPompey, a nickname already long associated with the English city of Portsmouth and itsRoyal Navy base. An exact origin for thePompey nickname has never formally been identified by historians, as many variations and interpretations of thePompey nickname exist.
The entrance to Fratton Park's South Stand, with its mock Tudor facade
Portsmouth play their home games atFratton Park, in the Portsmouth suburb ofMilton. The football ground has been home to the club throughout its entire history. The football ground was formerly the site of a potato field in 1898 when it was purchased by the newly-formedPortsmouth Football & Athletic Company.
Fratton Park was designed and completed during 1899 by Portsmouth director and architect Alfred Bone and was first opened to the public on 15 August 1899. The early Fratton Park of 1899 only had one roofed all-seat stand on the pitch's southern side. The first ever football match to take place at Fratton Park was a friendly against Southampton, played on 6 September 1899, with Portsmouth winning 2–0. The first competitive match at Fratton Park was played three days later on 9 September 1899; a Southern League Division One match againstReading, which Portsmouth also won 2–0.
In 1905, the club expanded Fratton Park, adding a mock Tudor style club pavilion to the south-west corner in Frogmore Road, a pavilion designed by Alfred Bone. The pavilion originally featured a tall octagonal clock tower spire on its north-east corner, with an upper viewing gallery built beneath it giving an unobscured view over the entire Fratton Park pitch. In addition, two new solid earthbank terraces, topped with cinders and wooden planking were built behind the two goal ends. They were initially known as theFratton Railway End andMilton End (orSpion Kop) and were built behind the west and east end goal lines respectively.
The pavilion's clock tower was demolished in the 1920s as the South Stand was partially built into the pavilion's footprint and still contains most of the pavilion's original east side within it. Ten years later in 1935, Archibald Leitch also designed a larger North Stand for Fratton Park. Fratton Park reached its current all-time ground attendance record of 51,385 supporters on 26 February 1949, for an FA Cup sixth-round match, a 2–1 win against Derby County. The Fratton Railway End was demolished in 1956 and replaced by a new prefabricated concrete and steel stand, simply known asThe Fratton End. Fratton Park became an all seated football ground in 1996, which greatly reduced Fratton Park's previous maximum capacity. In 1997, a new Fratton End was opened in October 1997. Plans for relocation were first mooted in the early 1990s, but due to various objections and financial obstacles, the club has continued to play at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth's training ground in Hilsea, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C. have been using their training ground at 442 Copnor Road (PO3 5EW) in theHilsea area of Portsea Island since 2014.[71] The facilities in Hilsea were formerly a ROKO health club until Portsmouth F.C. purchased them on 16 June 2021.[72] The main ex-ROKO health club building has since been refurbished into 'Pompey Health And Fitness' members club, whose facilities are also used by Portsmouth F.C.'s squad.
Portsmouth's main rivals areSouthampton,[73] who are 19.8 miles (31.8 km) away. TheSouth Coast Derby is one of the less frequently played rivalries within English football due to the clubs being in different divisions; however this usually adds to the ferocity of the fixture.
Prior to the mid-late 1960s, rivalry between Portsmouth and Southampton was largely non-existent, as a consequence of their disparity in league status. Thisderby match has been sporadic. Since 1977, the teams have only been in the same division in four seasons: 1987–88, 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2011–12.[74] As of June 2024, the two clubs have met 71 times in all competitions with Pompey winning on 21 occasions, Southampton winning 35 times and with 15 matches finishing level.[74] The most recent fixture between the two sides came in September 2019 in theEFL Cup with Southampton winning 4–0 at Fratton Park.[74] The last league meeting between the two clubs took place on 7 April 2012 atSt Mary's Stadium with the match ending in a 2–2 draw.
Many Portsmouth supporters commonly use the derogatory nicknameScummer (plural:Scummers) to describe Southampton fans, or collectivelyScum to also include their football club, and indeed the city of Southampton itself. According to the Oxford English Dictionary,Scummers was a derogatory name with naval origins for pirates or buccaneers, and was first recorded in use in 1585.[75][76]
Meanwhile, Portsmouth supporters have had the equally derogatory nicknameSkate bestowed upon them by Southampton fans as a rebuttal toScummer since the 1987–88 Division One season. This was unofficially chosen by Southampton fans from a list of insults compiled by a Southampton-based supporters fanzine calledThe Ugly Inside in 1988.[77] Ironically, the chosen nicknameSkate was actually stolen from the civilian population of Portsmouth, who had long usedSkate as a derogatory insult or nickname for sailors based in Portsmouth Dockyard and other Royal Navy establishments.
Another rivalry over the years, known as the "Dockyard Derby" by the media, is withPlymouth Argyle.[78][79] This rivalry is also known as the Battle of the Ports.[80] In recent seasons the club has also developed a minor rivalry withSunderland, mainly stemming from the clubs meeting each other 5 times in the 2018–19 season.[81]
The best-known chant sung by Portsmouth supporters is "The Pompey Chimes". The chant is regarded as one of the oldest football chants still in use today.[82][83]
"The Pompey Chimes" were originally called "The Town Hall Chimes", and were created by the supporters ofRoyal Artillery (Portsmouth) Football Club, a British Army artillery regiment team, who were the most popular and successful amateur football team based in Portsmouth for much of the 1890s. Royal Artillery played their home matches at theUnited Services Recreation Ground in Burnaby Road, Portsmouth,[84] and were already nicknamed "Pompey"[85] before the founding of Portsmouth F.C. in 1898.
The nearbyPortsmouth Town Hall, only 0.3 miles (0.5 km) from Burnaby Road was completed in 1890, and would strike the variousWestminster Quarters chimes every quarter hour. Football referees would use the Town Hall's clock bells as a reference to when the football match should end at 4 pm.[citation needed] Just before 4 pm the crowd of supporters would sing in unison with the Town Hall's chimes on the hour to encourage the referee to blow the whistle to signify full-time.[citation needed] The original words to "The Pompey Chimes" (as printed in the 1900–01 Official Handbook of Portsmouth F.C.), were:
Play up Pompey, Just one more goal! Make tracks! What ho! Hallo! Hallo!!
With the demise of Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) F.C. after their expulsion from the 1898–99FA Amateur Cup for alleged professionalism, many of Royal Artillery's supporters switched their allegiance in 1899 to Portsmouth F.C., taking the "Town Hall Chimes" chant and the "Pompey" nickname from Burnaby Road toFratton Park, a distance of 1.8 miles (2.8 km).
The Pompey Chimes are still sung at Fratton Park today, and have evolved to be sung at a quicker tempo, and with a shortened chime style – usually twice:
Play up Pompey, Pompey play up! Play up Pompey, Pompey play up!
It is most common to hear The Chimes sung by Portsmouth supporters as an encouragement to the Portsmouth team, more specifically before the Portsmouth players take set-piece kicks.
To date Portsmouth have played one season in UEFA competitions, competing in the2008–09 UEFA Cup. They beatVitória de Guimarães 4–2 on aggregate in the first round.[95][96] In the group stage Portsmouth registered one win along with a draw againstA.C. Milan,[97] and were knocked out at the group stages after a 3–2 away loss toVfL Wolfsburg.[98]
For a list of notable players and players who played for Portsmouth for more than 100 games in a sortable-list format, seeList of Portsmouth F.C. players.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Number1 was temporarily retired for the 2001–02 season in respect to goalkeeperAaron Flahavan, who died in a car crash in August 2001, days after being handed the squad number 1 for the first time.[100] Since the 2003–04 season, number13 shirt was reserved in respect for him, as this was the number he wore for the majority of his stay at the club.[101] Ten years after his death, however, the number 13 was again used.[citation needed]
Number12 is the number reserved for the Portsmouth fans, regarding the fans as the twelfth player.
Number58 is "Nelson", the club mascot's number.[102]
Portsmouth created a Hall of Fame in March 2009, which honours former players and staff members of the club.[105] At a year-by-year ceremony, the club holds a day to announce the year's inducted to the list, and also has a dinner for the people present.
The following players have been inducted into the Portsmouth Football Club Hall of Fame:
All appearances and goals according to Soccerbase. * Denotes player for Portsmouth FC Women
The club's female counterpart isPortsmouth Women, which was founded in 1987.[115] The team currently competes in theFA Women's National League South and play at Havant & Waterlooville's stadium.[115] Following the takeover of the club by the Portsmouth Supporters Trust, it was announced that there would be closer ties between the men's and women's clubs.
On 5 June 2023, Portsmouth announced that their women's team would integrate under The Tornate Company, meaning the side would be turning semi-professional for the first time in the club's history.[116]
Portsmouth Football Club has operated under five different parent company names in its history:
Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company Limited (5 April 1898 – 27 July 1912)
Portsmouth Football Club Limited (27 July 1912 – 12 May 1999)[118] (initially as 'Portsmouth Football Company Limited' from 27 July 1912 until 23 January 1989 when name officially changed to 'Portsmouth Football Club Limited')[119]
Portsmouth City Football Club Limited (12 May 1999 – 25 May 2010)[120] (initially as 'Overflint Limited' from 7 April 1999 – 12 May 1999)
Portsmouth Football Club (2010) Limited (25 May 2010 – 10 April 2013)[121] (initially as 'PFC Realisations Limited' from 25 May 2010 – 23 November 2010)
Portsmouth Community Football Club Limited (10 April 2013 – present)[122] (initially as 'Portsmouth Supporters Trust (Operations) Limited' from 7 February 2012 – 14 September 2012)
The current owner of Portsmouth Community Football Club Limited isThe Tornante Company, which purchased the club from the Portsmouth Supporters Trust (PST) on 3 August 2017.[123]
Portsmouth have had a long-standing relationship withHavant & Waterlooville, with regular pre-season friendlies organised between the two clubs.[124] Portsmouth have also previously usedWest Leigh Park, Havant & Waterlooville's home stadium, for reserve team matches. Previous links with Belgian sideZulte Waregem[125] and Irish academyHome Farm[126] have been cancelled.
Portsmouth have developed a relationship withGosport Borough after their promotion to the Conference South. Portsmouth fans were encouraged to support Gosport in theirFA Trophy final match at Wembley in March 2014.[127] They also play friendlies and loan out players to the side.
Farmery, Colin (1999).Portsmouth: From Tindall to Ball – A Complete Record. Desert Island Books.ISBN1-874287-25-2.
Farmery, Colin (2004).Seventeen Miles From Paradise – Saints v Pompey: Passion, Pride and Prejudice. Desert Island Books.ISBN1-874287-89-9.
Farmery, Colin (2005).Portsmouth: the Modern Era – a Complete Record. Desert Island Books.ISBN1-905328-08-7.
Inglis, Simon (1996).Football Grounds of Britain. Collins Willow.ISBN0-00-218426-5.
Pennant, Cass; Silvester, Rob (2004).Rolling with the 6.57 Crew – The True Story of Pompey's Legendary Football Fans. John Blake Publishing.ISBN1-84454-072-3.
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