Portsmouth

Portsmouth FC, founded in 1898 has a storied history across the English Football League and the Premier League, being one of a select few teams to play across all four divisions of professional football since the start of the 21st century. The Real EFL will guide you through the past, present and near future of this beloved football club, giving you useful facts and information about the side that currently resides in the EFL Championship after their League One title win last season, finally returning to the second division for the first time since 2012.

Portsmouth Updates

Portsmouth are engaged in a tough battle to remain in the Championship this season and are currently 23rd in the table, only ahead of Queens Park Rangers. A big boost came in their last game as of the November international break with a 3-1 win over Preston North End, buoyed by the return of striker Colby Bishop just months following his open heart surgery. The 28-year-old scored upon his return from the penalty spot to seal the win for Pompey.

Portsmouth Transfer News and Rumours

With the transfer window closed until New Year's Day, the main focus for Portsmouth and other Championship clubs is securing their players to new contracts. That doesn't mean the club aren't assessing new deals for the January transfer window, with manager John Mousinho admitting that he has a few potential targets to pursue when business can resume. A few departures are also expected, with the squad too big to register every player currently at the club. They recently missed out on one of their summer targets, with Paul Dummett moving to Wigan Athletic having previously been an option to bring into Fratton Park.

Portsmouth Signings

Pompey went heavy in the summer transfer window, signing 15 players to bring their squad up to Championship level. Whilst they missed out on a few key targets such as former loanees Alex Robertson and Abu Kamara, Mousinho still brought many quality players in to bolster his team. A few of them have already made impacts, with Josh Murphy contributing two goals and two assists so far.

Player	Age	Nationality	Left	Fee	Contract Duration
Abdoulaye Kamara	19	Guinean France	Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga	Undisclosed	4 years
Ibane Bowat	21	Scottish	Fulham Premier League	Undisclosed	3 years
Nicolas Schmid	27	Austrian	Blau Weiss Linz Austrian Bundesliga	Undisclosed	2 years
Harvey Blair	20	English	Liverpool Premier League	£300,000	3 years
Andre Dozzell	25	English	Queens Park Rangers Championship	Free Transfer	1 year
Matt Ritchie	34	Scottish	Newcastle United Premier League	Free Transfer	2 years
Jordan Williams	24	English	Barnsley League One	Free Transfer	3 years
Josh Murphy	29	English	Oxford United Championship	Free Transfer	3 years
Jordan Archer	31	Scottish	Queens Park Rangers Championship	Free Transfer	2 years
Jacob Farrell	21	Australian	Central Coast Mariners A-League	Undisclosed	4 years
Freddie Potts	20	English	West Ham United Premier League	Loan	End of season
Mark O'Mahony	19	Irish	Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League	Loan	End of season

Portsmouth Key Matches Of The Season

Portsmouth will face many key matches across the season to achieve their aim of survival this season. The cliche managers often use in the Championship is that you would need 50 points to survive relegation and apart from Birmingham City last season, that total will usually secure a club's status in the second division. As of the November international break, Portsmouth have 12 points.

These games are crucial posts for Portsmouth to monitor their progress across the season alongside some of the important dates across the calendar. Should Pompey secure points in many of these games they could be set to stay up this season. You can view Portsmouth or another club's fixture lists on The Real EFL website.

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Portsmouth Key Achievements

Pompey's history of playing across all four professional divisions of English football make the club one of just five teams to have won a league title in each of them. Portsmouth are most fondly remembered for their rise and dramatic fall since 2002, with investment and big-profile players such as Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe and David James all playing at Fratton Park across their seven-year spell in the Premier League. Financial mismanagement brought them woes towards the end of that period but Harry Redknapp secured them a second FA Cup title in 2008 before their relegation two seasons later.

They plummeted down the table into League Two, but began their rise in 2017 under Paul Cook who secured them the League Two title for the first time in their history to begin their climb once more. John Mousinho wrote his name into Pompey folklore last season, commanding his side to a comfortable title win in League One.

Portsmouth Current Squad

Portsmouth have a large squad in the Championship, spanning eight different nationalities. They have used up all of their 25 spaces allowed in a Championship squad alongside a few academy players which are exempt from registration.

Portsmouth Attackers

Pompey have nine players in their attacking ranks, with Josh Murphy being their most regular starter. The winger joined from Oxford United over the summer and has contributed to four goals so far. Colby Bishop possesses the number nine shirt and made his return from open heart surgery against Preston North End in November, scoring a penalty.

John Mousinho also signed former Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie on a free transfer, marking his return to the club after 14 years away. Harvey Blair and Mark O'Mahony joined from Premier League sides over the summer, with the latter on loan from Brighton.

Portsmouth Midfielders

There are 11 players at Portsmouth's disposal in Midfield. The most prolific of them is Callum Lang, who leads the club's goalscoring charts as of the November international break. Club captain Marlon Pack is a deep-lying choice but has found himself in and out of the starting lineup over recent games. Summer signing Abdoulaye Kamara plays as a defensive midfielder, but has not played since October.

Portsmouth Defenders

Nine defenders make up Portsmouth's defensive options. Connor Ogilvie is their first-choice left-back, starting 14 of the club's 15 first Championship games. Regan Poole is the main choice at centre-back, with injuries to Connor Shaughnessy and Jordan Williams meaning the second defender is often rotated. Summer signing Ibane Bowat's season was ended with a knee injury and has seen Terry Devlin often used at right-back across recent weeks.

Portsmouth Goalkeepers

Will Norris has been the first-choice goalkeeper since he joined from Burnley in 2023. Summer signing Nicolas Schmid is the deputy keeper, filling in for the Englishman following a knee injury at the start of October. Jordan Archer is the third-choice goalie and has played twice in the Championship since joining.

Portsmouth Management and Coaching Staff

Portsmouth is currently managed by John Mousinho and is supported by Jon Harley.

John Mousinho

John Mousinho has managed Portsmouth since 2023 and is his first full-time job in management. He retired from playing football in January 2023 after playing for Oxford United. His first full season in charge was a major success, bringing the club a League One title and with it promotion back into the Championship.

Jon Harley

Jon Harley is the assistant manager at Portsmouth, taking the role in February 2023 alongside Mousinho. He has previous experience working as a youth coach at Chelsea's academy whilst he was still playing for Maidstone United.

Portsmouth Former Managers & Key Coaches

• Harry Redknapp is the most recent successful Portsmouth manager, bringing them into the Premier League during his first stint in charge before winning an FA Cup with them before a campaign in Europe as a result of the trophy lift.
• Bob Jackson was the man behind their back-to-back First Division title wins in 1948/49 and 1949/50.
• Paul Cook won them the League Two title in 2017 but left them at the end of that title-winning season.
• Kenny Jackett established them as a competitive League One side but was sacked in 2021
• Danny Cowley took charge with brother Nicky as a result of their success with Lincoln City and continued their strong finishes in the third tier. They were sacked at the start of 2023, paving the way for John Mousinho to be appointed.

Portsmouth Legends

For a club with over 125 years of history, Portsmouth have had it's fair share of legends.

Jimmy Dickinson

He is the club's record appearance holder, playing 845 times across 19 seasons at Fratton Park, and his face is shown in the seats of the Fratton End of the club's stadium.

Peter Harris

Peter Harris was another legend of the time, scoring the club's record number of goals at 208 between 1946 and 1960. Both were inducted into the inaugural Portsmouth Hall Of Fame in 2009.

Alan Knight

He holds the record of making the most appearances as a goalkeeper for one club in England, playing 683 league games and 801 in total for Pompey.

Guy Whittingham

Whittingham played for the club over two different spells at the club and scored 99 goals in 195 games before a brief spell in charge in the early 2010's.

Duggie Reid

Duggie Reid played at Fratton Park for a decade and was part of the golden era of the club, winning two titles across his 328 appearances.

Willie Haines

He was one of the club's most deadly goalscorers with a rate of 129 goals across 179 games in the 1920s.

Jack Froggatt

Another member of the title winning sides was Jack Froggatt, with the defender boasting a 45% win rate across his 305 games for the club.

Portsmouth Team Metrics and Performance

Portsmouth were the stand-out performers in League One last season, winning the league from Derby County by five points. The club lost just five times in the league that season, having the best home record and the second-best away record in the division. Will Norris kept 19 clean sheets, just one shy of the golden glove winner Joe Wildsmith.

This season is expected to be a much trickier campaign for them as they are expected to be in a relegation battle. In their two previous Championship seasons they finished 16th and 22nd in the midst of their financial issues which saw them plummet into League Two.

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Portsmouth Pitch and Amenities

Portsmouth have played at Fratton Park for their entire existence, and the ground holds the distinction of being the only Football League Ground not on the mainland of Great Britain. It has a capacity of 20,899 but its all-time record capacity extends to 51,385 when they played Derby County in 1949. Club icon Jimmy Dickinson's face is visible on the seats in the Fratton End stand of the ground. The stadium is next to a large shopping park on two sides and terraced housing on the remaining two.

Portsmouth Fanbase and Support

Perhaps Portsmouth's most famous fan is John Westwood, a fan who has sixty separate tattoos on his body dedicated to the club. He has the club's emblem shaved onto his head and often wears a stove-pipe hat. He has a mixed reputation across the Portsmouth fanbase due to him serving multiple bans for his behaviour. Other notable fans include Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount and West Ham United's James Ward-Prowse.

Portsmouth Rivalries and Notable Matches

Portsmouth's biggest rivals are Southampton, with the pair competing in the South Coast Derby. Due to Pompey's struggles and Southampton's continued spells in the Premier League, the fixture has not been played since 2019, with The Saints claiming a 0-4 win at Fratton Park in the EFL Cup.

Other rivalries that have appeared in recent years are against Plymouth Argyle in games dubbed the 'Dockyard Derby' due to both city's importance as ports and naval hubs in the past. Sunderland have been a similarly competitive foe, with both going toe to toe in the 2018-19 season.

Portsmouth Facts

Portsmouth History

Portsmouth were founded in April 1898. but were not elected into the English Football League until 1920, when they were appointed into the Third Division. Just seven years later they became the first club south of London to reach the First Division and became a competitive side, reaching two FA Cup finals in the interwar period before winning their first First Division in 1939. With professional football suspended until the end of World War Two in 1945, this means Portsmouth hold the record as the club that has held the cup for the longest time in the seven-year gap before the next final.

The club would become champions of England twice, winning in back-to-back seasons in 1948/49 and 1949/50. Relegations followed at the end of the 1950s and eventually ended up in the fourth tier. Eventually, the club would rise up the divisions, culminating in promotion to the Premier League in 2003. Pompey would reclaim the FA Cup in 2008, beating Cardiff City in the final at Wembley. Financial turmoil and administration sent the club back down to League Two and finally found their footing once more under new owner Michael Eisner, the former chairman of Disney. Two promotions in recent years have brought them into the EFL Championship.

Portsmouth Social Media Links

Portsmouth have many different social media channels for fans to access behind-the-scenes looks and news from the club. They also have an official club website, where fans can buy their tickets and see exclusive content through memberships.

Website: https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/

X/Twitter account: https://x.com/Pompey

Portsmouth Outlook and Forecast

Portsmouth are expected to be in a relegation battle this season and so far have matched those predictions. The aim for the club is to retain their status in the EFL Championship, with 50 points viewed as the benchmark to survive relegation in the division.

Frequently Asked Questions About Portsmouth Football Club

How much would it cost to buy Portsmouth Football Club?

Michael Eisner and his Tornante Investment Group purchased the club in 2017 for the price of £5.67 million and an investment of £10 million in equity. The club had just been promoted from League Two so the amount needed to purchase Portsmouth would be much higher today.

Does Portsmouth FC still exist?

Portsmouth has existed since 1898 and still continues to do today. There were threats of the club being liquidated in 2009 due to poor ownership, but a high court petition to wind up the club was dropped in March 2010.

Why is Portsmouth Football Club Called Pompey?

Portsmouth Football Club and the City of Portsmouth are both known as Pompey. The exact origin of the name has never been identified but it is linked to the Royal Navy base that takes up much of the City's coastline. One theory suggests that a group of sailors from Portsmouth climbed Pompey's Pillar in Egypt and were known as the Pompey Boys. The nickname was first applied to the football team before being used for the city as a whole.

What league is Portsmouth in today?

Portsmouth are currently playing in the EFL Championship having been promoted from EFL League One last season as champions. The club have played in each of the top four professional divisions of English football since 2010.

Is Portsmouth a big club?

With two First Division titles and two FA Cups to their name, Portsmouth are a successful side. Based on domestic trophies, they are the 21st most successful club in the country and the most successful club from Hampshire. Their South Coast Derby rivals in Southampton have not won a First Division title but have won the FA Cup once.

Where to watch Portsmouth FC?

Portsmouth play at Fratton Park and tickets are usually available on their official club website. Fans can also purchase tickets to away games on the website. For fans at home, Portsmouth play frequently on Sky Sports due to the new deal in place showing a minimum of 20 games a season for each club.