Portsmouth F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Portsmouth Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Pompey | |||
| Founded | 5 April 1898 as "Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company Limited" | |||
| Ground | Fratton Park | |||
| Capacity | 20,899 | |||
| Coordinates | 50°47′47″N 1°3′50″W / 50.79639°N 1.06389°W | |||
| Owner-Chairman | Michael Eisner | |||
| Chief Executive | Andrew Cullen | |||
| Manager | John Mousinho | |||
| League | League One | |||
| 2018–19 | League One, 4th of 24 | |||
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Portsmouth Football Club is a professional football team from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The team is often called Pompey, a nickname also used for the city and its naval base. They currently play in the EFL Championship, which is the second-highest league in English football. They earned their spot there by winning the 2023–24 EFL League One title. Since 1912, Portsmouth has worn blue shirts. After 1946, they usually added white shorts and red socks to their home kit.
Portsmouth FC started on April 5, 1898. In their early years, they played in the Southern and Western leagues. In 1920, they joined the English Football League in the new Third Division. They quickly moved up, reaching the First Division by 1927. This made them the first football club south of London to play in the top league.
Pompey reached the FA Cup final twice, in 1929 and 1934, but lost both times. Their luck changed in 1939 when they won the FA Cup for the first time. Because World War II started soon after, football was paused. This meant Portsmouth kept the FA Cup trophy for a record seven years until 1946.
After the war, Portsmouth became champions of England in 1949 and 1950. They won the First Division title two years in a row! However, their long stay in the top division ended in 1959 when they were relegated. They faced more tough times, even dropping to the Fourth Division in 1978. But they fought back, earning three promotions in the 1980s.
In 2003, Portsmouth won the First Division title and were promoted to the Premier League. They won the FA Cup again in 2008. After seven years in the Premier League, they were relegated in 2010. This started a difficult period with financial problems and more relegations. In 2013, fans helped buy the club through the Pompey Supporters Trust. Since then, the club has recovered, winning the EFL League Two title in 2017 and the EFL League One title in 2024.
Portsmouth is one of only five English clubs to have won titles in all four professional football leagues. Their biggest rivals are Southampton, due to their close location and shared history. Portsmouth is also the only professional English football club not located on mainland Great Britain, as both the city and Fratton Park are on Portsea Island.
Contents
Club History and Achievements
How Portsmouth FC Started
Portsmouth F.C. was formed on April 5, 1898, at 12 High Street in Old Portsmouth. It was first called "The Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company." Even though the club was formed in 1898, they didn't have a football ground or players until 1899.
In 1899, work began to turn old farmland near Goldsmith Avenue into a new football ground. This land was bought from the Goldsmith family. The new ground was named Fratton Park, after the nearby train station. Frank Brettell became the club's first manager in February 1899. Portsmouth was allowed to join the top division of the Southern League right away, which was a big step. They joined the Southern Football League Division One for the 1899–1900 season.
Portsmouth's first season in the Southern Football League was very good. They won 20 out of 28 matches and finished second behind Tottenham Hotspur. They also won the Western Football League Division One title three times in a row from 1901 to 1903.
Money problems hit the club in 1911. A public appeal helped keep the club going. In 1912, the original company was closed to clear debts. A new company, "Portsmouth Football Company Ltd," was formed with strong financial backing. George Lewin Oliver, one of the original founders, became the new chairman.
Football stopped during World War I. When matches started again in the 1919–20 season, Portsmouth won the Southern League championship for the second time. After this, Portsmouth was chosen to be a founding member of the new Football League Third Division.
Rising Through the Leagues
Portsmouth won the Third Division title in the 1923–24 season. This earned them promotion to the Second Division for the first time. They continued to climb, finishing second in the 1926–27 season to reach the top league, the First Division. During this time, they had a club record 9–1 win against Notts County.
Their first season in the top league (1927–28) was tough, but they avoided relegation. Despite league struggles, Portsmouth reached their first FA Cup final in 1929, losing to Bolton Wanderers. They made it to the FA Cup final again in 1934 but lost to Manchester City. Finally, in the 1938–39 season, they won the FA Cup, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1.
World War II caused football to be suspended. Portsmouth kept the FA Cup trophy until the competition restarted in 1945–46. During the war, Field Marshal Montgomery became interested in the club and was made honorary President of Portsmouth F.C. in 1944.
Post-War Success and Challenges
The Football League returned in 1946–47. Portsmouth won the First Division title in the 1948–49 season. They won it again the next season, 1949–50, by beating Aston Villa 5–1 on the last day. This made them champions for two years in a row!
However, their 32-year run in the First Division ended in 1959 when they were relegated. They faced another relegation in 1961, dropping to the Third Division. But they quickly bounced back, winning the Third Division title the very next season.
In 1978, Portsmouth was relegated to the Fourth Division for the first time. The club also faced serious money problems, almost going bankrupt in 1976. Players had to be sold, and the team relied on young players.
Modern Era: Ups and Downs
Portsmouth earned promotion back to the Third Division in 1980. They won the Third Division title in 1983 and were promoted to the Second Division. In 1987, they reached the First Division again, but only for one season before being relegated.
From 1988 to 2003, Portsmouth mostly played in the second tier of English football. In 1992, the FA Premier League was created as the new top league. This meant the First Division became the second tier. In 1993, Portsmouth almost got promoted to the Premier League but missed out by just one goal.
In 1997, Terry Venables became chairman, but he sold his shares a year later. The club faced another financial crisis in 1998 and went into "financial administration" (meaning experts took over to manage their money problems). In 1999, US businessman Milan Mandarić bought the club.
In 2001, a sad event happened when 25-year-old goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan died in a car crash. The club retired his number 1 shirt for the season. Harry Redknapp became manager in 2002 and led Pompey to win the First Division title in 2002–03, bringing them back to the top league after 15 years.
Premier League Years and Recovery
Portsmouth played in the Premier League from 2003 to 2010. They finished 13th in their first Premier League season. Harry Redknapp left in 2004 but made a surprise return in 2006. In January 2006, Alexandre Gaydamak bought the club. With new money, Portsmouth signed top players and finished ninth in the league in 2007.
In the 2007–08 season, Portsmouth finished eighth in the Premier League. More importantly, they reached the FA Cup final again and won it by beating Cardiff City 1–0. This win also meant they would play in European football for the first time!
Portsmouth played in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup (now called the UEFA Europa League). They drew 2–2 with famous Italian club AC Milan. However, financial problems returned, and the club had to sell many top players. They entered financial administration twice, which led to point deductions and more relegations.
On April 19, 2013, the Pompey Supporters Trust (PST) completed their deal to buy the club. This was a huge moment as the fans now owned the club! In 2014, the club announced it was debt-free. In 2017, Portsmouth secured promotion to League One and were confirmed as champions. Later that year, the PST voted to sell the club to The Tornante Company, led by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
In 2019, Portsmouth won the EFL Trophy, beating Sunderland in the final. They were set to defend their title in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the final. They eventually lost that delayed final to Salford City on penalties in March 2021. After several seasons just missing out on promotion, Portsmouth won the League One title in the 2023–24 season, ending their 12-year stay below the second tier.
Club Identity
Team Badge and Symbols
Portsmouth F.C. didn't have a club badge until the 1913–14 season. The city of Portsmouth's official Coat of Arms has a gold eight-pointed star and a crescent moon on a blue shield. These symbols are said to come from King Richard I in the 1100s. He took them from a flag in Cyprus.
The first club badge in 1913 used these city symbols. It had a white crescent moon and a white five-pointed star on a blue shield. Over the years, the club's badge changed several times. After World War II, they started using an eight-pointed star like the city's.
Between 1980 and 1989, Portsmouth used a new badge. It showed a football in front of an anchor (for the Royal Navy) and a sword (for the British Army). This design was surrounded by a ship's rope.
In 1997, a new badge was introduced for the club's 100th anniversary. It featured a gold eight-pointed star and a gold crescent moon on a blue shield. In 2008, a new badge was revealed with "Portsmouth F.C." written on it. The crescent moon was also changed to be more circular. This new badge was first seen in the 2008 FA Cup final.
In 2015, the club went back to a more traditional badge design. In 2018, two new badges were created. One is for the players' shirts, and the other is for club merchandise.
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1992-1997
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2015–2018
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2018–present, shirt badge
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2018–Present club & merchandising badge
Team Colors
In their first season (1899–1900), Portsmouth's home kit was salmon pink shirts with maroon collars and cuffs. They wore white shorts and black socks. Because of the pink shirts, they were sometimes called 'The Shrimps'. These colors were used until 1909. Then, they changed to white shirts with navy blue shorts and socks.
In 1912, Portsmouth changed their home colors again to azure blue shirts, white shorts, and black socks. This became their main home kit. In 1933, the shirts became a royal blue. In 1947, the black socks were changed to red. This change happened during the club's most successful period and has been their preferred color combination ever since. The blue, white, and red kit is now a tradition.
Why Red Socks?
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Before 1947, Portsmouth mostly wore black socks. During and after World War II, Field Marshal Sir Bernard 'Monty' Montgomery often watched Pompey matches. He was even the club's honorary President. Montgomery suggested adding red socks to the kit. Red is the color of the British Army and the Remembrance poppy. The red socks were a way to remember soldiers lost in wartime. This also made the kit look like the Union Flag (British flag) with its red, white, and blue colors. The red socks were also kept for good luck because they were introduced during a very successful time for the club.
Away Colors
Portsmouth's away kits usually feature white shirts with royal or navy blue shorts. The socks are typically blue or white.
Special Kits
For their 2008 FA Cup final win, Portsmouth wore an all-blue home kit to celebrate their 110th anniversary. This all-blue kit was also used for the next season.
In the 2010 FA Cup final, where they lost to Chelsea, Portsmouth wore a white and maroon away kit. This kit was inspired by their original "Shrimps" era colors from 1899–1909.
Kit Makers and Sponsors
| Years | Manufacturers | Shirt sponsors |
|---|---|---|
| 1976–1977 | Umbro | No sponsors |
| 1978–1980 | Admiral | |
| 1980–1983 | Gola | |
| 1983–1984 | Le Coq Sportif | |
| 1985–1987 | Umbro | |
| 1987–1989 | Admiral | South Coast Fiat (First seen in December 1987) |
| 1989–1991 | Scoreline | Goodmans |
| 1991–1993 | Influence | |
| 1993–1995 | ASICS | |
| 1995–1997 | The News | |
| 1997–1999 | Admiral | KJC Mobile Phones |
| 1999–2000 | Pompey Sport 1 | The Pompey Centre |
| 2000–2002 | Bishop's Printers | |
| 2002–2005 | TY Europe | |
| 2005–2007 | Jako | OKI |
| 2007–2009 | Canterbury | |
| 2009–2010 | Jobsite.co.uk | |
| 2010–2011 | Kappa | |
| 2011–2013 | ||
| 2013–2018 | Sondico | |
| 2018–present | Nike | University of Portsmouth |
1 Portsmouth's own manufacturer.
The "Pompey" Nickname
The nickname Pompey has been linked to Portsmouth Football Club for a long time. It's also a common nickname for the city of Portsmouth and its Royal Navy base. No one knows for sure where the nickname came from, but there are many ideas.
Home Ground: Fratton Park
Portsmouth plays its home games at Fratton Park. This stadium is in the Milton area of Portsmouth. It has been the club's home since the very beginning. In 1898, the land was a potato field before the club bought it.
Fratton Park was designed by Alfred Bone and opened on August 15, 1899. At first, it only had one covered stand. The first football match there was a friendly against Southampton on September 6, 1899. Portsmouth won 2–0. Three days later, they won their first competitive match there, also 2–0, against Reading.
In 1905, the club added a mock Tudor-style building to the stadium. This building originally had a tall clock tower with a viewing area. Two new terraces (standing areas) were also built behind the goals.
The clock tower was removed in the 1920s. In 1935, a larger North Stand was built. Fratton Park's biggest crowd ever was 51,385 fans on February 26, 1949. This was for an FA Cup match against Derby County. In 1996, Fratton Park became an all-seated stadium, which reduced its capacity. A new Fratton End stand opened in 1997. Even though there have been talks about moving, the club still plays at Fratton Park.
Training Ground
Portsmouth F.C. has used its training ground at 442 Copnor Road in Hilsea since 2014. The club bought the facilities in 2021. The main building has been updated into 'Pompey Health And Fitness', which the team also uses.
Rivalries and Supporters
Portsmouth's biggest rivals are Southampton, who are about 19.8 miles away. Their matches are called the South Coast Derby. This rivalry is very strong, partly because of how close the cities are and their history with the sea.
The two teams haven't played in the same league very often since 1977. This makes the games even more exciting when they do happen. As of June 2024, they have played 71 times. Portsmouth has won 21 times, Southampton 35 times, and 15 matches were draws. The most recent game was in September 2019, when Southampton won 4–0 at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth fans often call Southampton fans Scummers. This word has old naval origins, meaning pirates. Southampton fans call Portsmouth supporters Skate. This nickname was chosen by a Southampton fan magazine in 1988. Interestingly, "Skate" was a word people in Portsmouth used to call sailors from the dockyard.
Another rivalry is with Plymouth Argyle, sometimes called the "Dockyard Derby." In recent years, Portsmouth has also developed a rivalry with Sunderland. This is because they played each other many times in the 2018–19 season.
"The Pompey Chimes"
The most famous song sung by Portsmouth supporters is "The Pompey Chimes." It's thought to be the oldest football chant still used today.
The chant was first called "The Town Hall Chimes." It was created by fans of the Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) Football Club in the 1890s. This team was very popular in Portsmouth. Their home ground was near the Portsmouth Town Hall. The Town Hall bells would chime every 15 minutes. Before a match ended, fans would sing along with the bells to encourage the referee to blow the final whistle.
The original words to "The Pompey Chimes" were: <score sound="1"> \relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \time 5/4 \key e \major e4 gis fis b,2 | e4 fis gis e2 | gis4 e fis b,2 | b4 fis' gis e2 | R1*5/4\fermata \bar "||" \clef bass \time 4/4 e,1^"Portsmouth Town Hall Chimes (4pm)" | e1| e1 | e1 |}</score> Play up Pompey,
Just one more goal!
Make tracks! What ho!
Hallo! Hallo!!
When the Royal Artillery team stopped playing, many of their fans started supporting Portsmouth F.C. in 1899. They brought "The Town Hall Chimes" chant and the "Pompey" nickname with them to Fratton Park.
Today, "The Pompey Chimes" are still sung at Fratton Park. They are sung faster now, usually twice: <score sound="1"> \relative c {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \time 5/4 \key e \major gis4 e fis b,2 | b4 fis' gis e2 | gis4 e fis b,2 | b4 fis' gis e2 |}</score> Play up Pompey,
Pompey play up!
Play up Pompey,
Pompey play up!
Fans often sing The Chimes to cheer on the team, especially before players take free kicks or corners.
Club Records
- Highest Home Attendance: 51,385 fans vs. Derby County in the FA Cup, February 26, 1949, at Fratton Park.
- Highest Attendance (Neutral Venue): 99,370 fans vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1939 FA Cup final, April 29, 1939, at Wembley Stadium.
- Current Wembley Stadium Attendance Record (football): 89,874 fans in the 2008 FA Cup final, May 17, 2008.
- Biggest Win: 9–1 vs. Notts County in the Second Division, April 9, 1927.
- Biggest Loss: 10–0 vs. Leicester City in the First Division, October 20, 1928.
- Highest Scoring Game: 7–4 (11 goals total) vs. Reading in the Premier League, September 29, 2007.
- Most Consecutive Wins: 9 wins (from January 4, 2020, to February 8, 2020).
- Most Appearances for Club: 845 games by Jimmy Dickinson, 1946–1965.
- Most League Goals for Club: 194 goals by Peter Harris, 1946–1960.
- Most League Goals in a Season: 42 goals by Guy Whittingham, 1992–93.
- Most Goals for Club: 208 goals by Peter Harris, 1946–1960.
- Most International Caps while at Club: 48 caps by Jimmy Dickinson for England.
- Record Transfer Fee Received: £20 million from Real Madrid for Lassana Diarra, December 2008.
- Record Transfer Fee Paid: £11 million to Liverpool for Peter Crouch, July 2008.
Portsmouth in European Competitions
Portsmouth has played in European competitions once, in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. They beat Vitória de Guimarães 4–2 over two games in the first round. In the group stage, they won one game and drew with AC Milan. They were knocked out after losing 3–2 to VfL Wolfsburg.
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponents | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | UEFA Cup | R1 |  Vitória de Guimarães |
2–0 | 2–2 | 4–2 |
| Group | Braga |
– | 3–0 | – | ||
 AC Milan |
2–2 | – | – | |||
 Wolfsburg |
– | 3–2 | – | |||
 Heerenveen |
3–0 | – | – |
Players and Teams
For a list of notable players and players who played for Portsmouth for more than 100 games in a sortable-list format, see List of Portsmouth F.C. players.
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Special Shirt Numbers
- Number 1 was temporarily retired for the 2001–02 season to honor goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan, who died in a car crash. He had just been given the number 1 shirt.
- Number 12 is saved for the Portsmouth fans. This is because fans are seen as the "twelfth player" on the team.
- Number 58 belongs to "Nelson," the club's mascot.
Women's Team
Portsmouth also has a women's team, Portsmouth Women, which started in 1987. They play in the FA Women's National League South. In 2023, the women's team became semi-professional, meaning players get paid for their football.
Club Leadership
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  Michael Eisner |
| CEO |  Andrew Cullen |
| Sporting director | Richard Hughes |
| Manager | John Mousinho |
| Assistant manager | Jon Harley |
| First team development coach |  Zesh Rehman |
| Goalkeeping coach | Joe Prodomo |
| Head physio | Bobby Bacic |
| Head of sport science | Miles Littlechild |
| Head of recruitment | Phil Boardman |
| Head of performance analysis | Dan Ashby |
| Kit manager | Vacant |
| Mascots | Nelson & Pompey Sailor |
Club Ownership
Portsmouth Football Club has been owned by different companies over its history. The current owner is The Tornante Company, which bought the club from the Pompey Supporters Trust on August 3, 2017.
Affiliated Clubs
Portsmouth has a long-standing friendship with Havant & Waterlooville. They often play friendly matches. Portsmouth also has links with Gosport Borough. Portsmouth fans were encouraged to support Gosport in their FA Trophy final match in 2014.
Honours and Trophies
Portsmouth is one of only five English football clubs to have won titles in all four professional English football leagues.
League Titles
- Football League First Division (Top League)
- Champions: 1948–49, 1949–50
- Football League Second Division / Football League First Division (Second Tier)
- Champions: 2002–03
- Football League Third Division South / Football League Third Division / EFL League One (Third Tier)
- Champions: 1923–24, 1961–62, 1982–83, 2023–24
- Football League Fourth Division / EFL League Two (Fourth Tier)
- Champions: 2016–17
- Southern Football League First Division
- Champions: 1901–02, 1919–20
- Western Football League First Division
- Champions: 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Winners: 1938–39, 2007–08
- FA Charity Shield / Community Shield
- Winners: 1949 (shared title)
- EFL Trophy
- Winners: 2018–19
- Hampshire Senior Cup
- Winners: 1902–03, 1912–13, 1951–52, 1986–87
Images for kids
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1992-1997
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2015–2018
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2018–present, shirt badge
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2018–Present club & merchandising badge
See also
In Spanish: Portsmouth Football Club para niños
