Portsmouth Football Club Profile
Portsmouth, a professional English Football Club, are based out of the coastal city of Portsmouth. They play in the Premier League and are the current holders of the FA cup. They are owned by the French businessman Alexandre “Sacha” Gaydamak.
Portsmouth Football Club Facts
Full Name: Portsmouth Football Club
Nickname: Pompey, The Blues
Colours: Blue
Home Ground: Fratton, Portsmouth
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Premier League Titles: 0
FA Cup Titles: 2
Portsmouth Football Club History
Portsmouth was founded on 5th April 1898. The owner of the local brewery, John Brickwood, was chairman and Frank Brettell was the club’s first manager. The club, after joining the Southern League in 1899, were very successful in their first season, winning 20 out of 28 league matches.
This early success was shortlived, and Portsmouth were relegated in 1910-11. The recruitment of Bob Brown as manager helped the team regain their place in the Southern League the next season. After WWI, they slowly played their way up the divisions, and were promoted to the first division in the 1926-27 season.
After several years of struggle, they finally won their first FA cup trophy in 1938-39. Their fortunes waxed and waned in the post WWII years as they struggled with relegation and financial issues. It was only when Harry Redknapp took over as manager in early 2002 that their fortunes took a turn for the better; they were promoted to the Premier League in 2003 after winning the Division One Championship.
After finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League points table for their first three seasons, they achieved a place in the top half of the points table for the first time in the 2007-2007 season, and won the FA cup in 2008 earning them a place in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup.
Fratton Park Stadium
Fratton Park Stadium, located in the city-port of Portsmouth, was designed by the renowned football Archibald Leitch and built in 1898. Its current maximum capacity of 20,688 makes it the smallest maximum capacity stadium of any club playing in the Premier League.
It is also the only football stadium in the English professional league to be located off the British mainland. Although it has been the home ground of Pompey since their foundation, due to its age and lack of development, it falls short of the standards of the other Premier League Club stadiums.
Plans are underway to build a new stadium at Horsea Island, between Stamshaw and Port Solent, with an excepted capacity of around 40 000.
Supporters and Rivalries
Portsmouth supporters, also known as the Blue Army, are known for singing the Pompey Chimes around Fratton Park.
Southampton have been rivals of Portsmouth since the 1960s, although the Southcoast or Hampshire Derby has occurred only infrequently as these two teams have played in different divisions for much of their history. There have been a total of 67 games between the clubs, with Portsmouth winning only 20 of these.
Another traditional rival of Portsmouth is Plymouth Argyle, with matches between these two sides known as the Dockyard Derby, Naval Derby, or Battle of the Ports.
