Vectensian

The street party held in Frogmore Road on VE Day 1945 was made extra special when #Pompey manager Jack Tinn arrived and plonked the FA Cup in the middle of the table. 👍
To misquote Churchill:
“Advance Britannia. Long live the cause of freedom. God save the King. Play up Pompey.”

I'm not a fan of the players towing their wives, partners and kids along for the end-of-season lap of appreciation. It generally descends into chaos, and we're just left peering in on a family afternoon out at the local park. Feels weird. There was no real players/fans love-in.

No, but I thought I’d make the point that it was the Bob Jackson derby before Jeff Hemmerman’s biggest fanboy made any counter-representations! 😎

The final day of the Championship season will be absolutely fascinating, and a fair bit of the focus will be on the "Bob Jackson derby" at Fratton Park! Bob was #Pompey manager from 1946 to 1952, guiding the club to two League titles before being lured to big-spending Hull City😎

On this day in 1971 promotion celebrations engulfed Fratton Park as another Second Division campaign came to an end, but it was Leicester City fans who were celebrating. Their team had beaten #Pompey 2-1 in the match that marked Harry Harris's 378th and final league match for the Blues.

It was usually called the station end back then. 😉

#OTD in 1956 #Pompey's season ended with a 4-2 home defeat against Manchester City. Fans said farewell to Duggie Reid and Len Phillips at the end of their illustrious playing careers, and to the old Fratton End terrace, where demolition began 15 minutes after the final whistle!

Let's hope that #Pompey can finish the season with a real flourish, starting tomorrow with a win in the "Froggatt derby". Jack (Pompey) and his cousin Redfern (Sheffield Wednesday) were both absolute legends at their respective clubs.

On this day 100 years ago the great Jimmy Dickinson was born in Alton, Hampshire. Today is also the 60th anniversary of his 834th and final match for #Pompey, and what an important and nail-biting match that was - a real "great escape". Read about it here: sites.google.com/view/vectens...

The three #Pompey players JAILED for match-fixing (including one who "arranged" league matches while playing for three different clubs) - and the Fratton favourite from the glory years who got away with it.
You can read it all in my blog: sites.google.com/view/vectens...

Happy St George’s Day, or, as we say in Portsmouth, Happy First-Time Champions of England Day. On 23 April 1949 #Pompey’s 2-1 win at Bolton Wanderers secured the First Division title - with three matches to spare!

That’s lovely, Greg. I’m shortly to have the pleasure of grandson myself, and to say that I’m incredibly excited is an understatement! 🥰

British football's biggest match-fixing scandal had #Pompey interest to the right, left and centre of it. Read the shocking story in my new blog piece:
sites.google.com/view/vectens...

I've written a new blog piece, and some of its content may shock you!
MATCH FIXERS: POMPEY'S GUILTY MEN
Read it here:
sites.google.com/view/vectens...

Can you imagine #Pompey Twitter on this day in 1949? 😎

On this day in 1939 off-colour #Pompey seemed to be heading out of the FA Cup when they were a goal down to Huddersfield Town in the semi-final tie at Highbury, but two goals in the last 12 minutes (Bert Barlow, Jock Anderson) saw the Blues through to meet Wolves in the final.

On this day in 1962 #Pompey opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the Third Division by beating fellow promotion contenders Bristol City 5-0 at Fratton Park. Pompey's president, Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, was among the crowd of 20,584.

On this day in 1951 an Easter Saturday crowd of 49,716, Fratton Park's biggest of the season, saw reigning League Champions #Pompey and the successors to their crown, Tottenham Hotspur, share the spoils with a 1-1 draw. Pompey had beaten Arsenal 1-0 at Highbury 24 hours earlier.

Yes, absolutely normal. Since WW2 Pompey have played FA Cup second replays against Scunthorpe United at Arsenal (1954), Coventry City at Tottenham (1963), Hull City at Coventry (1967), and Orient at Crystal Palace (1974). In my opinion it's a pity the custom of using neutral grounds died a death.

On this day in 1965 #Pompey slipped further towards the Second Division relegation places with a 2-0 defeat at home to Ipswich Town. Following heavy rain there were three very late pitch inspections. Many fans assumed the match would be off and the attendance was a paltry 7,920.

The first match at Fratton Park was a 1-1 draw, and the replay at Highfield Road ended 2-2. In the second replay Ron Saunders gave Pompey the lead, but in a bad-tempered match Third Division Coventry stormed back to earn themselves a fifth-round tie at home to Sunderland. 2/2

On this day in 1963 #Pompey were beaten 2-1 by Coventry City in an FA Cup fourth round, second replay at White Hart Lane, watched by a crowd of 15,867. All three matches in the tie took place within six days, as football struggled to recover from the most severe winter on record. 1/2

Among those known to have applied for the Pompey manager's job were former players Harry Ferrier, Peter Harris and Bill Thompson, and current head trainer Doug Davidson. Leeds themselves were under new management, with Don Revie taking charge of the side for the first time. 2/2

On this day in 1961 relegation-bound #Pompey registered their first win in 15 matches, beating Leeds United 3-1 at Fratton Park. Off the field the club's directors were considering 35 applications for the vacant post of manager, having sacked Freddie Cox a few days earlier. 1/2

On this day in 1934 Jack Weddle scored a hat-trick as #Pompey blasted Leicester City 4-1 in an FA Cup semi-final in front of 66,544 at St Andrews. Septimus Rutherford also scored for Pompey. In the other semi-final Manchester City beat Aston Villa 6-1 at Leeds Road, Huddersfield.

Erm… can we have a definition of “hometown” please? 😎

Because Pompey’s next match is at once-proud Preston this weekend, I have deliberately NOT posted a reminder that we lost 6-1 at Deepdale on this day in 1965. 😎

Forget your Pipers, your Rogerses, your Reynoldses and your Jenningseseses, #Pompey v Plymouth Argyle is the Mickey Lill derby. 😎

On this day in 1963 #Pompey and Scunthorpe finally settled their FA Cup tie more than three months after the third round draw had paired the clubs. Pompey won 2-1 in a 10-times-postponed replay at The Old Show Ground. The first match at Fratton was drawn 1-1 after five postponements.

#OTD in 1962 a Keith Blackburn (pic) goal after only three minutes sent #Pompey on their way to a 4-0 win against Bristol City at Ashton Gate. Dave Dodson, Ron Saunders and Tony Barton were also on target as Pompey went eight points clear at the top of the Third Division.