Not the top 20 League one

[StMonkton]

Interesting that you see Plymouth as a natural third tier club. I see Pompey as a natural second league side. My first Fratton game was in October 1959 in what was then the Second Division ( a 2 2 draw against Charlton by the way).

So I see next season sort of as business back to normal and a bit of relief that we’re out of a place in the pyramid,’Where we don’t belong’.

So, next season. Does a period as PNE mark2 appeal?

I don’t pay close attention to them but there are a few parallels I think. An illustrious history, a traditional but modernised ground and a natural home in the Championship. It seems to me they have had a steady recent history rarely in the limelight with no real relegation scares and no strong prospects of promotion. I haven’t checked but that’s how it feels to me.

Would we be happy with that?

[Pompey55]

Interesting that you see Plymouth as a natural third tier club. I see Pompey as a natural second league side. My first Fratton game was in October 1959 in what was then the Second Division ( a 2 2 draw against Charlton by the way).

So I see next season sort of as business back to normal and a bit of relief that we’re out of a place in the pyramid,’Where we don’t belong’.

So, next season. Does a period as PNE mark2 appeal?

I don’t pay close attention to them but there are a few parallels I think. An illustrious history, a traditional but modernised ground and a natural home in the Championship. It seems to me they have had a steady recent history rarely in the limelight with no real relegation scares and no strong prospects of promotion. I haven’t checked but that’s how it feels to me.

Would we be happy with that?

Much like yourself the majority of my time since 1966 has been following the club in what was the old first division and also agree that it's probably our natural level
Most of our glory days in the top division were before our time and realistically the majority of current fans
Personally I didn't really enjoy the premiership years as there were to many people there to see the opposition as opposed to our club
I'm not bothered about the premiership as it's very much a closed shop regarding the chances of any real success for clubs like us
I know that in the championship it's realistically about survival rather than promotion for a while but think games are populated by fans who care about the teams rather than the "experience" and that is one of my issues with the new Sky coverage not really thinking of those fans when scheduling games

[NSRailings]

I get the impression we're looking to emulate Brighton to a certain extent - be a well run club with ambition. I've no idea what the details are about Brighton's finances but they announced a profit recently.

I agree that the Premiership is a closed shop for winning things and that's very frustrating. But I'd still like to see us in it and not hanging around the Championship forever. Going to need a bigger ground though for starters.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

Interesting that you see Plymouth as a natural third tier club. I see Pompey as a natural second league side. My first Fratton game was in October 1959 in what was then the Second Division ( a 2 2 draw against Charlton by the way).

So I see next season sort of as business back to normal and a bit of relief that we’re out of a place in the pyramid,’Where we don’t belong’.

So, next season. Does a period as PNE mark2 appeal?

I don’t pay close attention to them but there are a few parallels I think. An illustrious history, a traditional but modernised ground and a natural home in the Championship. It seems to me they have had a steady recent history rarely in the limelight with no real relegation scares and no strong prospects of promotion. I haven’t checked but that’s how it feels to me.

Would we be happy with that?

Amazing at the age of 10 years, my first match was 31st October 1959 Pompey v Charlton as well. Ron Saunders & Jimmy Campbell scored the goals. Pompey had started their first season in Division Two for 32 years. When you look at this years Premier League, would you say Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Luton, Fulham & Crystal Palace are natural Top Division Teams. In 1959/60 eight teams that year are no longer in the top division. In the Second Division that year Scunthorpe are now Non League. Liverpool missed promotion to Division One and only 4 Teams were in the Premier League this season. In the Third Division that season Brentford & Bournemouth are now in the Premier League, two Clubs no longer exist, 3 are playing in the National Leagues. In the Fourth Division only Crystal Palace (who finished eighth) climbed to the Premier League. The rest are sorry tales with a number either in the National Leagues or no longer in existance. As an aside The Scum won the Third Division Championship that year and we just avoided relegation that season.

The point being, how do you (or anyone) work out what is the natural position of any Team.

[StMonkton]

That’s some coincidence. I was only seven . The reason to mention it was the thought that one’s first experience probably has a major bearing on what you view as the natural order of things which, as you mention, is a pretty subjective matter anyway.

If we’d gone the previous season would we have been more inclined to see Pompey as a first division team? Imagine how much more dispiriting the next forty odd years would have been.

I always felt my Dad, who was a teenager in 1939, spent the rest of the twentieth century waiting for former glory to return. He died just before the 2008 cup win but at least saw Pompey doing well in the top flight again.

[Blue Walter]

I suppose the size of support goes to determining where a clubs natural fit in the football pyramid. In the old 1st Division when we won the league title they would pack as many people as possible into grounds. Fratton Park would host 40-50000 crowds which would have made them a reasonably sized top division club. Then I would think potential is another indicator of where the club should be.

With our present structure I would have thought we could easily pass as an averaged sized Championship club. Too big for League One but, possibly, a small Premiership club. I would think Portsmouth has more support potential than Bournemouth, Luton and Burnley. If we had a stadium bigger than we have now I would think we would be drawing crowds along the 25000 mark.

In my view I think Portsmouth are an averaged sized Championship club.

[New Forester]

The Portsmouth catchment area should surely in theory put us either in mid Premiership or a regular place in the Championship play offs. But in reality there are many examples of population size not being correlated to a particular league. How on earth are Bradford in League2 or say, Burnley (not for long) where they are? One good thing about being a Pompey supporter in his eighties is memories of the late 40s and early 50s. But that also made it hard to stomach the wilderness years. Very happy to have been around to witness this season.

[Blue Walter]

The Portsmouth catchment area should surely in theory put us either in mid Premiership or a regular place in the Championship play offs. But in reality there are many examples of population size not being correlated to a particular league. How on earth are Bradford in League2 or say, Burnley (not for long) where they are? One good thing about being a Pompey supporter in his eighties is memories of the late 40s and early 50s. But that also made it hard to stomach the wilderness years. Very happy to have been around to witness this season.

I think it is important to mention the catchment area as I would think at least 50% of Pompey's support do not reside on Portsea Island. A lot of the support comes from Gosport, Fareham, Liegh Park, Waterlooville and Havant as well as further afield. No doubt someone will correct me on that but, in theory, there is a bigger catchment area than, say Burnley. We have our friends to the West and Brighton to the East but nothing going North. Burnley's population is smaller than that of Gosport, which has 88000 and a lot of competition from other League clubs. I know we have lost support to Southampton in my area because Saints were a Premiership team because 'we were cack'. Be great if we could turn that around, especially in my lifetime.

[Pompey55]

I know we have lost support to Southampton in my area because Saints were a Premiership team because 'we were cack'. Be great if we could turn that around

I put that down to poor parenting and any such parents should be made to take a education course at 1500 every alternate Saturday at Fratton Park with their misguided offspring

[Blue Walter]

I know we have lost support to Southampton in my area because Saints were a Premiership team because 'we were cack'. Be great if we could turn that around

I put that down to poor parenting and any such parents should be made to take a education course at 1500 every alternate Saturday at Fratton Park with their misguided offspring

While I agree with you I don't think that will happen because it's not just down to the parents. One set of my Grandchildren have a relative who is a season ticket holder at St Mary's. Their father is a Manchester United fan, who was born and bred in Gosport with no connection to Manchester, but is attracted by their 'glamour'. So they go to all three United, Saints and Pompey. Although they have a soft spot for Pompey they go to Old Trafford more than Fratton Park. My son in law has 4 tickets which is in the corporate section and he uses them for 'entertaining' clients. I have been to the Manchester derby and the Liverpool games this season and I do see the attraction for my grand kids. I regularly see a bloke who is the same age as me and I used to play football with. When he finished playing he chose to watch Saints because they had a Premiership team and he wouldn't sink low enough to watch 'the rubbish' Pompey played. If there is a god and we play Saints next season 6 points is all I would ever ask him for.

[Pompey55]

I know we have lost support to Southampton in my area because Saints were a Premiership team because 'we were cack'. Be great if we could turn that around

I put that down to poor parenting and any such parents should be made to take a education course at 1500 every alternate Saturday at Fratton Park with their misguided offspring

While I agree with you I don't think that will happen because it's not just down to the parents. One set of my Grandchildren have a relative who is a season ticket holder at St Mary's. Their father is a Manchester United fan, who was born and bred in Gosport with no connection to Manchester, but is attracted by their 'glamour'. So they go to all three United, Saints and Pompey. Although they have a soft spot for Pompey they go to Old Trafford more than Fratton Park. My son in law has 4 tickets which is in the corporate section and he uses them for 'entertaining' clients. I have been to the Manchester derby and the Liverpool games this season and I do see the attraction for my grand kids. I regularly see a bloke who is the same age as me and I used to play football with. When he finished playing he chose to watch Saints because they had a Premiership team and he wouldn't sink low enough to watch 'the rubbish' Pompey played. If there is a god and we play Saints next season 6 points is all I would ever ask him for.

I can understand the idea of people following glamour clubs I have one brother who follows West Ham and one Man United neither had any interest in Pompey
I made the tongue in cheek comment about parenting based on my own experience with my daughter
At 10 years old and just starting to take an interest in football both playing and following she asked for a Liverpool shirt for her birthday I instead enrolled her in the young blues and purchased a Pompey top plus her first home ticket with the comment try this first
This was during the FA semi-final year she was hooked from the first game and had her first season ticket the following year and is still a season ticket holder now plus one for her son
My granddaughter start as a season ticket holder post covid and has travelled to most away matches with me for the last 2 seasons plus her younger brother is now joining us at Fratton
I don't think it's the level of football that matters to me it's heritage and I know very few people who follow other teams once they sample the Fratton atmosphere

[NSRailings]

The Portsmouth catchment area should surely in theory put us either in mid Premiership or a regular place in the Championship play offs. But in reality there are many examples of population size not being correlated to a particular league. How on earth are Bradford in League2 or say, Burnley (not for long) where they are? One good thing about being a Pompey supporter in his eighties is memories of the late 40s and early 50s. But that also made it hard to stomach the wilderness years. Very happy to have been around to witness this season.

Am sure the Eisners will be aiming to get us as high as possible in a sustainable way. The club has potential to be mid-Premiership as you say. I certainly don't want to be hanging around the Championship forever, but realise patience is needed.

The Championship is full of big clubs and I can't wait for next season. But I don't want to Pompey to become a Blackburn or QPR, for example.

[Blue Walter]

I don't disagree with you Mr 55 and I did realise your parenting comment was tongue in cheek. Both my other granddaughters come with me to Fratton Park when they can and love the experience. Their father is an Aston Villa fan but, although he was born in Gosport, his family for generations came from the Aston area of Birmingham so that is forgivable.