The Opposition – Portsmouth

Portsmouth were promoted to the Premiership in 2003, they qualified for the UEFA Cup for the 2008/09 season after winning the FA Cup against Cardiff but failed to progress from the group stage.

But this season, they have been the Premiership’s crisis club. They were rooted to the foot of the table after a run of seven successive defeats, including a 1-0 loss at home to City and are still at the bottom and face the very real possibility of relegation.

Ownership of Portsmouth have swapped hands twice month but the club have still been late paying the players wages on three separate occasions and HMRC have presented a petition to the High Court of Justice for the club to be wound up. The Premier League also slapped a transfer embargo on the club but that has been lifted but only to allow free or loan signings.

There have also been claims that players are being sold behind the back of Peter Storrie and Avram Grant as reports suggest the Chief Executive and team manager know nothing of the negotiations with Spurs regarding the transfers of Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic.

Manager – Avram Grant

 

Former Chelsea boss Grant took over as manager at Fratton Park following the sacking of Paul Hart but has failed to get Pompey off the bottom of the table. Rumours are he will leave Portsmouth following Sunday’s game at Eastlands over players allegedly being sold without his knowledge.

Ground – Fratton Park

 

Fratton Park has been Portsmouth’s ground since 1898 and has a current capacity of 20, 224.

Other Portsmouth Facts

 

Portsmouth were founded in 1898 and Fratton Park has been their only home.

Southampton are Portsmouth’s main rivals but the two are currently separated by two divisions. The two have been drawn together in the FA Cup fifth round.

They have won the FA Cup on two occasions; 1939 and 2008.

City and Portsmouth have done business together over the years. David James and Sylvain Distin left City for Pompey in 2006 and Tal Ben Haim also moved south during the summer of 2009. In 1994 City signed Paul Walsh from Portsmouth for £750,000 but in 1995, he returned south in exchange for Gerry Creaney. Also in 1995, City signed Kit Symons from Portsmouth for £1.2m.

But arguably, the worst piece of business between the two sides was the 1997 transfer of Lee Bradbury to Maine Road. A £3m move resulted in just 10 goals and ‘Lee Badbuy’ as he was nicknamed, was sold a year later.