by Mark Storey
They came, they saw, they shovelled.
Thanks to the efforts of more than 500 Pompey fans, the Blues have every chance of staging their Premier League fixture against Birmingham City on Saturday.
Armed with spades, shovels, brooms and wheelbarrows, supporters poured into Fratton Park on Wednesday morning to help rid the ground of snow and ice.
And they didn’t stop there: fans then moved outside the ground to clear the surrounding paths, lanes and car parks.
Royal Marines from Portsmouth, a group of soldiers from Aldershot - and even a couple of generous-spirited Southampton fans - joined in the effort.
All those who turned up are being rewarded with two free tickets for Saturday’s game.
Blues fan Eve Boom, 25, walked to Fratton Park from Southsea to help out.
“I heard the club needed people to come and clear away the snow and ice and I thought it would be fun to come along,” she said.
“I can’t believe how many people are here – it’s fantastic. I can’t afford to get to many games so it will be great to come along on Saturday.”
Keith Simms and his son Lee drove in from Cosham to help out.
Keith said: “This is tremendous - it shows how loyal Pompey fans are to the club. We’re glad to come down and lend a hand.”
Jammer Stanley and Dave Whittaker, of Havant, brought along two-year-old Coral and Cohen, 4, to help out.
Jammer said: “It’s great fun – I’ve never been by the side of the pitch before! Hopefully we can help get the match on.”
Blues head of operations Lucius Peart said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response. It was amazing to see so many people turning up with their shovels and spades.
“It’s a testament to the community spirit in this city and shows what a great bunch of fans we’ve got.”