How have Pompey fared in their first fixtures?
Pompey will look to get the 2016/17 campaign off to a bright start by beating Carlisle at Fratton Park on August 6.
But they do not exactly have a stellar opening day record in recent history.
Last season’s 3-0 victory over Dagenham – courtesy of goals from Kyle Bennett (2) and Gareth Evans – will be fondly remembered.
However, that is the only time in the past 10 years that they have collected three points in the first fixture.
You have to go all the way back to 2006 to find the previous triumph, with debutant Kanu’s brace securing a 3-0 defeat of Blackburn.
Sandwiched between those two wins are draws with Derby, Middlesbrough, Bournemouth and Exeter, as well as defeats to Chelsea, Fulham, Coventry and Oxford.
The latter was a party-pooping 4-1 reverse at Fratton Park in 2013, ensuring that the Blues’ bright new era got off to an inauspicious start.
There have been opening day delights if you go further back in Pompey’s history, though.
Goals from Teddy Sheringham and Patrik Berger saw off Aston Villa in the first ever Premier League clash.
Nottingham Forest were comfortably dispatched 12 months earlier, setting the template for a memorable promotion campaign.
And the final decade of the 20th century included victories over Notts County (1994), Southend (1995) and Sheffield United (1999).
But there are probably not many around who remember Pompey beginning their Football League adventure against Swansea Town.
That took place on August 28 1920, with Frank Stringfellow, James Reid and William James all finding the target in a 3-0 Blues triumph.