Thank you for attending this evening’s top-of-the-table Sky Bet League One fixture. We welcome our visitors Derby County for what should be a compelling game, played out in front of the Sky Sports cameras and another sell-out Fratton Park crowd.
Both sides enjoyed wins on Good Friday. We were able to build on that magnificent, hard-fought victory at Peterborough, defeating another of the in-form League One teams at Wycombe. Congratulations to Lee Evans, who made his Pompey debut at Adams Park and whose experience as a three-time promotion winner will be invaluable as we enter the final six games of the season.
Paddy Lane and Kusini Yengi both returned safely from international action last week. Paddy started for Northern Ireland in their 1-1 draw with Romania in Bucharest, while Kusini scored his first goal for Australia in their 5-0 victory over Lebanon. I know how much those special moments will mean to them and we are very proud of both.
Another player to be recognised was our skipper Marlon Pack, who collected the EFL Player in the Community award for League One. He was honoured for his regular and dedicated support for the wider Portsmouth area, where of course he grew up. The judges were impressed by Marlon’s commitment to fan engagement, his coaching in the community (including the academy team in his spare time) and his one-on-one involvement with several fans in need of support and special treatment. This work was celebrated at the House of Commons last Tuesday and he will receive his trophy at the EFL Awards in London on Sunday, April 14.
On a broader community note, this evening’s match is dedicated to Pompey in the Community and all the great work that Clare Martin and her fantastic team deliver across so many eclectic projects throughout the city. They will be bucket collecting outside the ground, so please support the charity to continue to inspire, motivate and support every generation from a diverse range of backgrounds. You will have seen that today’s programme cover features the winning design from a competition entered by primary schools across Portsmouth. Congratulations to Amelia May, whose great drawing neatly – and timely – features Friday’s two-goal hero Colby Bishop.
Elsewhere, it was another busy week with the release of the club’s accounts for 2022/23. The figures confirmed another loss, this time of £2.9 million after depreciation and amortisation. The club remains debt free, with the accounts confirming that Tornante’s investment into Portsmouth Football Club has now reached £35 million. We are thrilled that Michael, Jane, Breck, Eric and Anders Eisner are all with us for tonight’s match – the team of players and staff across every department are determined to deliver the success that the support and commitment of Michael and his family rightly deserves. My thanks as well to our chief operating officer Tony Brown and Simon Colebrook from the PST, who have worked together to present all the financial gobbledygook in an easily digestible format for our supporters.
Our women’s team drew away to MK Dons at the weekend. The result means they need just four points from the final three games to clinch the title and promotion to the Championship. They can take a massive step towards that target when Plymouth visit Westleigh Park on Sunday. It would be brilliant to have a big crowd to support them in their quest to put the seal on an incredible season, which has seen 17 matches won out of 19 and 70 goals scored. Tickets can be bought from the eticketing site now.
This week also sees the academy travel to Fleetlands, managed by Steve Claridge, in the quarter-finals of the Portsmouth Cup. The tie takes place on Thursday, kicking-off at 7.45pm. Our under-18s will also take on Preston at Fratton Park on Wednesday, April 10 (7pm kick-off) in the final of the Youth Alliance Cup. Tickets are on sale in the South Stand, priced at £5 for adults and £1 for juniors. Your support towards their pursuit of silverware would be much appreciated by everyone involved with the academy.
I am looking forward to attending the Hall of Fame dinner in the Victory Lounge on Friday, which will see new inductees from both our men’s and women’s teams. The evening also affords an opportunity to reflect on 125 years of Pompey and I hope everyone who has booked tickets enjoys a memorable evening. Finally, and reflecting further on our rich heritage, I am grateful to the PST, who today unveil a new mural on the side of the Pompey Store. This commemorates Blues heroes who have been voted by the fans. Like everyone, I am excited to see the final artwork.
Thank you for your support this evening. We are back here on Saturday for the visit of Shrewsbury and also a reminder that our rearranged home fixture with Barnsley has been confirmed for Tuesday, April 16.
Enjoy the game and PUP!
Andrew Cullen
CEO
