'Bit rich after the stick Barton gave Sunderland... another kick in the teeth for fans' - Portsmouth fans react to Fleetwood match postponement

The Blues were initially pondering whether to play the League One match after Craig MacGillivray (Scotland), Ronan Curtis (Republic of Ireland) and Ross McCrorie (Scotland under-21) were all selected by their national set-ups.

But despite Kenny Jackett being keen for the game to go ahead regardless, it was a decision he didn’t have to make following a hamstring injury picked up by McCrorie and Curtis’ omission from manager Mick McCarthy’s final squad after being included in a provisional list.

Pompey opted not to play their scheduled fixture with Southend back on September 7 because of international call-ups.

Fleetwood are exercising the same right after three of their players earned selection to represent their countries.

But last month Cod Army boss Joey Barton had a go at Sunderland for cancelling their game at the Stadium of Light for the very same reason.

At the time he said: ‘If I was in their position and looked at their momentum, our momentum, their team and our team I would have done the same.

‘If Joey Barton and Fleetwood rock into town and do what we can do and what we showed last season at home and away, with a group which is nowhere near as strong as it is now, for Jack Ross, we are the last team that you want to face given their situation.

‘They have to play us at some time because you have to play everyone twice.

‘It’s smart to avoid us, because they know if they play us now there’s only one outcome.’

That stance adopted by Barton has not been forgotten by Blues fans.

And following the postponement of the Fleetwood’s game at Fratton Park on Saturday, November 16 – many Pompey supporters took to social media to express their annoyance.

Here’s a selection of the views shared on Twitter and Facebook...

Shaun Nicholls: Hold on Joey Barton was slamming Sunderland for not playing their game.