HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy carrier ‘proud to be Pompey’ and reveals support for Portsmouth F.C.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently at home in Portsmouth following a deployment to the United States for Westlant18 at the tail end of last year. 

And on her official social media the Royal Navy aircraft carrier revealed her support for her hometown football team. 

Responding to Pompey’s director Eric Eisner who tweeted ‘#PROUDTOBEPOMPEY’ yesterday, the ship’s official account said: ‘As are we. #PlayUpPompey #Portsmouth #Home.' 

Play Up Pompey, often shortened too #PUP on social media, comes from the song ‘The Chimes’ which dates back to the late 19th Century. 

One of the city’s first football clubs he Royal Artillery Portsmouth club used to play their games at Burnaby Road and the chimes from the Guildhall clock could be heard from the ground.

The words were printed in the 1900-01 Official Handbook of Portsmouth FC as:

‘Play up Pompey,

Just one more goal!

‘Make tracks!

‘What ho!

‘Hallo! Hallo!!’ 

In the modern era the chant has evolved to be simply ‘Play Up Pompey, Pompey Play Up’. 

While she is currently at home in Portsmouth, HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to return to the U.S. later this year the Royal Navy confirmed to The News for further operational tests with the F-35B lightening jets. 

2019 will also see the aircraft carrier sail back up to Scotland to the dry dock in Rosyth in the summer. 

She will head back to the place where she was assembled for her first set of major stint of maintenance work. 

The dry dock in Rosyth is where HMS Queen Elizabeth's sister ship HMS Prince of Wales is currently being finished ahead of sea trials which are set to take place this year.