Pompey Promotion: I witnessed my club winning League One and it's one of the happiest moments of my life

As I joined the other supporters in spilling onto the pitch at full-time, I didn’t know what to do or say. I could have laughed, cried, chanted every song under the sun, cheer until my lungs gave out, but in the end, I just looked around and soaked it all in.

After seasons of being so close and yet so far, the club I have loved since I was a child have finally done what I thought was becoming a pipedream - and what a way to do it. The Pompey way, never easy or straight forward. I’m still in shock at how they did it.

Barnsley caused them so many problems in the wide areas with the high press, and when John McAtee scored an excellent goal after a mazy run from Nicky Cadden, I thought for a moment it was gone. But only for a moment. This Portsmouth team side are special, and have shown so many times this season that they shouldn’t be counted out.

Once Christian Saydee was brought down and Colby Bishop tucked away his penalty to make it 2-2, it just felt like it was bound to happen. Another late goal, and another bit of magic - almost as if it was written.

As soon as Connor Shaughnessy’s header hit the back of the net, I was on cloud nine. The final whistle blew before I knew it, and the moment was complete. The party kept going well into the night- those in Albert Road and Palmerston Road would know - and it is something that will live long in the memory. I could never picture Pompey getting promoted, probably due to previous false dawns, but it was better than I could have imagined. The smiling faces, tears, chants, embraces, singing, will all stay with me.

Growing up in York and mostly supporting the team from afar, I had experienced a lot from a distance; travelling to any away game I could but not being at Fratton Park all too often. The Premier League years, the FA Cup glory, the time where the club nearly ceased to exist, the resurgence under the supporters trust in League Two, and the ups and downs of seven seasons in League One. it was a lot to take in - especially with having a season ticket for the last two years.

This though feels like turning the page on a new and exciting chapter. Countless discussions will be had on the whether the side can succeed in the Championship, but that’s for another time. I’m just so happy they finally did it.

The Pompey players and staff deserve this moment. All the hard work and dedication has paid off, and the club are at their historic level again. So many players came in and faced doubts and were written off before even kicking a ball. Now they have marked their names in history.

John Mousinho and Rich Hughes were branded as a risky experiment when they took charge, but now their appointments are a stroke of genius. The Eisner’s have put millions into the facilities and other aspects of the club since their arrival in 2017, but the performances and success on the pitch hadn’t matched their words for a time. Now that path is finally being crossed, and a brighter future for the club could lie ahead.

For me, I’ll keep supporting my club through thick and thin - just like my family and countless others have over the decades. As captain Marlon Pack said in Drift to a buoyant crowd, there is so much more the players can achieve together with the fans alongside them. I’ll be supporting them throughout.