Pompey boss lauds Pompey travelling faithful

More than 6,000 supporters are expected to pack the away end for tomorrow’s visit to MK Dons.

It represents the Blues’ highest travelling crowd in recent times, comfortably outstripping the 4,366 at Meadow Lane last season.

On that occasion Pompey had the opportunity to clinch promotion, driving up visiting numbers.

However, tomorrow’s encounter is nothing more than ninth-placed Pompey against the struggling hosts.

The record away attendance at Stadium MK was in March 2014, when title-chasing Wolves took 8,800 there.

Kenny Jackett was manager of the then-League One side at that time – now he’s taking his Blues side to Milton Keynes.

He said: ‘It is a fantastic effort from Pompey and massively helps you, definitely.

‘Any support you get you appreciate and the Portsmouth support at our particular level is exceptional – and that amount of people at MK is exceptional.

‘It is appreciated and makes all of us internally determined to get them right behind us.

‘I have been constantly updated on how tickets have been sold, hearing it during one or two afternoons a week either at the ground or speaking to the guys at the club.

‘It’s a great game to play in and, as manager, I am very thankful for the support we’ve got going up there.

‘We want to put on a performance and a show that warrants that and, most importantly, get the crowd behind us.

‘We feel if we perform right the crowd will drive us on to the result we want – and we’re really looking forward to the occasion.’

Brighton took 7,000 to MK Dons for their Championship clash in March 2016 – more than three times their allocation.

Last month’s FA Cup clash with Coventry saw the Sky Blues sell-out their 7,883 tickets, with the away support rewarded with a 1-0 win.

Pompey’s sole previous visit to Stadium MK was in October 2012, when Izale McLeod and Gabor Gyepes netted for Michael Appleton’s team in a 2-2 draw.

But no official visiting crowd was released in the overall attendance of 10,409.

The Blues’ highest away attendance previously during the current campaign was 3,870 at Charlton in December.