Pompey fan's fury after Sky snaffles his play-off seat

Furious Gerry Bryant has been a regular at Fratton Park and has followed the club’s rise and fall from the top flight from the same seat at Fratton End for 43 years.

He had been looking forward to cheering on The Blues during the crucial first leg play-off of their semi-final against Plymouth tomorrow evening – until he was told his seat was unavailable because Sky was placing a TV camera there instead.

The move by the broadcaster has affected at least nine other season ticket holders in the Fratton End.

Pompey say the decision was forced upon the club and that they have offered the affected fans new seats.

But it’s an offer that sound engineer Gerry has rejected.

‘I’m incensed by it all,’ said the 51-year-old, who grew up in Henley Road, Southsea.

‘I’ve been coming to Fratton Park since 1972 and I’ve been a season ticket holder for years.

‘This is easily the biggest game for us since the FA Cup in 2010 – all we have done since then is lose.

‘So it’s very disappointing that I can’t go. I don’t want to be in some other seat.

‘Honestly I feel so let down by it all. It’s just disgusting how we have been treated.’

A spokesman for the club explained Sky did not want to leave a static camera on the gantry at Fratton Park.

Instead, the broadcaster wants to use a camera operator positioned on a platform – which is taking up a number of seats in the stands.

A spokesman for Portsmouth FC said there was nothing the club could do about the camera’s positioning.

He added: ‘There have been a number of fans who have been affected by the fact that Sky need to put a camera in the Fratton End.

‘As a club, we are contractually obliged to make this camera position available. We offered all the supporters affected an alternative seat.

‘Obviously we understand their frustrations but there is literally nothing else we can do as a football club – our hands are tied.

‘As a club we have done out upmost to accommodate those fans who have been inconvenienced.’