Pompey sell 130 tickets for Checkatrade Trophy

Seats for the October 4 fixture have been made available to season ticket holders and shareholders for the past week.

From tomorrow, tickets will go on general sale – although the take-up is anticipated to remain low.

The Blues’ ticket office is reporting 130 tickets have so far been purchased by home supporters.

They will solely be housed in the South Stand, with the Fratton End and North Stand closed for the cup encounter.

In addition, Reading have been allocated 100 seats for the Milton End, while 60 have been set aside for sponsors.

It ensures the little-regarded fixture is heading for the lowest crowd in the post-war history of Fratton Park.

In comparison, there was an attendance of 16,262 against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, of which 480 were away fans.

The expected meagre turnout against Reading under-23s will not upset Pompey, who remain long-standing critics of the revamped Checkatrade Trophy.

Besides, operating with two Fratton Park stands have helped adjust costs accordingly as they seek to avoid attracting a loss on the match.

SOS Pompey have also voiced strong criticism of the competition, which is struggling to capture the imagination of fans across the country.

The supporter group have advocated fans buying tickets, yet then walking out of the ground early on.

The Blues’ lowest Fratton post-war attendance was on August 31, 1993, against Bristol City.

A crowd of 2,318 turned out for the Anglo-Italian Cup match.

Pompey won 3-1 that evening, with Chris Burns, Ray Daniel and substitute Darryl Powell the scorers after the hosts had fallen behind.

Pompey’s five smallest crowds on home turf involve only cup competitions, with the Anglo-Italian Cup accounting for three of them.

The Blues’ second-lowest crowd was the December 1992 visit of Lucchese, with 2,363 present.

In December 1989, the Zenith Data Systems Cup visit of Wimbledon attracted 2,499 supporters.

Seats for the October 4 match are priced £7 for adults, £4 for seniors (62+) and young persons (18-22), and £1 for juniors (17 and under).