Loyal Fratton faithful set to smash last year's Portsmouth season-ticket tally

Despite the disappointment of losing in the play-off semi-finals to Sunderland, price increases and so far lack of big-money summer acquisitions, fans have stepped up their backing.

Last term saw 14,011 season tickets snapped up by the Fratton faithful.

Following Friday’s end to the early bird period, sales for the 2019-20 campaign have almost reached 14,000.

That landmark is expected to be smashed from Wednesday, when remaining seats go on general sale.

It’s a remarkable show of support for a club which continues to play outside the Championship, yet whose season-ticket tallies once again soar.

To put current figures into context, Pompey’s final Premier League campaign a decade ago attracted 12,200 season-ticket holders.

That was in 2009-10, a year which concluded with relegation and an FA Cup final defeat against Chelsea.

For four-successive campaigns now, that figure has been comfortably eclipsed, despite the club featuring in League Two, followed by three campaigns in League One.

In fact, the 2017-18 season, signifying Kenny Jackett’s first and Pompey’s return to League One action, sold a staggering 14,595 tickets.

That’s the highest number for 11 seasons – and will also be in Blues sights this term.

During the last four years, figures read 12,400 (2016-17), 14,595 (2017-18), 14,011 (2018-19) plus the forthcoming season, which is approaching more than 14,000.

Season-ticket tallies before the 2009-10 campaign remain sketchy and generally have not been made public, if records even exist.

Fratton Park last season operated at 92.65 per cent of capacity (19,669), with an 18,223 average league attendance.