Opinion: Potential Portsmouth promotion with no fans? No thanks

The latest thinking from the Football League is that the 2019-20 season can be finished in 56 days.
Pompey fans celebrate on the Fratton Park pitch after the 2017 League Two title was clinched on the final day of the season.  Picture: Harry Murphy/Getty ImagesPompey fans celebrate on the Fratton Park pitch after the 2017 League Two title was clinched on the final day of the season.  Picture: Harry Murphy/Getty Images
Pompey fans celebrate on the Fratton Park pitch after the 2017 League Two title was clinched on the final day of the season. Picture: Harry Murphy/Getty Images

That seems a reasonable estimate, although at this stage it is still dependent on restrictions on gatherings being lifted to the extent that you will actually be allowed to have 25 chaps in and around the same football pitch for 90 minutes and their respective dressing rooms before and after.

But the league’s plan to finish what we’ve started – ie, the season – comes with a caveat: it is likely to have to be done in empty stadiums.

I can understand the thinking.

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If you can get games played and bring various divisions to their natural conclusions rather than write it all off or use points per game to calculate final standings, that has to be a good thing.

Equally if it can only be done at a time when large gatherings are still not allowed, I can see that too.

But I am really not sure how I feel about the prospect of Pompey winning promotion with no-one there to see it.

I think, if it comes to pass that the season is finished in the way the Football League currently foresee, I will be wanting Pompey to finish seventh and not have to get involved in behind-closed-doors play-offs or promotion celebrations in front of no-one.

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Think back to any Pompey promotions you remember. For me that’s 1983, 1987, 2003 and 2017.

What do you remember most about the act of clinching promotion? In my case it's the scenes that followed the deed being done – the pitch invasions, the fans hugging each other, the bus tours and gatherings at the Guildhall and Southsea Common.

Somehow promotion without any of the accompanying merriment wouldn’t feel like promotion, though I suspect I am perhaps in a minority with this outlook.

Of course there is every chance Pompey wouldn't go up anyway. This is the Blues we’re talking about and our form in the final couple of games before shutdown wasn't great.

There will be fans willing Pompey to get over the line if the season ends in front of empty stands.

Me? I’ll be hoping we can do it properly next year and celebrate in style.

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