Portsmouth to create wall of noise at Charlton as 3,100 away tickets are sold out

Any Pompey fan without a ticket for Saturday’s much-anticipated trip to Charlton is set for disappointment.

The Blues have been allocated 3,100 entries for game at the Valley - a match that has taken on extra significance following former Southampton boss Nathan Jones’ recent appointment as Addicks manager.

But that batch has sold out, ensuring a wall of Pompey noise is guaranteed from the Jimmy Seed Stand that houses away supporters. Meanwhile, Charlton have announced that tickets for the home end are now on restricted sale, denying anyone of a Blues persuasion from sitting among the Addicks faithful. Only supporters who are already registered on the club's ticketing system will now be able to purchase tickets. 

The game is the latest test for table-topping Pompey, whose focus is on delivering the League One title at the end of the season. Coupled with a trip to The Valley in south-east London being among the shortest away journeys for Blues fans, it’s understandable that this match has attracted a lot of interest among the Fratton faithful.

John Mousinho’s side currently sit at the summit with a six-point advantage over their nearest rival, Derby, with just 12 games remaining. The promotion-chasing pack all have matches in hand, but only Bolton - who are nine points further back with three less games played - can overtake the Blues. Even then, any potential gap, if Wanderers were to win all three matches, would come down to goal difference.

Charlton did Mousinho & Co a favour last Saturday, when they held Ian Evatt’s side to a surprise 3-3 draw at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. Jones, who endured a miserable spell during his time in charge of Southampton, is yet to win following his February 4 switch to The Valley. However, he’ll be encouraged by what he witnessed against Bolton after seeing his troops take the lead three times against their hosts. Jones will also be heartened with Charlton’s recent record against Pompey, with the Addicks losing just one of their past 10 games against the Blues. Pompey are also without a win in their past four visits to SE7.

Despite that, Mousinho’s side have the second-best away record in the division this season, thanks to 10 wins and five draws from their 17 games played. Meanwhile, with Saturday’s away following set to be their biggest of the campaign, they’ll have plenty of support to draw upon against a Charlton outfit sitting just one point above the relegation zone in 20th and without a home win since November 28.