Portsmouth 1 Watford 0: Neil Allen's verdict - Not relegated. Period. Michael Eisner's bold prophesy is fulfilled

Elsewhere, other critics of Pompey’s owners leapt upon the November declaration, sensing a prized opportunity to rain down a few punches unopposed.

‘Let me just say at the start, we are not going to be relegated. Period,’ the Blues chairman had proclaimed during a 10-minute video address to Portsmouth Supporters’ Club members.

At the time, John Mousinho’s men were rooted to the foot of the Championship, five points adrift from safety with a significantly inferior goal difference, having lost 1-0 at Plymouth the previous night.

The likelihood is even had Eisner failed to demonstrate such gushing positivity, he would still have been damned for not backing his head coach. As it was, his words designed to reassure looked hugely over-optimistic.

So it was appropriate that the 83-year-old was present at Fratton Park on Easter Monday to witness his upbeat prophecy come to glorious fruition. Remarkably, with two games to spare.

A 1-0 triumph over Watford took the Blues to 52 points. Crucially, it means Plymouth, Cardiff and at least one of Hull and Derby - who lock horns on Saturday - are now unable to catch them.

Eisner had flown into Norwich airport from his California home on Good Friday to attend Pompey’s Easter programme. He left Fratton Park for the return trip having witnessed the Blues secure Championship safety.

With five wins and a draw from the six Pompey matches he has attended in person this season, spread over three visits, the chairman has proven quite the lucky omen. As well as demonstrating an uncanny ability for predicting the future.

Invariably - and not unreasonably - many want Tornante to ramp up their investment in the team. While the Academy has not matched their Guildhall vision. Those aside, their appointments of Rich Hughes and John Mousinho have proven master stokes.

Only the naive would suggest Michael Eisner had no involvement in the arrivals of both. As a hands-on owner, there has been absolutely no relinquishment of responsibility in favour of empowering his employees. It’s not his style.

Hughes and Mousinho were paired together at Fratton Park in January 2023, with Pompey 15th in League One, nine points ahead of the relegation zone and without a win in 10 league fixtures.

Now the club have booked a second successive season in the Championship, in addition to previously claiming the League One title. It has been a remarkable 27 months.

Built upon excellent recruitment and outstanding coaching, rather than heavy spending and big-name arrivals, the duo are masterminding a memorable era on the south coast, providing a new generation of Pompey fans with heroes and idols.

In recent times, the club’s Hall of Fame has opted to reduce its annual induction of living players to one, with genuine contenders beginning to dwindle. They may now want to open the doors a little wider in future years.

Fitting then that Colby Bishop would be the match winner against Watford with his 56th goal in 130 appearances, putting him on target to finish as the Blues’ top scorer for a third consecutive campaign.

The decisive moment arrived in the 25th minute when Egil Selvik spilled Josh Murphy’s left-wing cross, with Bishop pouncing with a diving header which the keeper then pushed out.

However, the Watford man only succeeded in diverting it onto the head of the grounded Pompey striker - and the former Accrington man had collected his fourth goal over Easter.

Mousinho’s men were subsequently boosted by the Hornets being reduced to 10 men on 57 minutes when defender Kevin Keben clumsily brought Murphy down after the winger had dispossessed him as last man.

Yet, as ever, the outcome still wasn’t straightforward, particularly with 10 minutes of time added-on to negotiate amid escalating tension during the final moments.

Nonetheless, Pompey held on to register a precious victory, remarkably their 11th over the previous 16 home matches, an outstanding run consisting of just two defeats.

Impressively, since the Blues opened 2025 with a 4-0 success over Swansea at Fratton Park, only seven clubs have amassed more points during the second half of the Championship campaign.

This from a side which took until mid-October to register their first league triumph - arriving at QPR - while spent October, November and December bottom of the table and apparently heading for an instant League One return.

It has been spearheaded by a rookie manager plucked from Oxford United where he served as player/set-piece coach and Forest Green Rovers’ director of football who had previously turned down the Blues.

Irrespective of those footballing backgrounds derided by some, the pair continue to flourish at Fratton Park, with a second season in the Championship already booked with almost fortnight of the campaign remaining.

Pompey are not going to be relegated. Period.

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