'Top division continental opposition': Portsmouth chief confirms new Fratton Park friendly
Pompey are set to announce their August 2 opponents in the next 48 hours
‘Top division continental opposition’ have now been secured for a Fratton Park friendly, according to Andy Cullen.
And their identity is set to be revealed within the next 48 hours after contracts were signed this weekend.
The date of Saturday, August 2 has long been pencilled in for Pompey’s final pre-season game - now the opponents have also been sealed.
The Blues’ chief executive would not be drawn on naming the team to face John Mousinho’s men ahead of a scheduled official announcement early this week.
However, he has revealed the club is from a country which Pompey’s head coach has voiced a ‘preference’ for lining up against.
‘There were a few options’
Cullen told The News: ‘The opposition will be announced in the early part of this week, with the date set for Saturday, August 2.
‘It will be a continental opposition from the top division of their country. There were a few options, but this will be from a nation John showed a preference for playing against.
‘This will be a good work-out for the final match of our pre-season and we are looking forward to welcoming them to Fratton Park.’
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League One and League Two both kick-off that weekend, ruling them out as potential opposition, while many Premier League teams are involved in fixtures abroad, especially America.
Instead, the Blues have been focused on identifying prospective clubs to face across the European leagues.
Six matches in 19 days for Portsmouth
It will represent their sixth fixture of pre-season, with matches lined up against Woking (July 15), Farnborough (July 16), Crawley (July 19), Reading (July 26) and the Hawks (July 29).
These are scheduled after Pompey return from their seven-day pre-season training camp in Slovakia, which begins on Saturday (July 5).
Mousinho’s men returned to pre-season on Tuesday last week, initially for testing, before relocating to The Lensbury hotel, Teddington, on Friday for full training.
That three-day residency ended on Sunday, with training set to resume at their Hilsea-based training home - and its redeveloped pitches - from Wednesday.
‘We are in a good place’
And he is convinced the newly ‘optimum playing surface’ will maintain the excellent reputation of Pompey’s groundstaff for providing superb pitches.
He added: ‘The warm weather has really accelerated our pitch and we are in a good place.
‘In the past, it has not really been the pitch which has been the issue, it has been more about stadium work in different places making it difficult to host pre-season matches.
‘There was a later start on the pitch last season because of work on the TV gantry and with the cranes coming onto the pitch. Until they were removed, we couldn’t work on the pitch.’