‘Honking…whoever made it needs sacking…I’ll take 5’: The bizarre Portsmouth shirt which has got everyone talking

It’s the mash-up retro shirt which is generating some forceful opinions among the Fratton Faithful.

If the aim was to get Pompey fans talking about their latest retro release, the club has certainly been successful.

Pompey retro shirt creating stir

The Blues are stepping into summer and the festival season with what has to be one of their most outlandish merchandising offerings ever, as their stop-start mash-up design finally got its release last night.

The shirt takes its inspiration from eight popular kits from down the years, with the 1987-89 South Coast Fiat shirt the centrepiece.

The yellow 97-99 away shirt is also prominent along with the 91-93 Goodmans offering while the FA Cup-winning kit, 02-03 gold third shirt, 89-91 home shirt and 83-85 and 93-95 shirts are all featured.

An earlier promotional tweet on Wednesday evening was aborted, with the link to the club’s story on their website not working.

Once these things happen, however, they can’t be unseen and the image of Pompey skipper Marlon Pack modelling the shirt was out there for people to deliver their assessments.

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Given the manner in which the design of the shirt stitches a host of the club’s most popular kits from down the years together, the views were always going to be forceful.

And that remained the case when the club did go through with the release at 7pm last night.

There was certainly a significant portion of Pompey fans wondering what was going on, with criticism for whoever thought the release was a good idea.

But perhaps a fairer, or maybe more generous, assessment would be to say the club’s first-ever mash-up offering polarised opinion, with there certainly an element suggesting they’re oddly drawn to the design.

Strong views of Pompey shirts are nothing new, with plenty of designs which were panned down the years on their release going on to become iconic.

That was certainty the case when Ty sponsored the club between 2002 and 2005, with the prospect of their heart logo being prominent ridiculed. Yet, the designs over the Division One title and early Premier League years are ones now remembered fondly.

Strong views from Pompey faithful

Here’s a selection of what Pompey fans had to say about the mash-up design on X, formerly Twitter.

Pop it back in the drafts, this is honking @Brooke_Smedley

Whoever made this needs sacking @Tomeames4

I weirdly like it @pompeyrod

Is it April 1st? @wareh4m

One of the worst things I've ever seen. Ordered. @BobbyRandom

Am i the only one that thinks this is class, bought it and the bucket hat to match. @tilleejpg

What you have in the replies is a list of people who aren't buying it. Who is the target audience here, people trying to give themselves a seizure when they look in the mirror? @pompeycrest

It’s quite shocking but kinda like it, it’s certainly unique and would stand out @Ruffy_Roy

That's absolutely disgusting. I'll take 5. @Luke313131

I’d wear it to the final game of the season as a quirky, nostalgic fancy dress kind of thing, but that is UGLY. @TomHaustead

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