Portsmouth FC v Rotherham game move should have been made sooner say supporters

THE DECISION to postpone PORTSMOUTH FC's fixture after clashing with Victorious Festival should have been made sooner according to supporters.
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The game on Saturday, August 24, had already been brought forward to a 12.30pm kick-off to reduce traffic queues but the fixture will now be rescheduled citing ‘difficulties’ in hosting two major events in Portsmouth on the same day.

Roy Gregory, chairman of the Pompey Supporters Club, says that the decision to move the game is 'understandable' given the expansion of Victorious Festival in recent years - but that the decision should have been made sooner.

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He said: 'If there was a problem then the decision should have been made when they moved the time; this leaves fans in the lurch - especially Rotherham fans who might not be able to travel to the rearranged game.

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'Victorious is always roughly the same weekend so this seems a bit late in the day. I don't have a problem with the reasons but they should have announced this sooner.'

Member for culture and city development for Portsmouth City Council,  Councillor Steve Pitt echoed the supporters.

He said: ‘It is an entirely sensible decision because the traffic for both events would cause problems. I don't think there has ever been a home game on the weekend of Victorious Festival but I guess the Football League didn’t realise that the event is roughly the same time each year.’ A new date for the Fratton Park game is not yet in place.

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A spokesman for Portsmouth FC said: ‘The club worked hard with the EFL and relevant agencies in trying to accommodate the fixture taking place on the initially scheduled day, originally bringing the kick-off time forward to 12.30pm. ‘But due to the difficulties in hosting two major events in the city on the same day – with Victorious Festival also taking place that weekend – and after safety, operational, logistical and staffing concerns were raised, there was no other option but for the club to ask the EFL to postpone the game.’