

26 superb pictures of Portsmouth fans from yesteryear queuing for tickets at Fratton Park: gallery
Remember those days when you had to take your place in the queue to get your Pompey match-day ticket?
It might be an alien concept for certain Pompey fans now, but back in the day it was common practice for supporters to head to Fratton Park in order to get their match-day tickets.
With no internet to book seats from home, no high-tech phones to download your match tickets, or no simple clicks of a button to transfer your payment to either the club or a mate, at times the only way to guarantee your place at the game was by joining a physical queue and putting up with the weather!
Some, of course, were longer than others - depending on the game in question. Yet they still required perhaps an early alarm call, a detour on your way to or home from work, or a mate or family member good enough to get in line on your behalf if work or college got in the way of the sales window opening.
A tent, sleeping back, a picnic hamper and a good-old newspaper might have been required on other occasions. And there were plenty of Blues fans prepared to do it when the need arised as they looked to be part of the Fratton faithful for these memorable games.
To salute these efforts, we've been looking through our picture archive to capture these moments. Here's 26 of our favourite snaps as Blues fans from yesteryear look to snap up Pompey tickets.

1. Pompey fans queue for tickets
Early-rising Pompey fans queue for Pompey tickets outside the old ticket office on Frogmore Road in August 2003 Photo: Michael Scaddon

2. Pompey fans queue for tickets
Fratton Park on the morning of August 5, 2003. Photo: Michael Scaddon

3. Pompey fans queue for tickets
It's understandable why Pompey fans Pete Spillett and Charlene Turrell needed a tent on May 13, 2010 - they joined the queue 14 hours before Pompey's 2010 FA Cup final tickets went on sale! Photo: Paul Jacobs

4. Pompey fans queue for tickets
From left to right, Shaun Marsh, Matt Harris and Gary Bannister queue for 2010 FA Cup final tickets Photo: Paul Jacobs