Temporary iFollow failure sees Portsmouth fans tune into Sunderland v Bristol Rovers before normal service is resumed

And that added to a frustrating day for the Fratton faithful, who witnessed Kenny Jackett’s side labour to a goalless draw against Shrewsbury.

With match days continuing to be played behind closed doors because of coronavirus, the live streaming service is the only way fans can watch their side at present.

At a cost of £10 per game, supporters can tune in to ensure they don’t miss a single bit of action as they continue to be locked out of games.

However, on day one of the new league campaign, a glitch in the system meant keen observers weren’t able to watch proceedings as they would have liked.

Instead, shortly after kick-off at Fratton Park, the stream started broadcasting live developments from the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland were taking on Bristol Rovers.

It prompted Pompey to announce on Twitter that ‘they were aware of an issue’ and were ‘working with the EFL to resolve it’.

That was at 3.05pm – just five minutes into the action.

SUBSCRIBE today for the latest Pompey updates

And true to their word, normal service was soon restored, allowing the Fratton faithful to get back to the game.

Luckily, they didn’t miss too much, with the match remaining goalless while service was lost.

And it unfortunately remained that way for the remainder of the afternoon as Jackett’s side failed to break the deadlock against Sam Rickett’s side.

There was plenty of disappointment expressed on social media regarding the goalless draw.

But before all that kicked off, Twitter was active as fans expressed their iFollow frustration.

‘@JAudley89 said: As much as it’s funny to see Sunderland concede as early goal, much rather watch the #Pompey game! £10... worth every penny!’

@Chef_Tommy_B commented: ‘Shocker. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good experience using it (iFollow).

Another £10 wasted and I’m pretty sure I didn’t receive a refund for it from last season yet. Least I saw the Sunderland penalty though.

@ByngSam added: ‘Can’t acccept EFL apologies. Terrible service, had so long to work on a good product but time and time again it doesn’t work.’

Meanwhile, @MrPoos said: ‘What a joke... pay to watch Pompey game and end up with Sunderland match.... refund please!!!’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The News has launched a new subscription offer which gives you unlimited access to all of our Pompey coverage.

You can subscribe here to get the latest updates from Fratton Park, transfer news and expert analysis from our team of Pompey writers.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism on your behalf for our city.