Many of those whose careers brought them to Fratton Park have developed a life-long affection for the Blues and life on the south coast.
So here, in the words of 12 people, is why Pompey holds so much affection for those who have spent time on the south coast...
1. Harry Redknapp
Without doubt, Pompey was the best time of my life, I absolutely loved it there. The rats running about the changing rooms in the early days, Linvoy Primus making the Fratton Park boot room into a prayer room, big Kev McCormack doing the kit moaning about everything and being my golf partner taking on Jim Smith and Kevin Bond, the Harry & Jim song, my friendship with Milan, the favourite chairman of my career, and the last day of the title season at Bradford City. Nowhere else did I have the feeling I had at Pompey, I can’t remember having a bad day there, it was all up, up, up. Okay, when I came back for a second spell we had a couple of iffy results, but, in the main, it was a fun time. (Harry Redknapp, Played Up Pompey Four, 2024) Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
2. Erik Huseklepp
I went into Michael Appleton’s office and he told me Birmingham wanted me on loan, but I really hoped he would then say ‘But I want you to stay’. Had I the chance, I would have stayed at Pompey. Appleton was the reason I left - and Birmingham didn’t go too well. I didn’t play as well as I hoped I would, I was not too happy with my performances at Birmingham, I can admit that. I was a lot more satisfied with the road I was starting on with Pompey. At Birmingham you felt there was more than one club in the city and the atmosphere in the games was not as good as Pompey. I have to be honest. Pompey was a much better place for me than Birmingham. (Erik Huseklepp, The News, June 2024) Photo: Allan Hutchings
3. Teddy Sheringham
Pompey handed me the chance to stay in the Premier League at a club which wanted to go places - and it was fantastic playing in front of those very, very vocal supporters. When you’re at bigger clubs, there’s an expectation to beat teams, yet with a newly-promoted club you’re fighting for everything, it’s exciting, it’s adventurous, it’s unpredictable. That’s how it was at Pompey in that one season and I really enjoyed it. Playing football for a living in the Premier League. Wow. (Teddy Sheringham, Played Up Pompey Four, 2024) Photo: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
4. Paul Hall
I was happy at Pompey, living in Hilsea with my girlfriend at the time. It's a lovely part of the world, sunshine, great friends, this is where I spent my most successful years as a footballer. I didn’t want to go. Coventry were in the Premier League under Gordon Strachan and had just finished 11th, but it was almost a step back. Their fans were good, but not as connected as Pompey, which is a real family club. Put it this way, my career didn’t go the way it should have gone with the Sky Blues, probably because my heart was still at Pompey, I wanted to come back, I was homesick. If you look at my Coventry career, I didn’t really have one, that wasn’t because I wasn’t good enough, I knew I was, I’d played in the World Cup finals, in the Championship - but it wasn’t Pompey. I was emotionally invested in the club and remain a Pompey supporter even now. They were the greatest days of my football career. (Paul Hall, Played Up Pompey Four, 2024) Photo: Laurence Griffiths