Five of the most nail-biting conclusions to a season in Portsmouth's history

Pompey are currently two points off the automatic promotion spots in League One with the season suspended.
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If the season doesn’t resume it could mean the Blues missing out on the Championship by a narrow margin.

The points per game approach has Kenny Jackett’s men losing out by just 0.021 of a goal, with none of of the other models resulting in them going up.

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That’s awoken memories of some other infamous seasons where Pompey just lost out in the final shake-up - along with some classic campaigns where glory was delivered by a hair’s breadth. Here’s five of the most renowned examples

1926-27 Division Two promotion

You are unlikely to see promotion decided by such a narrow margin as this campaign ever again.

Pompey were aiming to make the top flight and were vying for second spot with Manchester City going into the final day.

City’s game kicked off first and things weren’t looking good when they annihilated Bradford 8-0! Pompey responded by racing into a 4-1 lead against Preston, but needed one more goal to get the job done - with Billy ‘Farmer’s Boy’ Haines obliging late on to see promotion sealed on goal average by just 0.006 of a goal!

Pompey celebrate in 2017Pompey celebrate in 2017
Pompey celebrate in 2017

1949-1950 Division One title

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Pompey went into the 1949-50 campaign looking to become the best team in England for the second successive season.

The battle with Wolves went to the final day with both sides knowing they needed to win - and win well.

It wasn’t looking good for Bob Jackson’s side, despite leading 2-0 at the break against Aston Villa – with Wolves winning 5-0 against Birmingham. But the goals flowed at Fratton after the restart with the game finishing 5-1 and Wolves winning 6-1.

That meant both teams finished on 53 points, but with Pompey’s goal average 1.947 and their rival’s 1.551, the Blues were the kings of England by a 0.396 margin.

1984-85 Division Two

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Pompey’s first season under Alan Ball ended with promotion being missed in gut-wrenching fashion on the final day at Huddersfield.

Again it was Manchester City who were rivalling the Blues, but this time it went their way.

Despite a wonder goal from Kevin O’Callaghan and a 2-0 win at Leeds Road, City’s 5-1 battering of Charlton at Maine Road meant they went up with a superior goal difference by a seven-goal margin after both teams finished on 74 points.

Pompey missed out by one place the following season before Bally’s Gremlins returned to the top-flight promised land at the third time of asking.

1992-93 First Division

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Jim Smith’s team of gallant young bucks had missed out on Wembley by the agonising margin of a penalty shootout defeat to Liverpool in 1992 - and it was another incredible hard-luck story as one goal separated them the next term from promoted West Ham.

Pompey took on Grimsby at Fratton Park while the Hammers welcomed struggling Cambridge to Upton Park, with both sides on 85 points.

The Blues’ 2-1 win was bettered by Harry Redknapp’s 2-0 success thanks to a late Clive Allen goal, and, with goals scored deciding who went up instead of goal difference, it meant the Londoners reached the Premier League after scoring 81 goals to Pompey’s 80.

2016-17 League Two title

They say timing is everything - and Paul Cook’s men underlined that truth with their dramatic late charge to the League Two summit.

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Pompey had not been top all season but went up with the title on the final day in exultant scenes at Fratton Park, with a 6-1 battering of Cheltenham.

Still, it was far from straightforward with Doncaster, Plymouth and the Blues all going into the final day with a chance of lifting the silverware and Cook’s side in third place.

Grimbsy’s early lead against Plymouth put the Pilgrims on the back foot, with Pompey 1-0 up after 13 minutes to put them in the driving seat.

That changed after 31 minutes with Andy Williams’ goal for Donny at Hartlepool, but two Devante Rodney strikes turned the face of the game at the Victoria Ground.

Plymouth levelled but as the goals flowed at PO4 it meant Pompey were champions after being top for a total of 34 minutes all season!