Credit: Imago / Portsmouth FC on YouTube

Dan Godfrey

Tue 1 April 2025 21:45, UK

Portsmouth supporters, by and large, appear to be extremely happy with what they are seeing in terms of wider developments at their beloved club.

Fratton Park has become a fortress in the Championship this season which has allowed Pompey to plan for next season – almost safe in the knowledge they will be a second-tier outfit, though not out of the woods quite yet.

The Eisners have invested heavily into Pompey’s infrastructure, as the blocks build to make the Blues a successful side for decades to come of whom the community can be proud once again.

Portsmouth fans’ views revealed in PST survey results

Portsmouth supporters – 1,010 of them to be precise – recently participated in the Pompey Supporters’ Trust‘s fan survey for 2025 – an annual event from which feedback is funnelled back through to the Fratton hierarchy.

Andy Cullen deals with Pompey matters on the business side and works closely with the PST to enhance the matchday experience for Blues fans, while Rich Hughes masterminds the footballing scope including player transfers, contract extensions and the youth academy.

And interestingly, it is the latter with which the Portsmouth faithful have voiced their primary concern, in a survey carried out between 2 March and 16 March this year.

PST’s results show that the three areas which received the highest votes of approval were safety at Fratton Park, financial sustainability of Pompey, and the experience and atmosphere of a matchday.

The youth academy ranked last in terms of situational happiness from Blues fans, alongside issues with transport links to the stadium.

Pompey must address lack of Under-21 team amid fan disapproval

Hughes spoke at last year’s PST-held Q&A session at Fratton Park, admitting there were no concrete plans in place to enter an Under-21 side into the English academy competitions.

This decision has so far been met unkindly, with Portsmouth left with little choice but to release 12 young players last summer upon completion of their scholarships.

While the 18-year-old group were not yet ready for senior football in a Pompey shirt, they were denied the chance for professional development after finishing U18 football, due to the lack of U21 side in which to progress.

There have been alarmingly few success stories from the academy in the most recent seasons, with returning players Matt Ritchie and Marlon Pack among the last real crop to go and have stellar careers.

Conor Chaplin, Joel Ward and Adam Webster are among others who have excelled, but since Pompey have recovered from their financial despair – with the PST having owned the Blues between 2013 and sold up to the Eisners in 2017 – the academy has barely hatched an adequate prodigy into the first team.