Portsmouth make official pre-season announcement
Portsmouth will be hoping to push themselves up the Championship table in the 2025/26 campaign after a promising return to the second tier this season.
They had been exiled to the bottom two tiers of the EFL since the 2011/12 campaign, but successfully consolidated their place in the Championship this term.
John Mousinho’s side put crucial daylight between themselves and the bottom three, and ultimately secured their spot in the division with two games to spare. Their exploits even saw Mousinho linked with jobs elsewhere in the division.
Hopes will be high at Fratton Park that Pompey can progress and avoid a relegation battle next season, having worked so hard to retain their status this time around.
Portsmouth add Reading trip to pre-season schedule
Almost immediately after one season has concluded, the attention of clubs and fans begins to turn towards preparations for the next campaign.
A crucial part of that is pre-season friendlies, which help to build fitness ahead of the new season, as well as being a useful way to integrate any new additions into the manager’s plans.
Pompey have announced (3 June) that the latest addition to their pre-season schedule will be an away trip to take on League One side Reading on 26 July.
The Royals recently had their off-field concerns alleviated by a new takeover at the club, and they finished narrowly outside the third tier’s play-off places.
Portsmouth’s visit to the Select Car Leasing Stadium will be their fifth encounter in their summer preparations, with clashes against Woking, Farnborough and Crawley Town and Havant and Waterlooville already announced.
Pompey are also set to head off to Bratislava for a training camp, but supporters have been left frustrated by the fact that there is no game arranged over the course of that trip.
Portsmouth need a pre-season game against stronger opposition
It has become expected in the EFL that teams will look to play a wide range of other opponents in order to properly prepare for the upcoming season.
Games against sides from the same league are typically off limits, given that they can sometimes disclose tactical preferences before a competitive ball has even been kicked.
As a result, teams often balance their pre-season campaigns so that they face some opposition from lower leagues and some from higher leagues.
Mousinho’s men could now use one final game against a Premier League or European side to complete what would be considered a strong pre-season calendar.
The South Coast outfit have one date still to fill (2 August), and with all of their current outings coming against lower-ranking teams, a test against a Premier League club would be the ideal way for them to conclude their summer work.