Portsmouth could shock Sky Sports figure as ‘absolutely brutal’ claim made
Portsmouth are counting down the days until they get their 2025-26 Championship campaign underway against Oxford United.
Pompey now know their fixtures for the upcoming Championship campaign, which starts at the Kassam Stadium on 9 August.
Certain fixtures have already been moved, such as the South Coast derby clash with Southampton at St Mary’s, due to Sky Sports wanting to televise the match.
Portsmouth will want to bring in more new signings before the season starts, with Mark Kosznovszky potentially the next player to arrive at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth given generous start to new Championship season
Pompey’s start to the season is fairly kind, leading to hope that John Mousinho’s men can find themselves clear of the relegation zone by the time October comes around.
While Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes Portsmouth have been given a favourable start, though, he does not expect to see Mousinho’s side competing for a play-off spot next season.
| Portsmouth’s first five Championship fixtures | Dates |
| Oxford United vs Portsmouth | 9 August |
| Portsmouth vs Norwich City | 16 August |
| West Brom vs Portsmouth | 23 August |
| Portsmouth vs Preston | 30 August |
| Southampton vs Portsmouth | 13 September |
“The first thing to notice with Portsmouth is a much gentler start to the season this season compared to last season, which was absolutely brutal for them, and they found it tough as everybody would have expected,” he told Football League World (5 July).
“In terms of a play-off push, I would be pretty shocked if I’m honest if Portsmouth could muster that.
“I think any position in and around that middle, if they could find their way into the top half of the table, that would be viewed as a massively successful season I would think, and a season which they could build on the following year.”
As Goodman implies, next season is simply about avoiding relegation once again and hoping that 2026-27 presents a chance to challenge for a top-six finish.
Pompey fans are realistic and understand that there is a long-term vision to get back to the Premier League after years in the doldrums, with Mousinho the man to hopefully one day guide them there.
Portsmouth can always dream of Premier League promotion
And yet for all the talk of fans being realistic, they cannot be blamed for wondering ‘what if?’.
Sunderland went up to the Premier League last season, having only returned to the second tier in 2022.
It is more than likely that the top two or three spots will be filled by the three sides that came down from the Premier League last season.
But the beauty of the Championship is that the side that finishes in sixth is on equal footing with the side that finishes third in the play-offs – just ask Sunderland and Sheffield United fans.
This is all wishful thinking, of course, but stranger things have certainly happened.
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