Portsmouth ‘secret weapon’ set to help them thrive in the Championship again
Portsmouth’s players and staff are working every day to establish themselves as a Championship club.
The Blues were promoted to the second tier for last season, marking their first appearance in this division since they were relegated in 2011-12, and registered a creditable 16th-place finish.
Now, they have been recognised as one of the best in the division for a specific strength.
Don Goodman names Portsmouth fans among the noisiest in the Championship
Portsmouth’s home form was key to them remaining in the Championship last season. They took 40 points at Fratton Park in 2024-25, compared to just 14 points on the road.
The boisterous home support is often credited for making Fratton Park such a fortress, acting as a ’12th man’ and giving Pompey the edge during tight games.
Now, EFL expert Don Goodman has named Portsmouth among the teams with the best home atmosphere in the division.
In an interview with Football League World, Goodman stated that this atmosphere was key to Pompey remaining in the division.
He said: “Portsmouth is quite a unique one, and you saw their home form last season compared to their away form. I’m pretty sure that was down to the home fans.”
This verdict will come as a surprise to no one who has visited Fratton Park, as Pompey fans have long held a reputation as being among the noisiest in the country.
Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham were also name-dropped by Goodman for having good atmospheres at their stadiums.
Mousinho will need to find a way to pick up more points away from home
Portsmouth only lost five league games all season at Fratton Park. They were only beaten by one of the division’s top six teams there.
John Mousinho has built a squad capable of giving any Championship team a game, at least any team that visits the South Coast.
Their home form will surely serve as a secret weapon again this season. Season tickets at Fratton Park have sold out, and the fans will be ready to roar their team to victory.
However, if Mousinho wants to establish Portsmouth as a force to be reckoned with in the Championship, he’ll have to find a way to pick up more points away from home.
Pompey had the division’s second-worst record on the road last season. As long as that remains the case, his team will always be in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle.
Mousinho might be well advised to invest in some more experienced players – the types who know how to close out a game during high-pressure situations – in an attempt to fix this problem.
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