Portsmouth mock Bolton after League One play-off loss. Credit: Portsmouth on X
Portsmouth mock Bolton after League One play-off loss. Credit: Portsmouth on X

Portsmouth take swipe at Bolton in official social media post after Wembley defeat

Dan Godfrey

Dan is a sports writer and broadcaster, who wrote for Breaking Media Limited's club sites including Pompey News between May 2024 and May 2025. Graduating from the University of Huddersfield in 2018 with First Class Honours in Sports Journalism, Dan has worked with several EFL clubs, as well as with BBC Radio, talkSPORT and TNT Sports. He previously resided in Sydney, Australia, where he continued his career as a freelancer in various sports. Dan was born and raised in Portsmouth, comes from a Pompey-supporting family, and was in attendance at both of the club's FA Cup finals in 2008 and 2010.

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Portsmouth have aimed a social media jibe at Bolton Wanderers after the Trotters missed out on promotion to the Championship in Saturday's play-off final.

Posting on X [18 May], the official Portsmouth FC account began with a still image of captain Marlon Pack - taken from a video recorded by a Bolton supporter, looking to provoke Pack after Bolton's equaliser against Pompey in April meant John Mousinho's side didn't secure promotion on their patch.

A matter of minutes later came a second post, detailing Portsmouth's "promotion party" on Southsea Common - referring to the same words used by the Bolton fan looking to incite a reaction from Pack in the same video.

Ian Evatt's Trotters lost out on the final promotion spot in League One over the weekend, as Josh Murphy's first-half double gave Oxford United the Wembley glory.

Portsmouth, Derby and Oxford make the Championship cut

As of Sunday morning, it looks as if we now have our 24 teams in next season's Championship.

Portsmouth, Derby County and Oxford United will compete in the second tier in place of Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United.

Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town (bar any Premier League miracles) will drop down from the top flight - and Pompey fans are mainly in agreement that 21st place will constitute a good season next year.

The step up from League One to the Championship is a leap and a half at the best of times - just ask Rotherham - but after over a decade it can be a real shock to the system.

Pompey have a big squad-strengthening mission on their hands with some exciting players linked, but must have a robustness about them to survive at the new level.

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