(Credit: Imago)
(Credit: Imago)
Match

Portsmouth wore very different colours before switch to blue in 1912

Samuel Fabre
Samuel Fabre

Samuel graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Journalism from Bournemouth University in 2025. He has previously written for Get Football Group and Trill Magazine over the course of his studies. He joined Breaking Media in August 2025 as a writer for the company's different club sites.

Published on: 

Portsmouth and blue have gone together for over a century, with city and colour now permanently associated with each other.

Ahead of this season, Portsmouth fans were excited for the kit release, despite knowing that it would undoubtedly be blue.

Blue has been the colour of Portsmouth for as long as people can remember; however, there was a time when Pompey did not sport their traditional colours.

Josh Murphy with his hands by his side playing for Portsmouth
Josh Murphy in the classic blue kit. (Credit: Imago)

Portsmouth's evolution from bright pink to blue kits

Having started the season well, Portsmouth's upcoming derby against Southampton could say a lot about their aspirations for the season.

Pompey started with a 1-0 win over Oxford and set the tone for a bright start to the campaign.

Portsmouth's 1-0 win over Preston leaves John Mousinho's side in eighth, with the ultimate goal to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2010.

Founded in 1898, Portsmouth sported bright pink kits for over a decade.

The salmon-coloured jerseys lasted until 1909, when a white and blue kit was shortly adopted.

It wasn't until 1912 that Pompey decided to switch to blue exclusively, and the rest is all history.

  • Wore pink shirts from 1898-1909
  • Sqitched to a blue and white jersey from 1909-1912
  • From 1912 onwards, Pompey have only worn blue as their primary colours

During the 00s, when Portsmouth were in the Premier League, different shades of blue were used, but ultimately, since 1912, no other colour has been used for the home kit.

John Mousinho in Portsmouth jacket during pre-season fixture against Reading
John Mousinho has been the Portsmouth manager since January 2023. (Credit: Imago)

Why do Portsmouth wear blue?

Portsmouth wear blue for several reasons, the most simple being that the new owners wanted the club to adopt a fresh look.

The blue kit also has links to the local military and various naval traditions.

Connections to the Royal Navy within the City are also part of the reason why Fratton Park is met with a blue sea of fans for every home game.

With Mousinho in charge, Portsmouth are aiming to make new history whilst wearing the traditional blue colour.

Sign up for the Pompey News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Portsmouth news sent straight to your phone.

Portsmouth
www.theportsmouthnews.com