A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 13

Portsmouth FC Season 1994–1995. More managerial changes. More failed pushes for promotion. A cup win at Everton the season highlight.

Portsmouth FC Season 1994–1995. More managerial changes. More failed pushes for promotion. A cup win at Everton the season highlight.

The highlight of a poor season for the Blues and an away win in the League Cup at a struggling Everton.

Welcome to Part 13 of a running series entitled “A Meander Through Scrapbook Lane” and here we focus on the 1994/95 League Division Two season and a poor season only highlighted with an away cup tie win at a poor Everton and an eventual 19th place in the League with only 58 points and 18 defeats in the league.

Disclaimer — All pictures contained within this blog will be almost certainly from the Portsmouth Evening News and Sports Mail as well as wholly contained within some loved, if dusty, scrapbooks of over 30 year vintage and placed here purely for enjoyment purposes and I hope that this disclaimer meets everyone’s needs. If not, thank you www.portsmouth.co.uk for entertaining this Pritt Stick and scissors wielding young child/spotty teen/tall and gangly late teenager and young adult who should’ve stopped ripping and cutting up newspapers long before he hung up his scissors!

Disclaimer II — This is far from a fully comprehensive review of the season and purely the contents and selected pages from my earliest scrapbooks. I am also a Liverpool fan born of a Manchester United supporting Mother who was born and raised in Portsmouth.

I was nicknamed by my Liverpool match going pal as “The Cutter” in reference to an Echo and the Bunnymen song and so hence, here are my cuttings.

Disclaimer III — As a cursory glance at any of my blogs will confirm, I write a lot. Here, not so. Pictures speak a thousand words apparently and from the annals of my childhood scrapbooks I think they sound strikingly eloquent on their own and with only minimal intrusion or commentary from me.

So I hope these scraps from my books jog a memory of the match concerned or the era, the city in general or your life at that time.

Human memories are a precious commodity. I hope you enjoy.

An opening day 2–1 win at home to Notts County and veteran goalkeeper Alan Knight makes sure with a penalty save in front of 10,487 at Fratton Park.

L to R: More from the opening day win over Notts County and a mid August 0–0 draw away at Reading.

L to R: A mixed bag from the Blues as ever as in just ten early September days they contrive to lose away 2–0 away at Port Vale, draw 1–1 with Bolton Wanderers before shocking Premiership Everton with a 3–2 1st Leg victory in the 2nd Round of the League Cup.

Everton (2) Portsmouth (3), 2nd Round, 1st Leg of the League Cup, 20th September 1994. The attendance at Goodison Park was just 14,043.

3 days apart and the Blues topsy turvy season continues with a 2–0 victory (West Bromwich Albion) is followed by a 2–0 defeat (Grimsby Town).

The Blues defeat a struggling Everton (with Duncan Ferguson making his debut) 4–3 on aggregate to progress into the 3rd Round of the League Cup, 5th October 1994.

1 point from 9 and the empty Fratton Park terraces tell their own story with their “Sack The Board” banner. October 1994.

L to R: The Sports Mail headlines tell their own story and a much needed point at home to Reading on 10th December in front of just 8,578 at Fratton Park.

3rd to 17th December aptly demonstrates the Blues schizophrenic season as they’re hammered 4–0 by Middlesbrough before taking all 3 points at Notts County.

A New Year’s Eve loss at Sheffield United is forgotten as the Blues beat Bolton Wanderers at Fratton Park to progress into the 4th Round of the FA Cup a week later.

L to R: A 0–0 draw with Bristol City in the League before two January weeks later they crash out of the FA Cup to old foes Leicester City. As we approach February the season is already ending for the Blues and sliding into yet another battle to stave off relegation.

New Blues Boss has the “Midas Touch” apparently and Pompey take 10 points from a possible 12 during February 1995.

The Blues limp to a disappointing 19th final place in Division 2 as Steve Bull scores the only goal in a 1–0 defeat at Wolves in March, Sheffield United are beaten by the same score in April and they gain a much needed 2–1 away win at Burnley. 4 more points out of 6 would follow but the season can only be wrapped up as a huge disruptive disappointment.

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this ramble through the 1994/95 season and if so, please do consider the previously released seasons from “Scrapbook Lane” below:

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part I
Portsmouth FC Season 1982–83 and the winning of the Division 3 Championshipmedium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 2
Portsmouth FC Season 1983–1984 and *that* FA Cup Tie in front of 36,000 at Fratton Park and the 90 seconds that changed…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 3
Portsmouth FC Season 1984–1985 and Alan Ball’s Blues come tantalisingly close to a return to Division 1.medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 4
Portsmouth FC Season 1985–86. The arrival of famed striker Mick Channon and the titanic cup ties with Tottenham, Aston…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 5
Portsmouth FC Season 1986–1987 and Vince Hilaire has the last laugh as the Blues finally reach the promised land of the…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 6
Portsmouth FC Season 1987–1988 and despite taking a precious 4 points from their neighbours Southampton, the Blues are…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 7
Portsmouth FC Season 1988–1989 and as Fratton Park gets a facelift the Blues narrowly avoid a second consecutive…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 8
Portsmouth FC Season 1989–1990 and another season of struggle for the Blues on and off the field.medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 9
Portsmouth FC Season 1990–1991 and amid league frailties and another failed push for promotion, Gazza comes to Fratton…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 10
Portsmouth FC Season 1991–1992. 40 cuttings from an incredible season and *that* FA Cup Semi-Final with Liverpool.medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 11
Portsmouth FC Season 1992–1993. Over 50 cuttings from an incredible season that promised so much yet ended in Play Off…medium.com

A meander through Scrapbook Lane: Part 12
Portsmouth FC Season 1993–1994. Over 40 cuttings from another impressive early push for promotion before a mid and end…medium.com

The Pompey Sailor says thanks for reading and he hopes you enjoyed the pictorial journey! Picture courtesy of www.portsmouth.co.uk