Portsmouth FC Season 1987–1988 and despite taking a precious 4 points from their neighbours Southampton, the Blues are relegated.
Two consecutive wins against Southampton and Blackburn raise hopes of a survival from relegation but still the natives at Fratton Park are restless for change.
Welcome to Part 6 of a running series entitled “A Meander Through Scrapbook Lane” and here we focus on the 1987/88 League Division One season for the Blues and both a return to the top flight of English football and despite some fantastic results against near neighbours Southampton and wins against Luton Town and Derby County, they were relegated immediately back into League Division Two with 35 points and just 7 wins all season.
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 his Mother’s 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 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.
The eagerly awaited South Coast Derby with fiercest rivals Southampton produces 4 goals and a 2–2 draw in front of 20,161 at Fratton Park. 22nd August 1987.
A perfect summation of the Blues season: L to R: More from the 2–2 draw with Southampton before a 6–0 pasting away to Arsenal and a 2–1 home win over West Ham United. All in the space of 9 August days of 1987.
Portsmouth (2) West Ham United (1) 31st August 1987. Attendance at Fratton Park, 16,104.
Another point gained in a goal less draw with Watford, 19th September 1987.
More conflicting September results as the Blues lose away at Swindon Town in the League Cup before a vital home win against Wimbledon in front of an attendance of just 13,014.
I’m a Liverpool fan so please excuse the teenage commentary! I’d never seen the Blues at Anfield before and it was a selfish joy to hear “Play Up Pompey” ringing out from the Away end. An unforgettable day for this 15 year old schoolboy.
More from the trip to Anfield and the first of several pictures from the 3–1 Home win over Luton Town on 10th October 1987.
Montage of images from Portsmouth (3) Luton Town (1). 10th October 1987. Attendance 12,391.
A costly penalty miss from Kevin Dillon as the Blues draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur, 4th November 1987. Attendance 15,352.
Both central midfielders (Kevin Dillon and Mick Kennedy) are sent off as the Blues lose 1–0 at home to Everton. Attendance 17, 724, 21st November 1987.
December tussles at Fratton Park with Coventry City and Manchester United and only one point gained from a possible six. 22,207 were in attendance for the visit of the giants of English football, Manchester United.
2–1 defeats to Manchester United and then Charlton Athletic on Boxing Day left the Blues in serious trouble and staring instant relegation in the face.
New Years Day 1988. Portsmouth (1) Arsenal (1). Attendance 17,336. What a time capsule!
The storied visit to their fiercest rivals Southampton on 3rd January 1988 and goals from Barry Horne and Terry Connor secure an unlikely and much needed 2–0 win.
Despite wins against Southampton in the League and both Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United and Bradford City in the FA Cup, the natives are getting restless at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth (2) Derby County (1) 6th February 1988. Famed England Internationals and ex Southampton stalwarts Mark Wright and Peter Shilton left sprawling on the ground!
Portsmouth (0) Liverpool (2) 27th February 1988. Attendance 28,117.
More action from the Liverpool defeat at a bulging at the seams Fratton Park (28,117). Top right picture aptly demonstrates a packed Fratton Park and this was known locally at the time as the “North Terrace” and if memory serves me correctly I took my dear old Mother to this game and we stood on that terrace and near the top by the half way line. We certainly did for the Manchester United game earlier in the season as she was a die hard Manchester United fan and I’m sure I took her to this game too.
A sad yet seemingly apt end to this season for the Blues back in Division 1: Star striker Paul Mariner on his knees during a 1–0 home defeat to QPR and Mick Quinn and Manager Alan Ball both sent off as the Blues lost 3–1 away to Luton Town in the Quarter Final of the FA Cup. The FA Cup run had bolstered the Blues season but this reverse really set in motion a dreadful end to the season as the Blues would only pick up 5 points from a possible remaining 24 and be relegated immediately back to Division 2.
If you’ve enjoyed this ramble along “Scrapbook Lane” (despite the relegation for the Blues), can I direct you to the previous season by season scrapbook blogs below? 1982/83 all the way through to 1986/87 linked below:
