Portsmouth had a financial disaster in their last Premier League campaign, it set the club back decades

Add as preferred source on Google

Portsmouth are entering their second successive Championship campaign for the first time since the 2011/12 season.

Pompey were relegated in 2012, returning to the third tier after nearly 30 years in England’s top two divisions and it took them over a decade to make their way back to this level.

It was an extraordinary few years that led the Blues to League One, and it took a while for supporters to get over the dismal start to the 2010s.

Nevertheless, their final Premier League campaign to date was a tough one for everyone at Fratton Park, and EFL Analysis has taken a look at how Portsmouth fared in the top flight in 2009/10.

• READ MORE – Julien Stephan must end a 10-year rut to take QPR back to the top flight, their last visit was a reality check

Portsmouth entered administration in their last Premier League campaign

The season started positively for Pompey, as Sulaiman Al-Fahim purchased the club and expectations were high. However, just 40 days later, the Hampshire outfit were sold again with Ali Al-Faraj buying 90% of Al-Fahim’s stake.

Key players all departed the club that summer, including Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar, with cheaper replacements and loan players coming in to make up the numbers.

After just two games, Portsmouth sat bottom of the table. It was a position that they never vacated as they struggled for form and they lost all of their first seven matches. In fact, they would pick up points in just 14 of their 38 games.

In February 2010, Pompey entered administration – becoming the first Premier League club to have done so. They were deducted nine points a month later, condemning them to relegation and they finished bottom of the table with just 19 points.

• READ MORE – Swansea City suffered a dramatic relegation in their last Premier League campaign, Alan Sheehan is plotting a return

John Mousinho is bringing the good times back to Fratton Park

While the top flight is still a few years away for Portsmouth, there is no denying their improvement over the course of the last year.

Since winning promotion to the Championship in 2024, John Mousinho has taken his team from strength to strength.

While they did find it tough to adapt at first, Pompey quickly got their act together. The addition of loanee Rob Atkinson, who signed a new contract with Bristol City in June, helped significantly and the Blues survived relatively comfortably.

Next season is all about taking that next step, and with the Championship fixtures released, a mid-table finish has to be the goal.