Thank you for being with us this afternoon for our final Sky Bet League One home game of an unforgettable 2023/24 season. We welcome everyone who has travelled from Wigan and wish them a safe trip home.
Tuesday evening will live long in the memory for us all. What an extraordinary night it was and one typically characterised by high drama, with so many twists and turns, and an unexpected subplot shaping back in Bolton. Not only was promotion achieved to the Championship after a 12-year absence, but the title with it and the promise of the League One trophy being presented after today’s match.
There have been so many interviews and articles written about this season – the players, the staff and you, the supporters. This perfectly encapsulates what a team effort it has been, both throughout the club and the city of Portsmouth. And not just the men, but the women’s team, too, who clinched their own league title last Sunday after an outstanding record of 18 wins and one draw from 20 fixtures, with two still to play. They will compete a lap of honour at half-time today, so please congratulate them on such an amazing achievement.
It was somewhat fitting that we held a joint End of Season Awards night in the Victory Lounge on Wednesday. It was perfect timing and almost as though it had been planned! Congratulations to all the winners, including Fan of the Season Leanne Howard. My special thanks to Kayleigh Young from our hospitality team, who masterminded a fantastic event, and to Piglet’s Pantry for delivering a wonderful menu.
After today’s game, there will be a presentation of medals to our players and the League One trophy to our skipper Marlon Pack. Following the final whistle, a stage will be erected in the centre circle, from where they will be presented.
However, the ceremony will be abandoned and not take place should any fans enter the pitch before or after the final whistle. I hope you agree with me that we can’t let this happen. We should all have the chance to see Marlon lift the trophy in front of you, rather than everything be handed over in the closed confines of the dressing room.
The players are resolute that they do not want this opportunity to be spoiled or taken away from them. They want to bring their children onto the pitch after the game and walk a full lap of appreciation to thank you. The trophy and medals will then be presented from the stage.
You will all have seen the social media messages over the past two days and on behalf of John Mousinho, his staff and the players, we 100 per cent support their collective appeal to you all to stay in your seats and enjoy this special accolade together. Thank you for your help and support with this and please help us to prevent anyone who may come with alternative intentions and ruin an occasion most of us want to see.
After today’s game the pitch will be stripped in preparation for a large 30-tonne crane to start work on the TV gantry. This is the final component of the current phase of the Fratton Park development project and is perhaps the most challenging. The big screen will broadcast a short video showing how the construction will take place and how it will look when completed.
Other summer project work will see the first team and academy move into new office, gym, analysis and medical facilities at the training ground. Work is also well underway on the new North Stand mezzanines, with new bars and toilets, while additional toilets are being constructed in the home areas of the Milton End. Women’s and men’s season ticket prices will be announced in early May and the move to a new website and enhanced digital content channel will also be completed over the course of the summer.
As these are my final notes of the campaign, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all our matchday staff. Without their devotion, passion and commitment, we would not be able to run a home fixture at Fratton Park. I am so grateful to our incredible team of matchday stewards, car park attendants, catering staff, programme sellers, matchday announcers, hospitality hosts, volunteer ground staff, stadium cleaners, bar and catering staff, first aiders, paramedics and crowd doctors.
The FanZone outside the Fratton End continues to grow from strength to strength. Thank you to the DJs and staff from PitC, who have worked to provide entertainment throughout the season. There are those who look after our ball retrievers and mascots, and other volunteers who provide half-time refreshments for our disabled supporters.
We are joined on matchdays by additional support staff in the ticket office, Nike store and the safety control room, and more who provide our iFollow service and big screen replays. And finally, we could not operate matchdays without the support of the police and other emergency services. My thanks to you all for making Fratton Park such a safe and special place to visit and for your part in contributing to a remarkable 2023/24 season.
My final thanks, though, are to you, our amazing supporters, both home and away. We may be champions but at times this season, there have been some tricky and tough moments, on and off the pitch. But throughout, you have been consistently brilliant, providing inspirational encouragement whenever we needed it most. We are proud of you all and simply thrilled that we have been able to deliver the success you all deserve at the end of our 125th anniversary, which the PST and Fratton End fans will creatively mark prior to kick-off.
The work will not stop – we are determined to build a sustainable and competitive Championship team and continue to firmly progress the club forward to achieve more success for you all.
Enjoy the game today, have a great summer and see you all in the Championship! PUP!
Andrew Cullen
Chief Executive
