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 Portsmouth WeblinksPortsmouth Club HistoryRecent Portsmouth history Portsmouth have not looked back since Harry Redknapp steered them to promotion into the Barclaycard Premiership in 2003. The top flight's most southern team comfortably remained in the division the following season and were successful in their fight against relegation in the 2005/06 campaign.
Once survival was secured, Alexandre Gaydamak took over the club and has injected several million pounds into bolstering the squad. The 2006/07 season saw Portsmouth come within a whisker of qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Redknapp's ability to attract the likes of Sol Campbell and David James as well as a number of overseas players such as Kanu helped the club to a ninth-place finish, beating the likes of Manchester United and avoiding defeat against Arsenal. They achieved the goal of UEFA Cup football last season as they won the FA Cup for the first time since 1939 after beating Cardiff City 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium. They also went one better in the league, finishing eighth. Redknapp had resigned from his post in November 2004 but was reappointed in December 2005 after a stint at local rivals Southampton. He left in October 2008 to take over at Tottenham Hotspur. Portsmouth were the first club to stage a Football League match under floodlights when Newcastle United visited Fratton Park in 1956. Club Heritage The club was founded in 1898 and played its first league match against Chatham Town on 2nd September 1899. A record of 20 wins from 28 matches earned Pompey a runners-up spot that season in the Southern League. They won the division for the first time in the 1901/02 season.
In 1927, the club made their debut in the First Division and they went on to reach the FA Cup final the following campaign. It was third time lucky in the FA Cup final in 1939. After the previous two finals ended in defeat, Pompey swept to a 4-1 win over favourites Wolverhampton Wanderers. The first of back-to-back titles were claimed in the 1948/49 campaign in the club's Golden Jubilee season. A 5-1 thrashing of Aston Villa on the last day of the following season sealed the title again. Pompey are one of only five clubs to have won two consecutive titles since the Second World War. In 1976, the club found itself in the Third Division and needing to raise £25,000 in order to pay off debts and avoid bankruptcy. Local newspaper The News led a campaign to save the club and the money was raised by supporter contributions. Premier League History 1999/00 - Milan Mandaric takes over club
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