```html Portsmouth FC Face Crucial January in Championship Survival Bid

Portsmouth FC Face Crucial January in Championship Survival Bid

By Sports Desk — January 6, 2026

Portsmouth Football Club enter the new year in a tense battle for Championship survival, sitting precariously in 21st position after a difficult start to 2026. The Blues, back in the second tier following their promotion from League One in 2024, have struggled to find consistency, winning only six of their opening 24 league matches and conceding more goals than most teams around them.

A heavy 5-0 defeat to Bristol City on New Year's Day at Ashton Gate set the tone for a challenging period. Manager John Mousinho described the performance as unacceptable, while centre-back Conor Shaughnessy admitted the squad must do "everything they can" to turn things around. The loss exposed ongoing defensive vulnerabilities and a lack of firepower upfront, with injuries further depleting the attacking options.

The setback was compounded by the postponement of the highly anticipated home fixture against Ipswich Town on January 4. Freezing temperatures and a frozen Fratton Park pitch led to an 11am inspection and the decision to call off the match, much to the frustration of the visiting Tractor Boys. While disappointing for fans, the delay provides a brief respite for Pompey to regroup amid a mounting injury list that has seen up to 12 players sidelined at times.

Attention now turns to the January transfer window, widely regarded as make-or-break for the club's second-tier status. Sporting director Richard Hughes has expressed confidence that the board will provide the necessary backing to strengthen the squad. "We're confident we're going to be able to affect the group in January," Hughes stated, emphasising the need for early additions to influence as many matches as possible during the month.

Manager Mousinho has been vocal about the squad's gaps, particularly in defence and attack. Reports suggest Pompey are eyeing several targets, including enquiries for midfielders and a list of potential strikers to support Colby Bishop. With only one point separating them from the relegation zone and 22 games remaining, reinforcements are essential to avoid an immediate return to League One.

Despite the current woes, there are signs of hope. Recent victories, including dramatic late winners against Charlton Athletic, demonstrate the team's resilience at Fratton Park, where five of their six Championship wins have come this season. The return of key players from injury and the emergence of young talents could yet spark a turnaround.

Looking ahead, Portsmouth face a glamour tie in the FA Cup third round when Arsenal visit Fratton Park on January 11. While the focus remains on league survival, the cup clash offers a welcome distraction and a chance to showcase the club's fighting spirit to a wider audience.

As the winter window progresses, all eyes will be on Fratton Park. The coming weeks will define whether Pompey can steady the ship and secure their Championship future, or face another chapter of rebuilding. Supporters, known for their unwavering loyalty, will be hoping for shrewd recruitment and improved performances to lift the Blues away from danger.

The passionate Pompey faithful remain as committed as ever, ready to roar their team to safety in what promises to be a thrilling and decisive second half of the season.

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Home of Portsmouth FC

Opened 1899

Capacity 20,620

History (from Wikipedia)

Fratton Park is built in a traditional English style with four separate stands of varied designs and sizes and arranged closely around the four sides of the football pitch. The pitch measures 115 x 73 yards, and is aligned from east to west, which is considered unusual in English football, as most other pitches are orientated north to south to maximise natural sunlight.

The stadium has a current (reduced) capacity for 19,669 supporters,[16] although it has had a much larger maximum capacity for 58,000 supporters after the construction of the North Stand in 1935. Fratton Park's record attendance is 51,385, reached in an FA Cup quarter-final match vs Derby County, on 26 February 1949, in which Portsmouth won 2–1.

The four stands in Fratton Park are named The North Stand (north), The South Stand (south), The Milton End (east) and The Fratton End (west). Before the reconstruction of the 4,500 seat Fratton End in 1997, the previously unseated terraced stands of the old Fratton End, Lower North Terrace and Milton End were conjoined as one contiguous terrace for much of Fratton Park's twentieth century history.[17][18]

Along the northern touchline of the pitch is the two-tier North Stand, the largest stand in Fratton Park. The North Stand (including Lower North Terrace) was rebuilt and reopened as a full standing stand on 7 September 1935, increasing Fratton Park's maximum capacity to 58,000 supporters. However, the stadium capacity was reduced when 4,226 seats were fitted to the upper North Stand terrace in 1951. The lower North Terrace was also fitted with seats in 1996. A new roof extension, supported by steel columns, was added from the front of the North Stand in 1997 and extended over the North Terrace (previously uncovered) to the pitch touchline. The North Stand turnstiles are accessed from Milton Lane. A gravel surfaced car park is a recent addition to the rear of the North Stand. The current 'Pompey Shop' merchandise shop and ticket office are located directly behind the North Stand car park in Anson Road.

The current South Stand has two tiers and was opened on 29 August 1925 and is currently the oldest stand in Fratton Park. It replaced an earlier and smaller South Stand (known as The Grand Stand) that existed on the site between 1899 and 1925. The current 1925 South Stand was designed by the famed Scottish architect Archibald Leitch. The entrance to the South Stand is in Frogmore Road and is notable for its mock Tudor façade, which is a remnant of a grand mock Tudor pavilion structure - with a clock tower - that previously occupied the site from 1905 before the current South Stand was built in 1925.

At the eastern end of Fratton Park is the Milton End, the smallest stand. The original Milton End was built in 1905 and was known as the Spion Kop, and was enlarged to its current size in 1949. Infamously, the Milton End was the only roofless stand in the Premier League, before a roof was added before the 2007–08 season. The Milton End is used by visiting 'away' supporters, with turnstiles in an alleyway named Specks Lane, directly behind the Milton End.

At the western end of Fratton Park is the single tier 4,500 seat Fratton End, which first opened on 31 October 1997 and is the newest and tallest stand in Fratton Park. The Fratton End also had an official opening ceremony on 4 April 1998, timed to coincide with a home match that was one day before the centennial anniversary of Portsmouth F.C. on 5 April 1998. The current Fratton End replaced an earlier two-tier Fratton End built in 1956, which had its upper tier demolished in 1986 for structural reasons. The remaining lower tier of the Fratton End was demolished eleven seasons later in 1997 to clear the land for the building of the current Fratton End stand in 1997. The Fratton End turnstiles are accessed from Frogmore Road.

Things to do in Portsmouth.