Portsmouth FC Announce Retained List as Planning Begins for 2026/27 Championship Season

Portsmouth FC Announce Retained List as Planning Begins for 2026/27 Championship Season

By Sports Desk | May 24, 2026

Portsmouth FC have officially published their retained list for the summer of 2026, marking the start of squad planning for the 2026/27 Sky Bet Championship campaign. The club, who finished 18th in the 2025/26 season with 55 points, will now focus on building a competitive squad capable of pushing higher up the table.

Manager John Mousinho and the recruitment team face a busy summer following a season that saw Portsmouth secure their Championship status with several games to spare. The Blues ended the campaign in a relatively comfortable mid-table position after showing resilience in the closing months, despite a challenging run of results earlier in 2026.

According to the retained list released on May 15, Portsmouth have offered new contracts to key defenders Connor Ogilvie and Zak Swanson. Both players have been important squad members, and retaining their services will provide continuity at the back. Several other players have been offered extensions, while a number of academy graduates and fringe players have been released or will be allowed to leave.

One notable departure confirmed earlier this month is midfielder Andre Dozzell, who has joined Major League Soccer side DC United after rejecting a new deal at Fratton Park. Dozzell made 80 appearances during his two seasons with Pompey and leaves with the best wishes of the club.

The club confirmed that a number of players are still under contract, providing a solid foundation for the summer. Talks are ongoing with several individuals whose deals are due to expire, as Portsmouth look to balance experience with fresh energy. Sporting director Richard Hughes has been active in identifying targets, with early links to available strikers and midfield reinforcements.

Speculation continues to surround the future of head coach John Mousinho. Recent reports suggested interest from other clubs, but the manager has remained focused on Portsmouth's preparations. In interviews this week, Mousinho emphasised his commitment to the project at Fratton Park while acknowledging the need for evolution in playing style and squad depth.

"We've achieved our main objective of staying in the Championship, but we want more," Mousinho said. "The retained list gives us clarity. We're excited about the players who are staying and look forward to bringing in the right additions who fit our culture and ambitions."

Portsmouth avoided the end-of-season drama that saw Hull City secure promotion via the play-off final against Middlesbrough. This means the fixture list for next season is already shaping up without a trip to MKM Stadium in the early weeks, allowing for better planning.

Financially, the club remains cautious following EFL charges issued alongside Birmingham City earlier in May. Off-field stability will be key as owner Michael Eisner continues to support sustainable growth. Pre-season preparations are expected to include a training camp abroad and several friendly fixtures.

Fans have reacted positively to the retained list, particularly the potential retention of popular players like Ogilvie. Supporters will now turn their attention to incoming transfers as the transfer window opens. Early rumours link Pompey with a £5m-rated striker who could become available on a free transfer, as well as Championship-proven wide players.

With the 2025/26 season now complete, the focus at Fratton Park shifts firmly to 2026/27. The club aims to improve on their 18th-place finish and build on the progress made since promotion from League One. Consistency and squad harmony are expected to be the main themes of the summer.

Further announcements regarding contracts, friendlies, and new signings are anticipated in the coming weeks as Portsmouth FC begin shaping their squad for another competitive Championship 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.

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