PORTSMOUTH v SWINDON TOWN: A potted history (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

PORTSMOUTH v SWINDON TOWN: A potted history

6:00am Tuesday 18th September 2012 in Sport

SWINDON and Portsmouth go back a long way, 113 years to be precise.

Indeed the fixture stretches all the way back to when both sides were plying their trade in the Southern League, but they first met in the FA Cup in October 1899.

The Fratton Park side ran out 2-1 winners that day, and took the spoils from the two clubs’ first league meeting later that season with a 1-0 win.

Town lost on their first nine visits to the south coast, but eventually tasted success in February 1906 thanks to goals from Bertie Lyons and Jimmy Chalmers.

Both sides eventually made it into the league, and in January 1922 Bertie Benyer struck twice and Tober Weston once as Town came away with a 3-1 win.

After a long break without a meeting the Robins enjoyed limited success at Fratton Park through the 1960s and 1970s, but Chris Kamara, himself a signing from Portsmouth, struck to seal a 2-1 win against his former club in 1978.

Arguably the most entertaining meeting between the two clubs came in 1994, after former Town player Alan McLoughlin gave Pompey a 2-0 lead after only 20 minutes.

A penalty from left-back Paul Bodin dragged Town back into the contest, but goals from Darryl Powell and Gerry Creaney looked to have killed the game off.

As time ticked down Jan-Age Fjortoft scored twice to force a grandstand finish, but Town eventually lost out.

Chris Hay scored the only goal on Halloween as Town went top of the old Division One in 1997, but the Robins have not made the trip back to Fratton Park since the year 2000 when they lost 4-1 before going on to be relegated.

Town will be hoping for a better result on the south coast tonight.