COLCHESTER v PORTSMOUTH League One - 21 August 2012 Link to BBC Preview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19252494 Last meeting at Colchester 22 November 1980, FA Cup First Round Colchester 3-0 Portsmouth Who are Ya? Colchester Utd were formed in 1935, due to the reluctance of Colchester Town to turn professional. Town folded two years later, with debts of £300 (how times have changed!). Playing in the Southern League, they had a magical FA Cup run in the 1947-48 season. After seeing off fellow non-leaguer Banbury in Round One, they dispatched Wrexham (Third Division North), Huddersfield (First Division) and Bradford Park Avenue (Second Division) before finally losing to First Division Blackpool in Round Five. They were elected into the league in 1950 and spent 40 years between the third and fourth tiers, before suffering relegation to the Conference in 1990. Their league absence lasted just two seasons and after another 14 years in the lower leagues they finally won promotion to the Championship in 2006. As with their low point of the 1990s their venture into the second tier lasted just two seasons and they have occupied a spot in League One since then. Highest League Finish: 10th in the Championship 2007 Lowest League Finish*: 2nd in the Conference 1991 Honours: 3rd Tier: (League One) Runners Up 2006 4th Tier (League Two) Runners Up 1962, Playoff Winners 1998 Conference Winners 1992, Runners Up 1991 Southern League Champions 1939, Runners Up 1950 Football League Trophy (Johnsons Paint) Runners Up 1997 FA Trophy Winners 1992 {non-league equivalent of the Double} *since entering the league in 1950 Yesteryear 7 March 1978, Third Division [League One] Colchester 4-0 Portsmouth Pompey’s first ever league visit to Colchester ended in a miserable defeat, during a miserable season that ended at the foot of the table and relegation to the Fourth Division. Silver Stats – Colchester Utd 5 seasons ago (2008) – 24th in the Championship – relegated 10 seasons ago (2003) – 12th in Div 2 [League One] 15 seasons ago (1998) – 4th in Div 3 [League Two] – Playoff Winners 20 seasons ago (1993) – 10th in Div 3 [League Two] 25 seasons ago (1988) – 9th in Fourth Division [League Two] Random Fact: The record attendance for a match at the old Layer Road ground was 19,042 for a game with Reading in 1948. However, the crowd went home disappointed when the match was abandoned due to heavy fog! Match Odds (Monday at Skybet) Colchester 4/6 Pompey 4/1 Draw 11/4 Mystic Devo Both teams started with a draw, Pompey at home to Bournemouth and Colchester at Preston. The U’s will be wanting to kick off their home campaign with a win, and Pompey, who lost on all three visits to the old Layer Road, will want to break their duck when they visit the Community Stadium. I think it will be a close encounter and, I think we’ll nick a point. Devo reckons: Colchester 2-2 Pompey
This is the "new" Portsmouth Football Club, P_F_L !! Completely new team/outlook/fighting spirit this season, as shown on Saturday afternoon. I reckon/hope for a 2-1 win to PFC, or at least a draw. We should have Liam Walker playing tomorrow evening, and possibly young winger Jordan Obita on loan from Reading (who I hope comes in for Djalli). Fingers crossed
One thing I dont get with Liam Walker is; he's Gibraltese, people from Gibraltar have British Citizenship, why then does he need international clearance to play in the English League?
Based on my usual useless predictions on match scores I will go for a 2-0 home win for Colchester and hope to be pleasantly surprised as my prediction is proved way off the mark! PUP
I will not be drawn on that one you silly Possum Apart from the first 7 minutes Wigan played well last week against Chelsea, I wonder if your lot will get nervous and blow it at St.Fairy's next weekend?
