Match Day Thread Pompey v Sunderland - Checkatrade Trophy Final

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The Checkatrade final at Wembley is already sold out. Massive respect to both Pompey and Sunderland fans.

 

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Blimey Monty - you must be old if you remember that game

 

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HOPEFULLY, SOME GOOD NEWS FOR POMPEY !!........................


Ronan Curtis has been given the green light to play at Wembley. And the Pompey winger revealed his chances of featuring in the Checkatrade Trophy final on Sunday are ‘looking good’ – although he’s taking things step by step.

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Curtis had the stitches removed from his finger on Tuesday, after severing it in his front door before the trip to Walsall earlier this month. The Irishman was forced to have an emergency operation and has been sidelined since. After initially being ruled out for four-to-six weeks, the 22-year-old’s setback has recovered quicker than expected, with doctors happy how it’s healed.

Curtis is now straining at the leash to get back to action and is set to train on Wednesday. And it will give him an indication of whether he’ll be able to line up against Sunderland.

Curtis told The News: ‘I’ve had the stitches off Tuesday and I’ll be back training on Wednesday. ‘I can’t wait to get back training. It feels like ages. ‘But I’m looking forward to getting back on the training pitch, being back with the lads and hopefully playing on Sunday, although we are a long way away yet. ‘The doctors are hopeful. I’ve had the stitches out and the specialist said I can go back to training and wrap it up for the game – it’s looking good.

‘I do knock it and there’s a little bit of pain but it’s not that bad – not as bad as it was at the first stage.

‘It is what it is. It’s like a little knock and we’ll take it step by step every day. ‘They said four-to-six weeks but it’s only been two-and-a-half weeks since I got the stitches in and out. ‘The specialist has done a great job. They’re happy, I’m happy and ready to go again. ‘I’m looking forward to training and Wembley on Sunday so it’s going to be a good week.’

If Curtis does feature at Wembley, he’ll cover his finger with a plastic protector, a bandage and a glove. A previous risk was sweat getting into the wound, causing a potential infection – but that’s no longer the case. Curtis added: ‘There’ll be a plaster over it, a bandage and then I’ll put a glove on it and away I’ll go. ‘They doctors are comfortable and the risk of infection would be slim. ‘I’ve got to take that chance now. It’s on my own accord to do it and I’ll take it step by step and hopefully it’ll be good to go.’

 

Free Flags At Wembley
A gift for Pompey fans going to the Checkatrade Trophy final.

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Pompey supporters heading to Wembley on Sunday will be able to show their support with a free flag.

The souvenirs – which have been kindly sponsored by our friends at Soccerlease – will be placed by every seat in the west side of the national stadium.

More than 40,000 tickets have been sold to Pompey fans for the Checkatrade Trophy final against Sunderland.

And these flags – half of which are blue, with the others in white – will help them show their support for Kenny Jackett’s men.

Soccerlease, supported by international fleet management and vehicle leasing specialist sgfleet, are Pompey’s official flag sponsors for the Checkatrade Trophy.

And in the run-up to Sunday’s match, the team at Soccerlease are offering Blues supporters a fantastic deal – one that is not to be missed.

If Pompey win the Checkatrade Trophy, then Soccerlease will pay for your first month’s rental!

 

Seven-year-old Portchester boy battling a brain tumour will lead Portsmouth out of the tunnel at Wembley.

A YOUNG boy who has spent the past 13 months fighting a brain tumour has been named as Pompey’s mascot for this weekend’s Checkatrade final. Harry St Ledger, seven from Portchester, will lead the Blues out of the tunnel ahead of their Wembley final against League One rivals Sunderland on Sunday.

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The youngster has been battling his brain tumour after he was diagnosed last February, before going to London for six weeks of radiotherapy, followed by a 12-month course of chemotherapy. Harry and his family are huge Pompey fans, with excitement in the St Ledger household reaching a fever pitch as the game draws closer. Despite a poor prognosis with limited treatment available, Harry has defied the odds to carry on at school – studying on a part-time basis – and dressing up as his favourite superhero, Spider-Man, when he goes in for treatment. Harry’s walkout from the Wembley tunnel has been organised by Pompey in the Community, a charity that works in partnership with Portsmouth FC. Harry’s dad, 32-year-old Cairan, said: ‘I am very thankful to Pompey in the Community for offering Harry this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of leading out Pompey at Wembley. ‘He has had a very hard time the last year with, travelling to and from London for his radiotherapy then straight onto a 12-month course of chemotherapy, he has been through more in the last year than many adults do in a lifetime – it’s hard to watch as a parent but to see him doing so well fills us full of joy.

‘We are both season ticket holders in the North Lower and as Harry’s father it will be one of the proudest days of my life watching him lead out the Pompey team at a full-to-capacity Wembley.’ According to Cairan, Harry is filled with excitement ahead of his big day, with a minibus full of his family and friends also coming to watch him. ‘After the year he’s had he’s just looking forward to the big day – it’s a great opportunity and I can’t thank the club, Pompey in the Community and everyone else for everything they have done for Harry.’ Claire Martin from Pompey in the Community says that everyone at the charity immediately thought of Harry when the opportunity came up.

‘I think it’s lovely for him to be able to do it – he’s a brilliant lad and has been through so much,’ she said.

What a lovely story, and well done Pompey for arranging this !!

 

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Read some of the key statistics and other useful information ahead of Pompey's trip to Wembley for the 2019 Checkatrade Trophy final.

Match Stats- The 2019 final will attract he highest attendance in the history of the competition, beating the current record of 80,841 which was set in 1988 when Wolves beat Burnley.

- It could be the highest attended football match in Europe this weekend, with only Barcelona’s match against Espanyol expected to beat it.

- Pompey are unbeaten in their past seven meetings with Sunderland, including a 3-1 victory at Fratton Park earlier in the season.

- The Black Cats have won three of the previous four cup clashes, although the Blues came out on top in the most recent one – an FA Cup tie in 2010.

- Both sides are aiming to win the EFL Trophy for the first time and Sunday’s final is the first between two former Premier League teams.

- The victors will become only the second club – after Wolves – to win the competition having previously been English top-flight champions.

- Pompey have kept a clean sheet in four of their previous five visits to the new Wembley Stadium, including when they beat Cardiff to lift the FA Cup in 2008.

- Sunderland have not won a competitive fixture at the national stadium since the 1973 FA Cup final and lost to Manchester City in their only previous trip since it was revamped.

- Pompey have won all seven of their Checkatrade Trophy matches this season and no side has netted more goals than the 16 they have notched.

- Sunderland have conceded just once in their seven fixtures in the competition – fewer than any other side.

- Gareth Evans is Pompey’s top Checkatrade Trophy scorer with three goals this term, despite having just four shots on target.

- Sunderland have had 11 different scorers – more than any other side – and only Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka has netted more than once.

Officials: The referee is Dean Whitestone and he will be assisted by Nik Barnard and Richard Wild, with Kevin Johnson acting as fourth official.

Whitestone is approaching 400 league games as a referee and was fourth official when Coventry won the competition against Oxford in 2017.

The presentation party will include interim EFL chair Debbie Jevans CBE and Checkatrade’s transformation director Dan Davis.

Emily Haig will lead the national anthem at approximately 2.25pm.

Kits
Sunderland were selected to have first choice of kits and will wear their usual home colours of red and white shirts, black shorts and red socks.

Pompey are able to wear blue shirts and white shorts, but will be wearing their ‘away’ blue socks.

The Blues keeper will be all in green, with the Black Cats stopper in black.

Last five finals (attendance in brackets)
2018: Lincoln 1-0 Shrewsbury (41,261)
2017: Coventry 2-1 Oxford (74,434)
2016: Barnsley 3-2 Oxford (59,230)
2015: Bristol City 2-0 Walsall (72,315)
2014: Chesterfield 1-3 Peterborough (35,663)