Portsmouth FC promotion: 'It gives the buzz back'

Pompey sealed promotion with a 3-2 win over Barnsley on Tuesday

Portsmouth FC's promotion to the Championship is the latest twist in a turbulent history.

From entering administration in the Premier League in 2010, to an eleventh-hour financial rescue in 2013, the rollercoaster ride has been keenly felt by fans.

"Everyone feels the ups and the downs together," says local businessman Tim Hoolahan.

We asked some of Portsmouth's leading lights for their reactions.

'It gives the buzz back'

Clare Martin says the club's community work will benefit

Clare Martin MBE says promotion will make a "massive difference" to the club's community activities, which include free sports courses, girls' and disability football teams and education programmes.

The chief executive of Pompey in the Community, the club's benevolent arm, says: "It gives the buzz back. Suddenly everyone wants to be a part of Pompey."

She anticipates laying on more activities to match growing interest in the club.

"This morning I drove around in my little branded Pompey Mini and everybody was shouting 'Play up Pompey'," she says.

"That hasn't happened for a long time."

Benefiting the local economy

Aaron Butson says the hospitality trade will see an uplift

Businesses will benefit from promotion, according to Pompey fan Aaron Butson, who works for Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and is a college assistant principal.

"Whether it's the burger van at the ground, the cafes, restaurants, bars, the hospitality trade will definitely feel the benefit.

"Next year the crowds will be bigger. Merchandise will go up.

"The feel-good factor will make people more fluid with their money."

Mr Butson, from Havant and South Downs College, says he noticed a "skip in people's step" as the club marched towards promotion.

"It makes the city feel young, it makes the city feel vibrant again."

'More passionate in Portsmouth'

Staff from Staggeringly Good Brewery celebrated with Portsmouth FC workers

Tim Hoolahan works for the Staggeringly Good Brewery, a stone's throw from Fratton Park.

"Supporters are more passionate in Portsmouth," he says. "This will mean more to the city than it would for other clubs."

Mr Hoolahan, who grew up in Portsmouth, says his business has profited from the push for promotion.

"We see how happy and jubilant everyone's been. We've seen more people in the taproom, made new customers."

'Sense of positivity'

Professor Graham Galbraith says student applications could increase

The University of Portsmouth hopes for a surge of interest from prospective students.

Vice-chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith recalls that applications to the University of Leicester "nearly doubled" when the city won the Premier League in 2016.

"It puts us in the consciousness of people when they're deciding where to study," he said.

"We have amazing partnerships around the world, such as joint degrees with Australia. It will absolutely give us a higher profile."

Professor Galbraith anticipates an uplift in mood for the city as a whole.

"It will create a sense of positivity in really difficult times. The feel-good factor will mean we're more confident in doing the things we're good at."

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