Relentless Portsmouth heading towards 60-game season – for second time in club history
Pompey’s season will reach the 60-game landmark – for only the second time in their Football League history.
And should they enter the League One play-off semi-finals, it will establish a club record, eclipsing the 61 registered in 1993-94.
Kenny Jackett’s men tomorrow travel to Burton for the 56th match of what is developing into a memorable campaign.
The Blues have so far claimed the Checkatrade Trophy, conquered Norwich in the FA Cup and remain in the frame for automatic promotion.
Nonetheless, the gruelling schedule is heading for at least 60 fixtures, representing the second-highest in 98 years of featuring in the Football League.
Last season, Jackett’s troops fulfilled 53 matches in all competitions during their eighth-placed League One finish.
This term, fixtures have been bolstered by eight Checkatrade Trophy games, five in the FA Cup and one Carabao Cup tie.
Overall, with 46 league matches to complete by the season’s end, in addition to those 14 cup games, it takes the tally to 60 – before potential play-off involvement.
In contrast, the 2007-08 Premier League campaign, which yielded the FA Cup and the Blues’ highest finish in more than half a century, totalled 47 fixtures.
However, should automatic promotion be secured this term, Pompey will fall one short of the club record.
That was established in 1993-94, when 61 games were played under Jim Smith.
This involved a staggering 15 cup fixtures, consisting of the Coca-Cola Cup (7), FA Cup (2) and the Anglo-Italian Cup (6).
Meanwhile, the Division One campaign produced a disappointing finish of 17th in what would be Smith’s final full season in charge.
In terms of appearances, Alan Knight (56) and Alan McLoughlin (50) were the leading figures.
During the current campaign, Matt Clarke (53) has so far missed two matches, while Gareth Evans (50), Craig MacGillivray (49) and Jamal Lowe (48) have also featured regularly.