Gosport Borough and Bognor Town forced to scrap money-spinning Portsmouth pre-season friendlies
Pompey’s non-league neighbours have regularly hosted the Blues during pre-season
Two local clubs have been forced to scrap money-spinning friendlies against Pompey.
Pre-season trips to Gosport Borough and Bognor have long formed the backbone to the Blues’ summer schedule, earning the non-leaguers regular financial boosts.
However, with both clubs currently in the process of converting their grass pitches into artificial playing surfaces, they will be absent from this year’s Pompey calendar in July.
Gosport last week began work on a £1m project to install a Fifa Pro 4G surface, along with new floodlights and an upgrade of their Privett Park home.
Gosport set to miss out on £20,000 windall
Working in partnership with Gosport Borough Council, who are supplying a £500,000 grant towards the 12-week scheme, it is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.
Borough owner Iain McInnes insists the annual Pompey fixture is worth £20,000 to the Southern League Premier South club.
However, he is convinced installing the new all-weather playing surface will enable the non-league club to be more sustainable in the future.
The former Pompey chairman told The News: ‘I am 74 years old now, so I’m knocking on a bit, and the only way we can sustain football at this level is to go for a 4G pitch.
‘For it to last and be sustainable, it needs an income other than Iain’s chequebook and that’s the reason why we are doing it. I think it will be really good for the community, ourselves and the council.
‘Gosport is a community short of such quality facilities, so we are in a partnership with the local council which involves the construction of a Fifa Pro 4G surface, upgrading the stadium and introducing new floodlights.
‘Obviously you can’t do it at any other time of the season and it is quite a development process. It means we are unable to host any of our six friendlies this summer, including Pompey.
‘Financially that’s £20,000 we will miss out on, which is sad, but we have no choice. We’ll just have to live with that for the longer-term benefits and hopefully the following season we can do something.
‘We are looking at completion at the end of July, which we are on course for, depending on the weather. It has to be dry for them to lay down some of the surface. However, we have some contingency plans in place should that not be the case.’
Bognor’s Nyewood Lane home has hosted Pompey in 10 of the last 12 pre-seasons.
They were granted permission for a £1.2m project to install a 3G playing surface in March, with work scheduled to begin following the culmination of their 2024-25 campaign.
And, according to Rocks chairman Jack Pearce, the absence of the Blues fixture deprives them of biggest money spinner of the season.
Bognor: ‘You are looking at thousands of pounds’
He added: ‘There’s no fixture with Pompey this year as we haven’t got a pitch to play on during pre-season, which is a real shame.
‘These 3G pitches take a while to lay, so it will most likely be ready in the middle of August after the season has started.
‘Unfortunately, it means that, for the first time in many years, we haven’t got a pre-season game with Pompey, which will affect us financially. You are looking at thousands of pounds, we are not talking small amounts here.
‘It’s disappointing for our supporters, our players and our financial position, but hopefully, in the future, we’ll be able to rekindle the occasion.
‘You can only lay these pitches during the close season and we couldn’t get it done in time to get ready for a July fixture or the start of the season. We will likely start the season at Chichester instead.’
The Blues will also be taking a Pompey XI to Moneyfields’ John Jenkins Stadium on Saturday, July 19 (1pm).
For Your Next Read: The key positions Pompey must strengthen in summer transfer window