Joy and heartbreak: Contrasting fortunes for reunited Portsmouth League One title-winning pair
The Blues’ promotion-winning duo have played together at Cheltenham this season
A Pompey League One champion has suffered yet another career set-back as he seeks his fourth club in two years.
Although there’s brighter news for fellow Blues promotion winner Ben Stevenson after bouncing back from his own footballing low.
Josh Martin departed Fratton Park in May 2024, having been released alongside the likes of Sean Raggett, Joe Rafferty, Joe Morrell and Lee Evans.
The former Arsenal man had joined Pompey as a free agent in November 2023 following a lengthy trial, going on to make nine appearances as John Mousinho’s men won promotion to the Championship.
However, since his Fratton Park exit just 48 hours after those Southsea Common celebrations, the winger has made just 16 league starts over the last two seasons, during spells at Notts County, Newport County and Cheltenham.
Five goals in 32 games this season
The 24-year-old, who arrived at Whaddon Road in August following a successful trial, has scored five goals in 32 appearances for the Robins this term.
That return helped Cotterill impressively steer them away from relegation danger to finish in 18th position, with the former Pompey boss having taken over in September when rooted to the bottom of League Two.
Tellingly, however, just six of Martin’s 27 league appearances have been starts. It’s a familiar story in a career which has also seen service with Norwich, MK Dons, Doncaster and Barnsley.
Cotterill has, however, handed a new deal to Stevenson, who was part of the same Pompey squad as Martin which won the League One title.
The central midfielder joined Cheltenham in October 2025, having been without a club for five months after leaving Cambridge United last summer.
During that time he trialled with Notts County and attended the PFA’s pre-season training camp, yet it wasn’t until two months into the League Two campaign before he finally found a new club.
The 29-year-old has subsequently made 33 appearances - all of which have been starts - including their final match of the season in a 4-1 home defeat to Danny Cowley’s Colchester.
Featured in Pompey’s League One title-winning team
Stevenson reunited with sporting director Rich Hughes at Fratton Park in June 2023, after Hughes had previously signed him for Forest Green Rovers.
The midfielder went on to feature 10 times in Pompey’s 2023-24 League One title-winning campaign, although that consisted of just one league start as he offered solid cover for Marlon Pack, Joe Morrell and Alex Robertson.
He was sidelined by injury during the second half of that memorable season after sustaining knee ligament damage in training - and subsequently made just two more outings for the Blues.
Along with Tom Lowery, he wasn’t even registered for Mousinho’s 25-man Football League squad after September 2024 and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent in January 2025.
That opened the door to join Cambridge on a short-term move, where he featured 18 times before his release that summer following relegation from League One - and now he has extended his stay at Cheltenham.
Your Next Pompey Read: 'Busy summer': Portsmouth boss John Mousinho on transfer plans as he plots recruitment drive