Exclusive:Fear ominous October, but applaud April : A deep dive into Portsmouth's 2026-27 fixtures
The Championship fixture list has been published for the 2026-27 campaign
A return to Loftus Road just nine matches after the last miserable visit would have been beyond cruel, downright evil.
Thankfully, Fratton Park will be hosting Rangers on August 15 for the Championship kick-off, providing home advantage against a side which humbled John Mousinho’s men 6-1 in the March meeting.
To their immense credit, the Blues responded to that humiliation by claiming 11 points from their next six matches to secure safety with two matches to spare.
Still, looking at Pompey’s opening eight league matches of the 2026-27 season, on paper it offers a decent opportunity to put precious early points on the board - which could be crucial ahead of an ominous October.
Beware October 2026
Before then, however, there’s a trip to Wolves (September 8) which will unquestionably be tough, yet in the first four-and-a-half weeks they are also scheduled to face two of the sides promoted from League One - Lincoln and Cardiff.
Blackburn at home so early in the campaign is also a handy fixture, with Pompey having beaten them on the south coast in each of the last two seasons.
Then comes October, packed with five hideous games against teams likely to be strong frontrunners to reach the Premier League.
The south-coast derby kicks it off on October 10, once again opening at St Mary’s, only this time the hapless Will Still is long gone and this is a side which could win the title.
Other fixtures that month include Millwall (third last season), Norwich (ninth last season), Sheffield United and a Burnley side which were relegated from the Premier League.
Incidentally, of those five fixtures, just two are at Fratton Park - Sheffield United and Millwall.
Certainly Mousinho needs to have plenty of points on the board before heading into that part of the season. Already, October is daring to suggest it could be a season-defining period.
Playing Birmingham twice in 21 days
Pompey will definitely welcome successive Fratton Park games against Swansea and Stoke entering November as an opportunity to swiftly repair any potential damage accrued during the previous month.
Elsewhere, they will face Birmingham twice in 21 days from mid-December, including a New Year’s Day visit to St Andrew’s. They lost 4-0 the last time they went there in November 2025.
Indeed, Christmas overall represents a tricky period, with three of the Blues’ four matches away from Fratton Park.
Although Watford visit on Boxing Day, there are trips to Middlesbrough (December 19), Millwall (December 29) and Birmingham (January 1) before the FA Cup third round begins.
Should Pompey require a strong end to the season - and it has certainly been known - they can be reassured by April, with four of their six fixtures taking place at Fortress Fratton.
That includes welcoming Middlesbrough, Wolves, Bristol City and Preston to the south coast, while there are trips to Cardiff (April 10) and Derby (April 20).
Frustratingly for the Fratton faithful, there are five midweek away matches taking place in the Midlands and beyond, including treks to Preston (December 9) and Sheffield United (February 16).
A first visit to the London Stadium
The season concludes at West Ham, which also doubles up as the first time Pompey will have played at the often-maligned London Stadium.
The Hammers will be much fancied for a swift return to the Premier League, so fingers crossed that will have been secured before the final-day visit of Mousinho’s men.
After all, Pompey may well be reliant on that May 1 fixture for their own destiny - either a place in the extended play-offs or securing Championship survival.