The two Portsmouth favourites who joined noisy 3,624 Blues fans in away end against Preston North End
There were two familiar faces in the Pompey away end at Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.
The biggest Blues following of the campaign saw 3,624 members of the Fratton faithful make the near 530-mile round trip to Preston.
While some supporters opted to make the journey up to Lancashire on Friday, alarms went off early on Saturday morning for others, with the Fratton Park outfit visiting Deepdale for the first time since 2013.
And there was one recognisable figure of John Mousinho’s squad who was nestled up alongside fans as recovery from a season-ending injury continues.
Callum Lang posted a photo on his Instagram story from the Bill Shankly Kop, where the Fratton faithful were housed, during Pompey’s 2-1 defeat to the Lilywhites.
The Blues’ top scorer this term is, of course, sidelined for the remainder of the campaign after sustaining a hamstring issue during last month’s triumph against Oxford United.
However, Lang wasn’t just the only Pompey favourite to be spotted in the away end, with one lucky fan posting a photo alongside David Norris on X.
The former Fratton Park midfielder hasn’t shied away from his love for Pompey despite only one campaign on the south coast. That passion doesn’t look like nullifying either, with the 44-year-old watching his former club in the away end against Preston.
Although Norris scored eight goals in 40 appearances during the Blues last campaign in the Championship 13 years ago, his most memorable moment has put him down in Fratton folklore. Despite the club’s long-term future as well as second-tier safety on the line in April 2012, the ex-Plymouth and Ipswich man provided one fabulous moment when his last-minute volley secured a point against bitter rivals Southampton at St Mary’s.
Pressure on Pompey grows as Championship relegation battle heats up
As the duo went in support of Mousinho’s men on Saturday, both would’ve left disappointed along with the fellow Pompey fans after suffering late heartbreak. Although Colby Bishop thought he’d picked up a deserved point for Mousinho’s men on 83 minutes, just four minutes later a mix-up at the back saw Stefan Thordarson claim all three points for North End.
The defeat leaves the Blues just four points ahead of the relegation zone after consecutive defeats against Plymouth and Preston.
And that will prove further frustration for Lang, who will play no further role in the final eight games of a crucial Championship run-in as he continues to watch from the sidelines due to a hamstring issue.
The forward remains Pompey’s top scorer this term - having netted 10 goals in 30 Championship appearances.