Portsmouth charged with crowd misconduct by FA for Fratton Park promotion party after victory against Barnsley

Pompey have been hit with a Football Association charge of misconduct for their failure to control the Fratton Park crowd for Barnsley’s visit to PO4 in April.

The Blues have until Friday, June 7, to provide a response as the FA pinpointed four areas in which the club failed in its duties.

The issues being zoned in on are Pompey’s failures to ensure supporters conducted themselves in an orderly fashion; didn’t behave in an improper, violent, threatening or provocative way; didn’t throw missiles; and didn’t enter the field of play.

The charges, of course, relate to the scenes that followed the game against the Tykes, with victory that night seeing John Mousinho’s side book promotion back to the Championship for the first time since 2012. Pompey trailed twice to the visitors but twice hit back to draw level, before Conor Shaughnessy sealed a 3-2 win with a dramatic 89th-minute winner.

The Irishman’s goal prompted some supporters to invade the pitch - actions that received widespread criticism. But as soon as referee Paul Howard blew the final whistle minutes later, thousands of fans made their way onto the Fratton Park playing surface to celebrate promotion.

The moment will live long in the memory for those lucky to be in attendance at PO4 that Tuesday, April 16 night, with the players also enjoying the jubilant scenes as the promotion party officially kicked off. However, the club is now set to pay the price for the scenes witnessed.

A statement from the FA read: ‘Portsmouth FC has been charged with misconduct in relation to crowd control at the EFL League One game against Barnsley FC on Tuesday 16 April. Portsmouth FC allegedly failed to ensure that its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conducted themselves in an orderly fashion; didn’t behave in an improper, violent, threatening or provocative way; and/or threw missiles; and/or commit any form of pitch incursion. Portsmouth FC has until Friday 7 June to provide its response to this charge.’

Last season Carlisle United were fined £5,000 and handed a warning following the pitch invasion that occurred after their League Two play-off victory over Bradford at Brunton Park. Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday were hit with a £50,000 fine and warned about their future conduct following scenes in the immediate aftermath of their League One play-off win against Peterborough United at Hillsborough.

The chief executive of the EFL, Trevor Birch, has previously warned pitch invasions cannot continue, especially around the end of the season when promotion and play-off victories are recorded.

Ahead of Pompey being presented with the League One championship trophy for Wigan’s visit to Fratton Park on Saturday, April 20, the Football League warned they would scrap the proposed ceremony if there was a repeat of the Barnsley pitch invasion.

Other clubs facing similar charges in the coming weeks will be Southampton, Bolton and Derby after their fans entered the field of play as this 2023-24 season was drawing to a close.