Back to October 1948

October 1-3: Fratton Park's biggest crowd so far!

Friday 1: Portsmouth expect to be unchanged for the sixth consecutive match when Newcastle United visit Fratton Park tomorrow afternoon (3pm). Pompey: Butler, Rookes, Ferrier, Scoular, Flewin, Dickinson, Harris, Barlow, Reid, Phillips, Froggatt.

Gordon Neave will come into the Pompey Reserves side for the Football Combination match against Saints Reserves at The Dell tomorrow (3pm). Pompey: Humpston, Yeuell, Drummond, Bowler, McCoy, Neave, Brown, Delapenha, Clarke, Elder, Parker

Saturday 2: Queues have started to form at the turnstiles six hours ahead of kick-off in today’s big Pompey v Newcastle match in Division One. Portsmouth officials are expecting Fratton Park’s biggest crowd since the war.

All turnstiles have now been closed behind a full-house crowd at Fratton Park. Kick-off is just a few minutes away, and we’ll bring you all the news of Pompey’s meeting with Newcastle United shortly after the final whistle.

A crowd of 45,827, the second largest in Pompey’s history, went wild with excitement as the Blues beat Newcastle United 1-0 at Fratton Park this afternoon. A 66th minute goal from Len Phillips extended the 100% home record of the league leaders.

The crowd had filed in early to pack the Fratton Park terraces, and St John Ambulance volunteers were kept busy treating a number of people, mostly on the north side of the ground, who fainted in the unseasonably hot weather.

The match provided a tremendous spectacle for the huge crowd. Chances came and went at both ends. Pompey were marginally the better side but they had a lucky escape when Rookes appeared to handle in the area and the referee waved play on.

The decisive goal came when Phillips latched onto a through ball from Reid and cleverly evaded the close attention of both Newcastle full backs to ease his shot past the Magpies goalkeeper Fairbrother. 

Match Summary: Portsmouth 1, Newcastle 0

Pompey’s win gives them 19 points from 11 matches, and extends their lead at the top of the Division One table to three points over second placed Derby County.

It was a "thumbs up" performance from Pompey at Fratton Park today!

Honours were even when Saints Reserves and Pompey Reserves fought out a goal-less draw in their Football Combination fixture at The Dell this afternoon. The reverse of the fixture, played at Fratton Park last month, also ended goal-less. 

Match Summary: Southampton Reserves 0, Portsmouth Reserves 0

A great win for Pompey, the Reserves make their point, Saints trounced at Barnsley, and a crowd of 3,500 at Newport (IW). It’s all in tonight’s Football Mail.

Sunday 3:  “Geordies Were Good but Pompey Were Better” – from one of today’s Sunday papers. "The secret is - team work" said another.

The attendance of 45,827 at yesterday’s Pompey v Newcastle match was a record for a Football League fixture at Fratton Park. The overall record was set on 11 February 1939 when 47,614 watched Portsmouth beat West Ham in the 5th round of the FA Cup.

Following yesterday's Fratton Park "lock-out" Pompey directors have confirmed that work will start shortly to restore ground capacity to a figure in excess of 50,000. Work has so far been delayed by ongoing labour and material shortages.

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