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August 23-31: Two More Wins For The First Team

DelapenhaMonday 23: 17 year-old John Beale will again play at inside-left for Pompey Reserves in their match against Charlton at The Valley tonight (6pm). The former Portsmouth Northern Grammar School boy scored in Saturdays 5-0 win over Bristol Rovers Reserves 

Tuesday 24: Pompey Reserves romped to their second 5-0 victory in three days when they met Charlton Athletic at The Valley tonight. Delapenha (2) pictured, Juliussen, Beale and Thompson were the goal scorers – as they all were last Saturday! Match Summary: Charlton Athletic Reserves 2, Portsmouth Reserves 5

Portsmouth play their first home match of the season when they face Everton at Fratton Park tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6pm. The team is expected to be the same as that which drew at Preston on Saturday. 

Wednesday 25: Pompey have made positional changes to the side that will take on Everton at Fratton Park in just under an hour. Reid moves to centre-forward, Barlow to inside-right, and Froggatt reverts to his favoured outside-left position.

Pompey produced a scintillating display of attacking football to crush Everton 4-0 at Fratton Park tonight. Two goals apiece from Jack Froggatt and Bert Barlow did the damage, but the Blues could, and should, have won by a far greater margin 

The Royal Marines Band entertained the crowd before kick-off, and a group of supporters tied balloons to one of the goalposts. A rendition of the Pompey Chimes greeted Reg Flewin and his men when they emerged from the tunnel.  

Froggatt’s two goals were a scant reflection of Pompey’s first half superiority. Only the brilliance of Everton goalkeeper Ted Sagar prevented a landslide in those first 45 minutes. 

Barlow’s double-punch in the second half doubled the advantage, but frankly Pompey will be regretting the profligacy in front of goal that prevented them from winning by a cricket score. 

Still, a crowd of 31,433 will have gone home happy, and there is sure to be an even bigger crowd when Burnley visit Fratton Park on Saturday.  Match Summary: Portsmouth 4, Everton 0

Friday 27: Portsmouth Chairman Mr R Vernon Stokes used his programme notes on Wednesday evening to explain how the government’s building restrictions for non-essential work have delayed the club’s plans to improve Fratton Park.

One improvement Pompey have been able to carry out this summer is the installation of gas and water supplies to Fratton Park refreshment counters. Water for your cup of tea no longer has to be carried some distance and heated on various oil stoves 

Portsmouth report no injuries and expect to field an unchanged side when they take on Burnley at Fratton Park tomorrow (3pm). Pompey: Butler, Rookes, Ferrier, Scoular, Flewin, Dickinson, Harris, Barlow, Reid, Phillips, Froggatt.

BurnleySaturday 28: Portsmouth made it two home wins in four days when they beat Burnley 1-0 at Fratton Park this afternoon. The goal came after 15 minutes, when Froggatt headed home from a beautifully flighted free kick from Dickinson.

There should have been more goals in this entertaining match, although Burnley were never going to be overcome as easily as Everton were on Wednesday evening. Pompey need to be more ruthless after they get themselves ahead.

Pompey thought they had doubled the scoreline right at the end but the referee had blown for full time just a split second before Harris lashed the ball into the net. 

One concern for Pompey will be the injury to Flewin. He took a heavy dig in the ribs and spent much of the second half in obvious discomfort on the left wing. Reid moved back to cover the centre half position, with Froggatt moving to centre-forward 

There was a crowd of over 38,000 at Fratton Park. They will have liked what they saw and will no doubt be back for more. Match Summary: Portsmouth 1, Burnley 0

Tonight’s Football Mail leads with Ranger’s report of Pompey’s 1-0 win over Burnley at Fratton Park today. 

Tuesday 31: Billy Probert (53), the Portsmouth full-back who gave such good service to the club from 1920 to 1925, has been found dead at his home. In recent years Mr Probert has been the landlord of The Milton Arms. An inquest is to be held.

Reg Flewin, Pompey’s centre-half and captain, will miss tomorrow night’s match at Everton. He took a knock to the ribs during Saturday’s home win against Burnley. Bowler will deputise at centre-half. Phil Rookes will captain the side

Tomorrow night’s fixture is the reverse of the match played at Fratton Park a week ago, when Pompey beat Everton 4-0. Few are expecting such an easy ride the second time around

Despite being unfit for the game at Goodison Park, Flewin has travelled with the Portsmouth party today. They will be staying in Blackpool for the remainder of the week before travelling to Stoke on Saturday morning.

John Brown and John Coates, both from Burnley, Lancashire, were each fined £7 for being drunk and disorderly in Kingston Crescent, and assaulting a bus conductor. They told the court “We came down for the football and had too much to drink.”

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