Pompey’s new season begins where the last one ended ...
Pompey’s forthcoming 2022-23 campaign will begin where last season ended – at Hillsborough
The Blues had asked the Football League for their opening fixture to be played away from home, thereby allowing the finishing touches to be made to ongoing South Stand work.
The outcome is heading back to the Owls on July 30, the setting for a 4-1 defeat at the end of April to bring the curtain down on the 2021-22 season.
Yesterday’s publication of League One fixtures reveals Danny Cowley’s men have three of their opening five league matches at Fratton Park.
Lincoln will be the first team welcomed to the south coast on Saturday, August 6, followed by Cambridge United (Tuesday, August 16) and Bristol Rovers (Saturday, August 20).
The away games during that period are Sheffield Wednesday (July 30) and Cheltenham (Saturday, August 13).
The Blues’ first visit to Port Vale since April 2000 has been fixed for Saturday, August 27, representing one of the most anticipated away trips this term.
The other is a first journey to Forest Green Rovers, which will take place on Saturday, October 22, having last season won promotion to League One for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile, Pompey will venture to Derby on April 29, 2023 – having not played at Pride Park since October 2011.
Boxing Day is not kind to Blues followers this season, having been handed a trip to Exeter on December 26.
Although they host Charlton on New Year’s Day, with the preceding fixture against Ipswich (Thursday, December 29) also at Fratton Park.
Other games to catch the eye are Oxford United at Fratton Park (Tuesday, October 25), away at Plymouth (Saturday, February 11) and a midweek trip to Burton Albion (Tuesday, September 13).
Pompey’s 2022-23 season will conclude with a home fixture to Wycombe on Saturday, May 6.
Although, traditionally, the final rounds of matches are moved back 24 hours to the Sunday.
2022-23 League One Fixtures July
Sat 30 Sheffield Wed (A)
August
Sat 6 Lincoln City (H)
Sat 13 Cheltenham (A) Tue16 Cambridge (H) Sat 20 Bristol Rovers (H) Sat 27 Port Vale (A)
September
Sat 3 Peterborough (H) Sat 10 Barnsley (A) Tue13 Burton Albion (A)
Sat 17 Plymouth Argyle (H) Sat 24 Bolton (H) *International date
October
Sat 1 Ipswich Town (A)
Sat 8 Fleetwood Town (H) Sat 15 Charlton Athletic (A) Sat 22 Forest Green (A) Tue 25 Oxford United (H) Sat 29 Shrewsbury (H)
November
Sat 12 Morecambe (A) Sat 19 Derby County (H)
December
Sat 3 Wycombe (A)
Sat 10 Accrington (A)
Sat 17 MK Dons (H)
Mon 26 Exeter City (A) Thu 29 Ipswich Town (H)
January
Sun 1 Charlton Athletic (H)
Sat 7 Fleetwood Town (A) Sat 14 Bolton (A)
Sat 21 Exeter City (H)
Sat 28 Peterborough (A)
February
Sat 4 Barnsley (H)
Sat 11 Plymouth Argyle (A) Tue 14 Burton Albion (H) Sat 18 Lincoln City (A)
Sat 25 Cheltenham (H)
March
Sat 4 Cambridge (A)
Sat 11 Sheffield Wed (H) Sat 18 Bristol Rovers (A) Sat 25 Port Vale (H) *International date
April
Sat 1 Forest Green (H)
Fri 7 MK Dons (A)
Mon 10 Morecambe (H) Sat 15 Shrewsbury (A) Tue 18 Oxford United (A)
Sat 22 Accrington (H) Sat 29 Derby County (A)
May
Sat 6 Wycombe (H)
*New Pompey signing Marlon Pack won’t have long to wait on a Cardiff return after the Blues were handed a trip to the Championship side in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
The midfielder made his Fratton Park return on Wednesday evening after being released by the Welsh club.
Now the 31-year-old is set to face his former side as soon as Wednesday, August 10, with Danny Cowley’s side due to travel to the Cardiff City Stadium.
Pompey last travelled to the Welsh capital in 2017 when Kenny Jackett’s side took the Bluebirds to extratime in the first round of the same competition.
A Sean Morrison own goal put the visitors ahead after 32 minutes before former Blues Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Greg Halford struck for City.
First round draw southern section: Norwich v Birmingham, Coventry v Bristol City, Northampton v Wycombe,CharltonvQPR,Crawley v Bristol Rovers, Walsall v Swindon, Ipswich v Colchester, Luton v Newport, Reading v Stevenage, Plymouth v Peterborough, AFC Wimbledon v Gillingham, Cheltenham v Exeter, MK Dons v Sutton, Forest Green v Leyton Orient, Cambridge v Millwall, Oxford United v Swansea.