2 weeks Ago By Neil Allen
Portsmouth FC Why Portsmouth skipper refuses to celebrate 'unbelievable achievement' of Championship survival By Neil Allen Chief sports writer Comment Published 23rd Apr 2025, 04:55 BST Updated 23rd Apr 2025, 06:30 BST Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Marlon Pack has hailed Pompey’s ‘unbelievable achievement’ - but is adamant it shouldn’t be celebrated. Sign up to our Portsmouth FC newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
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Having been rooted to the foot of the Championship in December, remarkably the Blues have secured safety with two matches remaining. It was accomplished on Easter Monday courtesy a 1-0 success over Watford at a jubilant Fratton Park , with Pompey ’s home form having been pivotal to their successive survival fight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After capturing the League One title last term to end a 12-year wait for Championship football, John Mousinho’s men will now remain there.
And while club captain Pack acknowledged the impressive feat, he has stopped short of celebrating. He told The News: ‘It has been an unbelievable achievement, but it’s not something we should be celebrating - and that’s because of the mentality of this group. ‘It’s a different achievement to winning the League One title, but one of equal worth to the football club and for us as players considering we’ve gone through so much this season.
Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ‘No wins after the opening nine games, a tough start, Colby’s heart issue, injuries, adapting to this level. Yet we have come through that adversity and, since Christmas, this group has shown we belong at this level. SIGN UP: Follow all of the action from Pompey when you sign up for our football newsletters ‘Don’t get me wrong, while we shouldn’t be celebrating, I still think it’s such a big achievement and one we will be proud of.
‘I always felt we had enough - and that’s not wearing blue-tinted glasses. I see it in training and it’s just about going and delivering it. We were probably unlucky with injuries, also the negative momentum of losing games, especially early in the season, countless last-minute goals conceded.
‘We had a decent January window and got some players through the door and they’ve helped, but, prior to that, we had started to put some results together and had created a belief. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ‘I don’t want to make too many excuses, but we are against sides with bigger resources and more stability in the Championship and that’s hard to compete against. ‘There have been tweaks in what we’ve had to do and how we’ve approached some games, yet I think we’ve been consistent, especially our demeanour.
We’ve tried to create intensity and a culture around the training ground. then hopefully, if you continue to do that over the course of a season, you’ll get the just rewards. Marlon Pack (far right) leads the players on their appreciation of the Fratton faithful following the 1-0 win over Watford.
Picture: Jason Brown/ProSportsImages | Jason Brown/ProSportsImages ‘Credit to the staff, credit to the group, credit to the fanbase and the football club. Our goal was to stay in the division - so to do that with two games to go is really pleasing for us.’ ‘There’s ambition to go further’ Matt Ritchie wore the captain’s armband for the moment Pompey secured survival, with Pack an unused substitute.
Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Still, the Buckland boy has totalled 39 appearances this season, albeit many of his 29 starts coming in the unfamiliar role of centre-back. Regardless, he and Ritchie have now helped the club they support stabilise in the Championship during a roller-coaster ride of a season. Read More 'There's a chance': Portsmouth boss tantalisingly offers hope over popular Bristol City man's Fratton Park future He added: ‘This Championship shows you this is the level you want to be.
Of course there will be ambition to go further, but that’s not for now, that’s for the long-term. ‘But, in the short-term, you've seen the grounds we’ve gone to this season, we’ve seen the players we have gone up against, that’s a great advertisement. Lucky for us, we can now sit back and see the fight between the sides below us now trying to stay in the division.
Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ‘It’s such a fantastic division, such a competitive division and for us as football it’s paramount that we stay in it to continue to build success.’ Your Next Pompey Read : More awful news for luckless Pompey defender - but positive updates on others Continue Reading Related topics: Pompey Comment Comment Guidelines National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting.
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