'Surreal': First leg completed in football-mad Portsmouth's remarkable double title bid

The first leg of Portsmouth’s remarkable double title bid has been accomplished - and Jay Sadler toasted the ‘surreal moment’.

Pompey Women’s promotion from the National League Southern Premier Division was confirmed on Sunday afternoon without them kicking a ball.

Nearest rivals Hashtag United’s 2-0 defeat to Ipswich ensured the Blues now cannot be caught at the top of the table with two matches remaining.

Sadler’s side were not in action, so staff, directors and players gathered in Fratton Park Legends Lounge to follow the decisive match’s progress on social media.

Queue the inevitable party as they deservedly clinched the title and promotion having dropped just four points and conceded just seven league goals all season.

Now John Mousinho’s team have the opportunity to follow suit against Barnsley at Fratton Park (7.45pm) on Tuesday night, with one more point required for promotion - and two for the League One title.

Sadler told The News: ‘Winning promotion while not playing was a bit of a surreal moment.

‘We had a training session in the early afternoon and then the football club put us up in the Legends Lounge, with food and drink. Then it was a case of waiting on the Hashtag result.

‘There wasn’t a live stream, so the players had to keep checking their phones, scrolling through social media for the score. When Ipswich scored their first, there was a mini-celebration. When it was 2-0, the party began!

‘People can say it was anti-climatic, but it definitely wasn’t. And while winning it that way wasn’t what I envisaged, it was a lot of fun and a good mini-party into the night.

‘There were tears, it was emotional, while a few were shocked that it has actually happened for us. To be together in that room was what we all wanted, it was special.

‘It was also really poignant that the promotion moment happened in the Legends Lounge, surrounded by legends of the club.’

In June 2023, it was announced Pompey Women would become semi-professional and integrated under Tornante’s ownership alongside Mousinho’s team.

With Jane Eisner becoming chairperson, fresh investment was also put into a side which last season finished fourth.

Now, within 12 months, they’re stepping up into the Women’s Championship.

Sadler added: ‘It has been a remarkable season. We’ve been relentless, we have been ruthless, if there was a critic in me, I still think we can perform better in larger spells in games.

‘But you are looking at 18 wins in 20 games, that is some statistic, and I am so proud of everyone.

‘Turning semi-professional in the summer didn’t mean promotion was an expectation, but it was a target. We knew we could have a really good year.

‘We believed the semi-pro model would help, not only in retaining last season’s group but also allowing us to bring in players of higher calibre, experience and pedigree. And this group has come up trumps.’