On 5 April 1898, in a solicitor's office in Old Portsmouth, six men laid the foundations of a new club. Portsmouth, the beloved "Pompey" of England's great naval port, has two league titles and two FA Cups in its trophy cabinet. On 5 April 2027 it turns 129.

A brewer on the High Street

Leading the way was John Brickwood, owner of Brickwoods Brewery. Together with five local football enthusiasts he met at 12 High Street, and they founded the Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company. One of the directors, architect Alfred Bone, designed and built the ground.

Fratton Park was laid out on a former potato field and opened in August 1899. It took its name from the nearby railway station, even though it stands in the Milton area. Portsmouth have never played anywhere else since.

Sherlock Holmes in goal? Not quite

A stubborn myth says that Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was the team's first goalkeeper. The truth is a little different. The writer did keep goal, but for an earlier amateur side, Portsmouth AFC, which folded in 1896, and he played under the pseudonym "A.C. Smith".

The first goalkeeper of professional Portsmouth was Matt Reilly, who came from the Royal Artillery team. The fans of that side also brought the "Pompey Chimes" to the new club, the chant that imitates the town hall bells and is still sung in the stands.

Pink, white and finally blue

The first shirts would surprise fans today: they were salmon pink with maroon collars and cuffs, the colours of the city's trams. That is why the team was nicknamed "The Shrimps". In 1909 it switched to white shirts and, after a financial crisis in 1911, adopted blue with white shorts.

The red socks appeared at Christmas 1947. The popular version says they were suggested by Field Marshal Montgomery, the club's president, but kit historians consider it more likely that post-war clothing restrictions made the old socks hard to find. A brief detour came in 1973-76, with white shirts and two blue stripes.

The star and crescent

The badge first appeared on the shirt in the early 1910s and is based on the city's symbols: a gold star and crescent, which the council allowed the club to use. The star originally had five points and became eight-pointed in 1954.

As for "Pompey", it is the nickname of both the city and its naval base. Its exact origin has never been established. In 2014-15 the club released an anniversary shirt modelled on the 1914 design, with the names of more than 1,400 "Pompey Pals" printed into the fabric.

Two titles, two Cups

In 1939 Portsmouth beat Wolves 4-1 in the FA Cup final. After the war came the golden era: champions of England in 1949 and 1950, the second time on goal average. The leaders were Jimmy Dickinson, with a record 845 appearances, and Peter Harris, the club's all-time top scorer.

In 2008, 69 years later, Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth lifted the Cup again at Wembley. The 1-0 win over Cardiff came from Kanu in the 37th minute, and the blue shirt was back on top.

Celebrate with us

From the pink "Shrimps" of 1899 to Wembley in 2008, Portsmouth carries the story of a city that lives by the sea. Its blue, with the star and crescent, is one of the true classics of English football.

Happy birthday, Pompey! May the chimes ring out at Fratton Park for many more years.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: The Fratton End at Fratton Park – Steve Daniels, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.