Twelve months ago this weekend I was at The Ricoh Arena for Pompey's opening game of the 2010-11 Championship season against Coventry City.
It wasn't the greatest game of football and Pompey, whose last competitive game had been the FA Cup Final against Chelsea, were lacking in senior player resources and succumbed to two Freddy Eastwood goals. The one Pompey 'highlight' from the game was the soon to depart skipper Marc Wilson hitting the post late on.
Some of the players looked disinterested in the 'humble' surroundings of The Championship, indeed John Utaka received plenty of stick from the travelling Pompey fans, followed by cheers when he was substituted late on.
It was a strange atmosphere really but perhaps not surprising considering what the fans had gone through in the preceding months. The so-called Promised Land had flattered to deceive and had turned into a living nightmare.
The cloud of administration continued to hang heavy over the Club which had returned from an ill-conceived tour of North America seemingly poorly prepared for the hard slog everyone knew was ahead.
The Pompey team sheet for that game against Coventry was as follows: Jamie Ashdown, Aaron Mokoena, Matt Ritchie, Marc Wilson, Ibrahimo Sonko, Hayden Mullins, David Nugent, Michael Brown, John Utaka, Tommy Smith, Richard Hughes. Subs: Nadir Ciftci, Liam O'Brien, Peter Gregory and Marlon Pack.
It was a shadow of the team from that showpiece day back in May and for this weekend's trip to Teeside only Ashdown, Mokoena and Mullins remain on the Club's books. This has turned in to a long, re-building project and it's taken a long time to un-pick a lot of the complexity.
After a faltering start to the 2010-11 season, Pompey recovered well and finished in a creditable 16th position under very difficult circumstances. Everyone at the Club played their part in the fight against adversity: players, back-room staff, boardroom, fans and the Steve Cotterill. Interestingly, Aidy Boothroyd, the Coventry City manager on the opening day, didn't make it in post to the end of the season.
So, a year on, a new season dawns and a lot has changed for the good with new owners in place. However, a few post-administration scars remain and despite some very good signings, the first team playing resources continue to look painfully thin.
There's even been a tour to North America – albeit with a much more sensible itinery - and a delayed return to the UK thrown in to the mix to spoil Steve Cotterill's final week of pre-season plans. Those pesky catering truck drivers!
Whatever the result at The Riverside this weekend it would be foolhardy to draw any conclusions about Pompey's long term prospects. One thing is certain though: the post-administration road to recovery is a long one and Pompey are still very much on it.
BlueThruAndThru
