What caused Portsmouth to postpone their clash with Millwall?

What caused Portsmouth to postpone their clash with Millwall?

A power cut postponed the Championship fixture between Portsmouth and Millwall at Fratton Park on Wednesday night, in the most dramatic way.

With just minutes left until the kick-off at 19:45 GMT, the floodlights went out, sending players and fans into dark literally and figuratively.

After a wait of approximately 55 minutes and after frantic efforts to restore the power supply, the match was indeed called off.

Another Frustrating Blow for Pompey

The postponement marked a second straight home game called off for Portsmouth, who saw Saturday's clash with Blackburn Rovers cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.

John Mousinho's men haven't taken to the pitch since 9 November, and the disruption has seen them slide to the bottom of the Championship table, with QPR's victory over Cardiff adding to their woes.

Pompey do, however, have two games in hand on their relegation rivals.

The Moment It All Went Dark

Fans at Fratton Park had assumed immediately that the sudden loss of light was a quirky tease to build pre-kick-off drama.

As minutes ticked away, though, it slowly started to dawn on everyone this was very real.

The initial amusement giving way to frustration in the stands as sections of floodlights flickered back into life before others obstinately refused to do so.

2,700 Millwall fans belting out “No one likes us” at Portsmouth tonight in complete darkness. 👏

Unfortunately they were unable to get the floodlights working so the game was postponed. 😭pic.twitter.com/ZbsH5MFJSd

— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) November 27, 2024

When the decision to postpone was finally announced, boos echoed around the stadium, though both teams showed class by applauding their fans before leaving the pitch.

Southampton Seize the Moment

Adding insult to injury, Portsmouth's fierce rivals Southampton couldn't resist poking fun on social media.

In a cheeky post, the Saints lampooned Pompey's floodlight failure, much to the delight of their own fans and Millwall supporters.

Football under the lights 💡 pic.twitter.com/YhpT7ptWE6

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 27, 2024

One Millwall chant on the night captured the mood perfectly: "How s*** must you be, Southampton have lights." Even a Pompey fan begrudgingly admitted: "We deserve that.

For Portsmouth, it's another night to forget in what's already been a frustrating season. Fans will be hoping their next scheduled match finally goes ahead without a hitch.