Whether Portsmouth fans want to admit it or not, there’s a golden opportunity for the club to return to the Championship for the first time in 12 years.
John Mousinho’s side are seven points clear at the top of League One with just eleven matches remaining.
Of course, prior experiences have impacted the Fratton Faithful, making it hard to consider promotion as a reality until it is set in stone, something that is entirely fair.
However, that shouldn’t stop Pompey fans from enlightening themselves on what the second tier looks like nowadays; it’s an entirely different place to the one Michael Appleton’s side departed in 2012.
Financially, the Championship can be a tricky balancing act; acting responsibly whilst remaining competitive is the central issue.
Michael Eisner’s ownership has always remained steadfast in their belief surrounding sustainability.
Yet, CEO Andrew Cullen has admitted that second-tier sustainability could be a tall order.
“Sustainability in the Championship, if you look at it as a break-even model, which some people will, it doesn’t really happen,” he told The News.
Portsmouth face stark Championship reality
Taking a deeper dive into the issue surrounding Championship sustainability, Portsmouth FC News spoke exclusively to Sports Finance Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, Dan Plumley.
On whether sustainability is possible in the Championship, he said: “I think the bottom line is, yes, you can be sustainable as a Championship club, and there are instances where that is the case. You look at the likes of Rotherham United as an example. There are a couple of clubs that are fairly consistent and sustainable.”
However, Plumley suggested there is a fine line between sustainability and being able to compete.
“The challenge – and the Rotherham example is a good one – the ability to compete is the other side of the coin,” he added.
Of course, promotion to the second tier would be a massive positive for any club, with increased revenue on the cards.
Plumley explained: “If you look at the numbers behind that, promotion from League One is probably worth £6million that’s with TV deal as it stands right now.
“You are then looking at how you can stretch things from a commercial and matchday side of things.”
Despite the increase in revenue, Plumley has suggested that at least £10million would have to be put in to ensure any side can compete after gaining promotion.
“For a club like Portsmouth, they’re well supported, whatever league they’re in,” he said.
“Finite capacity on the stadium, which isn’t massive, so there isn’t going to be a huge uplift in matchday revenue. You would anticipate some better commercial deals, let’s add £1million conservatively.
“So overall around £7million. However, to compete, you still need to put around £10million in at least, so you are still chasing it a little bit.”
Eleven games still separate League One’s promotion hopefuls and the second tier, but this stark £10million reality is a gentle reminder of how financially demanding the Championship can be.