Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy
| Full name | Portsmouth FC Reserves and Academy |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Pompey The Blues The Blue Army |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Ground |
West Leigh Park Havant, England |
| Capacity | 5,250 (526 seated) |
| Manager | Mark Kelly |
| League | Football League Youth Alliance |
| 2015–16 |
Football League Youth Alliance South-West Division: 5th |
Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy consist of the reserve and academy footballers of Portsmouth F.C..
The Portsmouth Reserves consist of mainly young players under the age of 21 who are no longer eligible for the academy but are still trying to make the step up to the senior team. The reserve team is also often used to give senior squad players and senior players returning from injury the chance to play and keep or build up match fitness, or for trialists at the club to impress in a competitive match. The team was last managed by Guy Whittingham and played their matches at Havant and Waterlooville's home ground West Leigh Park. They played in the Premier Reserve League South. The club announced on 7 July 2010 that they would opt out of the Totesport.com Combination Reserve League for the upcoming season, leaving the club without the ability to field a competitive reserve team. Instead, young players are being sent out on loan to other football clubs for first-team action and a number of friendly matches will be arranged over the course of the season for the reserve players to play in. In 2012 Portsmouth returned with a Development squad. This contains Substitute first team players as well as advanced youth players. Both parties are still allowed to play in the first team or academy depending on age as, all Development squad matches are friendlies.
Portsmouth were granted academy status at the beginning of the 2007/2008 season. In their first year as an academy side, they finished a highly respectable 4th-place finish in the Premier League Academy Group A, beating some well established academy sides such as those of Southampton and Crystal Palace. The academy is currently managed by Mark Kelly. In the 2012-13 season the Academy won the Football League Youth Alliance South East Conference.
Currently Jack Whatmough and Conor Chaplin are notable graduates in the first team squad.
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