Capturing 125 years of PFC: University hosts special exhibition to celebrate anniversary

Portsmouth Football Club’s photographic heritage is to be celebrated at a special exhibition at the University of Portsmouth in August in what will be the closing event of the club’s 125th anniversary season.

Almost 100 photographs will be on display at the Ravelin Sports Centre in Cambridge Road from Monday August 5 until Sunday August 18 (10.30am-6.00pm daily) and proceeds of the sale of the catalogue will go to the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

Entitled ‘125 – Celebrating Portsmouth FC in Photographs’, the exhibition will feature a retrospective of the late Pete Blackman, specially commissioned images by renowned documentary photographer Stuart Roy Clarke, action shots from last season by club photographer Jason Brown and a selection of images from the archive, celebrating the club’s 125 seasons.

Curated by Colin Farmery, chair of the club’s 125 steering committee, he feels the event is a fitting end to the year.

He said: “In my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined the 125th anniversary season would have turned out so well. For the men’s and women’s teams to win their respective championships, made the 2023/24 season one of the most memorable in the club’s history.”

This exhibition celebrates that fantastic season on the pitch, with 16 stunning action images from Jason, who is a talented sports photographer and also some original work by Stuart Roy Clarke, the nationally renowned football documentary photographer, who came down and documented all aspects of the last home game of the season with his unique eye.
 

“At the heart of the exhibition though is the work of Pete Blackman, who sadly died last October, but who I had approached last summer to curate a selection of his work spanning more than 15 years”, explained Colin. 

“Pete had been taking photographs at Fratton Park almost right up to his untimely death and he has a terrific back catalogue to share. Working with his family and friends, I am delighted we were still able to put together a collection of 32 of his images which capture his fan-focused perspective of his beloved club and I am sure he would have been delighted at the outcome.”

In addition, 30 captioned images from the club’s archive have been incorporated to represent more than 100 years of history.

Colin added: “We are fortunate at Pompey that one of our early directors, Stephen Cribb, was a photographer so the first 25 years or so of the club are well documented. Some of his images are there, as well as more recent work of the likes of Murray Sanders, Steve Reid, and Joe Pepler.

“Put together, these images really do both the success and the culture of the club justice. It is a fitting end to the 125 years and I hope people come along and also buy the catalogue, which will be raising money for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation in Pete’s memory.”

Priced at £5, the 60-page catalogue features all the photographs in the exhibition, plus messages from Portsmouth FC chairman Michael Eisner and Pompey Supporters’ Trust Board Member Ashley Brown. It can be purchased from the shop at the Portsmouth Museum & Art Gallery in Cambridge Road or online at the Pompey Memorabilia Store from Tuesday August 6.

The exhibition has been supported by the University of Portsmouth, the Arts Council, Bishops Printers, the PST and the Pompey History Society.

The University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club partnership began with the 2018/19 season and, in 2021, the sponsorship expanded to include both the men's and women's teams. It also includes a Portsmouth FC Scholarship, which champions one local University student each year through three years of their degree with financial support and direct work experience with the club.

Professor Graham Galbraith, University of Portsmouth Vice-Chancellor, said: “It is a great honour for the University to be hosting this amazing exhibition, which is a fitting conclusion to the celebrations of 125 years of history of our city’s much loved football club. We are very proud of the opportunity as main sponsor of the club to work with and support such an integral and well-loved organisation in Portsmouth.

“It is a testament to the enduring spirit and community pride that binds the people of our great city and our University together. We are honoured to support this celebration and commemorate the club’s rich heritage, and what better place to host it than at our award-winning Ravelin Sports Centre and what an appropriate and worthwhile cause for the funds raised from brochure sales.”