Portsmouth FC were formed as a result of an FA inquiry into the affairs of the team called Royal Artillery (Portsmouth). The inquiry discovered that the team had paid its players during training for an FA amateur cup tie. Royal Artillery were disbanded, but reformed as Portsmouth. Fratton Park was built with astonishing speed and, under manager Frank Brettell, the club joined the Southern league in 1899. They were unbeaten home in their first three seasons and topped the table in 1902. Pompey were admitted to the third division south in 1920. They quickly won promotion to the second and, in 1926-27, they reached the top flight by a margin of five hundredths of a goal. Under manager Jack Tinn, Pompey reached three FA Cup finals. They were defeated in the 1929 and 1934 finals to Bolton and Manchester City respectively, however, in a huge shock, beat Major Frank Buckley’s Wolves in 1939.
Bob Jackson took over from Tinn as Pompey’s manager in 1947 and it was under him that they enjoyed their greatest success – winning the title in 1949 and 1950.
Jackson’s side included the legendary Jimmy Dickinson. With Jimmy Scoular and Reg Flewin, Dickinson played in one of the most celebrated half back partnerships of the post war years. He spent twenty years in Pompey’s colours, recording an astonishing 764 league appearances.