The Pompey Chimes

No nickname list would be complete without Pompey. The club's world renowned nickname is the same as the city's, and although no-one seems to know the exact origin, most of the favourites are all naval based and include...

(1) the naval abbreviation of the harbour's Portsmouth Point is Pom. P,

(2) "Poor Old Pompey" - a beery heckle during a naval-lecture on Roman general Pompey and finally, our own favourite (because it sounds just like those south-coast scallywags)...

(3) some 18th century Portsmouth sailors climbed Pompey's pillar near Alexandria, Egypt, and became known as the "Pompey boys".

The origins of the 'Pompey Chimes' lies with the Royal Artillery, Portsmouth's most popular and successful football team for much of the 1890s, who played many of their home games at the United Services ground in Burnaby Road. The nearby town hall clock would strike the quarter hours and the referees would use the clock to let them know when the match should finish at 4pm. Just before 4pm the crowd would lilt in unison with the chimes of the hour to encourage the referee to blow the whistle signifying full time.

The original words to 'The Chimes', as printed in the 1900/01 Official Handbook of Portsmouth FC, were: 'Play up Pompey, Just one  more goal! Make tracks! What ho! Hallo! Hallo!'

With the demise of Royal Artillery after their expulsion from the 1898/99 FA Amateur Cup for alleged professionalism, many of Royal Artillery's supporters transferred their allegiance to the newly formed Portsmouth F.C. and brought the Chimes chant with them.