title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In 2005, KKR was one of seven private equity firms involved in the buyout of SunGard in a transaction valued at $11.3 billion. KKR's partners in the acquisition were Silver Lake Partners, Bain Capital, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Blackstone Group, Providence Equity Partners, and TPG Capital. This represented the largest leveraged buyout completed since the takeover of RJR Nabisco in 1988. SunGard was the largest buyout of a technology company until the Blackstone-led buyout of Freescale Semiconductor. The SunGard transaction was notable given the number of firms involved in the transaction, the largest club deal completed to that point. The involvement of seven firms in the consortium was criticized by investors in private equity who considered cross-holdings among firms to be generally unattractive.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In 2006, KKR raised a new $17.6 billion fund the KKR 2006 Fund, with which the firm began executing a series of some of the largest buyouts in history. KKR's $44 billion takeover of Texas-based power utility TXU in 2007 proved to be the largest leveraged buyout of the mid-2000s buyout boom and the largest buyout completed to date. Among the most notable companies acquired by KKR in 2006 and 2007 were the following:


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: Other non-buyout investments completed by KKR during this period included Legg Mason, Sun Microsystems, Tarkett, Longview Power Plant, and Seven Network. In October 2006, KKR acquired a 50% stake in Tarkett, a France-based distributor of flooring products, in a deal valued at about €1.4 billion ($1.8 billion). On November 20, 2006, KKR announced it would form a A$4 billion partnership with the Seven Network of Australia. On January 23, 2007, KKR announced it would invest $700 million through a PIPE investment in Sun Microsystems. In January 2008, KKR announced it had made a $1.25 billion PIPE investment in Legg Mason through a convertible preferred stock offering.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In addition to its successful buyout transactions, KKR was involved in the failed buyout of Harman International Industries , an upscale audio equipment maker. On April 26, 2007, Harman announced it had entered an agreement to be acquired by KKR and Goldman Sachs. In September 2007, KKR and Goldman backed out of the $8 billion buyout of Harman. By the end of the day, Harman's shares had plummeted by more than 24% upon the news.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In 2007, KKR filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $1.25 billion by selling an ownership interest in its management company. The filing came less than two weeks after the initial public offering of rival private equity firm Blackstone Group. KKR had previously listed its KPE vehicle in 2006, but for the first time, KKR would offer investors an ownership interest in the management company itself. The onset of the credit crunch and the shutdown of the IPO market dampened the prospects of obtaining a valuation attractive to KKR. The flotation was repeatedly postponed and called off by the end of August.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: The following year, in July 2008, KKR announced a new plan to list its shares. The plan called for KKR to complete a reverse takeover of its listed affiliate KKR Private Equity Investors in exchange for a 21% interest in the firm. In November 2008, KKR announced a delay of this transaction until 2009. Shares of KPE had declined significantly in the second half of 2008 with the onset of the credit crunch. KKR has announced that it expects to close the transaction in 2009. In October 2009, KKR listed shares in KKR & Co. on the Euronext exchange, replacing KPE and anticipates a listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2010. The public entity represents a 30% interest in Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. In October 2010, KKR acquired about nine members of Goldman Sachs Group proprietary trading team after entertaining offers from investment firms such as Perella Weinberg and Blackrock. With Goldman shutting down its proprietary trading operations, its executives, led by Bob Howard, will help KKR expand beyond leveraged buyouts into areas such as hedge funds.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In December 2011, Samson Investment Company was acquired by a group of private equity investors led by KKR for approximately $7.2 billion and Samson Resources Corporation was formed. With the severe downturn in oil and natural gas prices, in September 2015, the Company went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy and during its bankruptcy process, sold several large assets.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In March 2013, KKR exited its joint venture in music company BMG Rights Management, selling its 51% stake to Bertelsmann.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In January 2014, KKR acquired Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc for $2.4 billion from two private equity companies - Stone Point, and Hellman & Friedman. In June 2014, KKR announced it was taking a one-third stake in a Spanish energy business of Acciona Energy, at a cost of €417 million ($567 million). The international renewable energy generation business operates renewable assets, largely wind farms, across 14 countries including the United States, Italy and South Africa. In August 2014, KKR announced it was investing $400 million to acquire Fujian Sunner Development, China's largest chicken farmer, which breeds, processes and supplies frozen and fresh chickens to consumers and corporate clients, such as KFC and McDonald's, across China. In September 2014, the firm invested $90 million in a lighting and electrics firm Savant Systems. Also in 2014, KKR acquired commercial landscaping company ValleyCrest from Michael Dell’s investment firm MSD Capital, and combined it with landscape company Brickman, which it had owned since 2013, to form BrightView.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In January 2015, KKR confirmed its purchase of the British rail ticket website thetrainline.com, previously owned by Exponent. The purchase sum is unknown. On October 12, 2015, KKR announced that it has entered into definitive agreement with Allianz Capital Partners to acquire their majority stake in Selecta Group, a European vending services operator.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In 2016, KKR purchased two Hispanic chains, Northern California Mi Pueblo and Ontario, California–based Cardenas. In February 2016, KKR invested $75 million in commercial real estate lender A10 Capital. On September 1, 2016, KKR announced that it had acquired Epicor Software Corporation, an American software company. In October 2016, it was reported that KKR invested $250 million in OVH to be used for further international expansion. This funding round valued OVH at over $1 billion, making it a unicorn. In December 2016, the Lonza Group announced it would acquire Capsugel for $5.5 billion from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In February 2017, KKR was reported to be trying to take over the international market research company ARI GfK SE. In July 2017, KKR acquired WebMD Health Corp for $2.8 billion and, the following month, it acquired PharMerica for $1.4 billion including debt, Pepper Group for $518 million, Covenant Surgical Partners, and Envision Healthcare Corporations ambulance business for $2.4 billion. On July 6, 2017, KKR announced it would merge Northern California Mi Pueblo and Ontario-based Cardenas Market. On September 18, 2017, Toys "R" Us, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, stating the move would give it flexibility to deal with $5 billion in long-term debt, borrow $2 billion so it can pay suppliers for the upcoming holiday season and invest in improving current operations.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In mid-July 2018, KKR purchased RBMedia, one of the largest independent publishers and distributors of audiobooks. On July 22, 2018, KKR & Co. announced it is taking over Taipei-based LCY Chemical Corp. in a deal valued at NT$47.8 billion ($1.56 billion US), part of a plan for more transactions involving controlling stakes in the Greater China region. In July 2018, it was announced that KKR sold Gallagher Shopping Park, West Midlands in the UK to South Korean investors, Hana for £175 million.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In February 2019, KKR acquired the German media company Tele München Gruppe. Later that month, KKR acquired German film distributor Universum Film GmbH. In July 2019, KKR acquired the Canadian software company Corel. In August 2019, KKR acquired Arnott's, the Australian snack unit of Campbell Soup Company, for $2.2 billion. Later that month, KKR became the biggest shareholder of German media group Axel Springer, paying $3.2 billion for a 43.54% stake.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In December 2019, KKR, together with Alberta Investment Management Corporation, acquired a 65% stake in the controversial Coastal GasLink pipeline project, from TC Energy. The pipeline route crosses the territory of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, which opposes the project. Enforcement of an injunction to build through the Wet'suwet'en territory has sparked widespread protests across Canada.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In the final days of 2019, KKR announced it would acquire OverDrive, Inc., a major distributor of eBooks to libraries. The potential for consolidation with KKR subsidiary RBMedia was quickly noted in the library and publishing industry; the acquisition was finalized in June 2020.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In May 2020, KKR announced that it will be investing $750 million in cosmetics producer Coty, Inc. A separate plan was revealed in which several divisions of Coty are set to be spun out into a new company. According to the deal, KKR will own 60%, while Coty 40% of the new business. The same month, it was announced that KKR is set to make an investment into Indian digital company Jio Platforms. It was reported that KKR was negotiating to buy a $1.5bn stake of a maximum value reach of $65bn for Jio Platforms. In late June 2020, KKR announced it would lead a $48 million funding round for Artlist, a provider of royalty-free music, sound effects and video. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the company reported a profit of $16 billion in the Q2 for 2020.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In August 2020, it was reported that KKR was preparing to sell its Epicor Software Corp. branch. On August 31, it was officially confirmed that a group primary represented by private-equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is set to buy the branch in a deal worth $4.7 billion. The acquisition was one of the largest purchases of 2020. In September 2020, KKR announced an investment of $755 million in the retail arm of India-based Reliance Industries Ltd.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In November 2020, KKR teamed up with Rakuten to acquire 85% of Seiyu, the Japanese nationwide retail chain owned by Walmart.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In January 2021, KKR acquired a majority stake in the catalogue of American musician Ryan Tedder, including his band OneRepublic and the songs that he composed for other artists since 2016.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In November 2021, KKR disposed of Audiobooks.com to streaming company Storytel for $135 million; later that same month, KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners announced they would acquire CyrusOne for $15 billion.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In February 2022, it was reported by Bloomberg that Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund had purchased just over a 5% stake in Capcom and Nexon, reportedly worth $883 USD million, while KKR acquired 8.5% of Nexon, the Japanese-South Korean video game company.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In April 2022, KKR announced the signing of an agreement to purchase Barracuda Networks from Thoma Bravo, which closed in August that year; later that same month, KKR announced it had acquired all shares of Mitsubishi UBS Realty, a Japanese real estate asset manager.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In May 2022, Business Wire reported that KKR led about $200 million investment round in Semperis, a cybersecurity company focused on identity protection. Shortly after, Crunchbase listed Semperis as a privacy & security unicorn. Although the company's valuation has not been publicly confirmed, news outlets such as SecurityWeek, Enterprise Times, and SC Media concur this funding round puts Semperis in unicorn territory.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: In June 2022, it was announced that KKR would sell Cardenas to funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management for an undisclosed amount.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: Over the years, many of KKR's original partners have departed, the most notable being co-founder Jerome Kohlberg. After a leave of absence due to illness in 1985, Kohlberg returned to find increasing differences in strategy with his partners, Kravis and Roberts. In 1987, Kohlberg left KKR to found a new private equity firm, Kohlberg & Company, which resumed the investment style that Kohlberg had practiced at Bear Stearns and in KKR's earlier years, acquiring smaller, middle-market companies.


title: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

text: Since 1996, general partners of KKR have included Henry Kravis, George R. Roberts, Paul Raether, Robert MacDonnell, Jose Gandarillas, Michael Michelson, Saul Fox, James H. Greene, Jr., Michael Tokarz, Clifton S. Robbins, Scott Stuart, Perry Golkin and Edward Gilhuly. Among those who left were Saul Fox, Ted Ammon, Ned Gilhuly, Mike Tokarz and Scott Stuart who had been instrumental in establishing KKR's reputation and track record in the 1980s. KKR remains tightly controlled by Kravis and Roberts. The issue of succession has remained an important consideration for KKR's future.


title: Noida

text: Noida, short for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, is a planned city located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Noida is a satellite city of Delhi and is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. As per provisional reports of Census of India, the population of Noida in 2011 was 642,381. The city is managed by New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA). The district's administrative headquarters are in the nearby city of Greater Noida.


title: Noida

text: The city is a part of the Noida (Vidhan Sabha) constituency and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Lok Sabha) constituency. Mahesh Sharma is the present Lok Sabha MP of Gautam Buddha Nagar, while Pankaj Singh is the present MLA of Noida.


title: Noida

text: Noida was ranked as the Best City in Uttar Pradesh and the Best City in Housing in all of India in "Best City Awards" conducted by ABP News in 2015.


title: Noida

text: Noida is considered to be India's greenest city with nearly 50% green cover, the highest of any city in India. It is also ranked the cleanest city in medium category cities (3 lakhs to 10 lakhs population) and 4th cleanest city among cities with less than 1,000,000 people.


title: Noida

text: The city lies in the cultural region of Braj. Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanisation thrust during the controversial Emergency period (1975–1977). The city was created under the "UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976" by the initiatives of Sanjay Gandhi. The city has the highest per capita income in the whole National Capital Region. Noida is classified as a special economic zone (SEZ). The Noida Authority is among the richest civic bodies in the country.


title: Noida

text: Noida is located in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh state India. Noida is about southeast of New Delhi, northwest of the district headquarters, Greater Noida, and northwest of the state capital, Lucknow. It is bound on the west and southwest by the Yamuna River, on the north and northwest by the city of Delhi, on the northeast by the cities of Delhi and Ghaziabad on the north-east, east and south-east by the Hindon River. Noida falls under the catchment area of the Yamuna River, and is located on the old river bed. The soil is rich and loamy.


title: Noida

text: In summer (March to June), the weather remains hot and the temperature ranges from a maximum of 48 °C to a minimum of 30 °C.


title: Noida

text: The cold waves from the Himalayan region make the winters in Noida chilly and harsh. Temperatures fall to as low as 3 °C to 4 °C at the peak of winters. Noida also has fog and smoke problems. In January, a dense fog envelops the city, reducing visibility on the streets.


title: Noida

text: As per provisional data of 2011 census, Noida had a population of 642,381 out of which the male population was 352,577 and the female population was 289,804. The literacy rate was 88.58 per cent. Male literacy was 92.90% and female literacy was 83.28%.


title: Noida

text: There are people of almost all major religions, but the majority practice Hinduism. Many famous Hindu temples are located in the city, some of the more famous ones are the Hanuman temple in Sector 22, the Kalibari Temple in Sector 26, the ISKCON temple in Sector 33, Shree Jagannath Temple in Sector 34, Sai Baba Temple in Sector 61, Shiv Mandir in Sector 31, Shri Ram Mandir in Sector 36 and the Kuti Temple at Sec 163 Mohiyapur. A Shia Jama Masjid in Sector 50 and St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church in Sector 51, Mar Thoma Church in Sector 50, and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sector 34 are also well known.


title: Noida

text: The city's infrastructure is looked after by the NOIDA Authority, a statutory authority set-up under "Uttar Pradesh Industrial Area Development Act, 1976". Authority's head is its chairman Sanjiv Kumar Mittal, who is an IAS officer, the authority's daily matters, however, are looked after by its CEO, who is also an IAS officer. NOIDA Authority comes under the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department of Uttar Pradesh Government. The Chairman of NOIDA Authority is Alok Tandon and CEO is Ritu Maheshwari.


title: Noida

text: The Gautam Budh Nagar district is a part of Meerut division, headed by the Divisional Commissioner, who is an IAS officer of high seniority, the Commissioner is the head of local government institutions (including Municipal Corporations) in the division, is in-charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division. The District Magistrate, hence, reports to the Divisional Commissioner of Meerut. The current Divisional Commissioner of Meerut is Surendra Singh (IAS).


title: Noida

text: Gautam Budh Nagar district administration is headed by the District Magistrate (DM) of Gautam Budh Nagar, who is an IAS officer. The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversee the national elections held in the city.


title: Noida

text: The District Magistrate is assisted by one Chief Development Officer, three Additional District Magistrates/ ADM (Executive, Finance & Revenue and Law & Order), and one City Magistrate. The district has divided into three Subdivisions named Noida Sadar, Dadri, and Jewar each headed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) who reports to the District Magistrate. The current DM of Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) since 30 March 2020 is Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj (IAS).


title: Noida

text: In January 2020, The Government of Uttar Pradesh, led by Yogi Adityanath announced that Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) and Lucknow will have a Commissionerate Police system, headed by a Commissioner of Police who shall directly report to the DGP of Uttar Pradesh Police. The Commissioner of Police (Additional DGP rank) is assisted by two Additional Commissioner of Police (Deputy IGP rank). Below them, there are seven Deputy Commissioner of Police/ DCP (SP rank).


title: Noida

text: Noida is divided into three police zones i.e. Noida, Central Noida and Greater Noida, each of them under a zonal DCP (SP rank). Apart from these three Zonal DCPs, Noida Police has four other DCP looking after Headquarters, Traffic, Crime, and Women Safety. Below them, there are 16 Assistant Commissioner of Police/ ACP (Deputy SP rank). The current Commissioner of Noida Police is Alok Singh, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.


title: Noida

text: The Court for Noida is situated at District Court Complex, Surajpur Greater Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar formed in 2012 with 18 courts in function. The court complex at Surajpur Greater Noida is built on more than 30 acres of land. The infrastructure of the Court is neat and clean with good size courtrooms.


title: Noida

text: Noida ranks one of the cleanest medium population cities when it comes to cleanliness among cities in India. The creation of associated physical infrastructure is higher in Noida and Greater Noida. Most of the land in Noida is not very fertile and the agricultural output is low. It is in the flood plains of the Yamuna River on one side and the Hindon River on the other. Many villages are visible from the Noida Expressway, beginning from the Mahamaya flyover to Greater Noida on both sides. One end of the Taj expressway terminates on Noida Expressway near the Hindon River and the other at Agra. Up until the 1980s, these villages were flooded every 2–3 years, resulting in people temporarily moving to other places in Noida, and even as far as Mehrauli in South Delhi. Noida is also famous for its tall buildings and comes 2nd in India after Mumbai in this parameter.


title: Noida

text: There is always a huge amount of revenue surplus each year as they are unable to spend the entire amount on development or on maintaining civic amenities. Lease rent and interest from builders are the biggest contributors to Noida's revenue. Besides, the authority gets huge revenues out of water and property transfer charges. "The Noida authority had deposited 3,500 crore as fixed deposits in various banks because of surplus funds. Noida has so much surplus funds with it that it can run the city even if it does not take any taxes from its allottees for 5 years in a row."


title: Noida

text: A tall skyscraper named "Supernova Spira" stands on the Noida side of Delhi Noida Border. It will be the tallest residential tower in northern India after its completion in 2021. The Noida Authority’s plans to establish ‘New Noida’ have opened new opportunities in the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region (DNGIR). The region will be settled in four phases, according to the Master Plan 2041 submitted recently to the Authority. New Noida will include a land bank consisting of 87 villages of Bulandshahr and Dadri.


title: Noida

text: In 2014, Allahabad High Court orders demolition of twin towers, pulls up Noida Authority for collusion with developer. Construction work stoped at site in 2014 but the twin towers in Noida, built illegally by realty firm Supertech Ltd., were brought down within 12 seconds around 2.30 p.m. on August 28, 2022 with more than 3,700 kg of explosives.


title: Noida

text: In the last 10 years, Noida has also become a hub for software and mobile app development companies like Microsoft, Arm Holdings, HCL, Samsung and Barclays. These companies are contributing to the city's economy with their software product development and service export in foreign currencies. Samsung recently invested in Noida, under the Make in India initiative.


title: Noida

text: Noida is home to India's largest unicorn startup Paytm, a financial services company with multiple ventures including eCommerce, mutual-fund investments, utility bill payments and person-person payments.


title: Noida

text: Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS) is at the entrance of the city at the point where the Yamuna River enters the state of Uttar Pradesh from the state of Delhi. The Okhla Barrage over the Yamuna has created the unique position of the OBS which attracts various species of birds. OBS is among the 466 important bird areas in India. About 324 various bird species are seen in the sanctuary, about 50% of which are migratory birds.


title: Noida

text: Noida's botanical garden was formed with the aim to turn it into a hub of special and endangered plants, representing the entire country. which is located in Sector 38A of the city, started in 2002. Today, it sprawls across 160 acres, There are around 7,500 plants in the garden. The garden has a seed bank, where seeds of more than 250 plant species are conserved. It also features a map of India, made entirely from plants.


title: Noida

text: Scientists are giving a new lease of life to endangered and extinct plant species at the Botanical Garden. A look around the green expanse reveals species like Psilotum Nudum, better known as skeleton fork fern. Considered a "primitive" plant – a descendant of possibly the first group of vascular plants from 400 million years ago – that was widespread during the Devonian and Silurian periods – its name means "bare naked" in Latin as it lacks most of the organs found in plants species that evolved later.


title: Noida

text: Noida's botanical garden is divided into 10 sections. The "medicinal plants" section has an astounding variety of 96 plants and is further divided into eight sections named after the parts of the human body they benefit. For example, the "digestive system" section has aloe vera and "Gymnema sylvestre" (madhunaashini), which treats diabetes.


title: Noida

text: The "blood and circulation" section has Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Aristolochia indica (Isharmul) – blood purifiers. The "musculo-skeletal" section has Cissus quadrangularis (Hadjod); "skin disease" section has Plumbago zeylanica (Chitarak) which cures leucoderma.


title: Noida

text: Noida's botanical garden has a large fruit section which has many varieties of mango, pomegranate, lemon, pear, plum, mulberry, etc., besides their speciality the black guava. The woodland section is equally impressive with trees like Sapindus Emarginatus (Reetha), Pterocarpus marsupium (Sandalwood), Dalbergia sissoo (Sheesham wood), and Tectona Grandis (Teakwood).


title: Noida

text: Noida is not directly connected via high-speed rail, but there are railway stations nearby reachable by road, including Ghaziabad railway station and Anand Vihar Terminal. However, the New Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi Railway station, which are both accessible via metro, are the main railway stations most often used by commuters to reach Noida.


title: Noida

text: Noida has roads laid mostly in a grid pattern, and all main roads are 6 lanes wide. Noida features three main expressways. One is the DND Flyway, which connects Noida and Delhi, and runs across the river Yamuna. The second is the Noida–Greater Noida Expressway, which connects Noida to Greater Noida. The third is the Yamuna Expressway which connects Greater Noida to Agra via Mathura. The Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi–Meerut Expressway, Upper Ganges Canal Expressway and the Ganga Expressway are the four expressways that are currently under construction which will be passing through the city. The area adjacent to the NGN Expressway has seen heavy residential development in recent years.


title: Noida

text: A 4/6-lane double-decker elevated road is over the MP-II which takes only 5 minutes to cross the whole city. This road starts from Flex crossing and ends at Vishwa Bharti school. Another elevated road from sector 12/22 to sector 12/10-21/21A crossing is going to be built on the MP-I road. Three more elevated roads are planned. Along with these five elevated roads, several underpasses are under construction or approval and all these projects could be completed by 2020. Noida will become the city with the highest number of elevated roads and underpasses in India.


title: Noida

text: UPSRTC, DTC and private buses ply through some routes in the city. Taxi, auto-rickshaws, and cycle rickshaws are available for short-distance transport.


title: Noida

text: The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is poised to become a self-sustaining urban pocket in Noida with good infrastructure. This corridor has attracted real estate Noida Extension investors and buyers with its good infrastructure facilities and connectivity to the other regions of NCR.


title: Noida

text: This area has emerged as a major growth corridor. Sectors abutting this corridor are 44, 45, 92–94, 96–100, 105, 108, 125–137 and 141–168. These sectors lie towards the south and south-east of Noida.


title: Noida

text: As of December 2021, a new Faridabad-Noida-Gurgaon (FNG) expressway is also under construction to connect Faridabad and Gurgaon directly with Noida.


title: Noida

text: The nearest airport to Noida is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. In June 2017, the Union Government sanctioned the construction of an international airport in Jewar, officially named the Noida International Greenfield Airport, to reduce the traffic of the one in New Delhi. The "bhoomi pujan" for the airport in Jewar was done on 25 November 2021.


title: Noida

text: Noida has a bus stand at Morna village in Sector 35. There are regular buses to nearby cities like New Delhi, Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Tappal, Khair, Aligarh, Hathras, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Haridwar and others. Uttar Pradesh Parivahan runs local buses in the city. However, there are plans to shift the Bus Stand from Morna.


title: Noida

text: Noida is the location of UPTU and various colleges affiliated with it. Noida is also the home to many other institutions, including:


title: Noida

text: Noida is a prominent location for the Indian entertainment industry, with many films, television series, news channels, and other media being filmed here. An example of a music company having its headquarters here is T-Series. The city is fast becoming a favourite among directors who want to show a shot of urban culture or college life. According to film producer Rishabh Arora, "Noida has developed a lot in the last decade and feels like home. And it's a great place for outdoor shoots. Films with urban stories become big hits and Noida lends the perfect flavor for urban-themed movies and song sequences. The city has highways, colleges, wide roads, and a good crowd." Film City, established by Sandeep Marwah, is a hub for major news channels and studios.


title: Noida

text: News channels such as News Nation, WION, Zee News, NDTV, TV Today group, Network 18, NewsX, and India TV are situated here and some newspaper company also working in Noida like as "Amar Ujala – Noida", "Dainik Jagran", "Dainik Bhaskar", "Rajasthan Patrika", "The Indian Express", "Tricity Today" and "The Times of India". Noida's proximity to Delhi, which is the political hub of the country, makes it an attractive destination for news channels. Commercial activities have also risen in recent years, with a spate of new malls including Mall of India, The Great India Place, Spice World Mall and multiplexes.


title: Noida

text: In 2005, the city hosted the Noida Half-Marathon and the city's maiden international exposure, the Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games. The cycling competition for the 2010 commonwealth games was held at NOIDA-Greater Noida expressway. The Noida Golf Course is situated on the southern end of the city, The Noida Golf 18 hole par 72 Course having a length of 6989 yards length has been assessed by Indian Golf Union Technical Committee. In 2011, Greater Noida hosted the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit constructed by Jaypee Group. The circuit is the first of its kind in South Asia.


title: Noida

text: An international cricket stadium has been built in Sector 21 known as Noida Cricket Stadium with a capacity of around 20,000 spectators, the Noida Stadium Complex houses facilities like dedicated tracks for cycling enthusiasts, golf, and football training facilities. The Noida Cricket Stadium Complex consists of a Basketball court, Squash court, Table-tennis court, Lawn tennis court, Golf course, and Skating rink.


title: Noida

text: A 50,000-capacity cricket stadium-cum-sports facility with 125 acres land will be built at Noida expressway in Sector 152, which makes it bigger than Feroz Shah Kotla in capacity and area.


title: Noida

text: Noida originally consisted of around 81 villages, but now comes under the Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh.


title: Noida

text: Still, Noida villages lack permanent postal and individual address but according to officials, the homes in villages will be soon mapped using aerial imagery captured by drones designed by North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous society set up under the Union government's department of science and technology. These maps will also provide crucial information about rural areas in an emergency. Officials said it will take almost a year to complete mapping and allotting addresses to all 81 villages.


title: Noida

text: With houses getting mapped and being allotted a formal address in Noida villages, procuring information on land rights, development plans, etc. will become easier. "Easily available maps will also be helpful in advancing development plans and settling disputes over bordering parcels of land. Mapping will also ease land transfers, by creating reliable maps and title documents."


title: Veal

text: Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding. Generally, veal is more expensive by weight than beef from older cattle. Veal production is a way to add value to dairy bull calves and to utilize whey solids, a byproduct from the manufacturing of cheese.


title: Veal

text: In Italian, French and other Mediterranean cuisines, veal is often in the form of cutlets, such as the Italian "cotoletta" or the famous Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel. Some classic French veal dishes include fried "escalopes", fried veal "Grenadines" (small, thick fillet steaks), stuffed "paupiettes", roast joints, and "blanquettes". Because veal is lower in fat than many meats, care must be taken in preparation to ensure that it does not become tough. Veal is often coated in preparation for frying or eaten with a sauce. Veal parmigiana is a common Italian-American dish made with breaded veal cutlets.


title: Veal

text: In addition to providing meat, the bones of calves are used to make a stock that forms the base for sauces and soups such as demi-glace. Calf stomachs are also used to produce rennet, which is used in the production of cheese. Calf offal is also widely regarded as the most prized animal offal.


title: Veal

text: Male dairy calves are commonly used for veal production as they do not lactate and are therefore surplus to the requirements of the dairy industry. Newborn veal calves are generally separated from the cow within three days.


title: Veal

text: Calves are sometimes raised in individual stalls for the first several weeks as a sort of quarantine, and then moved to groupings of two or more calves.


title: Veal

text: Milk-fed veal calves consume a diet consisting of milk replacer, formulated with mostly milk-based proteins and added vitamins and minerals supplemented with solid feeds. This type of diet is similar to infant formula and is also one of the most common diets used for calves in the veal industry. Grain-fed calves normally consume a diet of milk replacer for the first six to eight weeks and then move on to a mostly maize-based diet.


title: Veal

text: A farm veterinarian creates and provides a health program for the herd. Veal calves need proper amounts of water, adequate nutrition, and safe and comfortable environments to thrive.


title: Veal

text: Veal production has been a controversial topic. The ethics of veal production have been challenged by animal welfare advocates and some methods are cited as animal cruelty by multiple animal welfare organizations. These organizations and some of their members consider several practices and procedures of veal production to be inhumane. Public efforts by these organizations are placing pressure on the veal industry to change some of its methods.


title: Veal

text: In the past, one aspect of veal production cited as cruelty in the industry was the lack of space veal calves were provided. Space was often deliberately restricted by the producer to stop the animal from exercising, as exercise was thought to make the meat turn redder and tougher. Modern veal production facilities in the US allow sufficient room for the calf to lie down, stand, stretch, and groom themselves.


title: Veal

text: Some systems of veal production rear calves that are denied access to any solid feed and are fed a liquid milk replacer. They may also be deprived of bedding to prevent them from eating it. This dietary restriction completely distorts the normal development of the rumen and predisposes the calf to infectious enteritis (scouring or diarrhea) and chronic indigestion. Furthermore, calves with an underdeveloped gut are more likely to be found to have hairballs in the rumen at slaughter; the accumulation of hairballs in the rumen can impair digestion.


title: Veal

text: Rearing calves in deprived conditions without a teat can lead to the development of abnormal oral behaviour. Some of these may develop into oral stereotypies such as sucking, licking or biting inanimate objects, and by tongue rolling and tongue playing. "Purposeless oral activity" occupies 15% of the time in crated calves but only 2–3% in group-housed calves.


title: Veal

text: Veal calves' dietary intake of iron was restricted to achieve a target haemoglobin concentration of around 4.6mmol/L; normal concentration of haemoglobin in the blood is greater than 7mmol/L. Calves with blood haemoglobin concentrations of below 4.5mmol/L may show signs of increased disease susceptibility and immunosuppression.


title: Veal

text: Alternative agricultural uses for male dairy calves include raising bob veal (generally slaughtered at 2–3 days old, though age may be as young as 2 hours or at most 1 month old), raising calves as "red veal" without the severe dietary restrictions needed to create pale meat (requiring fewer antibiotic treatments and resulting in lower calf mortality), and as dairy beef.


title: Veal

text: Veal crates are a close-confinement system of raising veal calves. Many calves raised for veal, including in Canada and the US, were confined in crates which typically measure approximately wide. The calves were housed individually and the crates may prevent physical contact between adjacent calves, and sometimes also visual contact. In the past, crated calves were often tied to the front of the crate with a tether which restricted movement. Floors were often slatted and sloped, allowing urine and manure to fall under the crate to help maintain a clean environment for the calf. In some veal crate systems, the calves were also kept in the dark without bedding and fed nothing but milk. Veal crates were designed to limit movement of the animal because it was believed by producers that the meat turns redder and tougher if the animals were allowed to exercise. The diet was sometimes highly regulated to control sources of iron, which again makes the meat redder.


title: Veal

text: In the US, the use of tethers in veal crates to prevent movement by veal calves was a principal source of controversy in veal farming. Many veal farmers started improving conditions in their veal farms in the 2000s. Veal tethering is criticized because the ability of the calves to move is highly restricted; the crates may have unsuitable flooring; the calves spend their entire lives indoors, experience prolonged sensory, social, and exploratory deprivation; and the calves are more susceptible to high amounts of stress and disease. All milk-fed veal calves in the US are now untethered and are raised in groups by at least ten weeks of age if not earlier.


title: Veal

text: Calves need to exercise to ensure normal bone and muscle development. Calves at pasture not only walk but also run about, jump and play. Calves in veal crates cannot turn around, walk or run; this results in calves that may stumble or have difficulty walking when finally taken for slaughter. There is a general increase in knee and hock swelling as crate width decreases. These challenges no longer exist, as US farmers have adopted the practice of raising veal in groups.


title: Veal

text: Under natural conditions calves continue to suckle 3 to 6 times a day for up to 5 months. Veal crates prevented this social interaction. Furthermore, some calves were reared in crates with solid walls that prevented visual or tactile contact with their neighbours. It has been shown that calves will work for social contact with other calves.


title: Veal

text: To maintain personal hygiene and help prevent disease, calves lick themselves to groom; cattle naturally lick all the parts of their body they can reach. However, tethering prevents calves from licking the hind parts of their body. Excessive licking of the forelegs (another abnormal behaviour) is common in stall and tether systems.


title: Veal

text: In the US, young milk-fed veal calves may be raised in individual pens up to a maximum of ten weeks of age and are typically in visual and tactile contact with their neighbors. Milk-fed veal calves are never tethered, allowing them to easily groom themselves.


title: Veal

text: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations do not permit the use of hormones on veal calves for any reason. They do, however, permit the use of antibiotics in veal raising to treat or prevent disease.


title: Veal

text: In 2004, the USDA expressed concern that the use of illegal drugs might be widespread in the veal industry. In 2004, a USDA official found a lump on a veal calf in a Wisconsin veal farm, which turned out to be an illegal hormone implant. In 2004, the USDA stated that "Penicillin is not used in calf raising: tetracycline has been approved, but is not widely used."


title: Veal

text: In 1990, the British government banned transporting calves in close-confinement crates. Veal crates were banned across the European Union (EU) in January 2007.


title: Veal

text: Veal calf production, as such, is not allowed in many northern European countries, such as in Finland. In Finland, giving feed, drink or other nutrition which is known to be dangerous to an animal which is being cared for is prohibited, as well as failing to give nutrients the lack of which is known to cause the animal to fall ill. The Finnish Animal Welfare Act of 1996 and the Finnish Animal Welfare Decree of 1996 provided general guidelines for the housing and care of animals, and effectively banned veal crates in Finland. Veal crates are not specifically banned in Switzerland, but most calves are raised outdoors.


title: Veal

text: In 2007, the American Veal Association passed a resolution encouraging the entire industry to phase out tethered crate-confinement of calves by 2017, a goal that was met by all milk-fed veal farmers.


title: Veal

text: , eight U.S. states ban tethering of calves in veal crates. Nationally, several large veal producers and the American Veal Association are also working to phase out the industry use of tethered veal crates. , all American Veal Association members are raising calves in tether free pens and all veal calves are housed in group pens by the time they are 10 weeks of age.


title: Barracuda

text: A barracuda, or cuda for short, is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus Sphyraena, the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide ranging from the eastern border of the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, on its western border the Caribbean Sea, and in tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean. Barracudas reside near the top of the water and near coral reefs and sea grasses. Barracudas are targeted by sport-fishing enthusiasts.


title: Barracuda

text: The common name "barracuda" is derived from Spanish, with the original word being of possibly Cariban origin.


title: Barracuda

text: Barracuda are snake-like in appearance, with prominent, sharp-edged, fang-like teeth, much like piranha, all of different sizes, set in sockets of their large jaws. They have large, pointed heads with an underbite in many species. Their gill covers have no spines and are covered with small scales. Their two dorsal fins are widely separated, with the anterior fin having five spines, and the posterior fin having one spine and nine soft rays. The posterior dorsal fin is similar in size to the anal fin and is situated above it. The lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail. The spinous dorsal fin is placed above the pelvic fins and is normally retracted in a groove. The caudal fin is moderately forked with its posterior edge double-curved and is set at the end of a stout peduncle. The pectoral fins are placed low on the sides. The swim bladder is large, allowing for minimal energy expenditure while cruising or remaining idle.


title: Barracuda

text: In most cases, barracuda are dark gray, dark green, white, or blue on the upper body, with silvery sides and a chalky-white belly. Coloration varies somewhat between species. For some species, irregular black spots or a row of darker cross-bars occur on each side. Their fins may be yellowish or dusky. Barracudas live primarily in oceans, but certain species, such as the great barracuda, live in brackish water. Due to similarities, sometimes Barracuda is compared with freshwater Pike, though the major difference between the two is that Barracuda has two separate dorsal fins with a forked tail, unlike the freshwater pike.


title: Barracuda

text: Some species grow quite large (up to 65 inches or 165 cm in length), such as "Sphyraena sphyraena", found in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic; "Sphyraena picudilla", ranging on the Atlantic coast of tropical America from North Carolina to Brazil and reaching Bermuda. Other barracuda species are found around the world. Examples are "Sphyraena argentea", found from Puget Sound southwards to Cabo San Lucas, "Sphyraena jello", from the seas of India and the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago.


title: Barracuda

text: Barracudas are ferocious, opportunistic predators, relying on surprise and short bursts of speed, up to , to overtake their prey.


title: Barracuda

text: Adults of most species are more or less solitary, while young and half-grown fish frequently congregate. Barracudas prey primarily on fish (which may include some as large as themselves). They kill and consume larger prey by tearing chunks out of their prey. Barracuda species are often seen competing against mackerel, needle fish and sometimes even dolphins for prey.


title: Barracuda

text: Barracuda feed on an array of prey including fish such as jacks, grunts, groupers, snappers, small tunas, mullets, killifishes, herrings, and anchovies by simply biting them in half. They also seem to consume smaller species of sustenance that are in front of them.


title: Barracuda

text: Barracudas are usually found swimming in saltwater searching for schools of plankton-feeding fish. Their silver and elongated bodies make them difficult for prey to detect, and even more difficult to be seen when viewing them head-on. Barracudas depend heavily on their eyesight when they are out hunting. When hunting, they tend to notice everything that has an unusual color, reflection, or movement. Once a barracuda targets an intended victim, its long tail and matching anal and dorsal fins enable it to move with swift bursts of speed to attack its prey before it can escape. Barracudas generally attack schools of fish, speeding at them head first and biting at them with their jaws. When barracudas age, they tend to swim alone. However, there are times where they tend to stay with the pack. Barracudas will sometimes swim in groups. In this case, they can relocate schools of fish into compact areas or lead them into shallow water to more easily feed on them.


title: Barracuda

text: Some species of barracuda are reputed to be dangerous to swimmers. Barracudas are scavengers, and may mistake snorkelers for large predators, following them hoping to eat the remains of their prey. Swimmers have reported being bitten by barracudas, but such incidents are rare and possibly caused by poor visibility. Large barracudas can be encountered in muddy shallows on rare occasion. Barracudas may mistake things that glint and shine for prey. One incident reported a barracuda jumping out of water and injuring a kayaker, but Jason Schratwieser, conservation director of the International Game Fish Association, said that the wound could have been caused by a houndfish.


title: Barracuda

text: Barracudas are popular both as food and game fish. They are most often eaten as fillets or steaks. Larger species, such as the great barracuda, have been implicated in cases of ciguatera food poisoning. Those who have been diagnosed with this type of food poisoning display symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort, limb weakness, and an inability to differentiate hot from cold effectively.


title: Barracuda

text: West Africans smoke them for use in soups and sauces. Smoking protects the soft flesh from disintegrating in the broth and gives it a smoky flavour.


title: Barracuda

text: The barracuda prominently appeared in the 2003 Disney/Pixar animated film "Finding Nemo", in the beginning of the film, when it attacks the clownfishes Marlin (Albert Brooks), Coral (Elizabeth Perkins), Nemo (Alexander Gould) and their eggs who lives in the sea anemone by the drop off in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Before the main titles in the film and in the 3D version release in 2012, the barracuda closes its teeth and the bottom lip is shown in the film. Nemo likely would not have survived into adulthood due to his small fin had the barracuda not eaten all other eggs. (The same barracuda also appeared as an easter egg in the 2019 Disney/Pixar animated film "Toy Story 4". It was stuffed and mounted in display in the Second Chances antique store.)


title: Barracuda

text: The "Pokémon" Arrokuda and its evolution Barraskewda (both introduced to the franchise in "Pokémon Sword and Shield") are based on the barracuda.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Portsmouth Football Club is a professional football club based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, which compete in . They are also known as Pompey, a local nickname used by both HMNB Portsmouth and the city of Portsmouth; the "Pompey" nickname predates the club and has various unconfirmed origin sources and theories. The club was founded on 5 April 1898 by Sir John Brickwood and began playing home matches at Fratton Park the following year. Portsmouth are one of only five English football clubs to have been champions of all four tiers of the professional English football pyramid. Portsmouth's arch-rivals are Southampton, a rivalry based in part to geographic proximity and both cities' respective maritime histories.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Portsmouth spent their early history in the Southern and Western leagues, winning five division titles before being admitted into the English Football League in 1920 as founder members of the Third Division. They won the Third Division South title in 1922–23 and were promoted out of the Second Division at the end of the 1926–27 season, becoming the first southern club outside of London to reach the top tier of English professional football. They competed in the 1929, 1934 and 1939 FA Cup finals, winning the competition for the first time in latter of these finals and thereby remaining as reigning champions throughout World War II. They won the First Division title in 1948–49 and 1949–50 under the stewardship of Bob Jackson. However, their 32 consecutive years in the top-flight ended in relegation in 1959 and was followed by another relegation two years later, though the goals of Ron Saunders helped the club to win promotion as Third Division champions in 1961–62.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Portsmouth were relegated to the to the fourth tier for the first time in 1978, their second relegation in three years, though promotion out of the Fourth Division was secured in 1979–80 and was followed by another Third Division title in 1982–83. Promotion back to the top-flight was achieved in 1986–87, though they stayed there for just one season and then remained in the second tier between 1988 and winning the division in 2002–03. They spent seven seasons in the Premier League and lifted the FA Cup again under manager Harry Redknapp in 2008. They lost the 2010 FA Cup final after being relegated, which signalled the start of a difficult period where the club entered financial administration twice and were relegated three times, dropping down to the fourth tier in 2013. Portsmouth were saved from High Court liquidation after being bought out by the fan-owned Pompey Supporters Trust (PST) in April 2013. PST sold the club on to Michael Eisner after the League Two title was won at the end of the 2016–17 campaign. Portsmouth went on to win the EFL Trophy in 2019.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Contrary to popular belief and urban myth, Portsmouth F.C. were not deliberately formed to replace Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) F.C. The club had already been formed in 1898 before Royal Artillery's 1899 "professionalism" scandal which led to RA's disbandment.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: By luck or coincidence, Portsmouth F.C. had been formed earlier on 5 April 1898, at 12 High Street, Old Portsmouth, (the office of solicitor John Edward Pink) as ""The Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company"", with John Brickwood as chairman, The company directors were:


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: A Blue Plaque on the wall of 12 High Street, Old Portsmouth (Alderman John E. Pink's solicitors' office building) commemorates the founding on 5 April 1898.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Although the founding of Portsmouth F.C. had been agreed on 5 April 1898, a football ground or a team of players did not exist until 1899.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In 1899, work began on developing a plot of former agricultural land near Goldsmith Avenue, Milton, Portsmouth into a new football ground, bought in 1898 from the local Goldsmith farming family. The new football ground was to be named Fratton Park after the nearby and convenient Fratton railway station, with an adjoining railway goods yard located between the two.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Frank Brettell was announced as Portsmouth Football Club's first manager-secretary in February 1899, he had been secretary-player with the St Domingo Club (now Everton) in Liverpool and helped "create the organisation which became Everton". Brettell joined Portsmouth F.C. in May 1899 and his first Portsmouth signings were Irish goalkeeper Matt Reilly and Harry Turner both from the recently "retired" Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) F.C. Also joining Portsmouth as a new director was Regimental Sergeant-Major Frederick Windrum, the treasurer-trainer from Royal Artillery.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Brettell, with his valuable northern contacts, also signed Scottish footballer Tom Wilkie, the former Heart Of Midlothian and Liverpool player. Bob Blyth and Alex "Sandy" Brown were both signed from Preston North End. Edward Turner, Harold Clarke and Harold Stringfellow all came from Everton. Dan Cunliffe, Thomas "Tommy" Cleghorn and Robert "Bobby" Marshall were all signed from Liverpool.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: A bold and ambitious application for Portsmouth's direct entry into the Southern League First Division, without the usual probationary period in the lower divisions, was accepted, and the club joined the Southern Football League Division One for the 1899–1900 season. The Southern League were very keen to see a professional team from Portsmouth join the Southern League, the Southern League secretary, Mr Nat Whittaker was quoted in the press as saying; "Personally, I think there is a great future for 'socker'(sic) generally in Portsmouth and if they can only do well next season the success of the club is assured. Help them? Of course, I will, and anyone else who wants to make football grow in the south". Whittaker also said he was confident that Portsmouth would be elected into the league by the other clubs at the next general meeting of the Southern League, which they were.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Portsmouth's first competitive Southern League match was played away at Chatham Town at Maidstone Road, Chatham on Saturday 2 September 1899, which Portsmouth won 1–0, with Portsmouth's first-ever goal scored by Harold Clarke. During the match, Portsmouth manager Frank Brettel had sent telegrams of the latest score every fifteen minutes to Fratton Park, where crowds had gathered to hear the latest news. Four days later, on Wednesday 6 September 1899, the first-ever home match at Fratton Park was played; a friendly against local town rivals Southampton, which Portsmouth won 2–0, with goals from Dan Cunliffe and Harold Clarke. Portsmouth's first competitive Southern League home match followed on Saturday 9 September, a 2–0 win against Reading, with goals again scored by Clarke and Cunliffe, attended by a crowd of up to 7000 supporters. Portsmouth's first 1899–1900 season in the Southern Football League Division One was successful, with the club winning 20 out of 28 league matches, earning them the runner-up spot in the table behind champions, Tottenham Hotspur.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In their second 1900–01 Southern Football League Division One season, Portsmouth finished in third place behind second place Bristol City and first place Southampton. Portsmouth also joined the 1900–01 Western Football League and finished top as Division One champions. The following season saw Portsmouth player Bob Blyth become Portsmouth's second manager on 1 August 1901, replacing Frank Brettell who had left on 31 May 1901. Portsmouth won the 1901–02 Southern Football League championship title. However, Portsmouth were not promoted and no teams were relegated. No clubs had applied for election to the Football League proper. In the 1901–02 Western Football League, Portsmouth also won the Division One championship for a second consecutive season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1902–03 Southern Football League, Portsmouth finished in third place. In the 1902–03 Western Football League, Portsmouth won the Division One championship for a third consecutive season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The following 1903–04 Southern Football League saw a fourth-place finish. On 5 July 1904, Portsmouth F.C. Chairman and Brickwoods Brewery owner, Sir John Brickwood was Knighted by His Majesty, King Edward VII. In the 1903–04 Western Football League, Portsmouth finished in fourth position behind champions Tottenham Hotspur.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Richard Bonney, the ex-army soldier who had co-founded Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) F.C. in 1894, became Portsmouth's third manager on 1 August 1905 for the 1905–06 Southern Football League. Portsmouth finished in third place. In the 1905–06 Western Football League, Portsmouth finished in seventh position behind champions Queens Park Rangers. A new club pavilion was designed and built by Arthur Cogswell in the south-west corner of Fratton Park, which housed the club offices and player's changing rooms. John Brickwood also donated a clock tower spire to the east side of the new pavilion.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1906–07 Southern Football League, Portsmouth ended the season as runners-up for a second time, after Fulham won the title by just two points. Meanwhile, in the 1906–07 Western Football League, the top Division One was split into equal 'A' and 'B' sections, with a playoff between the two section winners to decide a Division One champion. Portsmouth finished in third position in the 'B' section of Division One. The 1906–07 season was highlighted by the visit of Manchester United to Fratton Park in the FA Cup, which generated a record attendance of 24,329. A 2–2 draw meant a replay in Manchester, where Portsmouth recorded a famous 2–1 win.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The next 1908–09 season, Portsmouth finished in fourth position. In their last Western Football League appearance, Portsmouth finished in fourth position of the 'B' section of Division One. At the end of the season, all fourteen members of the split 'A' and 'B' sections of Division One resigned from the Western Football League.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: For the 1909–10 Southern Football League, Portsmouth abandoned their salmon pink and maroon "Shrimps" era shirts and changed their colours to white shirts, navy blue shorts and navy blue socks. Portsmouth ended their season in sixth place before the following season saw the team win only 8 of their 38 games and were relegated. Manager Richard Bonney was then let go. A severe financial crisis struck between seasons and a public appeal for funds in May 1911 kept the club afloat.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: With the recruitment of Robert Brown from Sheffield Wednesday, as Portsmouth's fourth manager, the team finished second place in the 1911–12 Southern Football League Division Two behind Merthyr Town and were promoted as runners-up. However, the club's finances were in trouble again, with losses and debts increasing to £10,000. A shareholders meeting was called on 8 May 1912, where George Lewin Oliver, one of the original founders and directors, proposed that ""The Portsmouth Football and Athletic Company"" should be wound up and replaced with a more business orientated company. The original company was then liquidated to remove the debt and on 27 July 1912, the ""Portsmouth Football Company Ltd"" was formed as the new parent company of Portsmouth F.C., with substantial financial guarantees given by the board of directors. The original 1898 founding director George Lewin Oliver became the new Portsmouth F.C. chairman.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: For the new 1912–13 Southern Football League season back in Division One, Portsmouth, now under new ownership, wore new home colours of blue shirts, white shorts and black stockings. Portsmouth finished the season in 11th position.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Portsmouth's famous crest, consisting of a crescent moon and star made its first appearance in the 1913–14 season. The moon and star motif comes from the Portsmouth town (then) coat of arms and are believed to date back as far as the time of Richard I. Curiously, the star on the original badge featured a star with five points rather than the eight that appear on the town crest. Portsmouth ended the season in 9th position.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Football was suspended during the 1914–1918 First World War. Many with connections to Portsmouth F.C. joined the "Pompey Pals Battalions", which formed parts of the Hampshire Regiment. Many never returned home. In 1915, the Fratton End terrace was upgraded to accommodate 8,000 standing supporters and covered with a roof for the first time.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: On 24 April 1916, an Easter Monday, two charity fund-raising matches between Portsmouth FC and Southampton FC both simultaneously took place at both Fratton Park and Southampton's The Dell. The Fratton Park game was won by Portsmouth 7-0; the other match at The Dell was won by Portsmouth 2-3.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: On 6 June 1918, an American army team played a Canadian army team in a baseball match at Fratton Park, with the gate money donated to the British Red Cross. The US army team won 4–3.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Following the resumption of matches in the 1919–20 season, Portsmouth won the Southern League championship for the second time. Portsmouth were then elected to the Football League Third Division as founder members. John McCartney took over as the fifth manager of Portsmouth on 1 May 1920 from Robert Brown who had left to join Gillingham, also in The Football League.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Competing in the inaugural season in England's Football League Third Division, Portsmouth claimed the title only four years later in the 1923–24 season with the team being promoted into the Second Division. Debuting in the second division for the first time, they finished in fourth place behind Derby County, Manchester United and the division champions, Leicester City. The following season , a new South Stand was designed by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch and was opened by Football League President John McKenna on 29 August 1925, just before the kickoff against Middlesbrough. The season ended with Portsmouth in eleventh position.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: After finishing in eleventh position, Portsmouth won promotion to the first Division by finishing runners-up in the 1926–27 Second Division season and in the process, getting their biggest club win with a 9–1 home win over Notts County, which is still the highest home win scoring record to date. Portsmouth's promotion to the top division in English football was a double celebration; the first achieved by a football club based south of London, and the first achieved by a club graduating from the Third Division to the First Division.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Sunderland A.F.C. fan and South Shields manager Jack Tinn joined Portsmouth as new manager on 1 May 1927, replacing John McCartney who had resigned due to ill health. Portsmouth's debut season in the 1927–28 First Division was a struggle, finishing one point and one place above relegation.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The next 1928–29 season in the First Division, Portsmouth continued to falter, losing 10–0 away at Filbert Street to Leicester City, which is still a club record away defeat. Despite their failings in the Football League, however, that season also saw Portsmouth reach the FA Cup Final for the first time, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers. One Pompey supporter is reported to have "carried a black cat, with the club colours around its neck" to the 1929 FA Cup Final. Portsmouth managed to survive relegation, finishing one place above relegation.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: From 1929 to 1934, Portsmouth had become a regular top-half table finisher in the First Division. The 1933–34 season saw Portsmouth again reach the FA Cup final for a second time, having beaten Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester City and Birmingham City on the way. The club was again defeated in the FA Cup Final, this time by Manchester City.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Halfway through the 1934–35 season, on 23 December 1934, the original 1898 founding director and later Portsmouth chairman, George Lewin Oliver died. Using money from the June 1934 sale of defender Jimmy Allen and money from the 1934 FA Cup Final, Portsmouth F.C. announced at Christmas 1934 that Fratton Park's North Stand was to be demolished and replaced with a much larger stand, increasing the ground capacity to more than 58,000. The 1934–35 season ended with Portsmouth in fourteenth position and seven points above relegation.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: On 7 September at the beginning of the 1935–36 First Division season, in a home game against Aston Villa, the new North Stand was opened by John McKenna, who had also opened Fratton Park's new South Stand ten years earlier. Former Portsmouth defender Jimmy Allen, whose sale in 1934 had largely paid for the new North Stand, was present at the game, as captain of the visiting Aston Villa team. The new North Stand briefly held the nickname of "The Jimmy Allen Stand" for a while afterwards. Portsmouth ended the 1935–36 season in tenth place.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Having established themselves in the top flight, the 1938–39 season saw Portsmouth reach the FA Cup Final for the third time with manager Jack Tinn, who had worn his 'lucky' spats throughout the qualifying rounds. This was indeed third time lucky, as Portsmouth managed to defeat favourites Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1 in what the press had dubbed, 'The Gland Final' – a reference to 'monkey gland' testosterone injections – used by both teams (and others) that season. Bert Barlow and John 'Jock' Anderson scored, whilst Cliff Parker scored twice (third and fourth goals).


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The new 1939–40 season in the First Division began on Saturday 26 August 1939. On Friday 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On Saturday 2 September 1939, all divisions of the Football League played their third and final game of the season, with Blackpool F.C. at the top of the table and Portsmouth in 18th position. These would be the last national Football League fixtures before abandonment following the British declaration of war on Germany on Sunday 3 September 1939. Large gatherings of crowds were suspended with the implementation of the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: However, football competitions did take place during the war, with the Football League being split into ten regional mini leagues, with Portsmouth in 'League South'. An annual national cup competition was held too, called the Football League War Cup.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In 1942, Portsmouth reached the London War Cup final, a competition that had begun only a season earlier in 1940–41. The London War Cup was held once again during the 1941–42 season and was intended by its organisers to stand in for the FA Cup, despite the official Football League War Cup competition had been taking place annually since 1939. The London War Cup competition required Portsmouth, the current FA Cup champions, to secede from the Football Association to enter. Portsmouth progressed to the 1942 London War Cup final at Wembley Stadium, but were beaten by Brentford and finished as runners-up. After the competition, Portsmouth paid a ten Pounds readmission fee to rejoin the Football Association again. The London War Cup competition was never played again. Ironically, the London War Cup trophy won by Brentford in 1942 was reused for subsequent Football League War Cup competitions. The trophy was last presented in 1945 to Chelsea and remains in the Chelsea F.C. museum today.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: During his wartime visits to Portsmouth, Field Marshal Montgomery became interested in Portsmouth Football Club and was made honorary President of Portsmouth F.C. in 1944 (until 1961).


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The end of World War II in 1945 caused Portsmouth to hold the distinction of holding the FA Cup trophy for the longest uninterrupted period of seven years, as the trophy was not presented again until the 1946 FA Cup Final. Manager Jack Tinn was rumoured to have kept the FA Cup trophy 'safe under his bed' during a part of the war. Because the navy city of Portsmouth was a primary strategic military target for German Luftwaffe bombing, the FA Cup trophy was routinely moved around the city of Portsmouth for its safety and protection, moving from Fratton Park's boardroom, into bank vaults, back to Fratton Park and around local pubs. During the worst of the bombing on Portsmouth, the FA Cup trophy was also taken ten miles north of Portsmouth, to the nearby Hampshire village of Lovedean, where it was kept and displayed in a quaint thatched roof country pub called "The Bird in Hand". In 1945, the FA Cup trophy was taken around the streets of Portsmouth and proudly shown off at Victory in Europe Day street parties.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: FA Cup competition was resumed for the 1945–46 season, but the resumption of the Football League had to wait one more year. Portsmouth, as a Division One team and as the current FA Cup Champions (from 1939), were drawn to play against Birmingham City in the Third Round stage of the FA Cup competition. The first of the two-leg tie was played at Birmingham's St. Andrew's stadium on 5 January 1946 and the result was 1–0 in Birmingham City's favour. The second leg at Fratton Park ended 0–0 on 9 January 1946, with Birmingham City winning 1–0 overall on aggregate. (See 1945–46 FA Cup for full results) The FA Cup trophy was not to stay with Portsmouth for an eighth consecutive year and was returned to the Football Association in time for the 1946 FA Cup Final, in which Derby County were awarded the trophy.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The Football League finally resumed in 1946–47. Portsmouth had capitalised on the footballers called up to serve in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in the war years and recruited some of them. In this way, Portsmouth had the pick of some of the best. Portsmouth ended the 1946–47 Football League First Division season in 12th place. On 1 May 1947, legendary manager Jack Tinn left Portsmouth, with Bob Jackson taking over the role on the same day.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The second post-war Football League First Division season resumed under manager Bob Jackson in 1947–48. This was also the first season Portsmouth wore red socks, which replaced their traditional black socks. The red socks were an idea proposed by Portsmouth's honorary president, Field Marshal Montgomery, who had suggested that Portsmouth should wear red socks to commemorate the sacrifice of British servicemen lost in war. Red is traditionally the colour of the British Army and also of the Remembrance poppy flower, and so Montgomery's idea was adopted by Portsmouth at the start of the season. Bob Jackson's Portsmouth finished in 8th place at the end of the 1947–48 First Division season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In their 50-year "Golden Jubilee" anniversary 1948–49 season, Bob Jackson's Portsmouth side were tipped to be the first team of the 20th century to win a historic Football League and FA Cup "double". The potential of a rare 'Double' saw Fratton Park attracting average home attendances of 36,000 supporters, and a record attendance of 51,385 in an FA Cup quarter-final match against Derby County on 26 February 1949, which Portsmouth won 2–1. Portsmouth lost 1–3 in the FA Cup semi-final against Leicester City on 26 March 1949 at the neutral Highbury stadium. Portsmouth however, did win one half of the 'Double', securing the First Division title and becoming Football League Champions of England at the end of the 1948–49 season, with Manchester United finishing as runners-up. Portsmouth's championship-winning team consisted of Ernest Butler, Phil Rookes, Bill Spence, Harry Ferrier, Jimmy Scoular, Reg Flewin, Jimmy Dickinson, Peter Harris, Duggie Reid, Ike Clarke, Len Phillips, Jack Froggatt, Jasper Yeuell, Lindy Delapenha, Bert Barlow and Cliff Parker.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Bob Jackson's Portsmouth side beat Aston Villa 5–1 on the last day of the following 1949–50 season, winning the Football League title again for a second consecutive season – on goal average – as both Portsmouth and runners up Wolverhampton Wanderers finished the season with 53 points each, and only one point ahead of third place Sunderland on 52 points. Portsmouth are one of only five English teams to have won back-to-back consecutive top-flight League titles since the end of World War II.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the following 1950–51 season, League champions Portsmouth finished in 7th position, 13 points behind title winners Tottenham Hotspur.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Eddie Lever took over at Pompey in 1952 after championship-winning manager Bob Jackson joined Hull City. In the 1952–53 season, Portsmouth finished in 15th place and only 4 points above the relegation zone, with Arsenal F.C. winning the league title.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1955–56 season, on 22 February 1956, Fratton Park hosted the Football League's first ever floodlit evening game, against Newcastle United, played under floodlights erected on top of the North Stand and South Stand roofs. Portsmouth ended the season in 12th place in Division One.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The original solid earthbank Fratton End stand was replaced in 1956 with a new stand built from prefabricated concrete and steel. It had two distinctive terraced tiers, a roofed upper terrace and an open-air lower terrace. In the 1956–57 season, Portsmouth escaped relegation by four points and finished two places above the drop zone.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the following 1957–58 season, Portsmouth once again escaped relegation on goal average and finished one place above the relegation zone. Manager Eddie Lever left Portsmouth in April 1958.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Freddie Cox became new Portsmouth manager in August 1958. The new 1958–59 season was the first Football League season with four national divisions. The two old regional Third Divisions (North and South) which had begun in the 1921–22 season were restructured and replaced with two new national divisions, named the Third Division and Fourth Division. At the end of the 1958–59 season Portsmouth finished bottom of the First Division, ending their 32-year stay in the First Division, and relegation to the Second Division. By now, the championship winning team of 1949 and 1950 had been broken up, caused by ageing or injury.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Following the bottom-place finish in the previous 1958–59 First Division season, Portsmouth started the 1959–60 season in the Second Division, the second tier of English football, which Portsmouth had last been in during the 1926–27 season. After another poor season, they escaped a further relegation to the Third Division only by 2 points and finishing only one place above the relegation zone.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1960–61 season Portsmouth finished second-to-last place in the Second Division relegation zone and were relegated once again to the Third Division, (the first former English League champions to do so). Manager Freddie Cox was sacked in February 1961.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Under the guidance of George Smith, Portsmouth, now in the Third Division for the 1960–61 season had a good season and were promoted back to the Second Division at the first time of asking after winning the Third Division title. Field-Marshal Bernard 'Monty' Montgomery of Alamein, was the honorary President of Portsmouth, having begun to support them during World War II due to the proximity of his headquarters at Southwick House on the outskirts of Portsmouth. In private correspondence dated 25 April 1962, he wrote to Smith: "I congratulate you very much on getting Portsmouth out of the Third Division – which was completely a wrong place for a famous team. While the players all did their stuff, the major credit goes to you."


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Despite limited financial means, manager George Smith maintained Portsmouth's Second Division status throughout the rest of the 1960s until Smith was replaced by Ron Tindall in April 1970 as Smith moved upstairs to become general manager in April 1970, until his retirement from football in 1973.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The cash injection that accompanied the arrival of John Deacon as chairman in 1972 failed to improve Portsmouth's Second Division position. Ron Tindall was replaced in May 1973 by John Mortimore. However, Ron Tindall returned for two games as caretaker manager after manager John Mortimore left in 1974. Ian St. John became new Portsmouth manager in September 1974.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: With Deacon unable to continue bankrolling the club on the same scale, Portsmouth finished bottom of the Second Division in the 1975–76 season and were relegated down to the Third Division.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In November of the 1976–77 Third Division season, the club found itself needing to raise £25,000 to pay off debts and so avoid bankruptcy. With players having to be sold to ease the club's financial situation, and no money available for replacements, Portsmouth were forced to rely on inexperienced young players. Initially results improved, but then declined again. On 4 May 1977, Ian St. John was replaced as manager by former Portsmouth and England international player Jimmy Dickinson. They ended the 1976–77 season only one place and one point above the Third Division's relegation zone.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1978–79 Fourth Division season, Portsmouth finished in 7th position. Jimmy Dickinson suffered a heart attack near the end of the season and after the season in May 1979, was replaced by Frank Burrows.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Under Frank Burrows new management, Portsmouth gained promotion back to the Third Division after finishing in 4th place in the 1979–80 season. Portsmouth would take three seasons before in 1983, Portsmouth claimed their Third Division championship title, gaining promotion back into the Second Division.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1983–84 Second Division season, Portsmouth finished sixteenth place in the table. After the season, Bobby Campbell was replaced by former England international and 1966 FIFA World Cup winner, Alan Ball on 11 May 1984.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Under Ball, Portsmouth's results markedly improved and they narrowly missed winning promotion to the First Division in the 1984–85 Second Division season, finishing in 4th place on goal difference. They finished in 4th place again for the following 1985–86 season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In Ball's third season as Portsmouth manager in the 1986–87 Second Division season, Portsmouth finished as runners-up behind Derby County, gaining promotion back to the First Division for the first time since the 1958–59 season. During the season, the upper tier of the Fratton End stand, built only thirty years earlier in 1956, was closed due to structural concerns, leaving only the lower tier of the Fratton End open to fans.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: By the middle of the new 1987–88 First Division season, the club was again in financial trouble. Portsmouth were relegated straight back down to the Second Division. The summer of 1988 saw chairman John Deacon sell the club to London-based businessman and former Queens Park Rangers chairman, Jim Gregory. Fratton Park was in a poor condition, with the Fratton End still half closed to fans and leaking roofs in the North and South stands.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: With new chairman Jim Gregory injecting money into the club, work began in the summer of 1988 to demolish the upper tier of the Fratton End and its roof. The North and South stands were refurbished and both received smart new blue-coloured metal sheet roofs.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: After a single disappointing season in the First Division, Portsmouth were relegated back to the Second Division for the 1988–89 season. Halfway through the season, Alan Ball was sacked on 17 January 1989 and replaced by John Gregory. The club's parent company had a name change from 'Portsmouth Football Company Limited' to 'Portsmouth Football Club Limited' on 23 January 1989. The entire Fratton End stand was closed during most of the season during demolition works, with only the lower tier of the stand reopening in the springtime of 1989. Portsmouth ended the season only two places above the relegation zone.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Following the 15 April 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, Portsmouth removed the perimeter fences from Fratton Park for the new 1989–90 season, except at the Milton End to separate away supporters. The season saw John Gregory leaving the club on 3 January 1990. Assistant manager Frank Burrows became manager for a second spell on 23 January 1990. Portsmouth finished in 12th position at the end of the season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The 1990–91 season saw Frank Burrows resign as manager on 13 March 1991 after a string of bad results. Burrows was replaced by coach Graham Paddon until the end of the season, finishing in 17th position.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Jim Smith's arrival as manager at the start of the 1991–92 season sparked a revival in the team's fortunes and that year Portsmouth reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, meeting Liverpool at neutral ground Highbury on 5 April 1992 – the 94th Anniversary of Portsmouth Football Club. Portsmouth took the lead in extra time from a 111th minute Darren Anderton goal. However, Liverpool's Ronnie Whelan equalised five minutes later, and the semi-final match ended tied 1–1 after the allotted 120 minutes. The tie was then replayed at Villa Park on 13 April 1992 and ended 0–0 after extra time. Portsmouth then lost 1–3 on penalties to Liverpool, who went on to meet Sunderland in the 1992 FA Cup Final, which Liverpool won 2–0.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The 1992–93 Football League season saw a major restructuring of the English football "pyramid" system, caused by all the First Division clubs resigning from the Football League and forming a new breakaway top tier FA Premier League. Now without a First Division, the Football League Second Division was renamed as the "Football League First Division" for the 1992–93 season. The FA Premier League also had a new winners trophy made, meaning the famous old Football League First Division championship trophy became demoted in status, now acting as the new second tier "First Division" championship trophy instead. Portsmouth had a good 1992–93 season in the new "First Division", but missed out on automatic promotion to the new first tier Premier League by virtue of scoring only one fewer goal than second-placed West Ham United. In the subsequent promotion play-offs, Portsmouth lost 3–2 on aggregate over two games to Leicester City in the play-off semi-finals for the third promotion place.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: During the 1993–94 season under manager Jim Smith, Portsmouth finished 17th out of 24 in the First Division, winning 15 matches, drawing 13 and losing 18. The team reached the quarterfinals of the League Cup and the third round of the FA Cup, in both cases being knocked out after replays.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The 1994–95 season was a disappointing one for Portsmouth and after a decline in form which left them struggling at the wrong end of the "new" First Division, Jim Smith was sacked on 1 February 1995 and was replaced by Terry Fenwick, who guided them to safety with 4 wins in their final 6 league games.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1995–96 season Fenwick's first full season in charge of Portsmouth, relegation to the Second Division was avoided on the last day of the season (on goal difference) when Portsmouth won away at Huddersfield Town while other results went the club's way.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the summer of 1996, Terry Venables arrived at Portsmouth as a consultant. Venables had recently resigned as the England national team manager after the UEFA Euro 1996 competition. Fratton Park was transformed into an all-seat stadium, with new blue plastic seats fitted to the lower North terrace, Milton End, lower South terrace paddocks and also to the remnant of the Fratton End terrace.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 1996–97 league campaign, Portsmouth finished just short of the qualifying places for the playoffs for promotion to the Premier League. Terry Venables took over as chairman in February 1997 after buying a 51 per cent controlling share in the club for £1. The team enjoyed a run in the 1996–97 FA Cup competition, beating FA Premier League side Leeds United on 15 February 1997, but were eventually beaten 1–4 by Chelsea F.C. in the quarter-finals at Fratton Park on 9 March 1997.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: At the end of the 1996–97 season, the Fratton End was fully demolished in the summer (of 1997) and work began to build a new Fratton End stand. Additionally, a new roof extension was built over the lower tier of the North Stand and was completed before the new season started. These new additions to Fratton Park were partly funded by the Football Trust (now The Football Foundation).


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: At 4.59pm on Friday 31 October 1997, the new £2.2 million Fratton End was officially cleared for its opening, with one minute to spare before a 5 pm deadline. Problems with some misorientated Fratton End rooftop floodlights caused the Fratton End of the pitch to be "shrouded in gloom on Hallowe'en", according to the Sky Sports 3 TV commentator, causing some doubt that the live televised Division One game against Swindon Town would take place. Fortunately, the match referee, Paul Danson gave the go-ahead for the evening fixture. The game was won 0–1 by Swindon Town with an official Fratton Park attendance of only 8,707. As a mark of respect to the club's former player and manager, a memorial portrait of Jimmy Dickinson was incorporated into the seating of the new Fratton End stand, along with the club's crest. Terry Venables' role as coach of the Australian national team meant he was frequently absent from Portsmouth. Meanwhile, the team's results were poor. Two-thirds of the way through the 1997–98 season, he and manager Terry Fenwick left the club, with Portsmouth on the bottom of the table, and Venables selling his shareholding back to Martin Gregory, son of former chairman Jim Gregory. Alan Ball then returned as manager for the second time on 26 January 1998. Relegation to the third tier was avoided on the last day of the season – by 1 point.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Portsmouth's centenary season, 1998–99, saw a financial crisis hit the club, and in December 1998 Portsmouth went into financial administration. Serbian-born US businessman Milan Mandarić saved the club with a takeover deal in May 1999, and the new chairman immediately started investing for the new 1999–2000 season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Alan Ball was sacked on 9 December 1999 during the 1999–2000 season with the club near the bottom of the table. Tony Pulis took over on 13 January 2000 and steered the club to safety at the end of the season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 2000–01 season, Pulis was put on leave and replaced by Portsmouth player, Steve Claridge in a player-manager role. On 23 February 2001, Graham Rix took over from Claridge. Portsmouth escaped relegation on the last day of the 2000–01 season when they won their final game and Huddersfield Town lost theirs, keeping Portsmouth up at their expense. During the summer break, former West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp was appointed director of football by Mandaric.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: A week before the new season began, 25-year-old Portsmouth goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan was killed in a car crash near Bournemouth on 5 August 2001. In a mark of respect, Portsmouth retired his number 1 shirt for the season. Portsmouth signed veteran Croatian playmaker Robert Prosinečki on a one-year deal and Peter Crouch for the start of the 2001–02 season. Rix lost his job on 25 March 2002, with Harry Redknapp taking over. Former Portsmouth manager Jim Smith was asked to team up with Redknapp, and while he initially turned the offer down to remain as assistant at Coventry City, he soon arrived at Portsmouth after a change of manager at Coventry saw almost all of the club's coaching staff being dismissed. Peter Crouch scored 19 goals for Portsmouth, but was sold to Aston Villa in March 2002 for £5 million. Portsmouth ended the 2001–02 Division One season in 17th place and 4 points above relegation.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In the 2002–03 season, Portsmouth led the First Division for most of the season, with Svetoslav Todorov scoring 26 league goals, which made him the First Division's top scorer at the end of the season. Portsmouth finished top as First Division champions on 27 April 2003, six points clear of second-placed Leicester City, gaining promotion (with a game to spare) to the FA Premier League, returning to the top tier of English football after an absence of fifteen seasons. Portsmouth were awarded the Football League First Division Championship trophy for a third time, as the former Football League championship trophy had been demoted in status in 1992–93 (because of the creation of the FA Premier League) and had become the second tier trophy. Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, midfielders Matthew Taylor and Paul Merson earned places in the 2002–03 Division One PFA Team of the Year award.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In Portsmouth's Premiership debut season in 2003–04, the "Harry & Jim" partnership of Harry Redknapp and Jim Smith resulted in a 13th place final position at the end of the season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Almost halfway through the following 2004–05 season in the Premiership, Harry Redknapp unexpectedly walked out on Portsmouth on 24 November 2004 after a row with chairman Milan Mandarić over the appointment of new Director of Football Velimir Zajec at the club. Shortly afterwards on 8 December 2004, Harry Redknapp was announced by Southampton F.C. chairman Rupert Lowe as their new manager, with Jim Smith as his assistant. Velimir Zajec then replaced Redknapp as Portsmouth manager, but in April 2005, Zajec was replaced by Frenchman Alain Perrin. Perrin managed to secure Portsmouth's Premiership status with a few games of the season left, including a South Coast Derby 4–1 win over Harry Redknapp's Southampton side, who were eventually relegated at the end of the season.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: During the 2005–06 season and after achieving only four wins from a total of 20 games as Portsmouth manager, Alain Perrin was sacked on 24 November 2005, exactly one year to the day since Harry Redknapp left Portsmouth. Harry Redknapp then made a surprise return to manage Portsmouth again after leaving relegated Southampton. In January 2006, Portsmouth were sold by Milan Mandarić and bought by businessman Alexandre Gaydamak. New signings included a quartet from Tottenham Hotspur, then record signing Benjani and Argentine international Andrés D'Alessandro on loan from VfL Wolfsburg. The club survived their third season in the Premier League one place above the relegation zone in 17th position. With large amounts of money available for Redknapp to make record signings, the club finished the 2006–07 season in the top half of the table for the first time, in ninth position, only one point short of European qualification.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The following 2007–08 season Portsmouth finished eighth in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final for the first time since 1939. They eliminated Manchester United at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals, and on 5 April 2008, Portsmouth beat Championship side West Bromwich Albion 1–0 at Wembley Stadium in the semi-finals, coincidentally the same day that the club celebrated its 110th birthday. On 17 May 2008, Portsmouth played Cardiff City in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, the second such final at the newly rebuilt Wembley. Portsmouth won 1–0, with Nwankwo Kanu scoring the only goal. It was the second time Portsmouth had won the FA Cup.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: The FA Cup win had also earned Portsmouth a place in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, the club's first time playing European football. Their first European match was a 2–0 victory over Vitória de Guimarães in the first round on 18 September. Portsmouth went on to win the tie 4–2 on aggregate, progressing to the group stage. On 25 October 2008, Redknapp suddenly left Portsmouth for a second time, leaving his assistant Tony Adams to be promoted to the managerial role. On 27 November 2008, Portsmouth drew 2–2 with Milan, going 2–0 up through goals from Younès Kaboul and Nwankwo Kanu, but conceding two goals later in the game. Adams was dismissed in February 2009. Youth team coach Paul Hart took over as manager until the end of the season, and Portsmouth were guaranteed Premier League safety on 16 May 2009. Portsmouth finished the 2008–09 Premier League season in 14th place. On 26 May, Portsmouth accepted a bid from Emirati businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim to purchase the club.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Because of the financial problems suffered by the club, Portsmouth were forced to sell several of their top players and high earners, including Peter Crouch, Sylvain Distin, Glen Johnson and Niko Kranjčar. On 21 July 2009, Al Fahim was appointed non-executive chairman of Portsmouth. On 19 August 2009, Portsmouth announced on their website that a rival consortium headed by current CEO Peter Storrie had also made a bid for the club; unknown at the time, this was backed by Ali al-Faraj. Despite this, Al Fahim completed the takeover on 26 August 2009; al Faraj moved to review a takeover of West Ham United.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: As the early stages of the 2009–10 season progressed, the finances dried up and the club admitted on 1 October that some of their players and staff had not been paid. On 3 October, media outlets started to report that a deal was nearing completion for Ali al-Faraj to take control of the club. On 5 October, a deal was agreed for al-Faraj and his associates, via BVI-registered company Falcondrone, to hold a 90% majority holding, with Al-Fahim retaining 10% stake and the title of non-executive chairman for two years. Falcondrone also agreed a deal with Alexandre Gaydamak the right to buy, for £1, Miland Development (2004) Ltd., which owns various strategic pockets of land around the ground, once refinancing was complete. Two days after the al-Faraj takeover was completed, Portsmouth's former technical director Avram Grant returned as director of football. Because of the financial problems, however, the Premier League placed the club under a transfer embargo, meaning the club were not allowed to sign any players.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: Avram Grant took over at Portsmouth on 26 November 2009, replacing Hart, who had been sacked by the board two days previously due to the club's position at the bottom of the league table.


title: Portsmouth F.C.

text: In December 2009, it was announced that the club had failed to pay the players for the second consecutive month, and on the 31st it was announced player's wages would again be paid late, on 5 January 2010. According to common football contracts, the players then had the right to terminate their contracts and leave the club without any compensation for the club, upon giving two weeks' notice. Despite the financial difficulties, Grant's time as manager was initially successful. He gained two wins (against Burnley and Liverpool) and a draw away at Sunderland from his first five games. The only losses inflicted on Portsmouth in this period were by eventual double winners Chelsea and the previous season's champions, Manchester United. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) filed a winding-up petition against Portsmouth at the High Court of Justice in London on 23 December 2009. In March 2010, this winding-up petition was dropped, leaving Portsmouth with a nine-point penalty for entering administration.