In my View from the North Stand column throughout the season just finished, I celebrated Pompey's return to the 'second division' by remembering the 21 seasons I have seen the Blues play at that level.

So the earliest featured was 1983-84; the most recent last season itself. And I added many memories, highlights and stories from readers and Twitter / X followers to my own as I wandered down Memory Lane.

Of course, not everyone sees the programme column, so over the close season, I thought I'd rregurgitate the columns here. There are 21 to get through so I'll do three seasons at a time, across seven differing offerings on this website.

And it starts here with the pieces devoted to our first three seasons back in Division 2 after we won the Division 3 title in 1983. And for those of us of a certain age, these may well be the best three campaigns of the lot - the Bobby Campbell and Alan Ball years, the seasons that contained plenty of agony and hard luck stories, and of course a couple of promotion near misses.

Here goes - enjoy the memories and thanks to all who contributed here (with particular thanks to Kelvin Shaw, Simon Kidd and @oldpompeypics, who offered reminiscences more often that most).

1983-84

For a season in which Pompey finished 16th, 1983-84 was a barn-stormer. If we didn't win 4-3 or 5-0, we lose 4-3 or 4-1 or 4-something else. We scored 73 goals (more than the promoted Owls), but let in 64.

It's the latest featured campaign in our year-long recollection of the Blues' past 21 'second division seasons' – selected today because it ended in a 5-0 home beating of Swansea in Alan Ball's first game as (caretaker) manager after Bobby Campbell was sacked.

There are too many classics to remember but I shall allow regular contributors OldPompeypics, Simon Kidd and Kelvin Shaw to relive some highlights.

OldPompeyPics said: "In 1983 I'd only known third or fourth division football with Pompey, so I remember the fixtures coming out with a lot of big names, ie Man C, Chelsea, Leeds, Newcastle, Derby, 'Team of the 80s' Palace – and derbies v Brighton.

"Pompey were very inconsistent, with a good attack and a fragile defence which got exposed. It was no surprise at season-end when stalwarts of the 80 and 83 promotions such as Aizlewood, Ellis and McLaughlin were released.

"The best home game for me was a 5-1 win v Brighton when Pompey scored five in 13 minutes in the rain at the Fratton End, with five different scorers! Sheff Wed was the first away game I did with friends without a parent - the first time I'd ventured north of London! The Owls were a great side under Howard Wilkinson that season.

"Division 2 that year had incredible quality; Newcastle had Keegan, Waddle, Beardsley; Chelsea had Nevin, Speedie, Dixon. Man City were favourites but could only finish fourth." Simon Kidd added: Although the 1983-84 season finished with a bit of a whimper, I have vivid memories of some classic games.

"Away to Newcastle United on October 1, alighting from the special train and joining the crowd akin to an ant trail across the bridge towards St James' Park. The rumble of the home crowd from the old wooden stand and being stood opposite the Gallowgate End as Keegan and Waddle tore Pompey to pieces.

"Newcastle were 4-0 up when Pompey finally responded with late goals from Mick Tait and Alan Biley. Staring at the grey Geordie sky at 5pm and realising the long journey home was still to come, knowing that we'd been given a footballing lesson!

"Then there were the two Hateley hat-tricks. Within the space of five days, Mark Hateley terrified the Cambridge United and Grimsby Town defences at Fratton Park and helped himself to two trebles in victories of 5-0 and 4-0.

"I was quite active in going away from home that season and well remember evenings at Edgar Street, Villa Park and the Baseball Ground."

Kelvin Shaw wrote: "What a season! Like a rollercoaster. Mark Hateley’s only season but what memories, 25 goals.

"Standout games for me were two League Cup ties v Villa, a 4-0 win at home to Charlton on Boxing Day with an 11am kick-off because we went to Chelsea the following day, for a fabulous game in which we got a 2-2 draw.

"Unfortunately we lost to 'that lot' in the FA Cup in front of 36,000, still the highest attendance I’ve been in at Fratton."

1984-85

When I decided to devote the season's columns to our past 21 seasons in the second tier, there was only one it was legal to feature in the Oxford programme... 1984-85.

Of all the games Fratton Park has staged in the past 50 years, any poll of fans who've been watching for anything like that long will put the December 22, 1984, promotion tussle betwen Bally's Blues and the Bald Eagle's Us in their top three; many will say it's the best of the lot.

I don't even need to recap it, except to call it 'the Santa' game or Alan Biley's finest hour. 0-1 down to 2-1 up in the dying minutes. If you've not done so already – or even if you have before – look up Pete1201 / 'Pompey in a classic 1984' on Youtube for a highlights package that lasts 6.57 and shows the day in all its muddy, murky beauty.

But 84-85 was not only about that festive Fratton feast – it had more highs and lows than almost any other season you could name.

Simon Kidd has followed MOTD2's lead and come up with '2 good, 2 bad' for the season.

The good... "Away to Leeds in September, seeing Alan Biley squeeze the ball home for a 1-0 win that made the hairy exit from the ground just about worth it. And the win at Huddersfield in the last game of the season, witnessing that amazing run by Kevin O’Callaghan to net in our 2-0 victory - only to find out this result was not enough for promotion."

And the bad... "Away to Carlisle the day after my firm’s Christmas party, catching the 5.40am train only to see Pompey lose 3-0 as we stood under the rain dripping from the tin roof of Brunton Park. Home to Birmingham in April as Alan Ball’s words “beat them and we bury them” came back to bite him in a 3-1 reverse."

OldPompeyPics recalled a season-long striker saga in which Scott McGarvey, Dave Bamber and Paul Sugrue were all tried with little success. He also enthused: "It was the first season using the Adidas Tango ball for home games. I loved the swishing of it in the net when Pompey scored at the Fratton End."

Kelvin Shaw listed a win over Forest in the League Cup and a 3-1 romp at Fulham among the highs but reminded us: "New Year's Day arrived with hopes still high of promotion and it was looking great at at half-time 4-0 up at Fratton v Fulham. But second half it all went wrong - Fulham equalised in the last minute with a penalty. We didn’t win again 'til February."

Josh Lish said of the 4-4: "I was recovering in QA Hospital after surgery listening to hospital radio. Possibly the sickest I felt during my stay."

Ross Henley said: "I remember Cardiff away in October – an unlikely 2-1 win from 1-0 down at half-time at Ninian Park. It was during the miners' strike and was a very spiky atmosphere ... someone started a chant about the strike which went down very badly." Paul Rixon remembered 'blowing those home games in April, a teenage Paul Simpson scoring the winner for City. Imagine what could have been, being in Div 1 and keeping Neil Webb!'.

My own other favourite 84-85 games – Vince Hilaire's debut (a thrilling 2-2 draw with Blackburn when Pompey scored all four) and a heart-quickening 3-1 beating of Leeds under the Fratton floodlights.

1985-86

I knew by starting with the 1985-86 season back in August's Sunderland programme I'd be jogging plenty of memories.

I picked 85-86 for that prog because it contained an early-season home win over Sunderland - 3-0 with Kevin Dillon, Nicky Morgan and Vince Hilaire the scorers in the first home game of an exciting yet ulitmately disappointing campaign.

It was a season when Pompey were top 'tl the autumn, in the top two for much of it, but ended with their second straight promotion near miss under Alan Ball.

Kelvin Shaw remembers almost every game but a couple stand out: "At the end of the year, we beat Shrewsbury 4-0 at home - the last time I attended a match with my dad, who sadly died in 1986. In March we had a 2-1 floodlit home win v Millwall - Mick Quinn’s home debut and he scored, of course - off his backside!"

Just as vivid in his recollections was @oldpompeypics, who remembered many great days in the first half of the season (even one December trip for a Sunday game at Carlisle via a top Cumbrian nightclub on the Saturday night!) but too many poor ones after that.

"Stoke away, in April, we lost 2-0 at a critical time in our promotion battle and it was a damaging defeat. We went in a minibus with Paul Banks and Co and it wouldn't start afterwards ... about 14 of us had to sleep in it until garages opened the next day."

Simon Kidd remembered: "I was at the first game of the season, at Hull’s Boothferry Park - a very entertaining 2-2 draw. I was offered the chance to be a steward on a club coach taking 50 fans. I made the mistake of putting together a 50-question Pompey quiz for everyone, not thinking about marking 2,500 answers on the way back! I think I finished by the time we got to Newbury and handed out the £5 prize."

Others to reminisce were: Jamie Parkinson: "My memory of 85/86 is me and a mate going to Pompey 4 Carlisle 0 in August. They only brought 13 fans. We counted them all!”

John Lish: "My favourite league goal that season was Kevin O'Callaghan's solo effort at home to Huddersfield - out of keeping with a dour game.”

Paul Rixon: "Nicky Morgan scoring in each of the first five; playing Millwall on a Tuesday night and Wimbledon on the Saturday with John Fashanu playing in both; the Villa FA Cup tie being on TV, and Vince scoring a great overhead kick v Oldham on a frosty pitch.”

Wayne R W: "The Tottenham League Cup trilogy. And whatever happened to Tommy Christensen?”

Wayne Harris: "Getting my first away kit (the superb white and blue one). Favourite game that season - the Easter Monday 3-2 win at Brighton, one of my first few away games) when we stormed into a 3-0 first half lead. So many Pompey there and a great atmosphere.”

Mike Davies: “Bradford away at Odsal. Drove up on the Saturday, came off the motorway near Bradford as radio announced 'game off'. We went round the roundabout and back home. I went back up three days later for the rescheduled game, when Tommy Christensen 'scored' an equaliser ... the ref blew for full-time before it crossed the line and we lost 2-1.”

Watch out for memories of 86-87, 88-89 and 89-90 soon!

Photo: Action Images

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