🚨 PORTSMOUTH EXTRAORDINARY 7-YEAR FA CUP REIGN! 🏆

• Portsmouth caused a major upset in the 1939 FA Cup Final, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1 at Wembley. Portsmouth were struggling in the league at the time, making their victory one of the most unexpected in the competition’s history. 😲

• Forget holding a trophy for a year – Portsmouth held onto the coveted FA Cup for an astonishing seven consecutive years! World War II broke out just months after their triumph, suspending the competition and making them the longest reigning champions without having to defend the title. 🛡️

• While manager Jack Tinn famously credited the win to his “lucky spats”, the trophy itself had its own bizarre wartime journey. Instead of being kept in the club’s trophy room, it was secretly moved to a thatched-roof pub called The Bird in Hand to keep it safe from bombing raids on Portsmouth. The FA Cup spent the war years on top of a radio behind the bar, guarded by the landlord and his family. 🔐

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