Fans of Portsmouth Football Club have stepped up to the plate once more by handing over in excess of £155,000 to build a long term training ground for the youth academy.

Pompey are in fine form in pre-season
Pompey are in fine form in pre-season

In recent years talent such as Matt Ritchie, Joel Ward, Marc Wilson and most notably Premier League superstar Asmir Begovic have progressed through Pompey's ranks.

The south coast club have 17 days left to raise £95,000, which would see them hit their £250,000 target. Reaching this landmark would be a monumental moment for the Blues, who are also hoping to finalise their first teams new training ground in the coming weeks.

These two sites would be within a mile of each other, and just under 4 km from Portsmouth city centre.

Even in Pompey's most successful period in recent history, where the Hampshire club won the FA Cup and competed in Europe against the likes of AC Milan, it was a well documented fact that the club did not have their own training ground and the facilities for youth players were poor.

New pitches for the youth team and the clubs very own plush training facilities will be a massive pull for any youngster looking to make a name for themselves in the game, and with a bit of luck and the right coaching these facilities could help Pompey attract players who turn out to be every bit as special as Begovic and Co.

This fan funding initiative has seen supporters of many different clubs, including those of bitter rivals Southampton, dig deep to help a good cause.

With only £95,000 left to go it seems achievable that this club, which since relegation from the Premier League back in 2010 has had nothing short of an onslaught of bad luck, will finally be able to leave the past behind and lay some foundations for a bright future.