2000-2001: After a slow start to the season, Pulis is sacked. Although he made some good signings, they failed to gel and the team is sliding down the table. Popular striker Steve Claridge is appointed as player-manager, only to be suddenly sacked by Mandaric and replaced with former Chelsea coach Graham Rix. The club drift towards the relegation zone after seemingly being safe but survive on the last day of the season.
2001-2002: Tragedy hits, as young goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan dies in a car crash just a week before the start of the season. Harry Redknapp joins the club as Director of Football, and players such as Crouch, Buxton, O'Neil and Zamperini seem to suggest a bright future for the club - especially coupled with the sensational skill of Prosinecki. However, results are inconsistent, with defeats to teams like Leyton Orient and Colchester among the lowlights, as well as a 5-0 thrashing by West Brom - leading to Mandaric refusing to pay the players' wages. As had been rumoured since August, Rix is sacked and Redknapp takes charge. One of his first actions is to sell top scorer Crouch for £5.5m.
2002-2003: The collapse of ITV Digital means most First Divison clubs withdraw into their shell - but not Pompey. Financed by Mandaric, as well as the sale of Crouch, Harry Redknapp goes on a transfer spending spree, culminating in the coup of former England midfielder Paul Merson. The team have their best start to the season since the late 1940's, and go on to clinch promotion and the championship. The end of season stats make sweet reading for any Portsmouth fan - 98 points, 29 wins, 11 draws, 6 defeats, 97 goals for, 45 goals against. Fan-bloody-tastic. Players such as Todorov, Taylor and - of course - Merson, attract plaudits nationwide. But the biggest surprise is Linvoy Primus, a Tony Pulis signing, who goes on to sweep the player of the season awards.
2003-2004: A fantastic start sees Pompey top of the table after three games. Despite a mid-season blip where injuries and bans rape a wafer thin squad, the club finishes a creditable 13th. What's more, there were plenty of memories along the way; beating Bolton 4-0 to go top, inflicting a humiliating 6-1 on Leeds (leading to the sacking of Peter Reid), beating Liverpool 1-0 twice, surprising Man Utd 1-0, getting one up on old rivals Southampton with a 1-0 win, beating Leeds 2-1 at Elland Road in a relegation six pointer, and thrashing Middlesbrough 5-1. The season ended with rumours of a rift between Harry and Milan, and with the possible sale of 19 goal Yakubu to Middlesbrough, but all ends happily.
2004-05: So began one of the most bizarre seasons in the history of Portsmouth Football Club. There were few signings in the summer - Jamie Ashdown, Ricardo Fuller and David Unsworth pretty much making up the bulk of it - but it didn't stop Pompey from getting off to a decent start. Indeed, after an October in which Pompey remained unbeaten and recorded victories over Man Utd and Spurs, Harry Redknapp won manager of the month. But after three straight defeats and citing the appointment of Velimir Zajec as Chief Executive, Redknapp was to resign - only to appear two weeks later at Southampton. The transformation from hero to Judas was instant. Zajec started his career well with away wins over Bolton and Palace, away draws with Newcastle and Liverpool and an unbelievable 3-2 win against West Brom after being 2-1 down with ten minutes to play. But Pompey suffered with poor form in the winter and spring, going over three months without a win. This run included a 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup after a very dubious late penalty decision. Eventually caretaker Zajec was moved back to his original job upstairs and Alain Perrin came in. Despite sinking from 9th on Boxing Day to 17th by the April, Perrin managed to get the team the results we needed - including a fantastic 4-2 over Charlton and the now legendary 4-1 win over Southampton. The season was played out with little pressure as in 03/04, and "just desserts" were dished out on the last day as Redknapp sealed the Saints' relegation.