Pompey and Blackburn have faced each other a grand total of 88 times - but this weekend's clash between the two old greats of the game is a first.
Never before have they met in a league game outside English football's top two tiers - but it's a League One encounter that will occupy the Blues and Rovers on this occasion.
Both will go into the game with their fans wondering how soon they might be back in that top half of the league and it's Blackburn who are many people's tip to occupy one of the promotion places this season, when the common opinion is this will be too soon for Pompey to return to the championship.
Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray is expecting Pompey to come and have a go - something it seems Plymouth did not do last time out at Ewood Park. Mowbray told the Lancs Telegraph: 'They won’t come and do what Plymouth did.
'They have got some good technical footballers, they have some individuality and they will come and make it a football match which could be good for us. But it may mean we need to be more guarded in attack, they have some technically good players in their team.
'It’s the next challenge, that’s all it is. As I keep saying to the players, we have to go and compete, work hard and ask questions of the opposition but be conscious of their threats. Portsmouth is the next challenge in front of us.'
Pompey boss Kenny Jackett is looking forward to a big test for his side and may welcome back Brett Pitman - though he says his side have good attacking options with or without the captain.
He told The News: ‘I think we have good forward options. Curtis Main hasn’t had much of a chance, Kal Naismith from an early one hasn’t had many minutes, then there’s Kyle Bennett, Conor Chaplin and Oli Hawkins. There are other good players here. If you are looking at the front-four positions there are quite a few options with established players.'
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