Summer, and not much football going on. Well nothing meaningful anyhow. So we've been meandering down Pompey Memory Lane on this website, remembering some of Fratton Park's past 'second division' seasons.

To explain - in my programme column over the course of last season, I celebrated our return to the Championship by harping back to our most recent 21 campaigns in the second tier, with my memories, highlights and stories complemented by some of yours.

Not everyone sees the programme so for those who missed it I have been rehashing the columns here - three at a time so we get through them before the new season starts. We started in 1983-84 and now it's time to revisit the three second division seasons that fell either side of our seven years in the Prem.

So it's the great (02-03 and the title), the average (10-11) and the awful. The football equivalent of four seasons in one day - three seasons in one column.

Here goes - enjoy the memories, and thanks if you contributed.

2002-03

As we continue our look back at Pompey's 21 past 'second division seasons', some are tough to find highlights from – others are a pleasure. And this comes into the latter category because Burnley's visit to town (last Feb) meant we simply had to turn the clock back to 2002-03.

The season of Merson, Toddy, Shaka, Yakubu, Taylor and many others. 97 points and 98 goals. The Division One title.

Who better to share some memories than my old sports desk colleague at The News, Jordan Cross, for whom 02-03 was a first full season covering the club? He somehow summed up that glorious campaign in less than 150 words...

"Having a bit of a 'pinch myself' moment when interviewing the players at Woodbury Park in pre-season," he began. "Having another of those moments when Paul Merson came in. Switching to wing-backs 2-0 down at Palace in August.

'Weekly Sports Mail interviews with Carl Robinson. Coming back from the Cup loss at Man Utd and Redknapp confirming we’d got Yakubu. Thinking 'we’re definitely winning the league' within four minutes of Yak’s home debut v Grimsby. Merson’s ovation at Millwall.

"An edgy Redknapp ranting about earning more than a local reporter after losing to Sheff Wed. Finding it very hard to capture the essence of winning promotion to the Premier League in an intro after the Burnley game. And former chief football writer Mark Storey pointing out ‘it’s not always like this’, at the end of my first full season covering Pompey."

Pompey Hobgoblin saw every goal we scored at home... well, almost. "I missed one home goal all season. Guess which one!" he said. I replied and asked: "Not the small matter of Toddy's Fratton End promotion clincher v the Clarets?" Yes. "I went for a wee" he said, "walked back to my seat and got a few digs, as I'd been moaning about Toddy being offside on every attack."

In contrast Simon Evans might have missed the whole season, but didn't: "After a decade of (largely) poor football and mismanagement I gave up my season ticket. By the end of August I was back, scrounging tickets, and eventually my wife took pity and bought me a replacement ST."

Brendan Whelan pinpointed Burnley away as a key moment: "That was the game, a 3-0 win, when I started to really believe we were going up – a statement away win."

John Tucker reminisced: "The most memorable bits for me were both against Leicester. That waterlogged pitch at Fratton, then away to Leicester, the match confirmed in my mind we'd get promoted. You could feel the concrete bouncing with us singing. Then came the Matty Taylor equaliser. Pure joy!"

Chris Reed had the most random recollection: "I remember going to Walsall away near end of season . There were no cold beers in Tesco so I spent a fortune on frozen peas and sweetcorn to try to cool them on journey."

Back to the promotion night, and Paul Whiteaway remembered ending up in Scandals nightclub. I think it was full of Latin American students... and a handful of Pompey fans singing Blue Army!!"

There were celebrations abroad too... Ian Cade wrote: "I was studying abroad for the season run-in. My roommate was from Cowplain. I imagine we were the only Pompey fans that celebrated promotion on the balcony of a communist housing estate in Moravia with sparkling Moldovan 'champagne'!"

For Dan (thepurplepurple on Bluesky) that big FA Cup occasion was memorable: "Losing 4-1 to Man U with 10k Pompey fans singing that we'd be back next season. All the incredible displays in that very special season, but this is a favourite of mine."

2010-11

When I run my eye down Pompey's fixtures and results from the 2010-11 season, it does not get the senses working overtime. In fact I have to look over them two or three times to summon up much of a recollection of anything.

For this latest instalment in our series on our most recent 'second division seasons', we go back to this 'in-between' season – ie, the one in between relegation from the Premier League and relegation from the Championship.

Steve Cotterill was manager and I seem to remember him ending 10-11 suggesting to the powers-that-be (whoever they were that week...) that with a little more investment in the squad, it could have been the home team instead of the away team, Norwich, celebrating promotion at the end of our final home game, which the Camaries won 2-1 to go up.

The season started with a defeat at Coventry and ended with a draw at Scunthorpe - and somwhow those bookends were perfect for the forgettable stories that sat in between them.

We finished 16th – well clear of the bottom three but also way off the play-off race – but as a couple of readers pointed out when I asked – more in hope than expectation – for fans' memories and highlights, the campaign did contain a couple of fine runs of results.

That was summed up neatly by Bileysmullet on Bluesky. He said: "A bizarre season of draws and defeats all season interpersed with six wins in seven in September and October and six wins on the bounce in February. And there were10 appearances between a couple of players who were later deemed surplus to requirements (until 12 or more years later) called Matt Ritchie and Marlon Pack."

It was one game in particular during that September run that some recalled fondly. Will Chitty said: "The 6-1 demolition of Leicester springs to mind. Unusual at the time for being played on a Friday evening; always great to get one over that lot."

Andypompey, also on Bluesky, said: "There are two games that stand out. If there’s one team any long-standing Pompey fan dislikes more than any (other than 'them') it's Leicester. Seeing us beat them 6-1 in front of the TV cameras was special. But what summed up the period more than anything was failing floodlights at home to Leeds. It felt like we’re were not paying the bills under our latest ‘interesting’ owner."

John Lish said: "At the 1-1 draw at Scunthorpe on the last day of the season I remember watching an unconscious Pompey fan dressed as Bananaman being carried into an ambulance The perils of 12.30 kick-offs! The lad had been drinking throughout Friday night/Saturday morning and on the coach up. Oh and Kanu's goal at Forest (in a 2-1 defeat in January) rolled back the years for one last time."

Dan Almond remembered the midweek October visit to Millwall (where we won 1-0) for a surprise appearance in the away fans' section of a one-time would-be buyer of the club, Sulaiman Al Fahim. "I'm pretty certain he was in a white leather jacket," added Dan.

For the record, our top scorer in 10-11 was David Nugent with 14 goals, while our leading appearance maker with 50 – and keeper of six straight clean sheets in February and March – was Jamie Ashdown.

2011-12

In a year-long series about Pompey's past 21 'second division seasons' there were always going to be some tough ones to revisit among the classics. For every 2002-03, there's a 1989-90.

This blast from the past is certainly in the difficult category – it's time to turn the clock back 13 years to 2011-12, which before this season was our last attempt at this level of football.

The fact it ended with relegation tells you it wasn't very successful. But context is needed – Pompey were pluged into their latest ownership crisis in the first half of the season when Convers Sports Initiatives hit major trouble months after taking over at Fratton Park.

It was a season that started with Steve Cotterill in charge and ended with Michael Appleton unable to keep Pompey up – through no real fault of his own. It contained some grim days – but one or two memorable ones as well.

If you were to stage a vote for match of the season, there could only be one winner – the 2-2 draw away to Southampton in April, which though it only temporarily held up the respective teams' journeys in opposite directions, will forever be remembeted for David Norris' brilliant volleyed equaliser deep into injury time.

Simon Kidd said: "If I had to pick out one of the few bright lights of 11-12 this would have to be David Norris' late equaliser in the famous 2-2 draw against you know who. Pompey fans will be pleased to know David is still plying his trade for Workington AFC at the tender age of 43 in the Northern Premier League premier division and found the net earlier this season in a home win against Whitby Town!"

John Tucker named the game as one of two that stood out for him: "Two away games stick in the memory. There was Norris' winner at St Mary's – but just as memorable was the win at Peterborough with a Jason Pearce goal and great performance from Erik the Viking.”

Erik Huseklepp scored the other two that day – and six that season. But can you name the only two players to score more for us in 11-12 Answer at the end of the column.

The 1-1 draw at home to Southampton just before Christmas was mentioned. Mike Blythman said: "Only the two derbies stand out with the Norris moment a high. But the campaign was a prelude to possibly our worst ever season in 2012-13 – which was maybe worse than 77-78!”

Going back to the home clash with SFC, Peadubya66 wrote: “My highlight would be Joel Ward's equaliser v 'that lot down the road.' I was in the front row of the Fratton End behind the goal, so was on the live TV coverage. The atmosphere wasn't really suitable for a Sunday afternoon live broadcast!”

Other games that came to my mind? The FA Cup tie at Chelsea when we were still in the game late on, 1-0 down, then let in another three; home to Ipswich on Valentine's Night when just about every Pompey fan present sang 'We will never die' for ages after the latest dive into administration, and a late-season midweek 4-1 hom win over Birmingham.

The final word on 11-12 goes to Dan Almond, who oddly remembers something he admits was 'utterly forgettable': "Reading away. Lost 1-0. Terrible performance. Go bottom of the table. Heavy traffic going home.”

And those top 2011-12 scorers asked for earlier? Norris scored eight, Greg Halford seven.

Photo: Action Images

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