Where did the name "Pompey" for Portsmouth come from?

[Doomotron]

The Portsmouth Direct Line (PDL) is nicknamed the Pompey line, but where did it come from?

 

[godfreycomplex]

The Roman emperor Pompey Magnus retired to Petersfield, where he became a cornerstone of the local amateur dramatics scene. The nickname originates from an electrifying 1872 production of “Passion in the Four Foot” by the Pompey Magnus players which took place at the Substation theatre at Buriton Tunnel. Emperor Pompey Magnus, who by 1872 was pushing 75, gave a spine tingling performance in the romantic lead role of John Prescott, which involved a large theatrical roar. This became known as the Pompey Lion which whittled down to become the Pompey Line

 

[swt_passenger]

Wikipedia‘s page for Portsmouth gives 3 more realistic possibilities for Portsmouth’s nickname being Pompey, there may be more...

 

[godfreycomplex]

Non-facetious (but only slightly less fanciful) answer (One of the three possibilities, at least one of the others involved firemen practicing on Southsea Common, firemen being known as pompiers in those days)
A lady called Aggie Weston ran a clubhouse for sailors around the turn of the century. She used to give educational talks, however these were not exactly entirely serious in tone and often were somewhat towards a form of performance art. Upon describing Pompey Magnus’ assassination she became rather agitated, and ended with a shout of “Poor old Pompey!!”.
The next night at Fratton Park, Portsmouth were playing with their characteristic brand of enthusiastic awfulness as an artistic comic statement. Upon a particulary bad howler being committed by the Portsmouth side one of the same group of sailors from Aggie Weston shouted “Poor old Pompey”
And it spiralled from there

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Think the link may be naval, I’ll check with my former seafaring father as he served on Ark Royal for many years

 

[Bedpan]

The Portsmouth Direct Line (PDL) is nicknamed the Pompey line, but where did it come from?

Woking.

Apologies for the facetious answer but having had a chuckle at Godfreycomplex's answer I couldn't help myself.

All very interesting though, I didn't realise that there was any background to it, thought it was just a nickname like Ricky or Berko for Rickmansworth and Berkhamsted.

 

[Calthrop]

A lady called Aggie Weston ran a clubhouse for sailors around the turn of the century. She used to give educational talks, however these were not exactly entirely serious in tone and often were somewhat towards a form of performance art. Upon describing Pompey Magnus’ assassination she became rather agitated, and ended with a shout of “Poor old Pompey!!”.
The next night at Fratton Park, Portsmouth were playing with their characteristic brand of enthusiastic awfulness as an artistic comic statement. Upon a particulary bad howler being committed by the Portsmouth side one of the same group of sailors from Aggie Weston shouted “Poor old Pompey”
And it spiralled from there

Please forgive further facetiousness; but I understand that via a play on the benevolent lady's name, sailors were wont to call the resort of Weston-super-Mare, "Aggie- On-Horseback".