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Portsmouth Ground Name: Fratton
Park |
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| Contents | |
| What's The Ground Like? Future Developments Looking Towards The Fratton End (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? Where To Eat & Drink? Looking Towards The Inter-cash Milton End (photo) How To Get There And Where To Park South Stand (photo) Local Rivals Admission Prices Programme & Fanzines Ground Layout Fixtures 2007-2008 Disabled Facilities Record & Average Attendance Other Places Of Interest Fans Ground Reviews Hotel Accommodation Feedback Return To The Main Menu |
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| What's The Ground Like? | |
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At one end is the Fratton End, which is a new looking
single tiered stand. It is of a good size and is the tallest stand at
the ground. Opposite is the
recently covered Inter-cash Milton End,
which is all seated. Part of this stand us given
to away fans. There is a small moat in front of this
area. Both side stands are two tiered and originally had terracing at the
front, which has now been replaced with seating. The South Stand
dates back to 1925, and is starting to show its age.
However, it still has some character with an old
fashioned looking media gantry
perched on its roof and raised team dugouts at its front.
Opposite the North Stand looks
somewhat plain and functional. Both the North & South Stands are two tiered
and have a number of supporting pillars.
The ground is
completed with a superb looking set of tall floodlights that were first used
in 1962. If you get chance to wander around the outside of the ground beforehand then make sure to go down to the home end to look at the mock tudor facade in Frogmore Road that is now partly used as a club shop, but still overlooks the entrance to the Fratton End. |
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The Club have recently announced ambitious plans to move to a new state of the art stadium, to be built at the city's dockyard. The £600m development will see the construction of a spectacular looking 36,000 all seated stadium on the waterfront, plus a number of residential apartments and retail units. The joint venture between the Club and Sellar Property Group, will also see the re-development of Fratton Park. The new stadium is being designed by Swiss based architects Herzog & DeMeuron, who are responsible for the 2008 Olympic Stadium in Beijing. Planning permission has yet to be granted for the scheme, but if things go to plan, then Pompey could be playing their new stadium in 2010. For images of the proposed development visit the Official Portsmouth Club website. |
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| Looking Towards The Fratton End | |
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| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
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At long last the Club have erected a roof over the Inter-cash Milton End.
Although there are some supporting pillars along the front of the stand that
may impede you view, at least you will be in the dry. Plus this covered end
should also boost the atmosphere within the stadium even further. The
facilities are not particularly great and the leg room tight,
as this area was a former terrace that has
been converted to all seating.
However, once you put that to
one side then at least Fratton Park is a proper looking
football ground, with a great atmosphere (which is aided by a drummer and
bell ringer in the home end). So sit back and enjoy it as such
grounds now are becoming few and far between with the advent of new stadia
being built. Away fans are housed in the Inter-cash Milton End can where around 2,000 can be accommodated. This end is shared with home supporters. Praise though to the home support who get behind their team but in a non-intimidatory way towards the away contingent. Fans were literally separated by a netted area only three seats wide, but on my last visit there were no problems whatsoever. Unlike previous seasons away supporters are now housed on the other side of this end (towards the North Stand). Entrance to the stand is gained by inserting your ticket into a bar code reader. The delicious Shire Foods Chicken Balti Pie (£2.20) is available inside the ground. Chris Saunders a visiting Middlesbrough fan adds; 'It terms of facilities the ground is light years away from Premiership standard, but the atmosphere is electric with the legendary 'Play Up Pompey' echoing around the ground. The Portsmouth fans are a great bunch and made me most welcome. If you are feeling hungry then there is a McDonalds and KFC across the road from the ground' |
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| Where To Drink? | |
| On my last visit I went
to the Good Companion pub, which is on the main A2030 about a five minute
walk away from the ground. It is a large pub serving Gale real ales and had
a good mix of home and away support. I also noticed that it was doing a
brisk business in food. Martin Hewitt
recommends the Harvester, but advises away fans
to avoid the Milton Arms, Shepherds Crook and the Newcome Arms. Whilst
Ian Pratt suggests the Brewers Arms which is 'always popular with away
fans'. Steve Yeoman a visiting Manchester United fan
informs me; 'just outside the ground at the north east corner a large enclosed white marquee has been erected for
away fans. It has a bar,
televisions and was free to enter. There is a handy burger van
located outside'. Graham Fewster an exiled Pompey fan Down Under, adds; 'a pub I would recommend is the Connaught Arms. Popular with home and away fans, they serve a good selection of draught beers as well as some great pasties. The pub is located at the junction of Penhale and Guildford Road, which is roughly 200 yards away from Fratton Road but the walk is somewhat longer. But it is worth it take it from me!'. Otherwise drink in Portsmouth city centre or down at Southsea before the game. Remember Portsmouth is still a major naval port and hence some of the pubs can get quite rowdy at weekends. |
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| How To Get There And Where To Park | |
| Go along the M27 (ignoring the M275 turn off for
Portsmouth town centre) and continue on to the A27. At the junction with the A2030 turn right towards Southsea/Fratton
and just continue straight along the A2030 and eventually you will see the ground in front
of you, just slightly to your left. There is a large car park behind the TY Europe Stand, but this is
for home supporters only. So it is mostly street parking for away fans.
This is best found on the right hand side of the A2030 before you reach the
Good Companion pub. For a map showing the location of the ground in click here (to take you to the Street Map website). To go to a simplified page, containing the directions and pub info, which you can print out click here. |
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| By Train | |
| The nearest local train station is
Fratton, which is a ten minute walk away. Portsmouth train station is at least a
25 minute walk away. On arrival at Fratton by train you pass the ground on the left. Fratton station has a footbridge as the only way out. At the top of the stairs from the platform turn left onto the footbridge (from which you can see the floodlights of Fratton Park) and exit into Goldsmith Avenue. (Note that if the gate on the footbridge is closed you need to turn right on the footbridge and exit via Platform 1, turn left as you exit the station, walk 30 metres and go back over the footbridge to Goldsmith Avenue.) Turn left along Goldsmith Avenue and walk about half a mile passing straight around a small roundabout (by the Pompey Centre). Then Turn Left into Frogmore Road and the entrance to the Ty and South stands is 100m ahead. For the Milton End stay on Goldsmith Avenue for another 100m and turn left into Apsley Road. The entrances to the Milton End are 100m ahead. Thanks to Peter Coulthard for providing the directions. |
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| Local Rivals | |
| Southampton. | |
| Admission Prices | |
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Home Fans: South Stand (Upper Centre): Adults £37, Over 60's £28, Under 16's £23 South Stand (Upper Wings): Adults £35, Over 60's £26, Under 16's £22 South Stand (Lower Family Enclosure): Adults £29, Over 60's £20, Under 16's £15 South Stand (Lower Milton Enclosure): Adults £29, Over 60's £22, Under 16's £15 North Stand (Upper Centre): Adults £37, Over 60's £28, Under 16's £23 North Stand (Upper Wings): Adults £35, Over 60's £26, Under 16's £22 North Stand (Lower Tier): Adults £35, Over 60's £26, Under 16's £22 Fratton End (West Stand): Adults £35, Over 60's £26, Under 16's £22 Milton End: Adults £28, Over 60's £20, Under 16's £15 Away Fans: Milton End: Adults £28, Over 60's £20, Under 16's £15 |
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| Programme & Fanzines | |
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Official Programme £3 True Blue Fanzine £1.50 Park Life Fanzine £1.50 |
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| Fixtures 2007-2008 | |
| For the Portsmouth fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website). | |
| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| Record Attendance: 51,385 v Derby County FA Cup 6th Round, February 26th, 1949. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: 20,556 v Arsenal, Premier League, December 26th 2007. Average Attendance: 2006-2007: 19,862 (Premier League) 2005-2006: 19,840 (Premier League) 2004-2005: 20,072 (Premier League) |
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| Other Places Of Interest | |
| Southsea adjoining Portsmouth houses the naval base and
includes historic ships such as HMS Victory. You can get a short boat trip around the
harbour showing which warships are in dock. Southsea itself is quite pleasant with a small
beach and funfair. In fact when I went to the game I met a strange lady who travelled down
to Portsmouth for each game by herself from Wolverhampton! When asked why, she
replied that she had been taken to Southsea as a child and therefore liked to visit it
before each game. So there you go it wasn't the football that was the attraction! Simon Eddy adds; 'there is a new development called the Gunwharf Quays, which has opened adjacent to the historic ships dockyard. There are a number of bars, restaurants, plus a bowling alley, cinema and shopping factory outlet. For more details visit www.gunwharf-quays.com'. The quays incorporate the spectacular Spinnaker Tower, which is well worth a visit for some stunning views from over 300 feet up. Anyone intending to visit the City Centre, Gunwharf Quays or the Old Portsmouth area before the game would be better off entering the city on the M275 rather than the A2030. |
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| Fans Reviews Of Fratton Park | |
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Kevin
McCann (Stirling Albion Fan Doing The 92) 23/2/08 Tim Watson (Derby County) 19/1/08 Adam Bernstein (Arsenal) 26/12/07 Martin Hart (Visiting Scottish Fan) 29/9/07 Chris Hayward (Southampton) 21/3/04 Andrew Cook (Reading) 21/4/03 |
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| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Portsmouth page click here. | |
| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail me and I'll
update
the guide. |
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