We were harangued a little by a single Portsmouth fan as we walked away but a small group of home fans then walked with us almost protectively which, I think, speaks volumes for the majority of their support. The South Stand was designed by the acclaimed Scottish architect, Archibald Leitch. The away end could probably do with a bit of spit and polish but I was impressed with how well it has aged. Opposite you is the Fratton End where the wonderful atmosphere the Pompey fans create comes from and to the left is the South Stand – probably the oldest looking stand at the ground. One of my favourite away days in a long time. When Fratton Park first opened on 15 August 1899, no stands or terracing existed yet at today's Fratton and Milton ends. [11] The preserved floodight tower now also acts as a telecommunications antenna tower. A bit of a scuffle between both sides followed which resulted in another yellow card being handed to both sides. Dons did mount some attacks to try and get an equalising goal but were caught on the break in injury time for the home side to make it 3-1, which does not tell the true story. Before work could begin, however, the plans were superseded by a new proposal to redevelop more or less on the existing site, but realigning the pitch 90 degrees to accommodate a larger capacity stadium, funded in part by a "Pompey Village" residential, hotel and retail project on the adjacent site. I have visited Fratton Park before following West Ham and had enjoyed it then. Travelled from Bristol so journey was fairly straightforward apart from the weather. Visitors will also find chips, cheesy chips, bacon and sausage rolls, and the Flipping Buster which is a combination of both. The facilities in this stand are well documented in reviews like this, meaning that there is Gents and Ladies at each end of the stand and if you need to go, be prepared to queue all of the half time interval. image caption The first phase of the proposals for the Milton End stand are due to be submitted to Portsmouth City Council Portsmouth FC has unveiled plans for a revamp of its Fratton Park stadium. As a Cambridge United fan, you don't get many chances to visit grounds that are better suited to the higher leagues, so Portsmouth away is always a must. There were so many QPR fans it took almost 45 mins to get a drink. Getting out the ground after the game took ages, maybe this was due to the large away contingent, but all three home stands had long since dispersed, by the time I got out and I was not in the middle of the stand. Alternatively, supporters could stand on flat open ground behind the two opposite goal lines. However, the pavilion's clock tower spire was removed in 1925 to allow space for the construction of the current South Stand, which partially covers the pavilion. I arrived early at 5pm so I parked on Edgware Road, which is only a ten minute walk away from Fratton Park. Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Very easy, with the car only a few minutes from the ground. The first ever football match at the ground took place on Wednesday 6 September 1899;[6] a 2-0 friendly win against Southampton FC, attended by 4,141 supporters.[6]. All Seated Record Attendance: 20,821 v Tottenham Hotspur 17 October 2009, Premier League 2009–2010 season. Here we had a most engaging conversation with a more mature and dapperly-dressed gentleman on all things football. The journey itself is easy enough, straight down the A3, onto the M27 West bound, then off at the next junction the A2030 (Eastern Road), continue down this road until the end and there is Fratton Park in front of you. New flatter pitch with all-weather sidelines laid, Fratton Park capacity restricted to 19,669. We had 3 rounds of drinks and chatted about football on both sides of the border. As I didn't have any time to get a programme or food before the game, I knew what I would be doing during the interval.. Programme sellers walk around the edge of the pitch during the break so getting a copy of the matchday read (£3) was easy. This was quite possibly the first ground I have ever been to where there were no queues for half time sustenance. Callum who it turned out to be is an avid Pompey supporter and a nice guy. As you come down the Eastern Road, the first pub you come across is The Good Companion on you left. Gillingham had not played at Fratton Park for well over a decade, and with the team being in a great spell of form and this being a relatively local game against one of the leagues best supported sides, I took the opportunity to make the trip. #PompeyChampsOfEngland", "#OTD1948 The eastern edge of the Milton end's lateral gangway will be protected by a small wall, mounted with a handrail to prevent people being pushed down the bank towards Fratton Park's boundary with Specks Lane. Planning permission applied 21 May 2019 for new TV gantry for South Stand roof, along with a set of 8 rooftop floodlight clusters. Work on the stadium was due to commence in the summer of 2006, and the first phase of the redevelopment completed a year later. I was really looking forward to this match as it was my first FA Cup away game. We'll be posting more updates here as the project progresses. Thankfully our trip back wasn't as long as the one going, getting off the coach back at the Lamex around 12.15am. [109][110], On 16 July 2012, Fratton Park acted as the start location of Day 59 of the seventy day long London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. What were your thoughts on the grounds away end? Fratton Park is south of the railway line, and thus is in Milton. (it should be noted that the same zeal was not applied to standing home fans). By sea, Portsmouth International Port has passenger ferry routes to the Channel Islands, northern France, and northern Spain. It attracts both home and away fans but everybody there was friendly enough including the staff. I enjoyed Portsmouth and the town itself. We found some parking on one of the terraced streets about five minutes walk from the ground. There’s a small food outlet at the back of the Milton End, so I’d expect a bit of a queue. However with 13 minutes to play, Conor Chaplin pounced on a defensive error to put Pompey 1-0 up. The seats in this stand are different colours to outline a portrait of Portsmouth legend, Jimmy Dickinson who is still the record holder for most appearances for the club. [44] The new screen was first used on Saturday 28 July 2018 in a pre-season friendly against Dutch team FC Utrecht, which resulted in a 1–1 draw.[45]. Although modernisation has touched Fratton, you can still taste the rich history. Atmosphere fairly relaxed with home fans as is normally the case when non-league clubs visit league clubs. ), we went straight to our hotel what seemed quite away from the city centre so we forced into jumping into a taxi. No problems though. Whilst supporting my home town non league side I have also been to many League grounds whilst supporting Bristol City (27 years resident in Bristol) and in comparison Fratton Park has very poor away facilities to many clubs considering their very recent Premier League status. North Stand's 1988 era roof and outer cladding, along with Lower North Stand 1997 roof extension were replaced between 6 April 2020 to 3 September 2020. Between 2002 and 2005, the Fratton End was commercially branded as "The Ty Europe Stand" under a shirt sponsorship agreement with the Ty Europe division of Ty Inc., the manufacturer of "Beanie Babies" soft toys. However being 1-0 down at half time was not good and neither was our performance. It is served by trains from London Waterloo, Cardiff, Brighton and Portsmouth & Southsea. The most dedicated and passionate of the fans will be found in the Fratton End, the stand that is located behind one of the goals. I left a few minutes before the end and went up the A3 instead of the other motorways. [49], At the west end of Fratton Park is the 'Fratton End', so-named as it is the nearest stand to Fratton railway station. Why were you looking forward to visiting Fratton Park? Couldn't get any food as the food outlets were so crowded, and it would have seriously delayed our return journey. The gymnasium's former location on Milton Lane is now occupied by the north side of a large Tesco Extra superstore, which was opened in November 2015. These plans were also dropped before work could begin. Football Stadium News Recap – August 2019, The Cherry Red Records Stadium- AFC Wimbledon. This will also involve extending the roof area. Alderman John Edward Pink - a solicitor, based at 12 High Street, Old Portsmouth, employed by John Brickwood. Book your next dream trip with Nickes.Com! The four stands in Fratton Park are named The North Stand (north), The South Stand (south), The Milton End (east) and The Fratton End (west). Once in the stand, there isn't loads of leg room and the flooring is uneven in places, so I had to watch my step. The Fratton Park pitch was surrounded by hooped metal fence railings. Never have I felt this more than at Portsmouth. Tickets bought on the day of the game can cost up to £2 more per adult ticket. Why were you looking forward to going to this ground? Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc.. We started the game as usual poorly, just couldn’t put a pass together, constantly losing possession. A gravel surfaced car park is a recent addition to the rear of the North Stand. Lawrence grabbed another to make it 2-0. We parked relatively easily in a side street, just a couple of minutes walk away from the ground. The ground has been home to the club throughout its entire history. [3], In 1961 the Hugo Spencer-trained Hey There Merry won the Scottish Derby, and Spencer's Trip To Dublin reached the English Derby final. and I chose to have sandwiches along the seafront at Eastney – the calm before the storm. Went straight to the seafront and visited Mozarella Joe's beach cafe. Even a few Blackpool sailors turned up who had just docked in the bay. Another one I’d gone to on the train, which from Basingstoke was a direct journey taking around an hour. I’m not 100% sure if I would visit Portsmouth again but you never know. On Tuesday 6 August 2019, the new South Stand rooftop floodlights were first used in an evening competitive match during the First Round of the League Cup against Birmingham City, which Portsmouth won 3–0. It is a fairly big ground for league 2 (20,000 capacity). Popular with away fans is the Good Companion pub, which is on the main A2030 about a five minute walk away from the ground. Unfortunately, the game was won 0-1 by Swindon Town with an official Fratton Park attendance of only 8,707. [71] Arthur Cogswell was also an enthusiast of association football, having formed an earlier amateur level Portsmouth Association Football Club (1884 to 1896). The Fratton End is a modern single tiered stand that was built in time for the 97-98 season. A great stadium though and one I would definitely visit again. [87] The removal of the pylon was done by Portsmouth-based demolition company Hughes & Salvidge,[88] who had famously completed demolition work on Southampton's previous home ground, The Dell on Friday 13 July 2001. Related news 2020. When Fratton Park first opened on 15 August 1899, no stands or terracing existed yet at the Milton and Fratton ends. Though a little pricey at £3.50 it had flavour and the pastry was particularly nice. Fratton Park is a nice ground. This fact can also be proven further as Fratton Park has a Milton-based PO4 8RA postal code address (Fratton and Portsmouth city centre has a "PO1" postal code). However, each stand is different and has its own individual character with the Fratton End opposite particularly impressive. There’s a footbridge over the station which brings you out onto Goldsmith Avenue. The game finished 2 – 1 Portsmouth in front of 16,187 fans. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
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