Fratton Park

Portsmouth’s fall from grace has been a long and slow one, with the club dropping through the leagues from 2009 to present day. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is Pompey’s use of Fratton Park as their home stadium. They moved into it upon their formation and its completion and have played all of their home games there since.

The all-seater stadium has undergone numerous chops and changes since it opened all those years ago, yet it retains the feel and look of a ground much older than its years. It has been used for more than just Portsmouth games over the years, too, with football played there when England hosted the Summer Olympic Games. Pompey also boast the claim to fame of being the first club to play a Football League match under floodlights.

General information

Arena capacity: 20,620 spectators

Address: Fratton Park, Frogmore Rd, Portsmouth, Southsea PO4 8RA, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 50.7963° N, 1.0638° W

Year of construction: 15 August 1899

Construction cost: £600 million

Field: soil-based natural turf lawn with dimensions of 105 x 66 m (115 x 73 yards)

Seating plan of the Fratton Park Stadium

Fratton Park is a traditional looking ground and one which oozes character. 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 was originally designed by Archibald Leitch who also designed a number of grounds and stands around this period.

Although showing its age in parts, it has plenty of character with an old fashioned looking media gantry perched on its roof and raised team dugouts at its front. Opposite the North Stand opened in 1935, looks somewhat plain and functional. Both the North and South Stands are two-tiered and have a number of supporting pillars.

At one end is the Fratton End, which is a more modern single tiered stand that was opened in 1997. It is of a good size and is the tallest stand at the ground. The seating in this stand contains an outline resembling a former player, Jimmy Dickinson, who still holds the record for the most club appearances.

Opposite is the recently covered Milton End, which is all seated. Part of this stand is given to away fans. On one corner of this stand by the away supporters is a Police Control Box that also has a large video screen perched upon its roof. The ground is completed with a superb looking set of tall floodlights that were first used in 1962.

Outside the stadium on one corner of the South Stand, is the unique (in terms of football grounds) and eye-catching mock tudor facade, which contains the club ticket office and a stadium entrance.

Away fans

Away fans are normally housed on one side of the Milton End (on the North Stand side) where the normal allocation is 1,400. If demand requires it, then the whole of this end can be allocated, raising the allocation to 2,800 seats. Although this end now benefits from having a cover, the facilities within are pretty basic and the leg room tight, as this stand was a former terrace that has been converted to all seating.

There are also some supporting pillars along the front of the stand that may impede your view. On a positive note, away supporters can really make some noise from this stand, further contributing to what is normally a great atmosphere, which is further aided by a drummer and bell ringer in the Fratton End.

Although this end is shared with home supporters, the Pompey home support gets behind their team but generally in a non-intimidatory way towards the away contingent. Fans are literally separated by a netted area only three seats wide, but there are no problems whatsoever. Entrance to the stand is gained by inserting your ticket into a bar code reader.

If you have not pre-purchased a ticket for the game, then allow yourself plenty of time as the ticket booth is located at the opposite end of the ground to the away end. On the whole, though try to sit back and enjoy Fratton Park such older grounds now are becoming few and far between with the advent of new stadia being built.

In 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 Fratton Park.

Where to buy tickets?

At the time of writing Portsmouth don’t categorise their matches and nor do they charge more to sit in various parts of the ground, as is common at other stadiums. The only thing that will affect the price you pay for a ticket is when you book it, with advance sales being a little easier on the pocket. The tickets for adults and concessions are listed below:

All areas of Fratton Park*:

• Adults £23 Over 63’s £17;
• Under 23’s £15;
• Under 18’s £10 (unaccompanied);
• Under 18’s £5 (when accompanied by an adult).

* Please note that these ticket prices are for tickets bought in advance of matchday. Tickets bought on the day of the game can cost up to £2 more per adult ticket.

You can get tickets for matches at Fratton Park by visiting the club’s excellent online sales portal via their official website, by calling the ticket office on the phone or by dropping into the ticket office at the ground in person. However there is a £1 surcharge for tickets booked online, over the phone or posted to you, so they’ve got you from pretty much every angle really.

How to get there?

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. The good news is that there are few parking restrictions in place close to the ground. So if you arrive early enough, you can park only a few minutes walk away. You can park in one of the side streets, found on the right-hand side of the A2030 before you reach the Good Companion pub.

Alternatively, Miltoncross School, which is a five minute walk from the ground offers parking at £6 per car. The school is located in Milton Road (post code PO3 6RB). There is also a very large car park (for a fiver) on the corner of Velder Avenue and Milton Road (a couple of minutes walk behind the away end). There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Fratton Park via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

Post Code for SAT NAV: PO4 8RA.

By train

The nearest local railway station is Fratton, which is around half a mile, or a ten minute walk away from the Fratton Park ground. It is served by trains from London Waterloo, Cardiff, Brighton and Portsmouth & Southsea. Portsmouth & Southsea which is the main train station located in Portsmouth is located just over one a half miles away or at least a 25-30 minute walk to the ground.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 Fratton End 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.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

By bus

First is the company that operates the buses in the city so their website is the best place to go to. Numbers 1 and 13 will both drop you at Fratton Park.

By taxi

A taxi from the train station in the middle of Portsmouth will take about five minutes to get you to the ground and should cost around £7.50.

Facilities

Fratton Park’s facilities are amongst the best in the lower leagues, with the stadium still set-up as if it were hosting Premier League football on a weekly basis. That said, some of it showing its age now so don’t be looking too closely at the dusty old corners. Expect plenty of places to buy a bite to eat or drink before and during the game on the concourses beneath the stands.

Hospitality

Fratton Park has five different lounges available for hospitality packages. The Alliance Lounge, The Chimes Lounge, The Montgomery Lounge, The Partners Lounge and the Warriors Lounge, which sounds manly. The experience you’ll enjoy is different in each, The Alliance is the most family friendly offering, with a two-course dinner before the game and a kid’s menu available.

In The Chimes you’ll get a three-course meal as well as the opportunity to watch a player get interviewed, whilst The Montgomery Lounge promises the same thing but with seats in the Executive section of The South Stand. The Partners Lounge offers a three-course dinner, complimentary drinks with said meal and half-time refreshments.

The Warrior Lounge promises an alternative hospitality experience in a modern setting that is perfect for entertaining clients or a special occasion. It comes with all of the trimmings listed above as well as a visit from one of the current players.

Private hire

Located in the heart of Portsmouth, Fratton Park is the ideal location for any number of events or occasions. There are eight suites at the ground offering capacities that range from 30 to 600, with free Wi-Fi available in all of them. Whatever event you’re hoping to host make sure the home of Portsmouth FC is high on your list of possible venues.

Pubs & Bars Near Fratton Park

Popular with away fans is 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 real ales and had a good mix of home and away support. It is doing a brisk business in food. The Harvester can be a good choice, but away fans better to avoid the Newcome Arms.

On Milton Road close to the ground is the Brewers Arms which is popular with away fans. Close by is the Milton Arms, which at one time was for home fans only. However since a new landlord had taken over, it now welcomes visiting supporters. This pub also has the added advantages of showing the early televised kick off match on a huge screen and serving food (even having outdoor BBQs if the weather is good).

You can find a cracking little pub, about a mile away from the ground, on Fawcett Road. It’s called (very appropriately) The Red, White and Blue. There are also a few other pubs – and plenty of takeaways (of all varieties) along this road. Friendly staff, friendly Pompey fans (chiefly, of the elder variety) and simple food fayre on offer. To reach the pub, you just head west from the ground, towards the Fratton Railway Station, along Goldsmith Avenue. Just past the station, you reach a roundabout – and Fawcett Road is immediately on your left.

If travelling by train from London, then your return ticket from London Waterloo allows you to get off at either Fratton (nearest to ground), Portsmouth & Southsea (best for pubs) or Portsmouth Harbour. You can have a drink in the two Wetherspoon pubs near Portsmouth & Southsea Station before getting the train back to Fratton for the match. Also you can catch a train back to Waterloo from Fratton after the game. The trains run  every 20 or 30 minutes or so.

The Fratton Park Hotels

As a city on the South coast, Portsmouth is well equipped for more than a few people showing up and looking for somewhere to stay. Here are some of our favourites.

1. ibis Portsmouth Centre – £65+. Address: Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2LX. Not far from the stadium is this member of the ibis hotel chain. It’s got a restaurant, a bar, two meeting rooms and a conference space. There’s also self-parking on offer, free Wi-Fi and a snack bar.
2. Portsmouth Marriott Hotel – £80+. Address: Southampton Road, Portsmouth, PO6 4SH. Portsmouth’s Marriott has got a restaurant, a bar, a health club with an indoor pool and spa services. There’s also eleven meeting rooms, a terrace and Wi-Fi in the reception area.
• No questions? Place a bet now.
3. Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth – £100+. Address: The Plaza Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, PO1 3FD. The Holiday Inn Express is located near Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth and some rooms even have views of the famous Spinnaker Tower. There’s a bar, a conference space, Wi-Fi in reception and self-parking. There’s also a free buffet breakfast for you in the morning.

History

The club has spent its entire existence playing its games at Fratton Park stadium, despite numerous considerations to move elsewhere. The Main Stand of the ground was designed by Archibald Leitch, the renowned designer of numerous football stadiums including Fulham’s Craven Cottage.

The first match the ground ever saw was a friendly between Portsmouth and their local rivals Southampton, played on the 5th of September 1898. The home side won 2-0, with two former Merseyside players scoring the goals. Dan Cunliffe has previously played for Liverpool and Harold Clarke used to ply his trade at Everton.