Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Portsmouth Awaydaze
Portsmouth Awaydaze
Tuesday, 21st Feb 2012 13:46 by Tim Whelan

We’re off to Portsmouth on Saturday (kick-off 3pm). Here is your guide to the cultural capital of eastern Hampshire.

Fratton Park is in a residential part of Southsea, which is the nice seaside bit of Portsmouth to the east of the city centre. The best approach by road is to take the A2030 exit off the A27, following signs to Southsea. This road continues for 3 miles to a roundabout very close to the ground, but you should look for a parking space as soon as you see the 'Good Companion' pub, as by the time you get close to the ground the streets will all be sprinkled with no waiting cones. 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 nearest railway station is Fratton (funnily enough) which is 0.6 miles from the ground, and you’ll be able to see the floodlights as soon as you leave the station. After the match they make everybody wait in separate queues outside the station, depending on what train you need to catch, to prevent overcrowding on the platforms.

Recommended pubs close to the away turnstiles are the Brewers Arms and Mr. Pickwicks, and another one you could try if you're coming by car is the aforementioned Good Companion. Anyone coming by train who needs to stop for refreshment on the short walk from the station should call in at the Shepherd's Crook, which is described as a real football pub, with lots of mementoes on the walls. There is also a beer marquee for away fans, which also has a handy burger van outside.

Other options for food is the aptly named 'Fish and Chips' close to the ‘Shepherd's Crook’, and the 'Railway Cafe' opposite the station. If you're getting your grub inside the ground, the best bet is to go for the pies or pasties, while the burgers should be avoided at all costs.

The capacity of Fratton Park is now only 20,700 and it looks quite outdated, as the only stand built in the post-Taylor report era is the Fratton Stand, which was opened in October 1997. That said, I think that it still has a lot of character, unlike all the bland identikit new stadia that have sprung up around the country, and you tend to get a good atmosphere.

We’ll be in the opposite end to the newest stand, in the Milton End, where the club have simply plonked some seats onto what was once a big open terrace, so the legroom would be a bit limited if we ever sat down. A few years ago they finally got round to putting a roof over this end, but this means that the view from some seats is a bit limited, thanks to the supporting pillars.

The capacity of the whole Milton End is 3,121 and we used to get the whole end, but nowadays part of this stand is given to Portsmouth fans, with a narrow strip of three or four seats covered with netting to provide a bit of segregation. And if you were thinking of invading the pitch, note that there is also a small moat in front of this stand. The usual away allocation is now around 2,000.

As it’s a category A game, tickets cost £30 for adults and £22 for over 60s, with junior tickets at £15. , and at the time of writing Leeds end tickets are still available at the time of writing. Home tickets are now on general sale, and to be really generous Pompey are not going to charge their fans any extra for buying on the day, which is nice.

In it’s present condition, Fratton Park is clearly not up to modern standards, and it’s relatively small capacity contributed to their financial implosion, as they were trying to compete with the rest of the Premiership with a limited income from ticket sales. They were denied planning permission when they intended to build a new stadium on the edge of the city in 1994, and more recently there have been ambitious plans for the re-development of Fratton Park, and also talk of a new stadium nearby, on former railway land behind the Fratton end. But this has all gone quiet, presumably because the club’s dire financial situation has meant that all plans have had to be put on hold for the time being.

Some of this stuff came from http://www.footballgroundguide.com .

 

 

Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.


You need to login in order to post your comments

Colchester United Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© FansNetwork 2024