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Fratton Park – Portsmouth

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SeasideEssexXile tells you all you need to know about Fratton Park ahead of the Seasiders’ trip to Portsmouth on Saturday.

Fratton Park – Portsmouth

y SeasideEssexXile


Palace, Brighton and now when Saturday comes Portsmouth. The fixture gods deemed to get some long treks in early doors this season for the travelling faithful.

Portsmouth are one of those teams that we just never seem to play, in fact it`s over 30 years since we last met in the league. My recollections of them are of a last minute winner in the cup a few years ago and as a kid stood in the West paddock whilst a woman rang a sodding bell all game whilst supporting them. These days that role has been taken up by Mr Portscoveredintattoosbellringermouth but after a lack lustre display last week Pool will need to enter in to the campanology stakes with a bit more gusto to stir any ding a lings and maintain our unbeaten away record.

How To Get There

55, M6 South. M42 at J8 then join the M40. Leave the 40 at J9 then at the roundabout take the 3rd exit on to the A34. The 34 joins the M3 and then the M27. Take the 27 and ignore the M275 turnoff for Portsmouth town centre and continue on to the A27. At the junction with the A2030 turn right, sign posted Southsea / Fratton. Keep along the 2030 and the ground will appear on your left. Get there early enough and there`s street parking around the ground.

For the sat navvers- PO4 8RA

For the Virgin lovers amongst us – Fratton station is a 10 minute walk away. Turn left onto the footbridge and exit left onto Goldsmith Avenue. After about ½ mile, turn left into Frogmore Road and continue for about 200 yards before turning left into Apsley Road, where the entrances to the Milton End are located.The main line Portsmouth station is a 25 minute trek.

For those flying Samm Airways – Southampton is the nearest, I`m sure they`d wish us well.

The Ground

ratton Park was built in 1898 and has been home to Pompey since that date.

he Main Stand was designed by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch, whose company also built an ornate pavilion (similar to Craven Cottage) complete with clocktower.

The first match at Fratton Park was a ‘friendly` against local rivals Southampton, which was won 2-0.

ratton Park hosted a first-round football game in the 1948 Summer Olympics (one of only two grounds outside London, the other being the now disappeared Goldstone Ground). It hosted one full England international match on 2 March 1903 against Wales and has also hosted some England U-21 internationals. Portsmouth were the first club to stage a Football League match under floodlights, in a 22 February 1956 game against Newcastle United. New floodlight towers were constructed in 1962.

Fratton Park was (until the addition of our very own Bloomfield Road to the Premier League in 2010 and Portsmouth’s own relegation to the Championship) the football ground with the lowest maximum capacity in the Premier League. However, it has held 51,385 for an FA Cup match against Derby County in 1949. The capacity has in recent years been much reduced by the introduction of compulsory seating and now accommodates 20,700.

We`ll be sat in the Milton Road End, room for 2000 here and I expect about half that to make the journey.

Where To Drink

uggested pubs are The Good Companion, about a 5 minute walk on the A2030, The Brewers Arms on Milton Rd. There`s a Harvester not a million miles away and The Connaught Arms on the junction of Guildford & Penhale Rd`s is also recommended.

Plod & Stewards – No reports of any hassle and should be a trouble free day

Fear Factor Rating – 2. Sailors + alcohol + late nights = potential fights.

With Varneys sending off last week, and Nugent sold who can we look forward to seeing this weekend? Well there`s Kitson & Kanu and our old handcuff gesturing friend Norris to berate. Our last visit saw last minute heartache here`s hoping come 5pm on Saturday that we`ve taken the clappers off that bell and played it right up Pompey and are returning North with 3 points and our unbeaten away record intact.

Onwards + Upwards



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1 comment

  • pros7 says:

    Slight mistake with directions from station, don’t turn left down Frogmore Road, continue along Goldsmith Avenue and then turn left down Apsley.

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