- Fratton Park
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Fratton Park
The iconic mock Tudor facadeLocation Frogmore Road, Portsmouth PO4 8RA Coordinates 50°47′47″N 1°3′50″W / 50.79639°N 1.06389°WCoordinates: 50°47′47″N 1°3′50″W / 50.79639°N 1.06389°W Built 1898 Opened 1898 Capacity 21,100 Field dimensions 115 x 73 yards Tenants Portsmouth F.C. (1898–present) Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.
Contents
Description
The stadium currently has four stands, all seated. The pitch runs from east to west. The largest and most modern stand, at the ground's western end, is the Fratton End (commercially known by its sponsor name as JobSite UK stand). Along either side of the pitch are the North and South stands, both of which are two-tiered. At the eastern end is the Milton End (sponsored as Apollo stand), by far the smallest stand. Formerly the only roofless stand in the Premier League, a roof was added before the 2007/08 season. This stand is shared between home and away supporters. The original entrance to the Fratton End is notable for its mock Tudor façade. Following the arrival of former owner Alexandre Gaydamak several renovations were made to Fratton Park, including improved dressing rooms, the above-mentioned roof over the Milton end and a big-screen above the police box between the North Stand and Milton End. The North Stand was refreshed for the 2010/2011 season with renewed sponsorship by Mercedes-Benz (Ridgeway Group) which replaced the "Fratton Park Portsmouth" and the club crest.
The stadium is served by Fratton railway station (about 10 minutes' walk away), which is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line.
Ridgeway Group North Stand
Milton End (Known as the Linvoy Primus Community Stand for 2010/11 Season)
South Stand
The Jobsite Fratton End Stand
History
The Main Stand was designed by renowned football architect Archibald Leitch, whose company also built an ornate pavilion (similar to Craven Cottage) complete with clocktower. However, these were largely removed with the expansion of the ground.
The first match at Fratton Park was a friendly against local rivals Southampton, which was won 2–0, with goals from Dan Cunliffe (formerly with Liverpool) and Harold Clarke (formerly with Everton).[1]
Fratton 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[2] and has also hosted some England U-21 internationals. Pompey was 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 Blackpool's 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.
Future development
The ground has been home to the club throughout its entire history. The old stadium has been refurbished and repaired, but the current facilities are showing signs of age by comparison to clubs in the Premier League that have either built a new stadium or significantly redeveloped existing facilities, along modern, less working-class lines, abolishing traditional features, which, however, have so far been preserved at Fratton Park, despite relocation being suggested as long ago as the early 1990s.
At the end of the 2003/04 season, the club having survived its first season in the Premier League, plans were developed to build a new stadium on the site of an adjacent disused rail-freight depot. These plans, which were supported by the City Council, would also have allowed a much needed increase in ground capacity, but it was claimed that it would be impossible to achieve on the current footprint because of the close proximity of residential housing.
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. Work on the stadium was due to commence in the summer of 2006, and the first new stands were to be opening before the 2007/08 season.
Again, before work could begin, the plans were dropped, with yet another proposal announced on 25 April 2007 that would see a 36,000 capacity stadium on reclaimed mud flats close to Portsmouth Naval Base.[3] These plans were ambitious and included creating a leisure village around the stadium, complete with 1500 waterfront apartments as well as restaurants and other facilities.
The proposal for a new stadium was widely supported, although cautiously by many that were conscious that the waterfront location proposed in the outline plans would be surrounded on three sides, by the Naval Base, harbour itself and railway, thus leaving only one end for access by residents and supporters. Critics also pointed out that the mudflats the stadium was proposed to sit on was close to an area of Site of Special Scientific Interest, would be difficult to get to by road and had nowhere near the amount of car parking facilities needed for such an enterprise [Portsmouth is an Island, with road access by only three routes from the north, and the waterfront site was close to the south-west extremity of the island].
These plans were also dropped before work could begin. The club had undertaken consultation and there were a number of objectors to the proposal, no least about the problems that 36,000 fans would cause to the local travel infrastructure. The Royal Navy also said that the proposal would cause problems with the proposed introduction of their new super-size aircraft carriers.
In 2008, a fourth set of plans were approved, to build a new 35,000 capacity stadium and leisure/residential complex on Horsea Island.[4] In 2009 the Horsea Island development was put on hold due to financial issues.[5] The previous proposal to rotate the existing pitch at Fratton Park by 90 degrees was re-instated.[5] Work was due to begin late 2009, with a gradual increase in capacity until completion in 2010 ending with a capacity of 30,000.[6]
In 2011, plans to spend money redeveloping Fratton Park were announced, with improvements to changing rooms and toilets.[7]
Details
Records
Record Attendance: 51,385 v Derby County 26 February 1949, FA Cup Sixth Round
Average attendances
Season Average attendance 1989–90 18,959 1990–91 19,681 1991–92 11,789 1992–93 13,706 1993–94 11,692 1994–95 8,629 1995–96 9,503 1996–97 8,723 1997–98 11,149 1998–99 11,956 1999–00 13,906 2000–01 13,707 2001–02 15,121 2002–03 18,934 2003–04 20,108 2004–05 20,072 2005-06 19,840 2006–07 19,862 2007–08 20,438 2008–09 19,830 See also
- Portsmouth F.C.
- List of English football stadiums by capacity
- Ground improvements at English football Stadia
References
- ^ Dave Juson & others (2004). Saints v Pompey – A history of unrelenting rivalry. Hagiology. p. 9. ISBN 0-9534474-5-6.
- ^ A database of England Internationals since 1872
- ^ "Pompey announce new stadium plan". BBC Sport. 2007-04-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/6591049.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ "Fratton Park comes first as masterplan for stadium unveiled". The News (Portsmouth). 26 November 2008. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/fratton_park_comes_first_as_masterplan_for_stadium_unveiled_1_1304528. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Pompey announce new stadium plan at Fratton Park". The News (Portsmouth). 19 March 2009. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/pompey_announce_new_stadium_plan_at_fratton_park_1_1228882. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ "Fratton Park is set to hold 30,000 fans". Portsmouth.co.uk. 30 May 2009. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Fratton-Park-is-set-to.5317962.jp. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
- ^ "Fratton Park to undergo revamp". The News (Portsmouth). 9 August 2011. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/pompey/pompey-past/great-matches/fratton_park_to_undergo_revamp_1_2944367. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
External links
Portsmouth Football Club Grounds: Fratton Park · Portsmouth Dockland Stadium2011–12 Football League Championship venues Ashton Gate · Bloomfield Road · Boleyn Ground · Cardiff City Stadium · City Ground · Elland Road · Falmer Stadium · Fratton Park · KC Stadium · Keepmoat Stadium · King Power Stadium · London Road · Madejski Stadium · Oakwell · Portman Road · Pride Park · Ricoh Arena · Riverside Stadium · Selhurst Park · St Andrew's · St Mary's · The Den · Turf Moor · Vicarage RoadPremier League venues Current Anfield · Britannia Stadium · Carrow Road · City of Manchester Stadium · Craven Cottage · DW Stadium · Emirates Stadium · Ewood Park · Goodison Park · Liberty Stadium · Loftus Road · Molineux Stadium · Old Trafford · Reebok Stadium · St James' Park · Stadium of Light · Stamford Bridge · The Hawthorns · Villa Park · White Hart LaneFormer Bloomfield Road · Boleyn Ground · Boundary Park · Bramall Lane · City Ground · County Ground · Elland Road · Fratton Park · Hillsborough Stadium · KC Stadium · Madejski Stadium · Oakwell · Portman Road · Pride Park Stadium · Riverside Stadium · St Andrew's · St Mary's Stadium · Selhurst Park · The Valley · Turf Moor · Valley Parade · Vicarage Road · Walkers StadiumDemolished Categories:- Portsmouth F.C.
- Sport in Hampshire
- Football venues in England
- Premier League venues
- Proposed stadiums
- Visitor attractions in Portsmouth
- Buildings and structures in Portsmouth
- Sports venues in Hampshire
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