It is the 20,700 all seated Fratton Park (Sat Nav – PO4 8RA), originally built in 1898 and is a 113-mile trip from Stadium MK.
We have been seated in different areas of the ground in the past and with building works going on who knows where we will be at 3pm. Previously we have been in the Milton Road End and the facilities seem basic with poor leg room as it was formerly a terrace that has been converted. If that is the case we will share the Milton End with home fans, separated with just 3 rows of netting, so that could be interesting, but thankfully the guy with that bloody bell is up the other end, and expect to hear the home fan chant of “Play up Pompey” on several occasions.
Generally, a good atmosphere inside the ground with only the occasional supporting pillar to obstruct your view.
Two notes of caution, if you are purchasing your ticket on the day, the ticket office is at the other end of the ground so allow yourself a bit of extra time. The other is the stewards here are probably the worst in the EFL, on one occasion they did 3 separate ticket checks to be able to get you in the ground, then incredibly when we started to get a bit rowdy, they came round with a heavy handed approach wanting to check tickets, those that couldn’t find their tickets or had thrown them in the bin after the exhaustive process of entry were then accused of getting in the ground without a ticket, and were threatened with removal….be warned, these people are itching for confrontation and will throw people out for nothing.
Away pubs, or at least home and away appear to be the Good Companion, the nearby Harvester, the Brewers Arms, and the Milton Arms, stay well clear of the Newcome Arms as its for home fans only and the occasional sailor.
The nearest station is Fratton and is served by trains from Waterloo and is about a ten-minute walk to the ground.
It appears to be home fan only parking here, so street parking only for away fans but thankfully very few restrictions apply, alternatively there are a few nearby private carparks at schools etc for £6, there is also a large council carpark on the corner of Milton Road for £5.
