Portsmouth told new stadium makes more sense than Fratton Park extension – Exclusive
Portsmouth are moving in the right direction and will look to progress further in next season’s Championship.
The South Coast club not only avoided relegation with two games to spare last season, but also registered the highest stadium occupancy rate for home games in the second tier.
Some 3,000 supporters are on the waiting list for Fratton Park season tickets, so there’s demand for the stadium to be expanded if possible.
However, this might not be as easy for Portsmouth as it would be for other clubs.
Portsmouth could face difficulties expanding Fratton Park
There has been talk of expanding Fratton Park many times over the past couple of decades, and owner Michael Eisner has been exploring possibilities, although there are currently no concrete plans in place.
Speaking exclusively to Pompey News, football finance expert Dan Plumley explained that there are many things to consider before giving such plans the go-ahead.
He said: “Historically, it’s a fanbase that has always attended well and got behind the club, even in the years where they’ve been lower down the leagues.
“I think the question of stadium expansion is an interesting one and will always get raised with that kind of club, because it’s an old stadium in relative terms.
“However, the next question is how much you can extend it by, and have you got the demand to fill it? Because what you don’t want is to lump loads of cost into that and not be able to sell the seats.”
Plumley suggested that Portsmouth might be better off looking to build a new stadium, due to the age of Fratton Park.
He explained: “Ultimately, those old stadiums, sometimes you can’t expand them anyway because there are geographical restrictions. It might not be possible to expand it, given the way it was constructed, and if it’s old, that’s another factor to throw in.
“It will be costing the club money just to keep it going, and as things get older, the maintenance aspect comes into it as well.
“It’s higher cost in the initial outlay, but for better futureproofing, you’re probably better off building a new stadium anyway.”
Home form will be key for Portsmouth once again
Plumley echoed the sentiment that Championship survival could be tougher for the existing clubs next season, given the finances available to promoted clubs Birmingham and Wrexham.
Portsmouth relied heavily on their home form last season to keep them in the league, and they’ll be relying on the famous atmosphere at Fratton Park to inspire them to victory once again in this campaign.
| Portsmouth 2024-25 home form | |
| Games Played | 23 |
| Wins | 11 |
| Draws | 7 |
| Losses | 5 |
| Points | 40 |
The Blues have one of the smallest budgets in the league, and the limited size of their stadium does play a role in that.
Thankfully, John Mousinho and the Eisners have done a fantastic job of building a competitive side while remaining financially sustainable.
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