Stadium name: Fratton Park
Year opened: 1899
Capacity: 20,899
History of the stadium
Fratton Park has been the home of Portsmouth Football Club for a period spanning across three centuries, having been built in 1899 by locally-based architect Alfred J Bone.
The stadium site is actually based not in Fratton but the neighbouring area on Portsea Island of Milton, named such to persuade supporters that the stadium was close to Fratton railway station.
On 6 September 1899, Portsmouth hosted their first unofficial match at Fratton Park with now-bitter rivals Southampton, a 2-0 friendly win, before a 2-0 league win against Reading three days later in front of 9,000 fans.
The stadium has been renovated a total of 17 times and counting, with ongoing works designed to make the matchday experience safer, more efficient and more vibrant for supporters.
The capacity of Fratton Park has varied based on the introduction of numerous safety reports, often following tragic disasters around the country involving fans. The largest crowd to have attended the stadium in a standing capacity is 51,385, when Pompey hosted Derby County in February 1949. The record all-seater crowd has been a sold-out 20,821, when Tottenham Hotspur visited in a Premier League match in 2009.
Fratton has also been famous for hosting a match at the 1948 London Olympics, one of just two venues outside the capital to host a game between the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands. It also laid on the first-ever floodlit English match, when Newcastle United were Pompey’s opponents in 1956.
Portsmouth’s pride and joy has now been hosting football for over 125 years, making it one of the most iconic stadiums in English football history.
Fratton Park’s stands
Fratton End
Opened (in current mould): 1997
Fans: Home fans
Capacity: 4,700 (all seated with rail seats at top)
Milton End
Opened: 1899
Fans: Home and away fans
Capacity: 3,196 (rail seats)
South Stand
Opened: 1925
Fans: Home fans, VIP and directors, player dressing rooms and TV/press gantry
Capacity: 4,856 (all seated)
North Stand
Opened: 1935
Fans: Home fans
Capacity: 8,147 (all seated)
Notable matches at Fratton Park
Portsmouth 2-0 Southampton, 1899 – The first-ever match to be held at Fratton Park, a friendly victory between two clubs who have grown to become fierce rivals over the decades.
Portsmouth 2-0 Reading, 1899 – The inaugural league match to be hosted at Fratton, three days following the stadium’s first South Coast derby.
Portsmouth 9-1 Notts County, 1927 – The largest-ever win to date for Portsmouth at Fratton, having thrashed their Nottinghamshire visitors in a Division Two clash.
Netherlands 3-1 Republic of Ireland, 1948 – Portsmouth were one of just two cities to host a 1948 London Olympic football match outside of the capital, as the Dutch and Irish faced off in a first-round tie on the South Coast.
Portsmouth 2-1 Derby County, 1949 – Pompey’s largest home crowd of all-time, exceeding 51,000, in an FA Cup quarter-final victory.
Portsmouth 0-2 Newcastle United, 1956 – Pompey may have lost this particular league clash, but it made history as the English Football League’s first-ever match under floodlights, with just short of 16,000 fans in attendance.
Portsmouth 2-1 Oxford United, 1984 – The ‘Father Christmas’ contest. A man dressed as Santa Claus ran onto the pitch while Pompey trailed at home to Oxford, allowing enough stoppage time for Alan Biley to net a dramatic late brace to win the Blues the match.
Portsmouth 3-2 Rotherham United, 2003 – Portsmouth won promotion to the Premier League in late April 2003, becoming champions of what was then Division One in early May with a final day thrashing away at Bradford City. This was the final home game of an historic campaign under Harry Redknapp.
Portsmouth 4-1 Southampton, 2005 – Redknapp returned to Fratton Park for the first time since crossing the divide to become Southampton manager. Pompey led 4-1 inside 26 minutes, as Yakubu, Arjan De Zeeuw and Lomana Lua Lua (2) roared on the Blues to victory. Redknapp later made the switch back to Fratton Park, and won the FA Cup with Pompey.
Portsmouth 7-4 Reading, 2007 – This 11-goal thriller was reminiscent of a computer game, and remains the Premier League’s highest-scoring game in history. The crowd were treated to a spectacle and a half that day.
Portsmouth 2-2 AC Milan, 2008 – The FA Cup triumph in 2008 ensured qualification for the UEFA Cup for the Blues, who hosted seven-time European champions Milan at Fratton. Pompey took a two-goal lead through Younes Kaboul and Kanu on the night, pegged back by Ronaldinho and Filippo Inzaghi late on.
Portsmouth 3-2 Barnsley, 2024 – After 12 years in the lower reaches of the EFL, several flirtations with liquidation and several points deductions along the way, Portsmouth won this late-season League One fixture to ensure promotion to the Championship as champions under John Mousinho.
How to get to Fratton Park
While traffic and parking can be notorious in such a densely populated city as Portsmouth, it is reachable by car – Portsea Island is easily accessed by the A3, and signs can be followed for Milton or Southsea.
Parking is available at nearby schools and street parking can be available for a fee, as well as electric charging ports. Supporters are advised to arrive especially early to secure a parking space on matchdays.
The most efficient way to reach Fratton Park is by rail. South Western Railway, Southern and Great Western Railway all run regular services to Fratton from cities such as London, Southampton, Brighton, Salisbury, Bath, Bristol and Cardiff. The stadium is a 10-minute walk directly down Goldsmith Avenue from Fratton station.
Stopping services arrive at Fratton extremely regularly from Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Hilsea, Cosham, Fareham, Havant, Petersfield and stations based closer to Southampton.
First Bus runs the number 1 and 2 routes which stop close to Fratton Park. Alight the number 1 service at Frensham Road or Shepherds Crook; alight the number 2 at Velder Avenue. All are a five-minute walk from the stadium.