Fratton Park facts for kids
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The Old Girl
Fortress Fratton PO4 |
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| Address | Frogmore Road, Portsmouth, PO4 8RA |
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| Coordinates | 50°47′47″N 1°3′50″W / 50.79639°N 1.06389°W |
| Public transit |  Fratton |
| Owner | Portsmouth F.C. |
| Capacity | 20,899 |
| Record attendance | All-time: 51,385 vs. Derby County (26 February 1949) All-seater: 20,821 vs. Tottenham Hotspur (17 October 2009) |
| Field size | 100 × 66 m (109 × 72 yards) |
| Surface | Natural grass with artificial fibres |
| Scoreboard | Digital |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1899 |
| Opened | 15 August 1899 (first match: 6 September 1899) |
| Renovated | 1900, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1928, 1935, 1949, 1956, 1962, 1974, 1985, 1988, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2015, 2020-present |
| Architect | Alfred H. Bone (1898-99, 1905), Arthur Cogswell (1900), Archibald Leitch (1925, 1935), KSS Design Group (1997) |
| Tenants | |
| Portsmouth (1899–present) | |
| Website | |
| https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/ | |
Fratton Park is a famous football stadium in Portsmouth, England. It is the home ground for Portsmouth Football Club. This stadium is special because it's the only professional English football ground not on the mainland of Great Britain. It's located on Portsea Island. Fratton Park has been Portsmouth F.C.'s home since it was built in 1899.
The stadium was designed by Alfred H. Bone, one of the club's founders. It was built on what used to be a potato field in a village called Milton. The club cleverly named it "Fratton Park" to make people think it was closer to the Fratton train station, even though it's about a mile away.
Fratton Park first opened on August 15, 1899. The very first match was a friendly game against Southampton on September 6, 1899, which Portsmouth won 2-0. About 4,141 fans watched this exciting start. Just three days later, 9,000 fans came to see the first official league match, where Portsmouth beat Reading 2-0.
Sir John Brickwood, the club's first chairman and a brewery owner, helped the club a lot. In 1900, his brewery opened a pub called The Pompey next to the stadium. He also donated a club building, the pavilion, in 1905, which had offices and changing rooms.
Fratton Park has seen many changes over the years. Its biggest crowd was 51,385 people in 1949 for an FA Cup match. It even hosted an Olympic football game in 1948! The stadium is known for its lively atmosphere and is nicknamed "The Old Girl" or "Fortress Fratton."
Contents
Stadium Layout
Fratton Park is built in a classic English style with four different stands. These stands are close to the football pitch. The pitch is 115 by 73 yards and runs from east to west, which is a bit unusual for English football stadiums.
The stadium can hold 20,899 seated fans today. In the past, it could hold many more, up to 58,000 people, before new safety rules required all seats. The record attendance was 51,385 fans in 1949.
The four main stands are:
- The North Stand (on the north side)
- The South Stand (on the south side)
- The Milton End (on the east side)
- The Fratton End (on the west side)
| Stand name | Date opened | Location | For | Capacity |
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| South Stand | August 29, 1925 | South touch-line | Home Fans, player's changing rooms, VIP & directors seating | 4,856 (seated) |
| North Stand | September 7, 1935 | North touch-line | Home Fans | 8,147 (seated) |
| Milton End | September 6, 1899 | East goal-line | Home & Away Fans | 3,196 (all rail seats) |
| Fratton End | October 31, 1997 | West goal-line | Home Fans | 4,700 (seated) (Top ten rows fitted with rail seats) |
| Total Capacity: 20,899 (seated) |
The South Stand
The first South Stand was built in 1899. Its roof was blown off twice by strong winds! In 1925, a new, bigger South Stand was built. It was designed by a famous architect named Archibald Leitch. This stand is the oldest part of Fratton Park today.
The South Stand has a cool mock-Tudor entrance on Frogmore Road. This part used to be a grand pavilion with a clock tower. The stand also has the players' changing rooms and special seats for club officials and guests.
In 1956, Fratton Park became the first English stadium to host an evening league match under floodlights. These early lights were on the South and North Stand roofs. Later, in 1962, tall floodlight towers were built in the corners of the stadium.
Over the years, the South Stand has been updated many times. In 2007, more seats were added, which changed its look. In 2019, the roof and outside of the stand were improved, and new lights were added to the roof. In 2022, the lower part of the stand was rebuilt with new seats. A new TV camera platform was also built on the roof in 2024.
The North Stand
The North Stand started as an open terrace in 1899. A small roofed stand was added in 1905. In 1935, a much larger North Stand was built, also designed by Archibald Leitch. This greatly increased the stadium's capacity.
The North Stand has a unique angled shape at one end because of a nearby public path. In 1951, seats were added to the upper part of the stand. Like other stands, it became all-seated in 1996.
In 1997, a new roof extension was added to cover the lower North Stand fans from the rain. A large car park was built behind the North Stand in 2015. In 2020, the North Stand's roof and outside were replaced. New seats were installed in 2021 and 2022, making it even better for fans.
The Milton End
The Milton End is at the eastern side of Fratton Park. It was first known as the "Spion Kop," a common nickname for standing terraces. It was made bigger in 1949.
For a while, the Milton End was the only stand in the Premier League without a roof, earning it the nickname "The Gene Kelly Stand" because fans would get wet! A roof was finally added in 2007.
In 1974, deep "moats" (trenches, not filled with water) were dug in front of the goals at the Milton End and Fratton End. These were to stop fans from running onto the pitch.
In 2018, a big video screen was installed on the roof of the Milton End. The club started a major redevelopment of the Milton End in 2022, adding more seats and improving facilities. It reopened in 2024.
The Fratton End
The Fratton End is at the western side of the stadium, closest to Fratton train station. It was first called "The Railway End." In 1915, it got its first roof.
A new Fratton End was built in 1956 using new concrete and steel methods. However, this stand had problems. Its upper part was found to be unsafe in 1986 and was demolished in 1988. The concrete had been made with sea salt, which corroded the steel.
A brand new, single-tier Fratton End was built in 1997. It is the newest and tallest stand in Fratton Park. This new stand was so big it made the pitch slightly shorter! It was officially opened in 1998, celebrating the club's 100th anniversary.
The Fratton End is known for having the loudest Portsmouth fans. A large portrait of former player Jimmy Dickinson is designed into the seats. In 2023, some of the seats were replaced with "rail seating," which allows fans to stand safely. A new TV camera platform was also built here in 2024.
The Boilermakers Hump
"The Boilermakers Hump" was a nickname for the north-east corner of Fratton Park. It connected the North Terrace and the Milton End. It got its name from dockyard workers who would gather there on match days. They were known for being loud and passionate supporters.
This corner used to be taller than the other stands, giving it a "hump-like" shape. In 1962, one of the stadium's floodlight towers was built on the Hump. This area has been updated over time, with seats added in 1996. It was refurbished in 2024, now split between home and away fans.
Other Buildings and Features
The Pompey Pub
In 1900, a pub called The Pompey was built next to Fratton Park. It was owned by the club's first chairman, John Brickwood. The pub closed in 1988 and was bought by the club. It has been a club shop, media center, and ticket office. Its original pub sign now hangs on the back of the Fratton End stand. In 2020, the building's exterior was restored to show its original brewery tiles.
The Fratton Park Pavilion
The club pavilion was built in 1905 by Alfred H. Bone, one of the club's founders. It was in a mock-Tudor style, similar to other old football grounds. It used to have a tall clock tower and housed the players' dressing rooms and club offices. The clock tower was removed in 1925 when the South Stand was built. Today, its mock-Tudor front is a famous part of the stadium's entrance.
Floodlights
Fratton Park was the first English football ground to host an evening league match under floodlights in 1956. The original lights were on the stand roofs. In 1962, four tall floodlight towers were built in the corners of the stadium.
These iconic towers were gradually replaced by new lights on the stand roofs starting in 2015. By 2019, all four original towers were removed. One of the northern towers was saved and re-erected in the North Stand car park as a historical landmark and a telecommunications mast.
The Pompey Shop
The club has a shop called The Pompey Shop where fans can buy football kits and other merchandise. It is currently located on Anson Road, behind the North Stand. It opened in 2018. The club also opened a temporary pop-up shop in Gunwharf Quays in November 2024.
Jimmy Dickinson Statue
On September 23, 2023, a bronze statue of Jimmy Dickinson, a legendary Portsmouth player and manager, was unveiled at Fratton Park. Fans helped raise money for the statue, which stands in the stadium's northwest corner.
Other Interesting Facts
- Fratton Park hosted an England international match against Wales in 1903.
- During World War II, Southampton F.C. briefly played their home matches at Fratton Park after their own stadium was bombed.
- In 1989, one of the crossbars was found to be too low and had to be adjusted!
- For many years, the pitch at Fratton Park wasn't a perfect rectangle. It was finally made into a perfect rectangle in 2015.
- In 2012, Fratton Park was the starting point for one day of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. A D-Day veteran carried the Olympic flame onto the pitch.
Stadium Records
Crowd Attendance Records
- The highest number of fans ever at Fratton Park was 51,385. This was for an FA Cup match against Derby County on February 26, 1949.
- Since all stadiums became all-seater in 1996, the record attendance is 20,821. This happened on October 17, 2009, for a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Biggest Home Wins
- Portsmouth beat Notts County 9–1 on April 9, 1927. This is their largest win at Fratton Park.
Biggest Home Defeats
- Portsmouth lost 0–5 three times: against Tottenham Hotspur (1937), Birmingham City (1955), and Chelsea F.C. (2010).
- The most goals conceded in a home game was 2–6 against West Bromwich Albion in 1958.
Most Goals in a Match
- The highest scoring match at Fratton Park had 11 goals! Portsmouth beat Reading F.C. 7–4 on September 29, 2007. This is also the highest-scoring match in Premier League history.
Future Plans
Fratton Park has been home to Portsmouth F.C. for its entire history. The stadium has been updated many times, but it's an old ground. The club has looked at building new stadiums in other locations over the years, but they always decided to stay at Fratton Park.
Since 2021, the club has been working on a big four-year plan to upgrade Fratton Park. This includes replacing seats and improving the North, South, and Milton End stands. These improvements will make the stadium even better for fans and increase its capacity to around 20,000 seats.
Fun Facts About Fratton Park
- Fratton Park is known for its unique atmosphere, especially on match days.
- The stadium has hosted many important football matches, not just for Portsmouth F.C.
- It's a landmark in the city of Portsmouth and a symbol of the local community's love for football.
Images for kids
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Portsmouth v Ryde match at Fratton Park, 1899. North Terrace and Milton End
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The North Stand and the original Milton Lane. January 2017
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The North Stand and car park. January 2017
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North Stand Lower (A to E sections) under construction in January 2022.
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Specks Lane in 2017 before renovations in 2023.
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Specks Lane south entrances after 2023 renovations.
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The Fratton End. Former player-manager Jimmy Dickinson is remembered in the seating design.
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42 Frogmore Road, a former Pompey Store location.
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Pedestrian alley from Frogmore Road to McLoughlin Way.
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Partners Lounge and offices entrance, built in 1966–67 on the site of Offside Cottage.
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See also
In Spanish: Fratton Park para niños
