Fratton Park

Fratton Park has been at the heart of Portsmouth’s sporting heritage for over a century. Portsmouth are the most successful south coast football club having twice won the FA Cup in 1939 and 2008 with England national team players like Jermain Defoe, David James, Sol Campbell and more. And – second pub quiz fact alert – they’re one of only five teams to win all of the four top tiers of English football, the other teams being Wolves, Burnley, Preston and Sheffield United.

The ground, originally built on a potato field, has changed a lot over the years, with one of the oldest parts of the ground being the club’s ticket shop. Initially the local pub called The Pompey, it has since become the club’s media centre and hospitality area. And, to make you feel like one of the locals, Pompey is both the nickname for the city and the football club.

One part that’s not changed a huge amount since it was built in 1925 is the South Stand. Often referred to as the heartbeat of the stadium, it was designed by renowned Scottish architect Archibald Leitch and is home to the dressing rooms and offices. If you’re looking for the liveliest stand, head to the Fratton End which hosts Pompey’s noisiest fans who will be especially animated during games against Southampton, their biggest local rival.

Located around a mile east from our City Centre hotel, there are plenty of pubs, cafés and takeaways near Fratton Park including The Rutland Arms and The Rifle Club which we’ve included in our live music round-up. If you’re driving, there’s plenty of on-site parking around the ground with few restrictions but get down early to bag your place. Otherwise, the ground is roughly 15 minutes’ walk away from our City Centre hotel.