Fatten Park is where they sell lots of pies and burgers at half time to fans. This is basically that, only for Frat Boys.
First-Hand Experience: More info about my personal experience at this stadium - I've been to Fratton Park to see games 4 times, and just to hang out about another 7 or 8 times on top of that. I want to give it a 5 star rating so badly because I love it here so much, but I can't. It's so run down and hasn't had a really good investment in a long time. Yet it remains one of the most passionate and intimate places to watch football, right by the sea, and a wonderful destination for fans and a historic place.
The amazing thing is, I've seen Pompey (they play here) play in 4 different tiers of football. Premier League (vs Oxford in the old days as a tiny kid), Championship (both home and away), League One (just a few years ago) and League Two (last year). I enjoyed all of them, but things were more intense back in the old days. I'd have given them a 5 star back then but things changed, stadiums got safer and more comfortable, and Portsmouth didn't move with the times.
I'll see them play here again in the next few years, I am sure. I love coming here.
I've been to most UK & US stadiums, due to lifelong obsessions with travel, sport & especially footy (soccer to Americans). Born & raised in England, I followed Oxford United (hometown team) to stadia all over the country at away games, and later Liverpool (fave team) around. Every stadium review - like all my reviews - are from first-hand personal experience, usually from several visits. In 2011, I was on music tour in the UK, and visited most stadiums for fun in my spare time. As recently as Fall 2014, when I was "stuck" in UK for 3 months, I went to hundreds yet again while travelling. I have pictures of me at most, which I'll post later. Also, when back in UK I'll take more pix, and add more stadia!
*** return to regular review ***
Fratton Park is a stadium I love, so it hurts to give them less than a 5, but the stadium does need some work to modernize itm and maybe close off those sides, give it a better pitch and what not. It creates a real crazy atmosphere and I do love the way it's close to the sea and right in the middle of a neighborhood.
The food isn't great, the loos are awful, and I'm sure as they rise back up through the divisions sooner or later, they'll fix the facilities here. It still holds a whopping 21k people, and deserves to be a better stadium. But if you want to know what it was like to watch Premier League football 20 years ago, you can go here and get a good taste of it.
The Tudor Facade out front of Fratton Park is really cool. It's been open since 1898 which is also amazing. read more