Pompey to redevelop Fratton then move

Seems like the sensible thing to do, 'IF' we have a supermarket backing the plans and 'IF' it is not just a time wasting move by the club to make us seem more appealing.

We had a inkling this news was going to break and that is why we are first off the mark with the news. We will tell you all more as we discover anything.

Makes econimical sence. The city put the northern quarter on hold for 6 years, therefore, i suspect IF pompey pushed to hard to get the new stadium at horesea, pompey FC would have been landed with the cost of slip roads, and bridges, that the northern quarter would have swallowed up. Still its going bigger, and its going ahead, thats the main thing.

Makes econimical sence. The city put the northern quarter on hold for 6 years, therefore, i suspect IF pompey pushed to hard to get the new stadium at horesea, pompey FC would have been landed with the cost of slip roads, and bridges, that the northern quarter would have swallowed up. Still its going bigger, and its going ahead, thats the main thing.

But is it going to happen??? Or are we going to see pictures of Sacha in a hard hat pretending to start the building, just like Milan 5 years ago???

My eyesight isn't that brilliant and I'm confused. Is it just the North Stand that is getting enlarged?

The other side of the economic argument is the increased capacity. It is needed for sure to generate more income. But there is another test this will perform, and that is to see if we can generate the bums that are going to sit on the extra seats. A good dry run before building a multi million pound stadium and then not generating enough income to make it viable in the long term.

Heard in Covers Gosport, that a firm had been in and asked about supply of goods for training ground, reckon they had the gig and 9 months to build it

Thought planning for original ground was agreed long time ago, has it run out?

You got it, Corny, thats a brilliant idea and probably what they are doing. However, I think the location of the stadium will appeal to many more if it is on the outskirts of the town. A lot of people are put off by coming down the Eastern Road and then the parking problems they encounter. However, I thought we were broke? Where is the money coming from? Could it be the Gaydamaks will put the sale of the club on hold during the credit crunch, especially now that Gaydamak senior's money is no longer frozen?

Well done Dave for getting this article up so quick - Isn't it annoying..we get a tip off and we are all at work except Rug who is just leaving for work !! ... Anyway I think it's a great plan and probably the most sensible thing I've heard for a long time.. That said rotating the pitch was discussed as long ago as the 80's if my memory serves me correctly...


So here's what's happening..
We build a new Fratton End behind the Jimmy Allen (North) Stand
We knock down the Jimmy Allen Stand. exposing the new Fratton End
We extend the existing Fratton End to meet the end of the new Fratton End and attach a corner to both the West and East end of the new Fratton End
We turn the pitch around 90 degrees
We build a new Milton End which will actually be a new South Stand


So...
The Fratton End becomes the South Stand, The North Stand becomes the Fratton End, the Milton End becomes the South Stand and the South Stand .. Which doesn't get built on at all.. becomes the Milton End


but...
The new North Stand will be in the East, The new Milton End will be in the South and more in Fratton than Milton, The South stand will face West and the Fratton End (otherwise known as the West Stand).. Won't be in Fratton and will actually face South as it will be in the North..
ummm Is everybody confused now !.. or would you like me to explain it again?

Well you have not helped the cause there Chix. I gather visiting fans will be gievn what will remain on the South Stand or the Milton End as Chix calls it. No hang on I am confusing you (and me)!! Rug will post the plans on the site when he gets home form work - that MIGHT help.

No new stadium, eh? Redevelop Fratton Park, eh? And Josef Fritzl is a model citizen. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah what a load of utter b@ll@cks. Someone remind me why we spend a fortune on supporting this club through thick and thin, why we put up with jokes and ridicule from others about our ground, finances, management, dodgy dealings etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Bloody Hell Chix, don't do that again..my heads spinning like a top!!

Et_tu
I guessing you've had your fill of this saga then .. Can't say I blame ya we have had so many 'stories' whether tru or not over the years it's hard to believe anything isn't it. I guess I just go along with it in the (insane) hope that one day.. maybe one day.. something will happen.. We did get a new Fratton End a few years back .. oh and lets not forget the roof on the MIlton End too.. all positive moves ;) .. You never know this one might be the one that happens.. that said I was doing some research last night and came across a quoye from John Deacon the then Pompey Chairman. He said (in 1975 I think it was) that there is no reason why Pompey shouldn't have a new stadium within the next five years !!

Chix agreed on waht has been done but I have been going to Fratton for 50 years and I am still using the same toilets!! The food points and bars are also antiquated. A roof is one thing but we need facilities too.

Thanks, Chix, sensible stuff as always. Agreed, Eastneydave, it's become a tradition over the years to spend the entire 15+ of half time queuing up for the South Stand urinals! Actually, it was a lot more fun without the Milton roof - remember the hailstones . . . . was it West Ham fans?

I'll come back in a hundred years times & fck all will have changed. Just had the best 6 years in our modern history & we are no further forward then 30 years ago!

Its an absolute joke we make ourselves a laughing stock again. I wish we wouldnt come out with this c r a p to start with as we (long suffering Pompey fans) have always known it would never take off. Next time they have a great idea i suggest they take it in to the dragons den and run it past duncan balintine and peter jones to see if it makes economical sense before plastering it all over the front of the national tabloids. Or they could just suggest feasable projects, and thats why I'm out!

Hmmm, you'd think improving the bogs in the South Stand would be feasible, but no. Need to start small and work up. What about a new hat for 'Nelson'?

i can understand why some people are miffed, and why alot are skeptical about this, also why people feel we have become a 'laughing stock' again and the wasted time, effort and money for 'previous plans' however i would be delighted to see fratton redeveloped... this has always seemed the most logical option, and in theory is the one that best suits the club as its our home and of course the access to the ground is fairly straight forward - until i see actions being taken to make this happen i will not believe it will happen, but i love the idea and pray it happens...
lets say this does go forward, even if we stayed at fratton forever after that would i be unhappy? i would not have thought so tbh - actions and not words are needed tho, we have had too many actions, then re-actions over the years. if this really is going to happen lets do it, not just 'talk the talk' as always, 'walking the walk' is where its at...

I'm a selfish sod but I can't help being pleased with a better Fratton rather than a huge Horsea Island because I am not convinced that the latter would not go the way of St Mary's. We are not getting much more than 20,000 for most matches and the sight of these Championship teams (and indeed some Prem teams) playing football miles from the stands with banks of empty seats is really depressing. Besides, family home is 5 mins walk from FP so, of course, my own convenience must be considered here!

I guess this is the way a side lacking in confidence as a Premier League side will always go. The Stadium issue has long dragged on and in reality I always thought we will never move to a new stadium whilst our league position is in jeopardy. Even when we threatened to be a top side the doubts always crept in just like let's get up there have a bit of fun and then who cares what happens later. Well unfortunately later has already arrived...

So we're back to where we were 30 years ago, the ambitious plans came out to turn the stadium through 90 degrees, it faltered because British Rail wouldn't sell what was then their marshalling yard. Then we've had plans to move to Farlington Marshes, which was scuppered by the Brent Geese, the farcical plans to build it in the sea at the Hard, and then what seemed more realistic at Horsea Island. Now we're back to turning through 90 degrees again on the existing site. This is more realistic but of course the position is impractical given the residential location and parking problems, and the traffic problems getting people in and out of town. But so be it. As for the Horsea Island plans still being current . . yeah yeah yeah, tell us another Storrie, Peter.

I am sceptical that the Horsea Island scheme will ever be built – for various reasons, including cost and its poor location for public transport. Fratton Park, close to a mainline railway station and within reasonable walking distance of half the city’s population is actually a very good location. However, I think the current scheme is flawed and unambitious, esp as it is apparently dependent on attracting a supermarket developer and getting planning permission for that. The proposed land take for the new stadium is JUST TOO SMALL, and I don’t see why they have to rotate the pitch. Much better to demolish the Fratton end and the North Stand and move the pitch about 50 m northwestwards. This could be done in stages as follows: 1. Build a new stand to wrap round behind the existing Fratton end and existing north stand to form half of an amphitheatre (i.e. not separate stands) 2. Demolish existing Fratton end and North Stand. 3. Move pitch northwestwards (on same east-west alignment). 4. Demolish existing South Stand and Milton End and complete the amphitheatre with a continuous new stand. If there are problems over land ownership, then get the Council to make a CPO. If the club go ahead with the present scheme, it will probably become permanent and will still be an unsatisfactory half measure. Certainly not a suitable World Cup venue! In the meantime the priority must be to preserve our Premier League status. If we go down to the Championship (and then League 1, like Leicester, Leeds, Charlton?), then we won’t fill the existing stadium – let alone 45 000! PUP.

I personally, am pleased to be staying at FP, its just the infra-structure that worries me. I went to Riverside last week and the parking was plentiful and close by to the ground (right next door) and cheap - £3.00.

ReL filling the stadium - I don't think we will. There are always empty seats near me at the games. Mind you, perhaps I'm the only prat who will pay to sit behind a pillar that blocks out the Fratton Goal!

Makes good sense but will it happen?