Rituals a Pompey fan will have done on a matchday at Fratton
There are, of course, many shared rites of passage which are very particular to having royal blue in your veins. Here are a dozen things on many fans’ agendas on the day of a Blues home game
We all have our very own rituals when it comes to making a Fratton Park matchday pilgrimage.
We’ve asked you for those moments which make up your gameday timetable – and, as ever, you’ve delivered in brilliant fashion.
1 A pint in the Crook
With the Pompey pub a thing of the past, the Shepherds Crook is probably the boozer most closely connected with Blues fans.
2 Grab a selfie with a player
Young and old congregate on the corner of the Fratton End and South Stand on a matchday to grab a selfie with accommodating Pompey players.
3 Narked over a place to park
Second only to London in population density in the UK, we all love our island city. However, we don’t like parking on a matchday.
After battling to the ground, it’s a common occurrence to end up in deepest Southsea before you find a spot…
4 Dodging the doodoo on dog **** alley
A well-known pilgrimage for many Pompey fans runs from the railway bridge near the Newcome Arms to the roundabout on Fratton Way.
Known by all as dog **** alley, you have have to keep your eyes peeled for obvious reasons.
5 Stagger from the brewery
A bit of a hidden gem, but there’s a brewery within a Marlon Pack throw of Fratton Park on Rodney Road.
Staggeringly Good Brewery and its taproom lives up to the reviews, too, with its impressive range of craft beers.
6 The Goldsmith slalom
You’ve made your way to Fratton on a packed train, shuffled up the platform and along the railway bridge.
Now it’s time for the Goldsmith Avenue slalom!
Dodge in and out of fellow fans, apologise for walking into heels and spill out onto the road to face oncoming traffic – all standard stuff!
7 Avoid bet regret
It’s a part of the matchday ritual for fans all over the country – and the Fratton faithful are no different.
Craft a perfect six-fold and then bemoan the fact you put Pompey in and they let you down. Again.
‘One day, Rodney, we’ll be millionaires’…
8 Pine for the Sports Mail
Life just isn’t the same for Pompey fans without the Sports Mail.
Race to the newsagents at 6.30pm, pore over Mike Neasom’s purple prose, dissect the results and tables on the back page and, if you were lucky, catch your name in the parks reports. Bliss.
9 Fume at the Eastern Road
Heading south on the Eastern Road anytime in the afternoon on a matchday?
Don’t expect to head anywhere quickly (hint: it’s quicker going through the side streets in town...).
10 Murder a Mick’s
Mick’s! Mick’s! My kingdom for a Mick’s!
A Portsmouth institution and a popular stop-off for those making their way to Fratton from off the island.
A shame the Mick’s burger bar isn’t at the ground anymore, but well worth a trip up Portsdown Hill. If not, a stumble to Shirin’s in Kingston Road can soak up the booze after a game.
11 Fratton’s famous facade
The mock-Tudor facade at the end of Frogmore Road is indisputably Fratton. Milling around under its iconic beams and catching up on the Blues gossip has been a matchday staple for generations of fans.
12 Miked up
It’s a matchday morning, you’re getting your gear on and ready to see what the day has to offer.
What’s the soundtrack? Mike Oldfield, of course!
You can’t beat a bit of Portsmouth and, if you’re feeling proper Pompey, then go for some Shep Woolley and Pompey Rock, too!