| Fratton Park Matchday Experience 17:40 - Aug 6 with 4457 views | wimborne_dale |
Two of us went to Fratton Park for the first time. We got to the ground and asked the nearest steward for the away section. "It's over towards Bnser Road".
Me: Sorry ?
Him: "Banister, like in stairs". Maybe it was the language barrier or perhaps he hadn't twigged that if I'd known my way around, I wouldn't have needed to ask but anyhow.
We got to the away section and explained that we had pre-booked tickets and we had come to collect.
"We're sold out"
Me: Yes I know but I've booked in advance and I want to know where to collect the tickets"
Steward: "From the next corner of the ground"
So we walked as directed only to find another bunch of stewards so I asked the same question.
Steward: There's a booth on the next corner (where we came from).
He was right, there was a booth, a closed up booth.
So back we went and asked another steward, explaining the situation as politely as I could and being careful to use only a basic subset of the English language.
"Oh. First day of the season, we're a bit disorganised"
Because lets face it, they've never done this football league thing before have they? I mean, how were they to know so many people would all turn up at once?
After a bit more of this dance, and the kick of time fast approaching we managed to locate, at the opposite end of the ground a booth marked "Home Tickets".
Me: Hello I've come to pick up my pre booked tickets for the away end."
Man in booth: "Your a Rochdale supporter then?" His powers of deduction indicated that he was no ordinary employee of Portsmouth FC.
Not wishing to withdraw my confession, I had to admit I was.
"Your name?"
"Tim Spencer"
- a pause while he retreives an envelope
"I've got a Kim Spencer"
"That's close enough, I'll take it."
So off we went back to the opposite corner of the ground and through the trunstyles. We got in - relief!
We then go up the steps to the first entrance to the seating area where our tickets were checked by a tall blond woman who told us we must go through the next entrance about 20 yards away and into the same block/row that we heading for anyway. It was all
one once we were inside.
And all this after I was unable to take my son because there is no wheelchair accommodation in the away end, as you could have guessed. |  |
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| Fratton Park Matchday Experience on 17:57 - Aug 6 with 4414 views | 442Dale |
On the subject of stewards, the way they dealt with the few fools who turned up next to the away fans during the first half was really good. Quietly efficient and with the minimum of fuss, the ringleader appeared to disappear for good. |  |
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| Fratton Park Matchday Experience on 17:59 - Aug 6 with 4406 views | BartRowou |
Got talking to some Pompey fans in a pub nearby and they were a really decent bunch.
The ones who arrived late into the ground to the left of us were laughable. There really was no need to go all ten men.
That blonde steward was very friendly and polite.
I found Fratton Park and the surrounding graffiti quite a depressed area and I imagine there's been a fair bit of aggro down some of those alleyways over the years.
The new development by the harbour is very pleasant. |  |
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| Fratton Park Matchday Experience on 19:37 - Aug 6 with 4231 views | TalkingSutty |
First visit to Portsmouth and one thing struck me immediately, its a city that loves it's football club. The one hour walk from the seafront to a pub at the far end of Fratton gave me a chance to interact with a few locals in not very celubrious locations, all of them proved to be salt of the earth. If you wanted trouble it could be provided in abundance obviously, but the 'edginess' of the place was what made the trip, it wasn't like a visit to Burslem though. Stewards inside the ground seemed very relaxed. Nothing to dislike about Portsmouth or its Football Club. The few who acted up inside the ground were mostly spotty teenagers, incapable of dislodging the skin off a rice pudding. [Post edited 6 Aug 2017 20:07]
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| Fratton Park Matchday Experience on 20:14 - Aug 6 with 4150 views | AtThePeake |
OP, if that's true about your son not being catered to with no wheelchair access for away fans then it's quite frankly a disgrace. I'd contact the FSF about that if I were you: http://www.fsf.org.uk/contact-us |  |
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