Away-day guide

Portsmouth

Fratton Park by the sea.

awaydayhubReviewed 2 weeks ago

Quick takeaways

Great ground to tick off — full of character
Historic naval city with loads to see & do
Hidden gem 2 minutes from the away end

About the place

Fun fact: Portsmouth is the UK's only island city, situated primarily on Portsea Island.

Portsmouth has been central to the Royal Navy for centuries, and the city’s maritime story is visible all around the city.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior are all major tourist attractions. But it’s a modern operational military city, with naval bases and huge aircraft carriers in the docks.

The Spinnaker Tower is the city's tallest landmark, and one of the best ways to take it all in.

If you've gone all that way, it's definitely worth spending some time in Portsmouth, if you can.

Football fans don't agree on much. But it's safe to say that most football fans regard Fratton Park as a proper old ground. The stadium is in Fratton, a couple of miles east of the city centre.

If you like ticking off grounds, you have to make your way to the main entrance on Frogmore Road for a photo of the mock-Tudor façade, at the end of a residential street. It’s unique.

Away fans are housed behind the goal in the Milton End, which is on the North side of the ground.

Club info

Website: portsmouthfc.co.uk
Phone: 0345 646 1898 (Option 1 for Tickets)
Email: info@pompeyfc.co.uk
what3words: ///minds.aside.gallons (away entrance)
Address: Fratton Park, Frogmore Road, Portsmouth, PO4 8RA

Section 02

Getting in & out

By train

Train

Portsmouth Harbour is the central rail hub. From here, it’s at least 40 minutes to Fratton Park on foot.

However, from there you can get a connecting train out to Fratton, which is just 10 minutes away from the ground. Trains from Portsmouth Harbour run regularly and take less than 10 minutes. At Fratton, take the footbridge over to Platform 1, then take the other footbridge to exit left onto Goldsmith Avenue. When you reach Fratton Way, you can take a left then a right for fast-food / the fan zone, or continue straight and take the next left for the main entrance on Frogmore Road.

Portsmouth Harbour40 min walk· 2 mi
Fratton10 min walk· 0.5 mi

By e-bike or e-scooter

CyclingOther

You can rent a red electrical bike or scooter from Voi, via the app. They’re dotted around all over the place. Given the distance from town to the stadium, this could be a good shout.

Age limits apply. voi.com/city/portsmouth

Section 03

Parking

Parking options

There are matchday parking restrictions on many roads close to the stadium. This includes Anson Road, Goldsmith Avenue, and Rodney Road. Parking in restricted areas during these times can result in a fine.

Official North Stand Car Park

Located behind the North Stand. Cost: Typically, £12 per car / £6 for Blue Badge holders (rate as of May 2026).

Note: Spaces are limited and must be pre-booked through the Portsmouth FC eTicketing site. The trade-off for convenient parking may be a slower exit.

Accessed via Anson Road, PO4 8SX. what3words: ///crib.poppy.cares

Some on-street parking can be found on Velder Avenue. As ever, the earlier you arrive, the better chance you have of finding a spot. And of course, the further out you are, the easier it is to park (with the trade-off of a longer walk).

Disabled parking

Visiting clubs are typically allocated 5 accessible parking spaces at the stadium. These can be booked through your own club's ticketing system. Cost: Official stadium parking for Blue Badge holders is generally £6.

Drop-off point: If you cannot secure a space, you can advise a steward at the North Stand car park (Anson Road) upon arrival, and they can assist with a drop-off for those with limited mobility.

Near the stadium

10· 0.5 mi

Min walk

To the away end

Miltoncross Academy

Great location, and reliably open.

Milton Road, Portsmouth, PO3 6RB

Pricing: £8 (rate as of April 2026)
Payment: Cash only.

Notes

Staffed car park, with profits supporting the school. First-come, first served. 5-10 minutes from the ground. Opens 2 hours before kick-off. Gates are locked 1 hour after the full-time whistle. Car park entrance: if you’re heading south on Milton Road, the car park entrance is on James Road, the left turning before the school.

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Get directions

Further out

45· 2.2 mi

Min walk

To the away end

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard car park

Right next to the Historic Dockyard, a good option if you're making a day of it.

Admiralty Rd, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3GW

Spaces: 295
Pricing: Up to 8 hours: £10 (rate as of February 2026)

Notes

Only 5 minutes to Portsmouth Harbour station. 24hr multi-storey car park with toilets.

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Get directions

10· 0.5 mi

Min walk

To the away end

Fratton Station Car Park

Another nearby alternative.

Selbourne Terrace, Fratton, Portsmouth, PO1 5AW

Spaces: 66
Pricing: £3.90 (Saturday rate as of May 2026)

Notes

Can be full at least an hour before kick-off.

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Get directions

Matchday road closures

Matchday road closures are in place at Fratton Park to manage fan safety and traffic flow. These closures typically apply both before and after matches.

Affected roads include:

Rodney Road: Closed to vehicles in both directions.
Milton Lane & Specks Lane: Frequently closed to home supporters to manage crowd movement.
Anson Road: Access is generally restricted to vehicles with a valid club-issued parking permit, accessible via Fratton Way.

Alverstone Road and Vernon Avenue are often closed immediately following the final whistle to allow fans to exit safely.

Post-match traffic

Due to matchday road closures, the immediate streets around Fratton Park will be heavily congested after matches, as fans depart. Expect delays on main exit routes, including Goldsmith Avenue and Milton Road.

Section 04

Food & drink

Closer to the stadium

Gunwharf Quays

Gunwharf Quays is a vibrant waterfront destination with shops and restaurants. On a sunny day, it's probably one of the best spots in town. Looming above it is the Spinnaker Tower, which has three viewing platforms at the top. It's worth pre-booking this — you save money on the walk-up rate. You can be up and down in 30 minutes, so Gunwharf Quays is a decent stop-off on the way to the stadium. Portsmouth Harbour station is next door.

Outside-In Food Court

56 Middle St, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO5 4BP

We love a good food hall. Especially as no one can ever agree on what they want. An eclectic mix of independent street food vendors with a bar. Food vendors can change, but when we checked, there was a choice of gyros, burgers, bao buns and a seafood boil place.

Staggeringly Good Brewery

Unit 10, St Georges Industrial Estate, Rodney Rd, Portsmouth, PO4 8SS — 2 minutes from the away turnstiles

Located just 2 minutes away from the away end is an absolute hidden gem. Staggeringly Good Brewery is an independent taproom with its own Smokehouse & BBQ: Bear Bones BBQ Co. Serving up a range of dinosaur-themed craft beers and slow-cooked smoked meats. Delicious. Inside, there’s live sports and arcade machines for the kids. It’s a great place to unwind before or after a game, especially if you've got a long trip home. Check out their highly-rated fruit beers and IPAs, such as Staggersaurus and Velocirapture. The entrance is a walkway to the right of Toolstation on Rodney Road.

The Dockyard

13-19 Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth PO1 2RY

Less than 5 minutes from Portsmouth and Southsea station. Away fan friendly, with live sports. You're still 30 minutes away from Fratton Park, but the nearby station will take you to Fratton station.

Good Companion

2 Eastern Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth PO3 6ES — what3words: ///guard.vibrate.shades

Primary designated away pub, run by Greene King. It's east of the stadium, on the bend as Velder Avenue becomes Eastern Road. Family friendly, live sport, serves food. If you arrive early enough, you can park here, too. It's a small car park, so it fills up quickly. 10 minutes to the ground.

Connaught Arms

Note that this pub has been permanently closed for some time.

Section 05

The away end

The away entrance is on the corner where Specks Lane meets Milton Lane. what3words: ///joins.below.kicked

From the turnstiles, you head up the steps onto an outdoor concourse with food and drink kiosks. Some kiosks can be busier than others.

Inside, the Milton End is covered, although if you’re down the front on a hot day, you can catch the sun.

Being behind the goal, you get a good view of the action, which definitely adds to the atmosphere. There is a safe standing section higher up.

Stewards by the visiting turnstiles 19-22 at the Milton End of Fratton Park — The away turnstiles at the Milton End — Away Day Hub

View of the pitch and stands from the away seats in the Milton End at Fratton Park — View from the away end — Away Day Hub

Section 06

Our visits

We planned to park at Miltoncross Academy as we’d seen it mentioned online, and it was close to Fratton Park.

We didn't have cash on us of course, so a nice lady at the school let us park up and directed us back up the road to a local shop that had an ATM. This little detour took 15-20 minutes, and the cash machine charged £2.50 to take the money out. A minor annoyance, but since then we always have a couple of tenners in the car for exactly that reason.

We went straight to the ground and searched out the main entrance for the obligatory photo.

It felt like a dead end, as there's a house right next door to the main entrance. So we doubled back on ourselves and headed round to the away entrance (we completely missed an alleyway between the house and the stadium here).

As we walked down Specks Lane, we could see the away concourse above us. In through the turnstiles and up to the concourse for food. We grabbed a couple of cheeseburgers and a sausage roll, and ate at our seats as the concourse was busy.

At full-time, we made it back to the school. It was slow getting away, but then again, we were trying to leave at the same time as everyone else. We'd definitely park there again.

Another Saturday 3pm in Pompey. Get in.

This time, we planned to arrive earlier, park in town, and do some speed-tourism; see some ships, go up the Spinnaker, Uber to the game.

We parked at the Historic Dockyard car park and within 5 minutes we're at the dockyard. We could see a welcome tent that made it look like you needed to pay to get in. You don't. They sent us into the ticket office to ‘buy’ a free walking pass, which gave us time to check out HMS Warrior (cool) and HMS Victory (we only had time to check out the front of the ship, as it's now a covered exhibition with an entry fee).

Next was a pre-booked trip up Spinnaker Tower. We walked through Gunwharf Quays to get there. Lots of shops and restaurants. Very laid-back vibe to it.

At the tower, you wait for the lift and you're at the top in a few minutes. The view is amazing. On one side, you can just make out Fratton Park (and you appreciate the distance from town).

In the middle of the platform is the Sky Walk, a glass floor, where you can walk over Gunwharf Quays, 100 meters up. If you don't like heights, you might skip this bit.

We took an Uber to Fratton Park. We could've taken the train from Portsmouth Harbour next door, though.

We did the same thing at the ground — obligatory photo at the main entrance. This time, we noticed people coming out of an alleyway between the stadium and the house next door. We headed down there and popped out at the fan village — which had lots of food and drink options. It's another one of those things that once you know, you know.

We had booked a table at Staggeringly Good Brewery for after the game, having done a bit of research on where to eat near the ground. It's two minutes from the away end, accessed via a walkway to the right of Toolstation on Rodney Road.

The food was incredible. We went for the BBQ brisket and the BBQ hot dog.

We had a long drive ahead of us. But in that moment, we're eating like kings, we're decompressing after the game, and the traffic is slowly clearing. This was a total win.

Another Uber back to the car park, and we were out of Portsmouth so much quicker than last time.

HMS Warrior moored at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with the Spinnaker Tower in the background — HMS Warrior at the Historic Dockyard — Away Day Hub

View over Portsmouth Harbour and out to sea from the top of the Spinnaker Tower — The view from the top of the Spinnaker Tower — Away Day Hub

BBQ brisket with fries, coleslaw and pickles from Bear Bones BBQ at Staggeringly Good Brewery — The BBQ brisket — Away Day Hub

BBQ hot dog loaded over fries with coleslaw from Bear Bones BBQ at Staggeringly Good Brewery — The BBQ hot dog — Away Day Hub

If you've got more time

Hit the beach at Southsea
Wander the historic dockyard, for HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, and the Mary Rose Exhibition
Head up the Spinnaker Tower, for amazing views of the city and coastline

Take a punt

Portsmouth quiz.

5questions, multigenerational. Some you'll know, some only a long-time fan would. No timer, no leaderboard — just for the fun of it.

Reviewed by Andy · 2 weeks ago