New footage shows Fratton Park’s £1.5m pitch upgrade in brutal heat as hybrid surface takes shape

Portsmouth are upgrading Fratton Park ahead of the new season and new footage has emerged which shows the work that is being carried out at the ground.

The £1.5 million renovation project began as soon as last season ended, with Portsmouth completely replacing the pitch.

Fratton Park upgrades “ahead of schedule”

Fratton Park's soil-based pitch has been removed and a more modern hybrid surface is being installed, while the drainage system, pipework and undersoil structure is also being upgraded.

In new footage from the SG Explores YouTube channel, workers can be seen laying the new surface in brutal heat.

The new pitch needs to be ready before Portsmouth's first home game of the new Championship season, with Queens Park Rangers set to travel to Fratton Park on August 15.

Portsmouth CEO Andy Cullen recently stated that the works are “ahead of schedule” at the moment, but said the club decided against scheduling a pre-season friendly at Fratton Park to give the groundstaff a “bit of leeway”.

Speaking to The News, Cullen said: “We have looked very hard at what other clubs have done when they’ve had new pitches laid and the lessons which seem to have been learnt are to give the pitch as much time.

“It should be ready that weekend, we are actually a little ahead of schedule in terms of work at the moment, but you only need inclement weather to impact that.

“Our Championship season starts on August 15 and we haven’t made any application for the first league game to be played away from home.

“With the Carabao Cup starting on August 8, we could be in a situation where we don’t get a home fixture then either.

“In terms of opposition, we looked abroad and in the UK and we had the opposition put to us to go to Germany, which we’re looking forward to playing.

“The pitch is undergoing drainage work at the moment, so it’s all the boring stuff at present. Then, in a couple of weeks, the sand goes in and then the grass seed goes in.

“It’s a six-week growth period which takes us through comfortably until August 1, but that extra week now gives our groundstaff a bit of comfort and a bit of leeway.”

FGG says: Impressive progress from Portsmouth

Fratton Park is one of the most iconic traditional stadiums in English football and it is great to see some much-needed renovations being carried out.

Hopefully, the new pitch will be ready to go for the start of the new season and can have a major positive impact.