Eastney Barracks return on cards for Pompey

Pompey are set to seal a return to Eastney Barracks as their training ground.

The Blues have pencilled in a move to the Cockleshell Gardens venue on Thursday as a short-term answer to the search for a new home in the city.

The arrangement will see Guy Whittingham’s men change, eat and use the newly-installed gym facilities at Fratton Park on training days.

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They will then drive to Eastney Barracks, where they will use pitches to train.

Pompey formerly used the area as a training ground in the 1990s and up until last week had rented the Wellington Sports Ground for the past 10 years.

The barracks is nowadays known as the Cockleshell Community Sports Club.

It is closed to the general public, although is used by Meon Milton FC and Mayville High School.

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It has emerged as the favoured venue ahead of HMS Collingwood and the University of Portsmouth on Whittingham’s shortlist.

Roko and the Mountbatten Centre are among many other locations to have offered their services during the past few weeks.

On Friday, the Blues trained on the 4G surface at South Downs College after hopes of training at Eastney were ended by the weather.

The college also remains an option in the future, with Whittingham keen to maintain that link.

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Pompey yesterday trained at Sheffield United’s base ahead of tonight’s visit to Scunthorpe.

With Wednesday a scheduled day off for the players, the earliest they can use Eastney Barracks would be on Thursday.

However, Furze Lane and HMS Collingwood remain in the thoughts as possible long-term options.

Both have facilities on-site which could be used.