How Portsmouth propose to re-open Fratton Park to accommodate fans against Wigan

The Football League are encouraging clubs to participate in a pilot programme designed to accommodate up to 1,000 fans for a League One match.

Pompey are eyeing Wigan’s visit on September 26 as a potential fixture for Fratton Park to become involved.

Mark Catlin this morning met with senior executives at the club to debate the lodging of an application to host a trial.

That would entail Fratton Park’s four stands being opened to supporters – and the Pompey making a financial loss through running costs as a consequence.

Nonetheless, the Blues’ chief executive believes it would represent a crucial first step towards welcoming back the Fratton faithful in full.

He told The News: ‘The EFL know the disastrous state of football finance at this moment of time given Covid – and have urged clubs to get on the front foot and try to get the message out of the damaging effect clubs folding could have on the wider community.

‘We are looking at Wigan at home as a potential trial game. It would be good to get involved before fans hopefully return in October.

‘We have spent this morning looking at different scenarios and keeping our options open as to whether we will apply for it.

‘If you are going to have a trial, you would need to open all four stands. You want to replicate a match day as closely as you can, such as the entrance, exit, opening kiosks, where stewards are placed.

‘In addition, are we going to allow corporate hospitality?

‘So you would want to run it as a full event, even if it was in preparation for a reduced capacity

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‘We can get 1,000 in, we are confident we can do it, but it is an old ground and there are difficulties involved in getting people through pinch points.

‘However, it is something we looked at this morning. We will now be working closely with the Safety Advisory Group and all relevant authorities over the coming days.

Shrewsbury, Pompey’s opponents on last weekend’s opening day of the League One season, have applied to trial fans in Saturday’s visit of Northampton.

The Blues themselves are away to Rochdale on Sunday, so cannot follow suit.

However, with Wigan coming to Fratton Park the following weekend – and the pilot programme scheduled solely for September – that represents the obvious choice of fixture.

Catlin added: ‘It’s a big task to pull all that together and we have just over a week to do that.

‘We want to keep our options open. There are a couple of points we need to address internally but, given the skill set of our staff, I don’t think there is anything there which we can’t get over.

‘There is the possibility we can apply for a test event. There is no guarantee we would get it – but we are doing everything we can to at least apply.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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