New-look Milton End to house safe standing as Portsmouth's Fratton Park follows trailblazers Cardiff, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham

And it’s pencilled in to be partially open for away supporters from March 2023, with potentially one of the three sections completed.

The final phase of Fratton Park’s £11m redevelopment began in October, following work carried out on the North Stand and South Stand.

It consists of a new 3,150-seat Milton End, taking the grounds overall capacity to approaching 21,000.

Spaces for an additional 15 disabled supporters and 15 careers will be created, along with the construction of a 16-person lift in the north-end corner, adjacent with the North Stand.

The remaining seating will be designated safe standing, with rail seating offering the option for supporters to either sit or stand for matches.

Cardiff, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Brentford, QPR and Wolves have all backed the rail seating concept.

Now the Milton End, scheduled for completion in October 2023, will be following suit.

Chief executive Andy Cullen told The News: ‘The capacity of the Milton End will increase to around 3,150 seats, including disabled facilities.

‘The interesting thing is we will be looking to make that stand safe standing. That will form the majority of seating in there, which reflects how away supporters do tend to stand.

‘By the middle of February, we should have the seats installed in the south-east corner. We then start work on some outbuildings and kiosks at the back of that area, so that section will be ready for occupation by the middle of March.

‘With disabled facilities in there as well, the seating plan is designed to make sure that, even with safe standing, no views are obscured for those in wheelchairs.

‘We will then move into the middle section and start work on that between then and into the close season. Next we get into the north-east corner with the lifts, which will take us into September/October.

‘These facilities will have bigger and better toilets for males and females, new kiosks, and we can serve alcohol there for the first time, which is really, really important in terms of how we may be able to increase revenue.

‘There will be some changes to the safety control room as well, another changing places facility, while the lift can also service the North Stand, so we can put supporters in wheelchairs onto the higher platform.

‘A number of issues which have set things back a few weeks, including the problem of contamination underneath the area, while we also discovered massive concrete blocks which we didn’t know existed, making it a more complex project.

‘We would have liked the (Milton End) stand to be higher, but you have lighting issues with the houses behind and Specks Lane, so we’re slightly restricted with what we can do in that particular area, along with a substation located there.

‘But it should be fully completed in October 2023.’

Safety restrictions meant the Milton End accommodated 1,900 supporters at the start of the season before work commenced.

Once completed it will total 3,150, with its three sections providing the flexibility to house more home supporters should there be a small away following.

Meanwhile, Cullen revealed safe standing could also be introduced into the Fratton End.

He added: ‘There is persistent standing in the current Fratton End – and installing safe seating would need to follow relatively soon after opening the Milton End.

‘That’s another project and would firstly require discussions with the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) and the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

‘Potentially you are looking at the upper third of the Fratton End being considered for safe standing.

‘But before we make any firm plans on that we need to carry out consultation with supporters in those particular areas.’