Portsmouth CEO Andy Cullen expresses Fratton station and Goldsmith Avenue safety concerns after supporter fears

The Pompey chief executive raised his unease after being contacted by supporters who experienced distress following the Blues’ opening home game of the season against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, August 5.

Writing in the match-day programme for Saturday’s game against Cheltenham, Cullen said he was notified of long post-match queues headed into the railway station that snaked back onto Goldsmith Avenue and pushed fans onto the road. He also claimed there were fears people could be crushed due to the situation.

The reported incident comes as Pompey and other stakeholders keen to regenerate the area aspire for a new and safer footbridge to be built at the station – something they believe is increasingly necessary for both match and non match days.

Last week, Blues chairman Michael Eisner spoke on the subject with The News and took aim at Network Rail over the lack of progress with the project – an interview that ‘disappointed’ the rail network company.

Now, Cullen has broached the subject as he stressed the importance of finding a solution for all those who use Fratton station and Goldsmith Avenue all year round.

Writing in Saturday’s programme, the Blues CEO said: ‘Last week, our chairman Michael Eisner gave a series of interviews updating supporters on a number of issues and future plans for the club.

‘Among the matters that perhaps most caught the eye were the conversations that continue to be held with various parties regarding a new, and safer, footbridge from Fratton station.

‘As I highlighted in my August Q&A video, a new bridge is not just needed for matchdays, but to satisfy the future ambitions of various stakeholders, who are all coming together to develop plans to regenerate the Fratton area, with new homes, more jobs and mixed commercial developments.

‘But the most important aspect must be to improve the safety of pedestrians who currently have to navigate a narrow footpath along Goldsmith Avenue at all times of the day.

‘I was extremely concerned to receive emails from supporters regarding a post-match incident following our home game with Bristol Rovers. I was told of long queues to reach the closed-off platforms at the station that stretched back along the footbridge and on Goldsmith Avenue, with pedestrians queuing and pushed onto the main road.

‘We received reports of distressed children and one supporter said he had feared that some young people could have been crushed, as so many came into conflict with traffic.

‘While we cannot do much to extend the platforms at the station, we can continue to lobby those responsible for safety at our rail stations to help understand how we might all come together to deliver a study to explore new potential routes away from Goldsmith Avenue and to guarantee better safety for everyone who uses Fratton station. A new bridge and route would also provide greater accessibility for those with mobility problems and for cyclists, which the current footbridge cannot deliver.’

Cullen added studies found more supporters would travel by train on match days if a safer route to the ground was built. He said that would prove advantageous for many stakeholders.

The club CEO continued: ‘Our April travel survey, completed by nearly 4,000 supporters, indicated that 19 per cent of supporters use the train to attend matches at Fratton Park.

‘However, 61 per cent said they would do so if there was a safer route to the stadium. If only 31 per cent did so, then this would deliver a cleaner city. It would reduce matchday CO2 emissions by 25 per cent across a single season – not to mention increased revenue opportunities for the train operators.

‘I would ask that any supporters who experience similar issues to those reported after the Bristol Rovers game to either write to me or email me at the club, so we can continue to do our very best to deliver a safer experience for everyone at Fratton station – whether or not they are matchday attendees.’