Portsmouth director Eric Eisner makes exciting Fratton Park forecast as focus turns to Milton End redevelopment

The Pompey director made the exciting pledge in a tweet before Saturday’s visit of Plymouth to PO4 – a League One game that attracted the Blues’ biggest crowd of the season to date, with 19,009 fans packed in.

That saw 1,899 Pilgrims supporters make their way along the south coast for the 2-2 draw that lived up to its second-v-third billing.

Housed in the Milton End, that section of the ground will be the focus of the next phase of Pompey’s ongoing £11.5m redevelopment.

This summer saw the completion of re-profiling work to the North Stand Lower and the refurbishment of a now single-tiered South Stand with enhanced amenities.

Now attention will turn to the section in the eastern quarter of the ground – a stand that has a 2,000 capacity because of health and safety restrictions, but which will be boosted to 3,200 fans once work has been completed.

That work is expected to begin ahead of schedule next month, with a completion date of early in 2024 on the cards.

But Eisner can’t wait for then as he eagerly boasted what the latest phase will do for the famous old ground.

Responding to a tweet from Fútbol Romantics which included an overhead view of the new-look Fratton, the American enthused: ‘Most character in a football ground I have ever seen.

‘Wait until the Milton End is finished and this big phase/upgrade is compete.

‘She is going to look even more spectacular!!!! #pup.’

Speaking to The News in the summer about the work scheduled, Steve Cripps, managing director of PMC Construction, said: ‘We are ahead of schedule, so are probably drifting into the Milton End in October.

‘There’s quite complicated civil engineering work needed on the ends, we have to cut a section of roof back and gut out that whole south-east corner.

‘We’ll excavate that area, complete the zone for some toilets, then there’s a new media suite and first-aid room in that corner.

‘It will be a slow start, then we’ll gain momentum. You’ll be looking at somewhere between 12 and 18 months.

‘We never thought we’d have completed the other sections by around October time, so we’re ahead of the programme. It makes sense to carry on.

‘If things go in our favour, we will probably be out by Christmas 2023, but, failing that, we will drift into early 2024.

‘The aim is to get it ready and hope we end up in the Championship with a stand which can be fully loaded to 3,200.’

Responding to Eisner’s tweet, @Ffunkdupp wrote: ‘Eric, it’s great to still be there and staying. Thank you. The place is both a museum to, and a palace of, association football.

@rik_may commented: ’She looks so good already tbf the work you guys have done is very good still a few issues but it's moving forward is the main thing pup.

Meanwhile, @Stuartknewman added: ‘Cracking job - ground looks excellent and will continue to improve. Exciting times at PO4 - long may it continue; sure it will.’