'We've been planning it from day one': Portsmouth chairman Michael Eisner pledges commitment to ambitious North Stand vision for Fratton Park

However, Pompey’s chairman has warned the Blues must firstly be a stable Championship club, with ticketing demand outstripping supply, for plans to come to fruition.

A new North Stand incorporating the recently-redeveloped version has been on the agenda since Tornante became owners in August 2017.

According to Eisner, it would increase capacity by 5-6,000, as well as create conferencing facilities, a hotel and new football dressing rooms.

The 80-year-old is adamant the ambitious proposals remain realistic – but is unable to put a time frame on when it could happen.

He told The News: ‘Some day, and I don’t know when that is, when we have a greater demand for seats than we have today, we will put in a renovated North Stand.

‘It would give us a conferencing base, we can move the changing rooms over there so the South Stand can be expanded even more, it gives us a more interesting entrance to the whole stadium coming in from Rodney Road.

‘It will add 5-6,000 more seats, but you don’t want to have a stadium that’s not sold out. So, until we are further up the pyramid and we need it, then it’s probably not necessary now.

‘The time frame will relate to will there be a recession? Will there be inflation? What is the cost of steel? Where is the team in relation to the pyramid? Does Portsmouth need a hotel? How much conferencing space do we need?

‘A lot of planning is needed to do it right – and we have been planning that from day one, we know what has to be done. When it happens depends on the atmosphere and the environment.

‘You really want slightly more demand than you have room, that’s also true with the theatre and movie theatres, because if you have less demand then you have too many spaces.

‘The renovated North Stand could be built in the Championship, but we have to be up in the Championship and competitive, like we are now. Not if we are a yo-yo team.

‘Hopefully we are doing so much to protect us from not being a yo-yo team when we go up, but if we do get promoted and it looks like we might come right back down, it doesn't make sense.

‘That stand will depend on the environment, ticketing pricing, the economy in Portsmouth especially – but it could happen.’

Earlier this week, work began on the Milton End – the final phase of the current £11m redevelopment of Fratton Park.

And Eisner admits he finds empty seats at grounds and stadiums as ‘unpleasant’.

He added: ‘I come from television, I can't stand a television shot of an empty stadium.

‘It’s not so bad when you are here and it’s way over there, but the camera doesn’t know it’s way over there, especially if it’s an away end, and it looks unpleasant.

‘I’m used to broadcasting the Academy Awards and the Tony Awards. They go on for three hours and, when people get up to use the facilities, we have professional people replace them in their seats.

‘I shouldn’t really say this, I am giving away all our secrets, but they come in and sit in those seats because you don’t want the camera to turn around and see they are empty.

‘When you see empty seats behind the goal, which are away fans in the Milton End, what do the audience subconsciously think? “Why are people not coming to that game?”’

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