Fratton Park stadium breakthrough as Portsmouth hope to revisit talks

Chief executive Mark Catlin revealed talks had started with Network Rail with a view to working towards finding a solution over building the infrastructure required if the Blues’ home is to be modernised.

Catlin has made it clear the club’s vision for redeveloping Fratton Park into a 30,000-plus capacity building stadium is reliant on upgrading Fratton station and improving access to the club’s 121-year-old home.

Network Rail’s position was they weren’t open to the prospect of footing the bill for any access from the station to the stadium.

Pompey held a meeting with city stakeholders and were heartened by the desire to work towards the regeneration of the area surrounding their home.

And Catlin explained those hopes were further boosted with Network Rail coming to the table, before focus turned to battling Covid-19.

The Blues are now hoping those discussions can be continued when focus moves away from more pressing matters.

Catlin said: ‘It was a shame because before the break started we were building momentum.

‘Now who knows what the economy is going to look like when we come out the other side of this?

‘We were speaking and making some real progress.

‘That was certainly the case in terms of Network Rail who had started inviting us to wider group meetings, which was a breakthrough.

‘They’ve now all had to be cancelled, but hopefully when this is all over we can carry on where we left off.

‘Prior to anyone hearing the name of coronavirus it seemed to be stepping up between us and Network Rail.

‘There was more openness and frequency of contact, although that was short of any commitment to do anything.

‘But they were looking at ways to work with us and help us - there seemed to be that desire.

‘Hopefully as we come out of the other side of this we can build on that goodwill.’

More immediate issues with keeping Pompey’s home operational have also been affected by the coronavirus crisis.

And Catlin can now envisage logistical issues on that front, if a possible scenario of a limited period of time between finishing this season and starting the next comes is realised.

That may mean planned works this summer are also out on the backburner amid an uncertain period moving forward.

Catlin added: ‘We were pulling everything together.

‘But with the season and potentially only a two-week gap (between seasons) there’s very little we can do in terms of booking in constructors to do what we had planned for the summer.

‘That was predominantly health and safety work which continues to be done.

‘In the current climate that’s proving to be a bit of a nightmare.’