From 19th to 11th in four games: Pompey eye the play-offs as they visit leaderless Burnley
Wednesday 28 October 2026 · By Harry Ellwood
Portsmouth’s 2–1 win over Millwall on Saturday made it 10 points from four games, lifting them from 19th to 11th in the Championship. They are on 18 points, two off the top eight, and Adrian Segecic believes there is “no reason” they cannot push for the play-offs.
Millwall’s Metcalfe scored after six minutes, but Portsmouth levelled after 16 when Lyndon Dykes put a Segecic free-kick into his own net, and Waddingham won it after 82 minutes. Storm Boelo hit the south coast, and 20,476 watched. John Mousinho was candid on the club’s website: “This is the first time this season we’ve got away with one. We were lucky to nick the win.”
Segecic spoke to BBC Radio Solent on Tuesday: “After the result I think that we can definitely achieve where we want to be – play-offs and competing at the top of the table.” Since a 1–0 loss at Southampton on 11 October, Pompey have beaten Sheffield United, Norwich and Millwall and drawn at Wolves. They have three wins and a draw in their last four games, form DLWWDW. Segecic has three goals and one assist in 13 appearances in all competitions, according to the BBC.
The next test is at Burnley on Saturday 31 October, kick-off 15:00 GMT. The hosts are 22nd on eight points, still without a head coach after sacking Nicky Hayen on 24 October. Pompey then host Swansea on Tuesday 3 November, kick-off 19:45 GMT.
Fratton Park is a proper old English ground squeezed into the streets of Portsmouth, a short walk from Fratton station. Capacity sits a little over 20,800. The pitch runs east to west, which is unusual in this country, so the goals sit in front of the two ends rather than the long stands. Visiting supporters are housed in the Milton End, the orange stand on the east side of the plan above. The noisy home end is the opposite goal: the taller Fratton End to the west.
Away coaches are usually dropped behind the North Stand. From there it is a short walk down the side of that stand to the Milton End turnstiles on Specks Lane, off Goldsmith Avenue. On a Saturday those gates tend to open around 1.30pm; for a midweek kick-off expect them from about 6.15pm. The approach is tight and residential, so allow extra time if you are walking from the station or a city-centre pub. Signage is clear once you are on Goldsmith Avenue.
The Milton End is the smallest stand and was once an open terrace. It now has a roof, rail seating in places, and better toilets and kiosks than older guides describe, but it is still a converted bank with a steep drop. You climb about 27 steps with handrails to the back row and around 42 down to the front. Rows nearest the pitch have limited leg room and a wall that makes life awkward if you are under about 5ft 4in. Sit higher if you can: the view of both goals is cleaner and you stay under the roof. Support pillars can pinch the sightline in some seats, so if you have a choice, avoid hugging a column.
Standard away allocations are often around 1,400, rising toward the whole end (roughly 2,800–3,200) when demand is high. Segregation can put home fans in the same stand, usually toward the South Stand side, with a buffer between the two groups. Atmosphere from the Fratton End carries straight across the pitch; Pompey crowds are loud but the ground has a reputation for being firm rather than nasty with visitors. Stewards will expect you to stay in your section. Musical instruments need prior agreement with the club.
There is no alcohol on sale in the Milton End because the kiosks sit in view of the pitch. Soft drinks and standard match-day food are available behind the stand. Fratton Park is cashless, so bring a card. Women’s toilets sit by the entry turnstiles; men’s are a climb toward the seats. Ground-level accessible toilets and catering in the away end are limited. A handful of visiting wheelchair spaces are allocated through your club; they have sometimes been sited away from the Milton End, so check with Portsmouth’s disability liaison officer before you travel.
The South Stand, along the near touchline if you are looking from the Milton End toward the right, is the 1925 Archibald Leitch stand with the mock-Tudor facade on Frogmore Road, the tunnel and the dugouts. The North Stand opposite is the largest, two-tier home stand and includes family blocks. Do not try to use home turnstiles. The designated away pub in many club notes is The Good Companion on Eastern Road; several other spots closer to the station fill up early with mixed crowds. Leave time after the whistle: Specks Lane empties slowly and the streets around the ground are narrow.
Fratton Park rewards a bit of homework. Know that your goal is the east one in front of the Milton End, that the walk in involves stairs, and that the noise from the Fratton End will be in your face for ninety minutes. Get in early, take a higher seat, and you will see a compact, characterful Championship ground that still feels like a football ground rather than a bowl.