Seven changes visible to fans at Portman Road

The away section has been extended past the halfway line at Portman Road

There are currently 104 projects under way to prepare Portman Road for Ipswich Town's first season in the Premier League since 2002. Here's a rundown of some of the changes visible to fans who attended Saturday's pre-season friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf.

1. Safe standing

Safe standing rails have been added to the Cobbold Stand

The Cobbold Stand - built in the early 1970s and the oldest stand at Portman Road - has been the focus for much of the work.

One change has seen the introduction of safe standing areas at the ground for the first time.

The safe standing rails have been added to some seats in both the away end and in part of the home section.

Fans of the German club tied club banners to the safe standing barriers at Saturday's match

2. Increased capacity in the away end

A small glass screen has also been installed along the second tier of the Cobbold Stand, above the executive boxes

Under Premier League rules, Portman Road is required to host close to 3,000 supporters next year - an increase of almost a third on the previous allocation.

A total of about 800 season ticket holders have had their seats moved as part of the changes, including some in the top tier of the Cobbold Stand.

The extended away end has seen a vomitory used to enter the stand filled in, with extra seats placed over it.

Seats in the corner of the lower tier of the Cobbold Stand have been removed and are being replaced

Meanwhile, glass screens have also been added to the top tier of the stand for safety reasons. Last season, a Maidstone United fan tumbled from the top to the bottom tier while celebrating one of his team's goals in an FA Cup upset.

3. Media facilities and the press box

The press box has been extended and moved forward at the top of the West Stand

BBC Radio Suffolk’s Brenner Woolley commentated on some memorable moments from back-to-back promotions from the press box in the West Stand over the past two seasons.

This is in the process of being upgraded to allow for increased capacity, and has been moved further down the third tier of the stand.

Season ticket holders who had sat there are also among the approximate number of 800 who have been asked to move to other areas of the stadium.

In the middle tier, work is also being carried out on the directors’ box, with new seating arrangements.

Scaffolding has been put up between the second and third tiers of the West Stand as part of the improvements to the media facilities

4. New TV gantries and studio

The control tower at Portman Road will have a TV studio added above the existing structure following Town’s first home game

The Premier League is covered from all angles by broadcasters, meaning new TV gantries need to be added around Portman Road. They will also be used by video assistant referees, which will be Town's first experience of VAR.

In an interview with the club's in-house channel TownTV, chief executive Mark Ashton said there would be up to 47 cameras dotted around the stadium - a massive increase on the current five or six.

This is another work in progress, although one extra viewing point has already been added next to the control room.

An extra gantry has been added in the corner of the West Stand, next to the control room

More work is planned in that area after Town's opening day fixture against Liverpool on 17 August, with a TV studio due to be installed on top of the existing control room structure in the weeks that follow.

A TV studio is due to be built on top of the existing control room after Ipswich's opening day fixture against Liverpool

5. Work on the Sir Alf Ramsey stand

Extra seating will be added to the front of the top tier of the Sir Alf Ramsey stand

This stand had a second tier added to it during Town's last stint in the Premier League.

Two years ago a giant screen was added in the corner, along with digital advertising boards that were also installed around the stadium.

Now further work is under way.

More digital advertising boards will be added to the middle tier, as is planned with the Sir Bobby Robson stand at the opposite end.

Extra seating is also due to be added at the front of the top tier to squeeze more fans in the stadium, which had a capacity of just under 30,000 last season.

Currently there are bare rows with the seating yet to be added.

In addition, a Sir Alf Ramsey stand sign has been added to the roof, along with some space for sponsorship boards.

Work is also planned on the back of the stand, with an illuminated Ipswich Town sign set to be added in the next few weeks, visible to those arriving in the town at the railway station.

6. More executive boxes

Extra executive boxes are being added to the West Stand

In his interview with Town TV, Ashton said he never understood why the West Stand was not finished after being built in the mid 1980s.

Now work is under way to add more executive suites to the stand to fill in the gap.

Materials have been piled up ready to complete the work.

7. A lick of paint

White paint has been added to each step at the stadium

Some of the work is major - some is much more superficial.

In a simple yet noticeable change, white paint has been added to all of the steps at the stadium, adding to the blue and white theme.

Meanwhile, various vomitories have been painted black.

In his TownTV interview, Ashton said: "All of the stadium steps have been repainted. Black vomitories, white steps, just to give that cleaner, crisp look."

Vomitories around the stadium have been painted black

While some projects are visible within the stadium, many more are taking place behind the scenes.

This includes revamping the home and away dressing rooms, as well as facilities for officials, plus creating a new media suite for press conferences, upgrading the reception area and creating a new "mixed area" for players and media.

New bars, a players' lounge and areas to display club memorabilia around the stadium are being created. Investment is also going into brighter floodlights.

Ashton told TownTV the various projects represented the biggest set of infrastructure work to be carried out at the stadium since the 1970s.