Portsmouth FC: New Fratton Park North Stand work would cost £35m, club say

A newly-built North Stand at Fratton Park would cost £35m, Portsmouth chief executive Andrew Cullen has told BBC Sport.

Work began earlier this month to upgrade the lower tier but the ambition is to expand the whole stand.

Infrastructure improvements around Fratton Park including transport links would be key to securing planning permission for an increased capacity.

"It's very much at a concept stage at this moment in time," Cullen said.

Key components to helping realise Pompey's ambition of increasing Fratton Park's capacity beyond 25,000 from its existing 19,700 would be a new railway bridge from Fratton Station as well as improved road links around the stadium.

A new North Stand, constructed behind and above the existing structure, would include hotel or residential spaces on land to the rear as well as conferencing, events and exhibition facilities within.

An £11.5m project to upgrade elements of Fratton Park's North Stand lower tier began earlier this month

"For people familiar with the recent expansion of the main stand at Anfield, it would be something very similar to that, increasing the capacity within the existing footprint of the stadium," Cullen told BBC South Today.

"It's fundamentally important we work with all the stakeholders with Portsmouth being an island city to ensure we develop a strong alternative transport plan. That's going to be pivotal in securing any planning permission for an increased capacity.

"But there also have to be infrastructure improvements that aren't just beneficial to the football club, but the whole community, 365 days a year."

A complete expansion of Fratton Park could cost in the region of up to £50m, but Cullen admits there is "a lot of work to do" even with "broad support" for some of the things the club want to do.

"The figures are in place and things are starting to happen now. I think that gives everyone a sense of perspective we can turn dreams into reality with how we've started," Cullen added.