Analysis: Fratton Park's famous atmosphere to aid Portsmouth's promotion hopes

Portsmouth sit five points clear at the top of League One

Every now and again the quote reappears on social media. Brazilian legend Ronaldinho proclaiming Fratton Park as having one of the "best atmospheres in the world". This a man who's won a World Cup with Brazil, a Champions League with Barcelona and played in most of the world's iconic stadiums.

However, in a world of fake news I've absolutely no idea if it's a genuine quote or not. As far as I know Ronaldinho didn't speak much English and he refused to even sign the programme of one local journalist that night - let alone stop and chat.

In some ways it doesn't really matter, the noise generated at Fratton Park for that famous match against AC Milan in 2008 is rightly legendary. Ronaldinho may or may not still remember his trip to Portsea Island but it's a night few there will ever forget.

But has Fratton Park been creating an unforgettable experience match after match for the past 16 years? No, and it would probably be unrealistic to expect that. There have been brilliant days. The 6-1 win over Cheltenham and the celebrations that followed in 2017. Beating Wigan on Paul Cook's return on Easter Monday in 2018 and a win over Sunderland just before Christmas in 2019 all spring to mind.

Prior to this season Portsmouth had a couple of underwhelming campaigns in League One and there was little sign of "Fortress Fratton". It's not that Pompey couldn't raise themselves against the division's big sides but that there were way too many points dropped against the weaker sides, which often led to a flat atmospheres.

Now, though, things have taken a turn in the right direction. The noise levels for the final few minutes and at the final whistle in the vital 2-1 win over Oxford United were deafening. The atmosphere in the past two midweek games against Cambridge and Burton have both felt loud and hostile. Fratton Park isn't a place that traditionally gives a warm welcome to opposing teams or fans.

There are a few reasons for the improvements. Naturally a winning side sitting top of the league is a big help. The club have reached their limit on the number of season tickets they'll sell and away tickets have been extremely difficult to obtain this season. This is partly down to Pompey's success, but also what feels like a wider trend of more and more people wanting to attend more and more matches.

The completion of the latest round of works at Fratton Park has also assisted things. Michael Eisner's seven-figure investment saw the north and south stands completed relatively quickly, but the new Milton End was also going to take longer. For a while this meant no home supporters could be placed in that stand, which isn't ideal when a number of League One clubs will only bring a few hundred away supporters.

Now it's been completed, when a side bring just 94 visiting supporters like Burton did, the rest of the stand can be filled with Pompey fans. Having home fans behind both goals makes a notable difference. I know of one high-profile manager who was against his club expanding their stadium because he wanted to keep away fans in the side stand, not behind the goal.

Could Portsmouth place away fans somewhere other than behind the goal? That's potentially tricky given the number of season ticket holders in the north and south stands. If Portsmouth are in the Championship next season they can expect much larger and more consistent away followings, so the Milton End is likely to remain predominantly the away end. Though a large away following can inspire even more noise from the home ones.

Derby and Barnsley will come to Fratton Park in the next few weeks for massive games, with promotion potentially riding on the outcome. They are likely to be tight encounters, any small advantage could make a different. The Pompey supporters will definitely be doing their bit.