Fratton Park Saturday, October 12th, 1974   Second Division Attendance: 12,520       Portsmouth 0-0 Fulham
1974 /75

Comments :

This was Portsmouth''s first home game after I had arrived in the city to begin a degree course at the Polytechnic. Very impressed straight away by the ground and the fact that you could watch the match from a relatively raised viewpoint on a standing terrace opposite the main stand. This Division2 Pompey side was full of top division players in the twilight of their careers (Alan Stephenson, Chris Lawler, Ron Davies). Thus the football was sedate. Good passing but no pace about the side at all. In perfect playing conditions, and on the best playing surface I had ever seen, the teams played out a yawn-worthy 0-0. My next two visits there also ended 0-0, including the worst game of football I have ever seen, 0-0 v. Blackpool. The other 0-0 was more exciting, when a capacity 38,000 crowd saw Man U, in their one season in Div 2, complete with post-match football violence behind the ground. I still love this ground.