Portman Road

Portman Road

The Cobbold Stand, formerly known as the Portman Stand, was constructed in 1971
Full name	Portman Road Stadium
Location	Ipswich, Suffolk
Coordinates	52°3′18.22″N 1°8′41.39″E / 52.0550611°N 1.1448306°E / 52.0550611; 1.1448306Coordinates: 52°3′18.22″N 1°8′41.39″E / 52.0550611°N 1.1448306°E / 52.0550611; 1.1448306
Owner	Ipswich Borough Council
Capacity	30,311
Field size	112 by 82 yards (102 m × 75 m)
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	1884
Expanded	2002
Tenants
Ipswich Town F.C.

Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003. It has staged several other sporting events, including athletics meetings and international hockey matches. In addition, musical concerts and Christian events have been held at the ground.

The stadium underwent significant redevelopments in the early 2000s, which increased the capacity from 22,600 to a current figure of 30,311, making it the largest capacity football ground in East Anglia. Each of its four stands have since been converted to all-seater, following the recommendations of the Taylor Report. Also located at the ground are conference and banqueting facilities, the Sir Bobby Robson Suite, Legends Bar and a club store selling Ipswich Town merchandise.

Ipswich played their early matches at Broomhill Park, but in 1884, the club moved to Portman Road and have played there ever since. The ground was also used as a cricket pitch during the summer by the East Suffolk Cricket Club who had played there since 1855. The cricket club had erected a pavilion, the first fixed building at the ground. More substantial elements of ground development did not begin for a further 11 years, though Ipswich became one of the first clubs to implement the use of goal nets in 1890. At this time, Ipswich were an amateur side (the team became professional in 1936) and the first visit of a professional club came in 1892, when Preston North End played a Suffolk County Football Association team. This was followed six years later by a visit from Aston Villa, a game which was so popular that a temporary stand was erected in order to accommodate a crowd of around 5,000. In 1901, a tobacco processing plant was built along the south edge of the ground by the Churchman brothers, a name which would later become synonymous with the south stand located there.