After spending 22 years outside of the English football premier league, Ipswich Town made a triumphant comeback to the league on Saturday. The Tractor Boys advanced automatically, defeating Leeds United 2-0 in their victory over Huddersfield Town. With Ipswich, Kieran McKenna has now received back-to-back promotions after finishing second in League One the previous season.Since they were last in the Premier League in 2002, a lot has changed at their home stadium, Portman Road. in a construction expenditure of more than £22 million, Ipswich expanded the capacity of both the north and south stands in the beginning of the 2000s. This increased the stadium’s total capacity to around 30,000. The concourses have undergone renovations recently, and in the southeast corner of the venue, safe standing areas and an LED screen have been installed. A comprehensive guide of Portman Road is provided here in advance of the 2024–2025 Premier League season.
The location of Portman Road is southwest of Ipswich’s downtown. By bus, rail, or automobile, getting there is simple. From the A12/A14 Copdock interchange, driving to the stadium takes about fifteen minutes. Once at the interchange, proceed a few miles along the A1214, also known as London Road, until you arrive at the town center. Proceed past Sainsbury’s and turn onto West End Road after this. After a quarter of a mile, make a left turn onto Sir Alf Ramsey Way to reach the ground. On the club website, Ipswich Town offers a detailed advice on parking at Portman Road.
The stadium is situated in the town center, ten minutes’ walk from Ipswich station. The journey takes slightly more than an hour, and there is a regular service from London Liverpool Street Station. In addition, if you are coming from somewhere that passes in that direction, you can go from Peterborough to Ipswich. You can also check train schedules and delays on the Greater Anglia website. Two park and ride buses are also located close to the stadium. London Road is home to one of these, while Martlesham Park & Ride is situated close to the A12 in the vicinity of Woodbridge. Buses run from here to the same West End Road and Princes Street drop-off and pick-up locations; it’s a short walk to the grounds.
On one side of the field, in the Cobbold Stand’s upper tier, are the away fans at Portman Road. The away section at Ipswich can accommodate close to 2,000 away fans and is renowned for fostering a positive atmosphere during important games. Visiting fans have varying views, with the poorest views being from the back of the stadium. It is advisable to attempt and secure a seat further forward in the away end at Ipswich due to the possibility of restricted views caused by pillars at the back of the Cobbold Stand. Standing is usual in the away section due to the notoriously small legroom, especially for those near the rear of the upper deck. Usually, stewards push supporters to the front.
The Riverside (Station) Hotel is the primary away bar for away fans. This bar features a garden, TV screens playing live sports, and is close to the main railway station. Most of the bars are reserved for home supporters alone and are closer to the ground. Prior to kickoff, the police normally issue a statement outlining plans for home and away fan pub allocations. Away supporters have also made trips to the town center’s Dove Street Inn and the Lord Nelson on Fore Street in previous campaigns. In the 2016–17 campaign, Ipswich opened a fanzone directly outside the stadium. However, ticket checks are required at the door, and outside fans are not permitted into the fanzone.
Ipswich declared in March 2022 that they would construct a new pitch in preparation for the 2023–2024 campaign. Over the course of a 46-game campaign, the new surface was intended to increase drainage and longevity. When the installation of a new pitch was announced back in 2022, Mark Ashton, the CEO of Ipswich, stated:
“The quality and effectiveness of the pitch are crucial. Kieran McKenna, the coaches, backroom personnel, and the players value it since it significantly improves performance.
I must emphasize that although the order for the pitch will be placed very soon, it will not be installed in time for the upcoming season. We really don’t have enough time to finish the pitch this summer due to the additional infrastructural work that needs to be done at Portman Road. “We intend to begin installing the pitch in about a year, and we’re applying for a breakthrough in the South-East corner.” The fact that the pitch will be modern is crucial since the Club has never had a pitch like that at Portman Road. The finest kind of pitch will be installed, and it will benefit the Club for a very long time.”
On August 9, 2023, Ipswich played Bristol Rovers in the League Cup, and the new surface was finished in time. A new GrassMax hybrid stitched surface pitch with 3% artificial grass and new undersoil heating were installed as part of the pitch refurbishment. After the project was finished in the summer of 2023, Ipswich published a timelapse film showing the construction of the Portman Road pitch project.
After being promoted to the Premier League in 2000, Ipswich made a major investment announcement for both the north and south stands. At a cost of more than £22 million, 4,000 more seats were added to the stadium at either end, increasing the total capacity to over 30,000. Following the death of Sir Bobby Robson in 2009, the club renamed the North Stand the Sir Bobby Robson Stand later that year. Robson was a former manager of both Ipswich and England. The Sir Alf Ramsey Stand was the new moniker given to the other end three years later.
Upgrades to Portman Road were announced when it was revealed that Gamechanger 20 Limited had acquired a majority share in the East Anglian club in April 2021. Not long after the consortium bought the club, safe standing sections were installed and renovations were made to the concourses. In addition, an LED screen was installed in the stadium’s southeast corner, along with upgrades to the staff dugouts.
In the future, Portman Road is expected to receive additional upgrades. This includes building a hotel, an aquatic center, and a brand-new multi-story parking structure. The Cobbold Stand would be replaced as part of these proposals in order to upgrade the stadium’s amenities and double its capacity. Regarding the Portman Road area master plan, Ashton stated:
“A significant amount of work has been undertaken at the Portman Road grounds over the last three years, with visible improvements to our home during that time, and we are proud to have an average attendance of nearly 29,000 this season.
“The redevelopment of the Cobbold Stand and an increase in capacity has been part of our long-term masterplan for the stadium and, while it must be stressed no work is imminent, we are pleased to have been able to work with Ipswich Borough Council to identify the required land to make this possible.”
The news that US-based Bright Path Sport has acquired a 40% share in the club in March 2024 will aid these renovation efforts. As a result, ORG’s 90% ownership position in the club was lowered to 50%. Smaller investing groups, including the Three Lions, own the remaining 10%.