About stadium

Stadium introduction

Portman Road has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C since 1884, making it one of the oldest grounds in Britain which is still in use today. Previously in the club’s formative years, the Tractor Boys had played at Bloomhill Park however the facilities were regarded as being better at Portman Road as it had a pavilion courtesy of the cricket club. It wasn’t until 1936 that Ipswich Town would become professional, and the inaugural league match was played on 27th August 1938 against Southend United. At this point the cricket club left the ground, and stadium began to develop solely as a footballing ground with the capacity peaking at just under 40,000 in the 1970s. The record attendance of 38,010 was set against Leeds United in the 1974 world cup, however the Safety of Sports Grounds Act which was introduced the following year reduced this to 34,600. To counter this The West Stand was expanded in 1980 at a cost of £1.3 million with the help of Pioneer who purchased the naming rights. This move backfired however as it plunged the club into debt, forcing the club to sell some of its star player to cover the costs and the publication of the Taylor Report in 1990 inadvertently dated the work. After the ground was fully converted to all-seating in the early 1990s, Portman Road stayed as it was until the club earned promotion to the Premier League in 2000. Receiving a financial windfall in television rights and increased gate receipts, £22 million was invested in rebuilding the north and south stands which gave Portman Road an improved 30,000 capacity. As for the future of Ipswich’s ground there are currently neither any plans for redevelopment or relocation. There is a lot of history preserved within the four stands of Portman Road, and for a lot of fans it would be a shame to lose it. This is why the move to rename stands after Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsay in recent years have proved popular with fans.

How to get to the Stadium

Portman Rd, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DA