Coventry City Manager Frank Lampard Reflects on Fratton Park Ahead of Managerial Debut

Frank Lampard, currently the manager of Coventry City, is anticipating his inaugural visit to “old fashioned” Fratton Park in a managerial capacity. This follows numerous positive experiences at the venue during his playing career, including converting a penalty for Chelsea against Pompey in September 2008. Speaking to BBC CWR in advance of Saturday’s lunchtime match between Portsmouth and the Sky Blues, Lampard shared his admiration for the venue. He stated, “It’s a great football stadium,” adding, “One of the old ones that has that bit of character about it. I played there a few times. And you always felt the atmosphere of the stadium.” He further commented, “It’s an old-fashioned stadium – but it’s nice to have a few of those still around.” Lampard also reflected on the unique environment of such grounds: “That’s part of the game when you go to these stadiums. The players understanding that, if you give their fans what they want, they’ll be active and affect the game. “I felt that as a player and that’s on us to try to take that away from them.” During his tenure as a Chelsea player, Lampard achieved significant success at Fratton Park. Across six distinct visits, his team emerged victorious on every occasion, with Lampard personally contributing three goals. Notably, Chelsea maintained a clean sheet in all these matches. Furthermore, in three of those six victories, the opposing home manager was Frank’s Uncle, Harry Redknapp. These familial connections will not be a factor in the upcoming fixture. Nevertheless, having secured two wins in his initial four matches as the Sky Blues’ manager, Lampard is evidently keen to extend his undefeated record at Fratton Park.