And the Blues owner has made it clear it’s introducing a footbridge to ensure fans’ safety as part of the Fratton area’s regeneration, in tandem with the need for expanded Fratton Park capacity, the scheme hangs on.
Eisner has come out on the front foot over the regeneration of the area surrounding his club’s home – criticising Network Rail for refusing to work with the city and key stakeholders over the plans.
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan last night reaffirmed his commitment to the project, with The Pompey Centre developers M7 Real Estate and Portsmouth City Council also on board.
Eisner and members of the Pompey board had previously intimated it would be a stretch for a new North Stand with hotel, wedding and conference facilities to become reality before reaching the top flight.
Director Andy Redman stated in April last year the club would need to be in the Premier League, while offering context it was hard to definitively say when it could happen.
Eisner himself admitted his previous answers on the subject broadly echoed those sentiments, but feels it’s not Pompey’s place in the football pyramid which is the key factor in unlocking redevelopment.
The American billionaire feels the project can be funded, but it’s the footbridge which would service a new broadway which is fundamental to it being realised.
Then a stand which could take capacity at Fratton Park somewhere between 25-30,000 could arrive with the demand for that among the fanbase.
Eisner told The News: ‘We’ll do it (build the North Stand) when the environment tells us to do it.
‘It could be well before the Premier League.
‘I don’t know when we will be in the Premier League, but it really relates to the bridge, to the pressure on us for more seats for the fans.
‘It’s the hotel we’ll open, for the wedding and business (conference centre) it all has to come together.
‘I have said in the past we won’t do it until we get to the Premier League, but that was to push it off.
‘It really doesn’t wait for that (getting to the Premier League), it waits for all the other things to happen.’
