Pompey's ground will feature in famous game
Pompey are proud and honoured to learn the club’s Fratton Park stadium will feature in the release of the legendary EA SPORTS console game, FIFA 16.
Normally only clubs from the world’s top leagues, including the Barclays Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, have their grounds featured in the EA SPORTS game
But Fratton Park has been added as a unique tribute to one of the game’s developers, who died earlier this year.
Simon Humber, creative director of the FIFA series, passed away in April after a brave fight with cancer.
He was a huge fan of Pompey and in tribute to him, the FIFA team have included Fratton Park in FIFA 16.
Club director and friend of Simon, Ashley Brown, said: “Everyone at Pompey is honoured that Fratton Park will appear in FIFA 16 and I know Simon would be ever so proud to see his club featured in this way.
“He would no doubt hope that it helps spread the word about his beloved club. Simon was well-known among Pompey fans – his love of life, humorous and caring character ensured he was loved by all who met him.
“His passion for Pompey, the FIFA game and football in general was infectious and as such he leaves a legacy of having made a hugely positive impact across all three.”
Tom Henderson, content & partnerships manager at EA SPORTS, explained how the project came about: “As development for FIFA 16 was hitting its stride after Simon’s untimely death, the team at EA Canada started working with the club to include Fratton Park as a tribute to Simon.
“From visiting the site to interacting with ground staff, the aim was to make sure that the 117-year-old stadium was authentically replicated in the game.”
And Tom added there would also be a subtle tribute to Simon, who was originally from the Isle of Wight, inside the virtual stadium.
He said: “When playing FIFA 16, if you look towards the goalmouth you will notice a wreath laid to honour Simon, just as the club and its supporters did in an incredible gesture earlier in May.”
During his time at Electronic Arts, Simon worked on a number of games, including as lead producer on 2010 FIFA World Cup and creative director on the more recent FIFA releases.
David Rutter, vice president and general manager of EA SPORTS FIFA, added: “In terms of his legacy within FIFA, Simon was the daddy of Ultimate Team, and played a big role in career mode – many of the features coming this year were ones he was leading development on.”
To find out more about FIFA 16, follow @EASPORTSFIFA #FIFA16 on Twitter or visit the game’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/easportsfifa