A wooden bleacher called "The Chicken Run" was built along the side of the pitch in 1906. Four years later, two amateur England international games were played at Portman Road. The First World War led the British Army to use the ground for training. A lot of work had to be done to repair the pitch when they left in 1920. During the 1920s, the ground hosted greyhound races to raise money. In 1936, when Ipswich Town F.C. turned professional, the cricket club left the ground.