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 LFW Travel Guides - Eastlands, Manchester CityTue 14th Aug 2012 19:11 by Clive Whittingham Ticket details have been released for QPR’s first TV fixture of the new season at Manchester City. Read on for the usual tips on pubs, trains and coach travel.
Ground Name: Eastlands Capacity: 48,000 Address: Rowsley Street, Manchester, M11 3FF Main Telephone No: 0161 444 1894
By Car: QPR fans should be pretty well practised at this M1 and M6 route to the north west from Loftus Road by now. It’s 205 miles from Shepherds Bush and exactly four hours at the speed limit according to the AA. On this occasion we leave the M6 at junction 19, follow the A556 and then the M56 towards Stockport and join the M60 heading on towards Ashton Under Lyne. Leave that motorway at junction 23 and take the A635 towards Manchester and then the A662 towards Droylsden and Manchester for three miles with the stadium (hopefully) turning up on your right. Map:
Click the map to visit Google and zoom in or tour around and use Street View. Parking: Unlike most new stadiums Eastlands does actually have half decent provision for car parking. A large facility at the stadium usually still has spaces a couple of hours before kick off, although at a rather steep price of £10 a car that’s hardly surprising. It’s an absolute pig to get out of afterwards too by all accounts. Many local businesses undercut that price and the K2 car park at the junction of the A635 and A6010 offers a spot for £7 and easy access back onto the trunk roads afterwards with a ten minute walk to the stadium. Residents parking schemes operate on all streets within a mile of the ground. By Train: A Saturday evening fixture means plenty of options during the day, but only one coming back, and that means prepare to be rinsed by Virgin Trains. There are three trains an hour heading north from Euston, on the hour and at 20 and 40 minutes past. £18 single tickets are still available on most services after 10.00 with a journey time of two hours and nine minutes. Coming back you only have one option – the 20.35 from Manchester Piccadilly arriving back at 23.02 and the cheapest ticket available on that is £37.10. From Piccadilly you can get a local service to Ashburys which is a ten to 15 minute walk from the ground (out the station, turn left, go straight on and you arrive at it) or a taxi from the station front, or a bus from Piccadilly Gardens. The guide seems to suggest it’s a bit of a hike to walk but to be honest lwe did it after the game last season and it wasn't too bad - 20 minutes or so. Coach: The official club coach will leave Loftus Road at 10.00 and the Target Roundabout at 10.30. Travel is priced at £32 Adults, £21 Senior Over 60s / Young Adults Under 21, £19 Under 16s with the usual discount for season ticket holders. No details for the LSA coach as yet. Pubs: Not a great deal of choice around the ground with The Stanley, which usually admits the odd away fan, likely to be rammed. The city centre is probably the best bet, with favourite QPR haunt the Lass O’Gowrie likely to do a roaring trade as always. That place apart the choice is pretty limited around Piccadilly and Oxford Road and the guide recommends heading the way of Deansgate and the Printworks near Victoria Station. Tickets: QPR have 1,800 tickets in the lower tier and a further 1,000 upstairs. The upper tier tickets are priced £32 Adults, £17 under 16s and £25 for seniors. Upstairs it’s £30 adults, £17 juniors and £23 seniors. These are on sale from Thursday to season ticket holders with the Super Hoop membership, Friday to renewing season ticket holders without, Monday to new season ticket holders and next Tuesday for members. General sale will follow if there are seats left. Links >>> Detailed guide to Eastlands >>> Official website Tweet @loftforwords Pictures – Action Images
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