A Rough Guide To Stoke City Monday, 27th Oct 2014 09:02 Saints should be taking a decent following up to Stoke City in the Capital One Cup as it's half term, so for those who haven't been before here is all the information you need. The Britannia Stadium was opened in 1997 and is different to other stadia built in the last 20 years in that it is not a bowl and has openings in three of the corners to allow pitch ventilation etc. Holding just over 28,000 its a decent stadium, but suffers from being well out of town with little around it bar an industrial estate. It is also on a hill and one of the highest grounds in England in regard to sea level etc, this means that it looks good from afar and especially when lit up at night. Getting There By Car Leave the M6 at Junction 15 and then follow signs for the A500 towards Stoke after a few miles follow signs for the A50 towards Derby and then signs for the Britannia Stadium which is to the right of the A50. By Train Stoke Station is over two miles from the ground although there are shuttle buses from Glebe Street just outside the station too and from the ground, otherwise its a taxi or a 35 minute walk. Parking There is some parking available at the Stadium but long delays in getting out after the game, otherwise its a case of using the unnofficial sites provided by industrial units nearby, most though are a 15 minute walk from the stadium. Just off Sir Stanley Matthews Way near the stadium is a Power League complex that allows parking at £4.50 per car. Nearby on Eastern Rise is Longton Rugby Club which also has parking available at £5 per car. Alternatively there are still some parking spaces at various commercial sites between the old Michelin Car park and the site of the old Victoria Ground. Bear in mind though that if you do park in this area then allow a good 20 minutes to walk (mostly uphill) to the stadium. If you are intending parking in this area then from Junction 15 proceed along the A500, passing the junction with the A34. The stadium will appear over on the right and then leave the A500 at the next junction and turn left to go down to this area. One tip though is not to park on wasteland as quite often they are patrolled by private parking enforcement firms and you will more than likely get a ticket The Away Section Situated in the Marstons Pedigree Stand visiting supporters get a section depending on how many travel, inside its the usual selection of beer and food and as you would expect from a recently constructed stadium the concourses are quite spacious and the views from the stand itself are excellent. The downside though is that the stadium is built on high exposed land, add the open corners in the ground and the away section can feel quite exposed to the elements with a bitter wind blowing in winter. There is a compound at the back of the away section and due to a nasty element in the Stoke support, sometimes away supporters are kept in this compound for a while to allow home fans to disperse although this probably wont be the case on Saturday. Drinking etc There is little in the way of pubs etc near the ground or within a 15 minute walk, there is a Holiday Inn and Harvester pub next to the Stadium, and although they do let away fans in they can get very busy so your best getting there early or face being turned away due to being packed. Further on the industrial park there is a "Power league " complex, presumably some sort of indoor football/bowling place that has a bar. For those going by Train, The Terrace Bar on Leek Road is a five minute walk from the station and is the designated away fans pub for those going by train, the shuttle bus's that run from the station also stop outside the pub with a return fare of £3 Capacity: 28,383 (all seated) Address: Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke On Trent, ST4 4EG Main Telephone No: 0871 663 2008 Main Fax No: 01782 367 598 Ticket Office: 01782 367 599 Ticket Office Fax: 01782 592 201 Pitch Size: 115 x 75 yards Team Nickname: The Potters Year Ground Opened: 1997 Home Kit Colours: Red & White Stripes Away Kit Colours: Sky Blue With Blue Sash Shirt Sponsors: Bet 365 Kit Manufacturers: Warrior Official Web Site: www.stokecityfc.com Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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