Our visit to Middlesbrough’s shiny new Riverside Stadium is on Sunday with a 12.15 kick-off, and for the second season running this fixture will be blessed by live TV coverage, but this time it’s live on BBC1.

The best way to get there is to take the A1 up to Darlington and then the A66 exit. Carry on through the centre of Middlesbrough and you will pick up signs for the Riverside Stadium. Although there is no parking available directly at the stadium itself, there are a number of private parks (mostly on waste land) nearby.

If you follow the route marked "away coaches" from the A66, this passes many private car parks along the river, all priced at £4, although these can take up to 45 minutes to clear after the game. The other option is to park in the town centre, which is a 15-20 minute walk from the stadium. Presumably town centre parking will be a bit easier on a Sunday. And with the river Tees being right behind the north stand you might be able to moor your luxury yacht there if you ask them very nicely.

It’s just over a mile from the railway station. From the main station entrance, turn left onto Zetland Road, then left again into Albert Road and carry on under the railway bridge. Turn immediately right into Bridge Street East, going past the Bridge pub (not recommended for away fans) and then take the next right into Wynward Way. The stadium is down this road and you can’t miss it. When the stadium first opened there was talk of building a halt on the site of the former ‘Cargo Fleet’ station (the closest point to the stadium on the railway line) but unfortunately this has never happened.

With the stadium being built in an isolated spot on a post-industrial wasteland there are very few pubs or takeaways nearby, so you will hang around in the town centre before moving onto the Riverside. One recommended pub is Doctor Brown’s, a ten minute walk away from the ground at the bottom of Corporation Road, in the city centre, which pub serves real ale usually has allows both home and away fans.

The riverside was opened in August 1995, as Boro could never bring Ayresome Park up to the standards demanded by the Taylor report, so the site of the old stadium is now a housing estate. The Riverside was built in only 32 weeks, and at the time of it’s opening it was the largest new stadium to be built in this country since the war. The initial capacity was 30,000, though this was increased to 34,988 in 2008, and there is room to expand even further if the need arises in the future.

As with most other modern stadia it lacks character, but the facilities are very nice. The away section is in the south stand and can hold up to 4,500 fans, and there would be good legroom if we ever sat down. There is a good view, but one downside is the concourse is rather narrow, so it can get a little bit crowded. The catering is the usual football ground stuff, and they were also offer a 'pie and a pint deal', so look out for that one.

When the Riverside first opened in the heady days of the Brian Robson era Boro played to excited packed crowds, but in recent years more and more of their fans have taken to disguising themselves as empty seats (and who can blame them). But on their official website Tony Mowbray is saying that with 18,000 tickets already sold the ‘big match atmosphere’ will inspire his team. Boro still have tickets on sale, and they will also be available to Leeds members and season ticket holders, cash only. These will cost £29 for adults, with over 65s paying £19 and under 18s £16.

Enjoy!

Some of this stuff came from www.footballgroundguide.com

Photo: Action Images

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