Weather permitting Rangers travel to Nottingham tomorrow to face Forest. Here are the usual hints and tips for those planning on making the journey.
Ground Name: The City Ground
Capacity: 30, 602 (all seated)
Address:City Ground, Nottingham, NG2 5FJ
Main Telephone No: 0115 982 4444
Ticket Office: 0871 226 1980
By Car:
Most of the guides and sat navs will recommend junction 24 of the M1 and then the A453 towards Nottingham followed by the A52 east towards Grantham and then the A6011 into the city - the ground is along that road. The A453 is a renowned pain in the arse though so you could possibly try junction 25 and then the A52 Brian Clough Way that connects Nottingham and Derby into town. Possibly a better bet is leaving the M1 at junction 21a (Leicester east) and following the A46 towards Newark for 20 miles, then the A606 towards Nottingham, join the A52 using the fourth exit at the roundabout junction between the two roads and then it’s onto the A6011 into town as above. I’d do that personally.
Map:
Click map to visit Multi Map site and zoom in/out or tour round.
Parking:
There is a large car park at the ground apparently but I have never had any problems finding street parking around and about the City Ground. There is also a £3 council car park on matchdays on the Victoria embankment near the cricket ground.
By Train
If you haven’t booked a train ticket yet you may well be in luck - first class travel to Nottingham is currently available for £48 return based on buying two advance singles, leaving at 1030 and coming back at 1728. That’s on East Midlands Trains from St Pancras. The £24 single on the way up is actually the cheapest ticket, you could save £4 by buying a standard class ticket back but it doesn’t make much difference. Nottingham was good enough to build all their sporting arenas in one place - easy walking distance from the station. Come out of the main exit and turn left and left again, walk down to the dual carriageway and then turn right and follow it down past Notts County on the left and over the River Trent by which point the ground should be clearly visable on your left.
Pubs:
Nottingham means only one thing for many Rangers fans - Hooters. I still remember coming back on a packed train from Mansfield with QPR fans jumping up and down singing “three stops to Hooters” - honestly show a QPR fan a pair of tits... Anyway it has moved, but not far, just turn left coming out of the station instead of right. If skantly clad, busty young ladies serving beer isn’t your thing then there is a vast array of chain places in the city centre. The Larwood and Voce next to the cricket ground that used to be a regular away fans’ pub is now home fans only which means most travelling fans are now directed to the Wheeler Bar at Notts County’s ground which will have the lunchtime Sky match on and serves snacks.
Tickets:
Rangers have just over 2000 tickets for this one although I believe this can be increased on the day to nearer 4000. Tickets are priced £25 adults, seniors £19, students £12 and under 16s £1. Tickets increase by £2 if bought on matchday and the queues at the Forest ticket office are notorious.
Links:
Official Forest Website
Detailed fans' guide to The City Ground