Saints travel up to Stoke City on Saturday with another decent following, here is all the info for those of you going.
The Bet 365 stadium (formerly the Britannia Stadium) was opened in 1997 and was different to other stadia built in the last 20 years in that it was not a bowl and had openings in three of the corners to allow pitch ventilation etc.
However two of these corners have been filled in with seats during the summer increasing the capacity by around 1,800.
Now holding just over 30,000 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 6 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.
After the game they have shuttle buses that run straight back to the station from the compound at the back of the away section.
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.
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 Sharp 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, the open corners of the ground made the away section feel quite exposed to the elements with a bitter wind blowing in winter, it will be interesting to see if this has changed with the changes to the ground.
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 and 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
Another option is the Fenton Bowling Club in the Heron Cross area which is about a 15 minute walk and is just the other side of the A50 from the Brittannia. This is a small club but is very welcoming with a decent range of beer at good prices and limited food including the famous Stoke Oatcake.
Capacity: 30,183 (all seated)
Address: Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke On Trent, ST4 4EG
Telephone: 01782 367 598
Fax: 01782 592210
Ticket Office: 01782 367 599
Pitch Size: 115 x 75 yards
Club Nickname: The Potters
Year Ground Opened: 1997
Shirt Sponsors: bet365
Kit Manufacturer: Macron
Home Kit: Red and White Stripes
Official Web Site: www.stokecityfc.com