Travel hints and tips, where to drink and ticket details for the final QPR away game of the season at Barnsley this Saturday.
Ground Name: Oakwell
Capacity: 23 009 (all seated)
Address: Grove Street, Barnsley, S71 1ET
Main Telephone No: 01226 211 211
Fax No: 01226 211 444
By Car: Very easy on paper - leave the M1 at junction 37 and take the A628 towards Barnsley and eventually the ground appears on the right (it's well signposted as well). However the M1 has a couple of sets of major roadworks en route with the dreaded average speed check in place. I’m not sure if the Luton ones are finished or not but the carriageway widening past Nottingham is in full swing basically from East Midlands Airport right up to Alfreton at Junction 28 so allow a bit of extra time for that.
Map:
Click on the map to visit the Multimap site where you can zoom in and out or tour around.
Parking: There's more than enough parking at the Metrodome Leisure Centre and in the adjacent field (although that can be quite tricky in wet weather) - these are both within spitting distance of the away end turnstiles.
By Train: Two ways to do it from London. Kings Cross to Doncaster with a further change at Meadowhall or St Pancras to Sheffield and change there. There are three trains an hour from both Sheffield and Meadowhall to Barnsley – the semi fast service to Leeds, a slow one to Leeds and an extremely slow one to Huddersfield. At the time or writing the best time/prices available are the 0855 from St Pancras which arrives at Sheffield at 1104 and then out to Barnsley at 1118 arriving at 1140 although you can catch whatever train you like from Sheffield right up to 1351 and still make the kick off and it’s a better place to drink – there is now a superb bar at Sheffield station called the Sheffield tap doing more than 100 different varieties of beer and ale. Going back you can leave Sheffield at 1827 and travel for £51 return first class or 1947 and travel for £45 – first class there, standard class coming back. they arrive into London at 2037 and 2109 respectively. The ground is a five minute walk from the station – come off the north bound platform and cross the tracks via the level crossing at the bottom. Walk straight on under the flyover and then straight on again over the brow of the hill to the ground on the other side.
Pubs: Barnsley can be quite tasty when it wants to be although there has rarely been a problem on our visits since the late 1990s. Still it's advisable to avoid the pubs in the town centre around the bus station and train station if you're an away fan. Everybody I know has used the bar in the Metrodome leisure centre which is a five minute walk from the ground and the station and offers crap food and parking. It's not going to win any pub of the year awards - it overlooks a swimming pool for heaven's sake - but it's safe and normally there's a good load of Rangers in there. Expect plastic glasses and even worse burgers. Chips to be avoided.
Tickets: Rangers have a massive 6000 unreserved seats for this one, and the remaining tickets have now been returned to Barnsley for sale on the day. It’s priced £20 adults, £12 under 18s and over 60s. The official supporters coach is leaving Loftus Road at 9am and will cost £31 for adults, £20 for seniors and young adults, and £18 for juniors.
Links:
Detailed fans' guide to Oakwell