Saints head off to East Anglia on Saturday for a visit to Carrow Road home of the Canaries of Norwich City, probably easier to fly there than go by train.
The Ground
Carrow Road is one of those grounds, Molyneaux being another where although it stands on the same spot it always has, has been completely redeveloped over the years so that in effect it could be called a new stadium, certainly its entirely different than the first time I visited in August 1978 to witness Saints return to the top flight.
Now its a compact ground holding 27,220 officially, although in practice a full house would be slightly below that..
All in all though Carrow Road is a decent ground that being relatively small can generate a decent atmosphere. The Club have intimated in the past however that if they were to stay in the Premier league for an extended period, then they would build a new 12,000 capacity stand on one side of the ground raising the capacity to around 35,000, the foundations are also in place to build a second tier on the South Stand which could add another 4,000 seats if required, certainly Norwich's policy of building a hard core support that doesn't change week in week out means they are now ready to take a step forward, however they should look at Middlesbrough as proof that adding extra seats to a full ground sometimes has the opposite effect than that you intend.
The Away Section
Situated at one end of the South Stand, the normal allocation is 2,500 and the view is pretty decent from here, the catering is excellent and the club even bakes its own pies which vary from game to game in their fillings, other than that its the normal football stadia fare.
Getting there
I have been informed that Norfolk is one of the few counties that doesn't have a motorway in it and that perhaps tells you that this isn't the easiest of trips by road, however it has improved a lot over the past decades and is a lot easier than it was 20 years ago.
By Road
M3 and then head onto the M25 in the direction of Heathrow , stay on the M25 till junction 27 with the M11 and then take this road North towards cambridge, at junction 9 head towards Newmarket and then follow signs to Norwich staying on the A11 right into Norwich itself.
Parking
There is a retail and leisure complex next to the ground that may allow parking, but you would need to check the details, otherwise its mainly street parking away from the ground.
Norfolk County Hall however has spaces for 2,000 cars at £6, this is usually where most away fans head, although it does fill up quickly and if yo are not there early it can be a long wait to get out after the game. It is well signposted as you come into the City
By Train
Norwich station is no more than a 5-10 minute walk from the ground, basically turn left out of the station and head towards Morrisons, you will see the ground beyond the retail park.
For those going by train the rail network has major disruption between London & Norwich meaning that you have to go via Kings Cross and change at either Ely or Cambridge, meaning an extended journey time that will be around 4hrs 45 mins in total.
Drinking Eating Etc
The main away pub used to be the Compleat Angler which is just opposite the railway station and situated on the river bank, but the owners got fed up with it being trashed by away fans and now its home fans only.
The designated away pub is now the Stadia Bar on Upper King Street and other options include a Weatherspoons in the riverside shopping complex which can be pleasant on a sunny day with drinkers spilling outside the pub on to the river bank as well as plenty of pubs in the area.
The City centre also offers many pubs but is a 15 minute walk away from the ground.
Feel free to add any tips you might have in the comments section below.
Capacity: 27,220 (all seated)
Address: Carrow Road, Norwich, NR1 1JE
Telephone: 01603 760 760
Fax: 01603 613 886
Ticket Office: 0844 826 1902
Pitch Size: 114 x 74 yards
Club Nickname: The Canaries
Year Ground Opened: 1935
Undersoil Heating: Yes