Our trip to Ashton Gate 18 months ago was our first visit in over a dozen years, so for those of you who haven't been before or even those that have, here is all the info you need to know to have a good trip, off the pitch at least.
The Stadium
Ashton Gate is situated around two miles from the City Centre and the main train station Bristol Temple Meads.
Although it is on the same site as it has always been, there is little left of the ground from the 1990's and what there is, is unrecognisable.
That means it is essentially 4 stands of different architecture, which will please the traditionalists amongst us.
It has a current capacity of 27,000, although it rarely reached these days, last season saw an average of 21,810 and this season their crowds have varied between 21 & 24k.
One quirky fact about the ground is that the tower blocks behind the Dolman Stand ( To your left as you look at the pitch from the away section) may look familiar, they are, these were uses as the outdoor shots for Del Boy's home in the popular sitcom Only Fools & Horses.
The Away Section.
Visiting fans fans are accommodated in the Atyeo Stand behind one of the goals.
The view from their is very good and there are no obstructing pillars, so everyone in the away section has a clear view of the pitch.
The usual food & drink is for sale from a couple of refreshment kiosks both food and alcohol are served before kick-off and at half-time. This end was constructed in 1994, so the concourses are a little more cramped, than in stadiums constructed after this period.
Pubs For Away Fans
There are a lot of Pubs within a fairly short walk of the stadium, although many, especially close to the ground are home fans only, however the following are said to be away fan friendly, although as per usual, some might not let fans in wearing away colours.
The following are said to welcome away fans.
The following pubs are all recommended for away fans before a match at Ashton Gate:
The Rose of Denmark – 6 Dowry Pl, Howell, Bristol, BS8 4QL
Avon Packet – 185-187 Coronation Rd, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1RF
Nova Scotia – 1 Nova Scotia Place, Bristol, BS1 6XJ
Pravha Lounge – Ashton Gate Stadium, Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2EJ
Getting There.
By Car
There are several driving options, you can take the M3 to Winchester and then the A34 to the M4 north of Newbury, following this until reaching the M32 and heading towards Bristol, although be prepared to meet heavy traffic as you are approaching from the North and Ashton Gate is in the South of the City, so you would need to go through the centre.
An alternative route would be to take the A36 to Salisbury and then follow signs to Bath and subsequently Bristol, this is shorter, 75 miles as opposed to 103 via the M4, but can take longer depending on traffic as less than half of the route is not even dual carriageway and there are potential bottlenecks at Salisbury & Bath.
Also be aware that Bath City are at home to AFC Totton, so this could make it a little busier in Bath than usual given you would drive within 200 metres of Twerton Park home of Bath City.
Parking at the ground itself is for permit holders only and as usual near to the ground has parking restrictions on matchdays, so it is a question of finding nearby private parking options or parking a little further from the stadium.
Ashton Gate SAT NAV: BS3 2EJ.
By Train
You can get there by direct train from Southampton, but you can't get back again on the same night, so the only people getting the train will probably be those who are staying overnight.
Bristol Temple Meads station is around 2.2 miles from Ashton Gate according to Google maps, so around 45 minutes by foot, so a taxi might be a good option.
Club Facts
Capacity:
27,000 (all seated)
Club Nickname:
The Robins
Year Formed:
1894, (Reformed 1982)
Nicknames:
The Robins, Cider Army.
Pitch Size:
115 x 75 yards
Address:
Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2EJ
Phone:
0117 963 0600
Pitch Type:
Grass
Record attendance
43,335 vs Preston North End
FA Cup 5th Round, 16 February 1935.
Modern all-seated attendance record for Bristol City
26,088 vs Manchester United
League Cup Quarter Final, 20 December 2017.
Average attendances
2024-25: 22,303 (Championship)
2023-2024: 22,862 (Championship)
2022-2023: 20,255 (Championship)
2021-2022: 15,813 (Championship)
2020-2021: N/A (Covid)
2019-2020: 21,810 (Championship)
With thanks to footballgroundguide.com for filling in the gaps, visit there for more information.