York City

by **NIGHTMARE** Thu 1 Apr - 6:06:58

How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
A1 From The South:
Take the A64 to Scarborough and York. When you near York, join the A1237 Ring Road and continue on it until you reach the junction with the A19. Turn right at the junction and take the A19 towards York City Centre and keep going until you get to a pub on your left called the Burton Stone Inn, at which point you turn left into Burton Stone Lane. Then take the first right into Grosvenor Road for the ground.

A1 From the North:
Take the A19 and follow the directions as above.

If you arrive early enough then there is street parking to be found in a number of side roads off Burton Stone Lane. Otherwise you may have to travel a further distance away from the ground as there are a number of residents only parking schemes in operation in the general area, or you could seek out a pay and display car park in the city centre and walk back out to the ground.

By Train
York mainline train station is a good 15-20 minute walk away from the ground. Thanks to John Atkin for providing the following directions from the station to the ground: 'Leave the station and turn left. At the traffic lights turn left into Station Rise. After the Royal Mail HQ turn right into an alley (Do not go into the tunnel under the railway). The railway is now on your left. Follow the footpath down the alley way, over the foot/rail bridge crossing the river and through the car park all with the railway still on your left. Now go under the railway and turn right immediately. You are now in Bootham Terrace with large terraced houses on your left and the railway on your right. At the top of this slight hill you come to a T junction with Bootham (the A19). Turn left, walk about 100 yards and cross the Zebra crossing. Bootham Crescent is straight ahead.
Scenic route: Leave the station and turn Left. Follow the City Walls on your right until you go under them and then continue to follow with them on your left. When they stop, cross the river and continue ahead until the traffic lights (York Minster ahead). Turn left into St Leonards place and follow until the next traffic lights (Art Gallery on left). Turn left and you are on Bootham (A19) Follow this for about a third of a mile passing on your right The Exhibition and Bootham tavern pubs then lots of big Edwardian terraces. Bootham Crescent will appear on your right with a Zebra at the top of it'.

Where To Drink?
There is a supporters club on the corner of the ground, that overlooks the away end. The Club serves a real ale, sometimes supplied by the local York Brewery. Otherwise the nearest pub is the Burton Stone Inn which you should see on the A19 as you near the ground. this is very popular with away fans and this is helped by a large screen showing SKY television in the back room. Going back down the A19 (away from the city centre) on the left there is another pub called the 'Old Grey Mare' which sells Theakstons and was a lot quieter. More or less opposite to this pub (on the other side of the road) is a sandwich shop which sells hot pies for the bargain price of 75p.

What's The Ground Like?
At one end is the David Longhurst Stand, which is a fair sized covered terrace, which has a row of supporting pillars across its front. Opposite is the open terraced Grosvenor Road End, reserved for away supporters. The Main Stand on one side of the ground is the tallest stand at the ground and is a covered all seated affair. This Stand is about two thirds of the size of the pitch in length, with open corners to either side (one of which houses the supporters club). To the rear it has windshields to either side. Again this stand has a number of supporting pillars, as does the all seated Popular Stand opposite. This is a simple affair, being small and covered. On its roof is a television gantry that looks to have been put together with scaffolding. The ground is completed with a set four modern looking floodlight pylons.

What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are placed in the open Grosvenor Road Terrace, where just over 2,000 fans can be accommodated. A further 300 seats are made available to away supporters in the Popular Stand, which unlike the open terrace is at least covered. After paying to enter the terrace and going through a line of stewards who searching most fans going in, you can then pay a £1 transfer fee to go into the seated area. Away fans in both the seats and terracing share the same refreshment kiosk and toilets. The latter for men seem to have been there since the ground opened. The urinals are open air and are of the 'stand up against a brick wall variety', whilst women have a portakabin .