Southampton

by **NIGHTMARE** Fri 2 Apr - 20:57:00

How To Get There And Where To Park
From the M3 take the A33 into Southampton. Continue on the A33 until you reach the junction with the A3024 Northam Road and turn left onto this road towards Northam. Then turn right onto the B3038, Britannia Road for the stadium.

There is hardly any parking available at the stadium for away fans (for home fans you can pay £5 for a car parking ticket in advance and park across the road from the stadium) and there are parking restrictions in force for the local area. Most fans seem to be just heading for the city centre car parks and then embarking on the 15-20 minute walk to the stadium. I did this and parked in an NCP car park, which cost £5. I should point out though, that after the game the roads around the city centre become almost grid locked. It took me over an hour to get away afterwards.

'There is a park and ride scheme in operation specifically for away supporters. This is situated just off junction 8 of the M27. The traffic in Southampton really made London look provincial, and I'd definitely not recommend people driving into the centre'. This facility costs �5 per vehicle.

By Train
The stadium is located around one and a half miles away from Southampton station (where there is also quite a large car park), which should take about 30 minutes to walk. There is also a shuttle bus in operation taking fans from the station to the ground. This operates from the Blechynden Terrace bus stop outside the station.

Turn left out of the station' s southern entrance and walk up Western Esplanade, which becomes Civic Centre Road. Remain on the Civic Centre Road and walk between the Civic Centre and the Marlands Shopping Centre. Eventually a crossroads is reached with the Nationwide Building Society on one corner and Lloyds Bank on another. Cross into New Road and follow this road across a park and past a college. Eventually you will reach a complex road junction with a number of traffic lights. Cross Kings Way into Northam Road and follow this road for quarter of a mile until you reach the ground on your right. There are signs provided by the local council, which direct fans from the station to the ground.

Where To Drink?
There is not many pubs located close to the stadium, so the choice for away fans is limited. 'the Coopers Arms on Belvedere Road (5-10mins walk away from the ground). Good for both home and away supporters and is amongst the closest to the away coaches dropping off point in Britannia Road through the local industrial estate'. Also nearby is the Waterfront Bar in William Street, which is an area called Shamrock Quay. You can visit the Waterfront Bar website for more details. 'In the Ocean Village "The Admiral Sir Lucas Curtis" public house. This large establishment as an an excellent choice of beers, friendly bar staff and a convivial mix of both home and away fans'.

What's The Ground Like?
The Club moved from The Dell to the new St Mary's Stadium in 2001. In some ways this saw the Club returning to its roots as it was originally founded as 'Southampton St Marys', hence the club nickname 'The Saints'. To be truthful the stadium looks, quite simply, superb. Although comparisons have been made with the Riverside in Middlesbrough, St Mary's is better as all sides are built in the same style and are of the same height. The stadium is completely enclosed, with all corners being filled with seating. There are also two great looking screens sitting on the roofs at each end. Running around three sides of the stadium, just below the roof, is a transparent perspex strip allows more light and facilitates pitch growth. On the remaining side there is a row of executive boxes. The crowd are set well back from the playing action, as firstly there is a cinder track surrounding the playing surface and secondly the pitch itself must be the largest in the League (although the playing area does not use all of it). Outside the stadium behind the Itchen Stand is a statue of former Southampton legend Ted Bates.

What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are located in the Northam Stand at one end of the stadium, where normally up to 3,200 fans can sit. For cup games this allocation can be increased to 4,750. The view of the playing action and the facilities within this stand are excellent. Leg room is good, although the width of the seating seemed to be a bit narrower than other grounds. The concourse behind the stand features a Ladbrokes, has TV's which show the game as it is played and a number of eating and drinking outlets. There are plenty of staff and the queues never seemed to get particularly long, which was a pleasant surprise. A range of Hollands Pies are on sale too