Aussie Old Skool
Resigned
So how many City fans will be making the trip up next week to the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, I cant find out how many away fans they allow in. Although i did come across this.........
" The Don Valley is right next to Sheffield's Hallam FM Arena and, while I'd been told it would cost around £3 to park near the stadium, the Arena's car park was open and unstaffed so we and a lot of other fans parked here for free, which was a bonus! A number of fans had parked in Meadowhall car park, which is also free, and you don't need to pay or show a store receipt to park. The Don Valley is therefore surely a good bet for men who like to keep their ladies happy on a Saturday - i.e. let her go shopping while you go to the footie!
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy...home fans friendly?
The stadium is in a busy area of Sheffield, near Meadowhall and the Hallam FM Arena, but there was a sad lack of pubs. I spotted a couple nearby, but one looked incredibly uninviting and the other was boarded-up! There are a number of places to eat in the area, however, and we made a quick visit to KFC for something to keep us going. There are also a couple of restaurants in the local area, such as TGI Friday's, should you wish to go upmarket. I've always found fans of Yorkshire sides to be quite welcoming but there seemed to be very little mingling of fans before kick-off, possibly because of the lack of pubs but also because home and away fans enter the ground at completely opposite ends of the stadium!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The stadium is pretty big and seats around 25,000, although only the main stand is actually open for matches. Unless you arrive by tram (just behind the main stand) be prepared for a walk up a hill to the stadium! Sadly the club didn't seem to be expecting very many fans (there were around 4,500 on the day) and many were still queuing at the turnstiles until 3:20pm.
Upon entering, it seems like one is about to watch a game in Italy (or maybe at the old Wembley or Hampden with the Don Valley's bowl shape), given the unusual layout of the ground and the running track. Away fans are situated in a corner structure to the right of the main stand and, with the upper tier sold out due to a big following, we had to settle for a seat in the lower area. This provides a pretty disappointing view of the action - we couldn't even see the white lines of the pitch - and the lower tier is totally open to the elements so prepare for the worst if the weather is due to be bad! The rest of the ground is totally uncovered and I guess will only be open if Rotherham play cup game against a team with a huge travelling support."
" The Don Valley is right next to Sheffield's Hallam FM Arena and, while I'd been told it would cost around £3 to park near the stadium, the Arena's car park was open and unstaffed so we and a lot of other fans parked here for free, which was a bonus! A number of fans had parked in Meadowhall car park, which is also free, and you don't need to pay or show a store receipt to park. The Don Valley is therefore surely a good bet for men who like to keep their ladies happy on a Saturday - i.e. let her go shopping while you go to the footie!
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy...home fans friendly?
The stadium is in a busy area of Sheffield, near Meadowhall and the Hallam FM Arena, but there was a sad lack of pubs. I spotted a couple nearby, but one looked incredibly uninviting and the other was boarded-up! There are a number of places to eat in the area, however, and we made a quick visit to KFC for something to keep us going. There are also a couple of restaurants in the local area, such as TGI Friday's, should you wish to go upmarket. I've always found fans of Yorkshire sides to be quite welcoming but there seemed to be very little mingling of fans before kick-off, possibly because of the lack of pubs but also because home and away fans enter the ground at completely opposite ends of the stadium!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The stadium is pretty big and seats around 25,000, although only the main stand is actually open for matches. Unless you arrive by tram (just behind the main stand) be prepared for a walk up a hill to the stadium! Sadly the club didn't seem to be expecting very many fans (there were around 4,500 on the day) and many were still queuing at the turnstiles until 3:20pm.
Upon entering, it seems like one is about to watch a game in Italy (or maybe at the old Wembley or Hampden with the Don Valley's bowl shape), given the unusual layout of the ground and the running track. Away fans are situated in a corner structure to the right of the main stand and, with the upper tier sold out due to a big following, we had to settle for a seat in the lower area. This provides a pretty disappointing view of the action - we couldn't even see the white lines of the pitch - and the lower tier is totally open to the elements so prepare for the worst if the weather is due to be bad! The rest of the ground is totally uncovered and I guess will only be open if Rotherham play cup game against a team with a huge travelling support."
