Man City - travel guide

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Manchester City v Crystal Palace Saturday 15th January 2005 3pm

Ground Name: City Of Manchester Stadium
Capacity: 48,000 (all seated)
Address: Sportcity, Rowsley St, Manchester M11 3FF
Main Telephone No: 0161-231-3200
Main Fax No: 0161-438-7999
Ticket Office: 0870-062-1894
Ticket Office Fax: 0161-438-7810


Away fans are located in one side of the Key 103 (South) Stand at one end of the ground, in both the upper and lower tiers, where up to 3,000 fans can be accommodated. The view of the action is pretty impressive although the leg room is a little tight. The facilities are also pretty good with spacious concourses, large plasma flat television screens showing the game

Supporters should note that smoking is not permitted in any of the seating areas in the City of Manchester Stadium. Smoking is also not permitted in any of the hospitality suites.
Smoking is permitted in concourse areas.
Supporters co-operation with this policy is appreciated.

TICKETS

Tickets are currently on sale - £21 for adults & £11 for concessions

Away supporters will be issued with a paper version of the electronic ticket issued to home fans, which includes the necessary microchip for them to access the Stadium through the appropriate entrance So if you are an adult trying to get into the stadium using a concession ticket (OAP or child) the stewards will know and you’ll be ejected.


PALACE TRAVEL

Coaches: Depart 7.45am - fare is £24 for eagle gold members, £27 for season/members and £30 for non-members.

Trains:
Party group : outward depart Euston 8.55 am ,arrive Manchester Piccadilly 12.20 pm,
return depart Piccadilly 6.23 pm, arrive Euston 10.24 pm

PIST coach:

Coach pickup times & fares will be :

6.30 am from Horsham £30
7.15 am at Coulsdon £27
7.20 am at Purley £26
7.35 am at East Croydon £25

All times are provisional for now

Bookings by email only please info@pistclub.org


Directions from South.

The stadium is located in the North East of Manchester.

From the South M6:
Leave the M6 at Junction 19 and follow the A556 towards Stockport and then join the M56 going towards Stockport. Continue onto the M60 passing Stockport and heading on towards Ashton Under Lyne. Leave the M60 at Junction 23 and take the A635 towards Manchester. Branch off onto the A662 (Ashton New Road) towards Droylsden/Manchester. Stay on the A662 for around three miles and you will reach the Stadium on your right.

From The M62:
Leave the M62 at Junction 18 and then join the M60 Ashton Under Lyne. Leave the M60 at Junction 23 and take the A635 towards Manchester. Branch off onto the A662 (Ashton New Road) towards Droylsden/Manchester. Stay on the A662 for around three miles and you will reach the Stadium on your right.

Alternative route to the ground - Leave the M60 at Junction 24 and take the A57 (Hyde Road) towards Manchester. Turn right onto the A6010 (Pottery Lane). There are quite a number of unofficial car parks on both sides of Pottery Lane, costing around £5 per car. Pottery Lane becomes the Alan Turing Way and goes right past the stadium on your left'.

Car Parking:
There is little parking at the stadium for supporters and there is a residents only parking scheme in the streets near to it, which extends about a mile out from the stadium. It means parking further away and then walking to the stadium. Some unofficial car parks have sprung up mostly charging around £5 per car. This is available on a first come first served basis on the day. The road links are busy even on non-match days so make sure you allow plenty of time to park and get to the Stadium The stadium is part of Sportcity so car users should follow the brown Sportcity signs until near the stadium
.
A residents parking scheme is in place, please park safely and do not park on streets in the area or you will be fined or your car clamped or removed. The residents parking scheme will be strictly enforced. Please respect the needs of local people and help City to be a good neighbour.
ASDA
The ASDA car park adjacent to the Stadium is reserved for their customers. ASDA will manage their car park and may impose penalties on a match day.


From Train Station - Manchester Piccadilly

The closest train station is Ashburys which is a short five minute train ride away from Manchester Piccadilly Station. The stadium is about a 10/15 minute walk away from Ashburys station. As you come out of the station turn left and after proceeding up the road you will come to the stadium on your left.

Otherwise if you have time on your hands then you can embark on the 20/25 minute walk from Piccadilly Station to the stadium. At the bottom of the main station approach turn right into Ducie Street. At the end of the road turn right onto Great Ancoats Street. Cross over the road, then the canal and turn left into Pollard Street - this is well marked as a walking route to "Sportcity". Continue straight along Pollard Street which leads onto the A662 Ashton New Road and you will come to the stadium on your left.

It is a safe, well lit and sign posted walk route from the city centre and Piccadilly Station to Sportcity which has been developed along Store Street, Pollard Street, Ashton New Road and Holt Town. This route will be managed by stewards, particularly adjacent to the Stadium.
The walk from Piccadilly Station is around 20 minutes and from Piccadilly Gardens around 25-30 minutes.
This route is handy for people living in or close to the city centre and those using buses, trains and trams into the city centre. Watch for the blue Sportcity directional signs.

An alternative way from the station is to go over the bridge to platform 13/14 (trains from Liverpool and some Transpennine trains come in here anyway) and exit down the steps to Fairfield Street. Turn left at the exit and left again under the railway (Travis Street continuing into Adair Street), left at the end and right into Pollard Street (then as above).

Alternatively you can get a taxi from Piccadilly Station (around £4.50) or a bus from Piccadilly Gardens - Go down the main approach from the station, then along London Road to Piccadilly Gardens



Bus
normal service and special matchday buses leave from the right hand side of the square (between Lever Street and Oldham Street) - 70p each way.
216 and 217 the main service buses, but 185, 186, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237,X36 and X37 also go from the city centre to the stadium (and 53 and 54 from the city's ring road). On the return, the special buses leave from Ashton New Road just across from the away end.
There are many bus routes from the city centre and from all directions north, west, east and south that stop at or close to Sportcity.
Visit www.gmpte.com for latest information and an on-line Journey Planner or call 0161 228 7811 or 0870 608 2 608.


Pubs
There are not a great deal of pubs around the stadium, and the few available are predominantly for home support. However, 'The Stanley' (aka Sports Bar) pub does let in away fans in small numbers. It is about a ten minute walk away from the stadium, just set back from the main A6010 (Pottery Lane), going towards Ashburys train station. The easiest way to find it is to locate the large Asda store behind one side of the stadium (there is also a McDonalds outlet next door to the store, plus there is a cafe located inside it) and on facing the superstore turn right and proceed down the main road, you will come to the pub on the left. It does cost £1 for adults to enter the pub, (they even stamp your hand as if you were entering a night club) but children are at least admitted free. Inside there is a large screen showing SKY Sports, good service and a good mix of home and away support.

Land of Cakes on the Ring road should be ok.

Away fans should avoid the Queen Victoria and Crossroads pubs at the bottom of Grey Mare Lane.

Alcohol is available inside the stadium (lager £2.40, cider £2.40, John Smiths bitter £2.30).

Otherwise drink in the centre of Manchester before the game
The two cheapest pubs in Manchester are the Crown & Anchor and Sinclairs Oyster House, both next to Marks & Sparks! Crown is a right old Cronies place, Sinclairs has a bit more atmosphere. Less than £1.60 a pint in both places.
Pubs around Piccadilly gardens should be ok.


Food

In the ground there is a good selection of food on offer, including chips and the delicious 'Football's Famous Chicken Balti Pie' (£2.20) as well as the alternative vegetarian option. On offer is also a 'pie and a pint' for £4.


Nightlife:

The Venue is OK, pokey, dark, and they play indie.

The Fab Cafe is a said to be a “nerd's paradise” but I, and others have been there a couple of times & enjoyed ourselves!

"42nd Street" too & none of the above have any serious dress restrictions.

For somewhere a bit classier "The Printworks" is a complex of about 16 pubs, clubs and restaurants as well as a cinema where you don't even have to go outside. "Tiger Tiger" is the most popular club in there, it's OK.

For more info on Manchester pubs / clubs etc try the following web site…
http://www.tmossey.freeserve.co.uk/

[jim bowen]

have missed this info, thanks. see you all there, have a safe trip people.

[cpfc4ever]

Cheers mate, will help tomorrow