DAFTS' STADIUM GUIDE
DAFTS' STADIUM GUIDE |
|---|
|
Travel and directions:
FIRST GAME: A crowd of 11,640 for the opening game, with capacity restricted.
Balfour
Webnet Darlington Arena: A rough sketch map of the route to the
stadium. Not to scale. For arena plan go here
or move mouse over the stadium image. To print off
this map, go here.
To walk: The route to the stadium is a (maximum) 25 minute walk from the railway station, leaving the northern station approach, past the taxi rank out towards the carpark. On the right, there's a covered footbridge over the tracks into Albert Street on the left of this picture (below). You come out by ATS tyres on the left and a car park on your right and you take a right at the corner with Frank's carpet store into Neasham Road. The ground is a 20 minute straight walk from here. You can also take an alternative route down Park Lane out of the other station entrance, but it's probably a few minutes longer! See below for more:
Photos:
Neil Johnson, Ted Blair and Steve Duffy
Move the mouse over the image to to go to a photo of the Albert Street bridge from the statio, looking from Neasham Road. Click on the photo to go to an image of the northern station approach, looking north.
From the town centre it
takes 25-30 minutes. You walk past the Cricketers' Hotel in Park Gate and Civic
Theatre on your left and up the hill, under the railway bridge, past the station
entrance, turning right at the Yarm Road roundabout. Then walk along Neasham
Road, past the Matalan store/Ladbrokes on the right, with the Copper Beech
pub a half-way house en route. You see a railway bridge straight ahead of you,
walk under here and the ground is a two minute walk on the left.
A shuttle bus operates from
the town centre. Services run from Tubwell Row (outside the Nag's Head - that's
the road alongside the side entrance to the Cornmill shopping centre), with
times every 15 minutes from 1.15pm until 2.30pm; buses back from the stadium
run at 4.45pm, 5pm, 5.15pm and 5.30pm. The return fare is £1, which
is subsidised and 60p cheaper than the service
buses., which still leave you a few minutes walk from the
stadium. If you choose these instead, the
No 21 Arriva service runs every 10 minutes or so from near the market
square (there's a bus stop along from the Cornmill shopping centre in Tubwell
Row, near its junction with Crown St). It takes you along Neasham Road, past
The Copper Beech, get off at Brankin Road, two minutes walk from
the stadium. Along much the same route, although via a two minute detour along
Geneva Crescent, there's also the No
20 or No 24 every 10-12 minutes, run by Stagecoach, from Market Place
via Neasham Rd. The same route is also covered by the No 14 Hurworth service,
which runs on the hour from town. It will take you along Neasham Road, get
off at the junction with Brankin Rd and it's quick walk under the bridge to
the ground. Fare 80p each way.
Buses from the station Walk past the Station Taxis office/rank
on the left to the covered footbridge over the railway line on the right.
Past ATS tyres and ahead of you there is a bus stop on the other side
of the main road opposite the Texaco garage, picking up the 14/20/21 buses
along Neasham Road to near the stadium (7 minutes). On the return after
the match, pick up the bus in Brankin Road (under the railway bridge from
the stadium, a short walk and turn right by the island). The buses drop
you outside the garage, with a short walk to the station. Fare 65p
each way.
By car
it couldn't be easier, the new ground is an eye-catching development off
the A66 link road (sign-posted Teesside) on the approaches to the town.
Should you for some reason want a taxi, these cost around £6 from
the town centre and the advice is to book a while beforehand; it's about
£5 from the station, with a rank outside.
There are around 1,700 parking
spaces, a seasonal pass for season ticket holders is now £100. Charges
were £5 in 2005/2006£5 on match-days - in the Yellow and Green
car parks, although space is limited. Advance car parking tickets at £5
per game can be bought for the Purple car park from the Ticket Office. Those
with parking tickets have allocated spaces, so you will be directed to free
ones by parking stewards. There's also room for 15 supporters' coaches. Exit
after the match is left only back towards the A66, not along Neasham Road.
There can be queues to get out as police and stewards try to minimise traffic
flows. A strict residents-only parking scheme is operation
for the Neasham Road area on match days so the advice is don't dump
the car on the streets near the stadium.
Three years on from the opening of the 27,500-capacity Reynolds Arena, and a lot has changed - the name four times and the ownership twice.
Four months after the first match in August
2003, the club was in administration and George Reynolds
had resigned as chairman.
Another four months after that, the giant "Reynolds Arena" lettering - £1,000
a character - was removed. A symbolic act by the stadium's new owners - the
guys who'd lent Reynolds the last few million to finish the job. Millions
they haven't seen very much of and were quite keen to claw back at some point.
Weeks later, Sterling also owned the club and immediately a wind of change
breezed through the marble halls, with hope of considerable changes on and
off the pitch for the better. Then in March 2006 another twist, when new owner and chairman George Houghton
was unveiled. The 65-year-old Tyneside property developer, whose portfolio
includes nursing homes, didn't arrive to a fanfare. But the club is pursuing
a business strategy which is hoping to attract other events to the stadium.
He is already exploring plans to build offices in two of the stadium's corners,
and develop facilities on the site including a hotel, bowling alley, pub/restaurant
and five-a-side and training pitches.
There was a new name for the stadium for the 2007-2008 season, with Balfour
Webnet replacing local radio station TFM as arena sponsors. It followed a
sponsorship contract with local Peugeot car dealership Williamson Motors for
2004-2005.
A fish-eye view of the TFM
Arena during the game, from just under the big screen. © Photo Ted Blair.
Three sides of the Balfour Webnet Darlington
Arena are open with the North Stand, previously a family enclosure, closed
for the 2007-2008 season, presumably to cut overheads. The corner also now
has a big screen, which shows replays and team news and runs the Quaker
TV channel pre-match. Despite it looking empty, the atmosphere in the
stadium is usually better than you might expect, with the roof "keeping
the noise in."
| Darlington
FC: Balfour Webnet Darlington Arena, Hurworth Moor, Neasham Road, Darlington DL2 1DL (01325) 387 000; Ticket office: 0871 855 1883 Fax: (01325) 387 050 Official website Online shop and Stadium corporate website |
| DARLINGTON FC, March 2008
George Houghton, 66, chairman. Grahame McDonnell commercial director. David Jones, 66, a business and financial consultant - director with responsibility for business planning and financial resources. George Luke, 55, director with responsibility for sales and commercial issues. Football manager: David Penney |
Commercial
dept: (01325) 387 040
Club
ticket office/shop: Shop (01325) 387 020 and ticket
office 0871 855 1883. You
can also buy tickets online.
Progammes: Smoking
policy:
Ticket
prices:
The 2008/2009 match day prices are £18 adults on the day - a rise
of £2 - (£16 if bought in advance); £12 for OAPs/students (£10 advance);
£7 for 10 to 16-year-olds (£6 advance). Under 10s are free.
Family tickets (two adults and two children 11-16) cost £43 (on-day)
or £40 (advance). You can also buy tickets
online or by phone on 0870 027 2949, subject to booking fee of 10%.
Away fans can buy their £18 tickets at turnstiles
36-43 in the East Stand - the furthest end as you walk in.
2008/2009 season ticket prices (until June 30th) are: Adults
- £280, OAPs and students - £175; Children 11 - 16 - £90; under 10's - FREE.
Family Ticket (two adults and two children aged 10 - 16) - £630. After
30th June: Adults £300, OAPs and students £195, children 11-16s £100,
under 10s free.
Facilities:
There are concourse
bars and food kiosks, with pies at £2 - up in price
and a poorer choice than last season. These are also Taylor's pies - a long
established Darlington butcher's, who make pretty tasty and reasonably priced
food - you can actually see the meat, and it doesn't explode into a gravy
fountain or fall apart like some. Unfortunately the choice seems to be poorer
than last season, while as well as a smaller range of pies and sausage rolls,
there is no chocolate and hot drinks are only via a vending machine. The club
though is offering a good value carvery
in the restaurant for fans before the game, costing
£5.99 (season ticket holders who book, get it for £4.99). It's
also open for Sunday lunches for £5.99 adults, £3.99 children.
There is also a supporters' bar in one corner - which was called Bar 66 but
has now been renamed after a popular vote of fans The Tinshed
(after the Feethams "home" terrace) for the new season. Away fans
are more than welcome (the club needs all the money it can get!)
It's open before and after the match, with a capacity of 400.
This is a modern looking circular bar with Magnet (£2.20 a pint), John Smiths
and Carlsberg. It can get a little packed here, as you'd imagine, before and
after the game. They've a few TVs, which show the pretty decent QuakerTV
before the game (produced by local media students - a good watch and a great
initiative by the club and Darlington College), while there is also Sky
Sports so we can watch the scores come in after the game (Jeff Stelling
the one Hartlepool fan who is tolerated) and lunchtime Premiership matches.
Unfortunately, the hot food kiosk inside here is now closed - presumably part
of the move to encourage fans to use the carvery.
There are programme sale points outside the turnstiles but also one just inside
the Club Shop. The magazine costs £2.50. It includes contributions from local
journalists, websites and supporters - including the DAFTS Away Guide!
Back issues available from club shop.
The stadium adheres to the new no smoking laws.
.
 BALFOUR WEBNET EVENTSContact the Commercial Dept on 01325 387002/7 |
Date/Time |
| Sportsmen's Dinner with Dave Bassett Tickets £350 for a table of 10. | Jan 18 2008 |
| Sir Elton John in concert. Tickets on 0844 847 1731 or on-line Hospitality packages available via the club from £185. | July 5 |
A sign of how the stadium is developing is a The Corner Bar,
which opened at the end of August 2004. It has a comfortable lounge-pub atmosphere,
with TV screens "on quiet", and is a good place to unwind after
a game with live entertainment from about 5pm. My personal feeling is that
this is OK, but wish the "entertainer" would start after 5.45pm
- especially those would-be Michael Boltons who enjoy doing it in the "club
singer" style! Again John Smith's, Carlsberg and Magnet beers - happy hour
from 12.15pm-1.15pm before Saturday games. There's always a rush on but the
bar staff are very efficient as well as decorative! It is open on non-match
days to anyone and also has a stage, so we expect there will be functions/events
on in here. Also see our Darlo guide for suggested
pubs.
The club shop can be found next
to The Tinshed bar, which thanks to the stabilising of the club financially
is once again well stocked. It sells the usual range of replica shirts, scarves,
leisure wear and a range of souvenirs such as mugs, cuddly toys as well as
back issues of programmes. Open until 3.30pm during the week and until
about 5.15pm on Saturday match days. Credit cards accepted.
Next to this is the Ticket Office,
for purchase of advance match and parking tickets and on-day match tickets
for home fans. There is also an on-day West Stand Ticket Office (above). As
you can see from the sign above - "Away Fans are On Sale at the East
Stand". So if you're a visiting Torquay fan, you might be able to pick
up a couple more at bargain prices...
Disabled
facilities/tickets are finally up to scratch. Number
of spaces: 50 on midway point platforms in stands, including 13 in the away
end (East Stand), with additional spaces available if needed at pitch level
in front of stands. Cost - Anyone who is registered disabled, who holds a registered
disabled certificate, can buy a ticket at a reduced fee of £10 (£11 on
day) for disabled. Helper free of charge for wheelchair and registered blind
supporters only. All other helpers charged £10 (£11 on the day). Designated
disabled areas are located in the front of most blocks in the stadium.There
are also wheelchair platforms available in West Stand (home) and East Stand
(away). Disabled entrances are located at the end of each stand to the side
of the turnstile blocks
There are two wheelchair platforms in the North Stand (12 spaces each),
one in West Stand (13 spaces), and one in East Stand for away fans (13 spaces).
One disabled fan told us: “The facilities are good and the view is excellent,
although the lift to the raised platform is too small, so the carer can’t
get in with the disabled person – if the disabled person can’t work the switch
then it means the carer has to run up the stairs to press the button, which
isn’t very good! Overall though the facilities compare favourably with other
clubs.” The general impression is that the club takes its responsibility to
disabled fans seriously and is listening carefully for suggestions for improvements
and is also liaising with Darlington’s recently formed disabled supporters’
group.
Disabled inquiries. Call general enquiries: (01325) 387 000. See also
Darlington Disabled Supporters Group
– answerphone: 0709 287 0189, affilitated to the supporters’ trust and NADS,
which is trying to act as a focal point for home and visiting disabled fans. There is parking in club carpark, spaces for 54 disabled vehicles.
Can be booked in advance or pay on the day - parking stewards to direct..
Location of disabled toilets/catering –There are disabled toilets in
all wheelchair areas and on all concourses. Catering outlets have counters
at wheelchair level. Disabled parking – Yes in club car park, spaces
for 54 disabled vehicles. Can be booked in advance or pay on the day - parking
stewards to direct. Is public transport to the stadium wheelchair friendly?
The shuttle buses are usually old double-deckers. You may be better off ordering
a taxi from the station instead. The single-decker service buses aren’t often
the latest models for easy access and still drop you off a ¼ mile short of
the stadium
Corporate facilities
include 30 hospitality boxes, "sensory" toilets and basins in
these areas, four escalators and lifts to floors and offices. Honestly,
in these areas it's plush - don't know if the new owners will eventually
replace some of the tasteless furnishings, but they're promising reminders
of the club's history on the walls etc. There are still some remnants of
the days of George - the "Italian-style" (we use the term at its loosest)
chairs in the boardroom are a sight to behold.
There's also still Mr Reynolds' notorious carpet, allegedly costing £67,000,
while the ludicrously named Presidential Suite, (Bush?) that it adorned
has been renamed the Ron Greener Suite after a Darlo playing legend. Not before
time. It has a private bar, snacks, large screen TV, open from 12 noon to
2.15pm and after the game until 6pm, with a matchday carvery for fans. The
other executive room, the Platinum Suite, is used for corporate guests.
Click for street map of stadium or stadium plan
Go to Feethams stadium guide
See also Darlington town centre and pub guide
Official Darlington FC D@rlo Uncovered WTMG fanzine Virtual Quakers Darlington Supporters' Club Northern Echo Evening Gazette Nationwide League Ananova.com Div 3 Supporters Direct
Click here for a plug-in DAFTS street plan of the town, including the ground, station, recommended pubs, parking and main landmarks.
Scheme map by Neil Johnson of DAFTS
