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Shrews Shrewsbury Town v Darlington Coca-Cola League Two Saturday 24th January 2009, 3pm Record signing Grant Holt signalled Paul Simpson's intentions and he has responded to put them in a strong position. Man to watch Grant Holt Ex-Rochdale striker signed for a club record fee from Forest, as a statement of intent from the club after a woeful season in their new home and has responded with 20 goals in all competitions so far.
Away fans are in the North Stand behind the goal at the Prostar Stadium
- sun in the eyes is one drawback - and matchday admission should be
for adults - £16, with £11 for OAPs, students and disabled,
and children £11. £1 off if sold in advance. You have to buy tickets
at the kiosk next to the turnstiles before entering. The catering and
toilet facilities inside the ground are good.
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| Shrewsbury
Town FC: The Prostar Stadium, Oteley Rd, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ST Tel: 01743 360111 Click for Streetmap of ground and for full travel details |
 Junction 9 of the M6, onto the M56, head West then onto A49 for 35m, then left onto A41 towards Wolverhampton, join A49 again after a few mile and right onto A5112, left after 1.5m, left again onto A528 into the town. Parking: Parking for Darlington supporters is at The Shirehall park-and-ride car park, London Road, Shrewsbury. Entrance to this site is off London Road. From the A5 East and West bound at Emstrey Island, take the A5064 along London Road. Before you reach the roundabout the car park is on your right-hand side. Proceed on foot to the front of the Shirehall where buses will take you to the stadium. Buses from this site to the stadium will operate from 1pm, with the last bus leaving at 2.30pm. Parking at the site is free but a charge of £2.50 per person will be made for the return journey. Immediately after the match buses will leave from the back of the South Stand for the return journey to The Shirehall. Stadium parking is very limited, to permit holders, disabled and supporters' coaches only, so an elaborate system of park and ride and shuttle buses operate. Meanwhile, to enforce the point, there are parking restrictions at the following: Oteley Road (also grass verges), Sutton Road and Sutton estate, Meole Brace estate, village and retail park, also the approach road to Meole Brace Park & Ride car park. If you're there early enough there is also parking at the Brooklands Hotel, Mill Street off Meole Brace Island (100 spaces, £5,), which is a few minutes walk from the stadium. And there are 100 spaces at Pritchards car rental (behind the BP garage) on the Meole Brace Island.
Park and rides: The costs are £2.50 per person in each car (fees are paid on presentation of parking tickets at stadium kiosks - complicated, eh?), include bus fare and the carparks stay open until an hour after the game. The Shirehall, Abbey Foregate (2.7 miles from stadium) Entrance to this site off Abbey Foregate only. From the main routes into Shrewsbury, take the A5064 along London Road to the Column roundabout. Take the third exit from the roundabout and the first turning right in to the Shirehall Car Park. The Shirehall overflow carpark, London Road (2.7 miles) Follow directions to London Road as above. Before you reach the roundabout the car park is on your right-hand side. Proceed on foot to the Shirehall main car park for the bus. Shrewsbury Business Park, Thieves Lane (1.2 miles from stadium) From the A5 (east) at Emstrey Island take the 3rd exit left (B4380) and proceed to the business park situated on your right hand side. From the A5 (west) leave at exit sign A458 and turn left to Weeping Cross roundabout. Take the third exit, proceed to the mini-roundabout and turn left into the business park. Priory School, Longden Road (1 mile) Situated 100 metres off Longden Road roundabout (B4380); signposted 'Nuffield Hospital'. The bus will pick up and drop off passengers on Longden Road, close to the entrance to the school. |
 Sadly, it's now longer a pretty, 15 minute walk from the station but a two mile trek to the new stadium. Pedestrians are asked to use the footpath located on the north side of Oteley Road, crossing at the traffic signals to the stadium road - the walk takes about 40-45 minutes. A shuttle bus service (Tanat Valley Bus Company) runs from
the town's main bus station in Raven Meadows (a short walk - 300 yards
- signposted from the railway station) in the town centre, starting
at 1pm-2.30pm There are also service buses from the bus station: 25 (every 15 minutes, return journey from top of Moneybrook Way), 16 (every 30 mins, stopping at Hereford Road), 23 (every 30 mins, to Reabrook), also an hourly 544/546 stopping at BP Garage and Sainsbury's.
Train times (UPDATED
DEC '08): London Euston 08.10 (09.48 Crewe) 10.13-arr Shrewsbury 10.41. Rtn: 17.47-(Birmingham New St, 18.55) 19.10-arr 20.56. Fares: From £46 return
Birmingham New Street Regular services, sugg 11.07-arr
12.19. Rtn 17.47-arr 18.55. Fares: Cheapday return £11-12.80. A-Z Cars 01743 355555
Darlington
FC Supporters' Club There's a chip shop opposite the Charles Darwin pub (see above).
The food is excellent inside the ground - Jenny's cottage pie (£2.50) was filling and good value, while the pies (Chicken Balti, steak among the varieties) had flaky pastry and proper meat inside.
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 Plenty of choice of pubs in Shrewsbury - with places to stop en route from the station, as well as this selection:
The
Dun Cow Abbey Foregate A favourite from the Gay
Meadow days over the road from the Abbey and nr Kwik Fit (that's for
your bearings, geographical, not a suggested detour). Football-friendly
with guest beers including Abbots and Adnam's. Bar and restaurant serve
food from 10am with steak, chicken and specialities inckude ostrich, bison,
antelope, kangaroo..and er, crocodile. Jennings, Bateman's among the ales
choice. Reputedly one of the oldest surviving pubs in Britain, with a
history as an inn dating back to the 11th century.
The Crown Abbey Foregate Almost opposite
the Abbey, close to the old ground. A no-frills, football-friendly boozer.
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Near to ground
Brooklands Hotel, Mill Street off Meole Brace Island, SY3 9JT The Charles Darwin, Sutton Road, SY2 6HN Town centre (other) Three Fishes Fish Street Off the High Street, this one-bar pub has guest ales, as well as familiar beers to Darlo drinkers such as Deuchars IPA and Taylor's Landlord. The Bull Tavern Castle Street Two minutes from the railway station, up the hill on the left. Bank's ales. The Albert Hotel Smithfield Rd Not far from the railway station, Bank's and Cameron's ales.
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There are
worse places to be holed up, unless it rains heavily, then Shrewsbury
is best accessible by boat. There is enough small hotel
and B&B acccommodation on the local tourism website. There is the
The Abbots Mead Hotel
Another that caught the eye, for non-smokers, there's quite a jazzy
looking small B&B called the 164
Bed and Continental Breakfast with a modern look inside a 16th century
building.
Shrewsbury Tourist Information Centre, 9 Castle Hill, Tel: (01522) 873213 runs an advanced accommodation booking service.
Rail
timetables
Virgin
Trains
GNER
National
Express
Online
map
Surfing there... The official site ShrewsWeb is good on detail. There's also the Blue & Amber Rivals site Meanwhile, Goodbye Gay Meadow is dedicated to memories of the old ground, phots of the demolition and details of a book of photos.
Next away match:
No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling.
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any suggestions.
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© DAFTS 2009
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After their
play-off final defeat the previous season, Shrewsbury seriously struggled
but after a big-spending summer are among the contenders.
History: Formed in 1886, in various local leagues before being
elected to the Football League in 1950, founder members of Division
Four in 1958/59. Relegated to Conference in 2002, but promoted back
to the League. Arthur Rowley scored 434 goals in his 19-year career
- a British football record - including 152 as player-manager of the
Shrews for a decade from 1958. The club have moved to a new 10,000-seater
stadium for the 2007-2008 season after selling their riverside ground
for £12m.
The Loggerheads
