|
|
|
|

|
|
AFC
Bournemouth
Ground Name: Fitness
First Stadium Capacity: 10,700
(all seated) Address: Dean Court,
Kings Park, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7
7AF Main Telephone No: 01202
726300 Fax No: 01202
726373 Ticket Office: 01202 726338 Pitch Size: 105 x 78 metres Team Nickname: The
Cherries Year Ground Opened: 1910
(pitch rotated 90° in 2001) Shirt Sponsors: Carbrini Sportswear Home Kit Colours:
Red & Black Away Kit Colours: All
White 3rd Kit Colours: All
Black Kit Manufacturers: Carbrini Official Web Site: www.afcb.co.uk Unofficial Web
Sites: RednBlack.net (Rivals
Network) Norwegian Supporters
Club Vital Bournemouth (Vital Football
Network)
|
 |
| Contents |
What's The Ground Like? Main
Stand (photo) What Is It Like
For Visiting Supporters? Where To
Drink? East Stand (photo) How To Get
There By Car & Where To Park By
Train Looking Towards The South
End (photo) Ground Layout Admission Prices Local Rivals Programme &
Fanzine Disabled
Facilities Fixtures 2009-2010 Record & Average
Attendance Fans Ground
Reviews Hotel
Accommodation Feedback
Return
To The Main Menu
|
|
| What's The
Ground Like? |
| The stadium was literally built in a matter of months. It
comprises three stands on both sides and at one
end, with an unused open area at the South end of the ground. The
three stands are of roughly the same design and height and
are quite smart looking, with the Main Stand having a row of
executive boxes to its rear. Each is a covered single tiered stand,
with good views of the playing action, with perspex wind shields at each side. The
stand roofs have perspex panels, helping get
more light to the pitch. The corners of the
ground are open and they are home to some
unusual looking floodlights. The pitch has been rotated 90
degrees from its old position and if you
ever visited the old ground, try figuring out where the old Brighton
Beach End was located!
Top Of
Page |
| Future
Developments |
| The Club still intend at some point to build a permanent
fourth stand at the South end of the stadium. If completed the overall capacity would rise to
around 12,000, but no firm timescales have been
announced as to when this is likely to take place.
Top Of
Page |
|
Main Stand |
|
Top Of
Page |
| What Is It Like For
Visiting Supporters? |
| Away fans are
located on one side of the East Stand, at one side
of the pitch. The normal allocation for this area is 1,500, but this
can be increased to 2,000 if required. The stand is shared with home
supporters, offers a good view of the playing action and generates a
good atmosphere. The facilities are okay and beer is served on the
concourse as well as such delights as the Chicken Balti Pie (£2.20).
I had a fairly relaxing visit to the stadium, although with it being
three sided, the atmosphere seems to get sucked out of the stadium
through that open unused end. Bournemouth is a nice
seaside town, with good nightlife, so why not make a weekend of
it?
Top Of
Page |
| Where To
Drink? |
|
With the closure of
the Queens Park pub, then there is little in
the way of pubs nearby which welcome away fans. Ian Smith informs
me; 'The Green Park pub, next to the ground, was home fans only, as
was the Dolphin pub on the walk up the Holdenhurst
Rd from the station, as was every single
pub down the road into Boscombe and in Boscombe High Street. And
then the cap it off, inside the ground no alcohol
sales! So best
drink in the centre of Bournemouth or enroute'. If anyone can
recommend any pubs within walking distance of the stadium, then
please e-mail
me.
Top Of
Page |
|
East
Stand |
|

Top Of
Page |
| How To Get There
By Car & Where To Park |
Follow the A338
towards Bournemouth. The ground is situated on the left of the A338
in the outskirts of Bournemouth. If you keep looking up to the left
as you go into Bournemouth you will eventually see the tops of the
ground floodlights. At this point take the next exit off the A338
and turn left towards the ground. There is a large car park located
at the ground. Alternatively, there is a council run car park, on
the opposite side of the dual carriageway, which is handy for
getting away quickly after the game.
For a map showing the
location of the First Fitness Stadium click here
(to take you to the Street Map
website).
To go to a
simplified page, containing the directions and pub info, which you
can print out click here.
Top Of
Page |
| By
Train |
The nearest train
station is Pokesdown which is roughly a mile from the ground and is around a 15 minute walk away. However,
most trains arrive at Bournemouth Central, which is around a half an
hour walk to the ground. Either try to get a train to Pokesdown or
grab a cab (£7-£8). If you
do arrive at Pokesdown Station (which is served by trains from
London Waterloo), then exit the station (there is only one exit) and
turn right down the main Christchurch Road (A35). Proceed for about
400 metres and then turn right into Gloucester Road. Dean Court is
located down the bottom of this road. Thanks to Andy Young for
providing the directions from Pokesdown Station.
If you
arrive at Bournemouth Central, then leave the station by the South
exit, thereby facing an Asda
Supermarket. Turn left and walk down to the main Holdenhurst Road. Turn left
(going away from the town centre) and then keep straight on along
Holdenhurst Road for around 25 minutes,
reaching the Queens Park pub (recommended by this Guide). Continue straight
on past the pub until you reach a roundabout at
which you turn right into Kings Park Drive.
The ground is down the bottom of this road on the left. Alternatively you can catch a Yellow Number 33 bus to the
ground, normally a half hourly service. Come out of Station
again by the South exit,
facing Asda and turn left until you
get to a Texaco Garage. There is a bus stop
with shelter on the same side of the
road. Ask the driver to be let off near Kings Park
Drive. Please note that if you decide to use the same service coming
back, take a yellow number 2 bus as this is a circular service'.
Latest bus timetables can be accessed by visiting the Yellow
Buses website. Thanks to Richard Barnes for supplying the
directions from Bournemouth Central.
Top Of
Page |
|
Looking Towards The South End |
|

Top Of
Page |
| Admission
Prices |
|
Home
Fans: Main Stand Executive (Pullman)
Area: Adults £28, Concessions £17, Junior Cherries £15 Main Stand (Outer
Centre): Adults £21, Concessions £15, Junior Cherries £9 Main Stand (Wings):
Adults £18, Concessions £12, Junior Cherries £5 Main Stand (Family Area):
Adults £14, Concessions £7,
Junior Cherries £4, Family
Ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children £38) North Stand: Adults
£15, Concessions
££7, Junior Cherries
£5 East Stand
(Centre): Adults £19, Concessions £12, Junior
Cherries £8 East Stand (Wings): Adults £16,
Concessions £7, Junior
Cherries £5
Away Fans: East Stand: Adults £16, Concessions £7
* Concessions apply to over 65's, under 16's,
students (providing that proof of student status can be shown) and
the disabled.
Top Of
Page |
|
Layout |
|

Top Of
Page |
| Local
Rivals |
| Southampton,
Brighton, Portsmouth and from further a
field Reading & Leeds.
Top Of
Page |
| Programme &
Fanzine |
Official
Programme: £3. View from the tree
Fanzine: £1.
Top Of
Page |
| Disabled
Facilities |
| For details of disabled facilities at the
ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of
Disabled Supporters (NADS) website.
Top Of
Page |
| Fixtures
2009-2010 |
| For the
Bournemouth fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website)
Top Of
Page |
| Record
& Average Attendance |
|
10,375
England v Poland Under 19 Friendly, February 6th, 2007
For
a Bournemouth match: 9,632 v Leeds United, League One, November
6th, 2007.
Before the ground was
re-developed: 28,799 v Manchester United FA Cup 6th
Round, March 2nd 1957.
Average
Attendance: 2008-2009: 4,931 (League Two) 2007-2008: 5,504 (League One) 2006-2007: 6,028 (League One)
Top Of
Page |
| Fans Reviews Of The First Fitness
Stadium |
Adam Baker (Bradford City)
17/3/09 James Hewitt (Doing The
92) 28/3/05
Top Of
Page |
| Hotel
Accommodation |
| If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service
provided by Football Hotels who are powered by
Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or
within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also
have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that
you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small
commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the
running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Bournemouth page click
here.
Top Of
Page |
| Feedback |
If anything is
incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail
me and I'll update the guide.
|
|
|
Return To The Main
Menu |
|