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| Contents | |
| What's Gigg Lane
Like? Main Stand and Manchester Road End (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? Les Hart Stand and Cemetery End (photo) Where To Drink? A Closer Look At The Manchester Road End (photo) How To Get There BY Car & Where To Park By Train/Metro Main Stand and Cemetery End (photo) Admission Prices Programme Price Ground Layout Local Rivals Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2011-2012 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Hotel Accommodation Gigg Lane Location Map |
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| What's Gigg Lane Like? | |
| The
ground was completely re-built in the 1990's with the
last 'new' stand, the Cemetery End, completed in 1999. The new
stands have vastly improved the overall look of the
ground, whilst at the same time making it an all
seated one. The Manchester
Road End is a fair sized stand that is covered,
however it does not run the full width of the pitch,
one side ending with the edge of the penalty
box. Opposite is the Cemetery
End, another covered all
seated stand. This stand extends around one corner
to the Les Hart Stand and looks quite
smart and is complete with an electric scoreboard. There is a small police
control box suspended beneath the roof in this
corner of it. On one side is the Main Stand, with
raised seating meaning that supporters have to climb
a small set of steps to enter it. Part of the front
has a small box like structure, with a number of
windows running along the front. It particularly
caught my eye, as with the windows being almost at
pitch level, I wondered just how many broken windows
they get each season? Opposite is the Les
Hart Stand, similar in design to the ends with
a TV gantry suspended below its roof. The one open
corner of the ground has a small block of flats
situated behind it, but the rest of the ground has a
number of trees visible behind and above the stands,
making the ground more
attractive. Jeff Johnson informs me; 'Le Stade de Gigg’ as the locals call it, is now shared with FC United of Manchester'. |
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| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
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After another spell of being housed in the Cemetery End, away supporters now find themselves back in the Manchester Road End (aka Bridge Group West Stand). Just over 2,000 away supporters can be accommodated in this area, where you will normally enjoy a good view of the action. However, there is a row of supporting pillars about a third of the way up the stand, which could cause problems if your team has a large following. The stand is also situated quite well back from the pitch and is slightly below pitch level. The catering is quite good, with a range of burgers, hot dogs (£2.60) and Pies including the Chicken Balti Pie (£2.60). My only grumble was the archaic toilets in a relatively new stand. On the whole, however, it was a relaxed and normally a good day out, although sometimes lacking in atmosphere. |
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| Where To Drink? | |
| There
are a few pubs around the ground and along
Manchester Road in particular. There is also a
supporters club at the ground, which sometimes allows
in small numbers of away fans, for
a small fee (£1). My pick of the pubs
on Manchester Road, is the Swan & Cemetery, around
a ten minute walk from the ground. This Thwaites pub,
is quite comfortable, serves good hand pulled beer and
has a separate restaurant area. Nearer to the
ground is the Staff Of Life pub, which is a
basic pub serving hand pulled Lee's. Also recommended
on Manchester Road, is the Waterloo, nearer to the
town centre. Neil Le Milliere a visiting Exeter City supporter recommends the Rose & Crown on Manchester Old Road. 'It's not the biggest pub but it was very friendly; served a variety of real ales and is only a ten minute walk away from the ground.' |
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| How To Get There And Where To Park | |
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Leave the M66 at
Junction 3. Take the left hand exit at the junction
and follow this road until you come to the junction
with the A56 Manchester Road. At this T-junction
which has traffic lights, turn right towards Bury.
You will pass the Swan & Cemetery pub on your
left and then some playing fields. At the end of the
playing fields just before the traffic lights and a
couple of pubs, turn right into Gigg Lane for the
ground. However please note that Gigg Lane is
normally closed on match days and the ground itself
is not easily seen from the A56. Street parking,
although beware of a residents only parking scheme
in operation in the nearby streets, which operates
on both matchdays end evenings, with wardens
patrolling the area. |
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| By Train/Metro | |
| Bury Metrolink is served by
trams from Manchester Victoria & Piccadilly
mainline railway stations. Bury Metrolink Station is about a 15 minute walk from the
ground. Turn
left out of station along a pedestrian walkway going underneath the dual carriageway. On the other side of the dual
carriageway turn right towards the Town Hall. Just before the Town Hall. Then left into Knowsley Street and at
the bottom of Knowsley Street turn left onto the
main A56 Manchester Road. It is then a case of going
straight along Manchester Road for about half a mile
and you will reach Gigg Lane on your left. Thanks to
Andy Grainger for supplying the directions. Jon Hall adds; 'Alternatively bus numbers; 90, 92, 135 and 137 run every ten minutes down Manchester Road past the end of Gigg Lane'. |
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| Main Stand and Cemetery End | |
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| Admission Prices | |
| Like a number of Clubs, Bury operate a
category scheme (A+, A & B) for matches,
whereby the most popular games cost more to watch.
Prices are shown below with Category A
& B prices shown in brackets: Home Fans: Main & Les Hart Stands: Adults £20 (A £19) (B £18), Under 21's £15 (A £14) (B £13), Concessions £12 (A £11) (B £10) Cemetery End: Adults £18 (A £17) (B £16), Under 21's £15 (A £14) (B £13), Concessions £12 (A £11) (B £10) All areas: Family Ticket (1 Adult + 1 Child) £19 (A £18) (B £17). Additional child £7 (A £6) (B £5) Away Fans: Manchester Road (West) Stand: Adults £18 (A £17) (B £16), Under 21's £15 (A £14) (B £13), Concessions £12 (A £11) (B £10) Concessions apply to Under 16's, Over 65's, disabled and the unemployed. |
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Official Programme: £2.50 |
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| Local Rivals | |
| Bolton Wanderers & Rochdale. | |
| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website. | |
| Fixtures 2011-2012 | |
| Bury FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| 35,000
v Bolton Wanderers, FA Cup 3rd Round, January 9th, 1960. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: 9,115 v Burnley, December 26th 1999 Average Attendance: 2010-2011: 3.313 (League Two) 2009-2010: 3,029 (League Two) 2008-2009: 3,342 (League Two) |
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| Fans Reviews Of Gigg Lane | |
| Tony
Skinner (Sheffield United) 14/1/12 Teresa Jewell (Sheffield Wednesday) 16/8/11 Dan Brennan (Sheffield Wednesday) 16/8/11 Dane Yates (Manchester United) 22/1/08 Robert Allen (Chester City) 15/9/07 |
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| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a hotel
booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all
types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets
from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast
establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced
Apartments. Plus their booking system is
straightforward and easy to use. 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. The Hotels listing also includes
details of how far away the accommodation is located
from the Gigg Lane football ground. Access their Bury Hotels and Guest Houses page. Remember that you can use the above link or panel below to book any other hotels that you may need for business or leisure, either in the UK or abroad. |
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| Map showing the location of the Gigg Lane football ground, Metrolink station and listed pubs | |
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Instructions for using
the map: |
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| Feedback | |
| If
anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide. |
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