The Britannia Stadium which was opened in 1997, looks imposing from afar, as it is perched on a hill with hardly any buildings around it. It does look good, especially when lit up at night. It is a vast improvement on the old Victoria Ground which has now sadly been demolished. It is a fair sized stadium comprising three separate stands. One of these the Boothen End and Seddon Stand, extends around one corner of the ground, enclosing the stadium in that area. On the other side of the ground is the Q-railing (West) Stand, which is the tallest at the Britannia. This imposing stand has a large lower tier of seating with a smaller tier above. Situated between the tiers is a row of Executive Boxes. There are quite large open areas to each side of this stand, which detracts from the overall look of the stadium. If these could be filled at some point, then the ground would benefit greatly. The Marstons Pedigree (South) Stand at one end of the stadium is partly given to away supporters. This simple looking stand is like the rest of the stadium, all seated and covered, with windshields to either side. It is though quite steep, meaning that fans are kept close to the playing action. Unusually the teams come onto the pitch from one corner of the ground, between the Marstons Pedigree (South) Stand and the Q-railing (West) Stand. In the corner on the other side of the Marstons Pedigree (South) Stand is a large video screen. 

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Britannia Stadium

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Away fans are housed on one side (towards the Players Tunnel and Main Stand) of the Marstons Pedigree (South) Stand at one end of the ground, where around 2,800 supporters can be accommodated. This stand is shared with home fans on the other side. At first I was quite perturbed by a large sign advising fans that persistent standing would result in ejection from the ground, however the facilities and view of the action from this stand are good. The concourse is adequate and there is a large choice of refreshments available such as Wrights pies, sausage rolls, cheeseburgers, rollover hot dogs and chips. Alcohol is also available in the form of Carlsberg lager (bottle), Bitter (pint), Strongbow cider (can) and Smirnoff Ice (bottle).

The stadium is quite high up in an exposed position and the open corners can mean that a cold wind can whip through the stadium, so bear this in mind, especially in the winter months. I thought the inside of the stadium was quite disappointing being rather bland and lacking character, although I'm sure that this can be developed in time. Listen out though for the Stoke anthem 'Delilah' being sung by the home fans, they can still give a great rendition of that Tom Jones classic song.

On the whole though the Britannia Stadium, is not a great day out, as there are very few pubs close to the stadium and even fewer away friendly ones. It is also worth bearing mind though that the Stoke fans are passionate about their club and this can make for an intimidating atmosphere, so it is best to keep colours covered around the ground. Don't be surprised if you are kept in after the game, in a fenced off compound to the rear of the away stand. It is not an uncommon sight for a number of Stoke fans to congregate, generally trying to bait the away supporters, until the Police move them on.

The Seddon And Marstons Pedigree Stand

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There are a distinct lack of pubs near to the ground as it is built away from other buildings. Therefore I would recommend that you grab a drink on the way into Stoke. James Diamond informs me 'There is a Holiday Inn and Harvester Pub next to the ground. Car parking in the Harvester car park costs £3'. Also close to the stadium is a Power League complex that also has a bar, which also allows in away fans, shows SKY television and you can even park in their car park for £4.50. Otherwise alcohol is available at the back of the away end, but queues can be lengthy, especially if there is a big support.

The Boothen End And Seddon Stand

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Leave the M6 at Junction 15 and then go straight across the roundabout onto the A500 towards Stoke. Continue along the A500 passing over the junction with the A34. Leave the A500 at the next slip road following signs for the A50 towards Derby. Turn right at the next roundabout and then move into the left hand lane and then onto the slip road. You can see the stadium over on your right. Turn right at the top of the slip road and then right at the next roundabout for the stadium. The Britannia is quite well signposted. Car parking at the stadium costs £5.

Alternatively there are still some parking spaces at various commercial sites between the old Michelin Car park and the site of the old Victoria Ground. Bear in mind though that if you do park in this area then allow a good 20 minutes to walk (mostly uphill) to the stadium. If you are intending parking in this area then from Junction 15 proceed along the A500, passing the junction with the A34. The stadium will appear over on the right and then leave the A500 at the next junction and turn left to go down to this area.  

Justin Herriman informs me; 'There are 300 parking spaces available (weekend matches only) at the Screwfix direct site on Stanley Matthews Way. The Screwfix direct site is based 1 mile from the ground and allows quicker access back onto the A50 after the game has ended. The cost for parking is £4 per car (no mini buses). If arriving from the M6, follow signs to the Britannia Stadium on the A50.  Continue past the stadium for approx 1 mile and the Screwfix site is on the left. The post code for SatNav's is ST4 8GR.'

Andy Fenwick a visiting Sunderland fan adds; 'Don't be tempted to park on wasteland around the stadium, you may well end up as I did with a parking ticket waiting for you on your return'.

Map showing the location of the Britannia Stadium (at the bottom of this page).

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Q-railing Stand

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Stoke station is just over two miles away from the stadium, so unless you are feeling fit, it maybe best to hire a taxi. Tim Rigby a visiting Wolves fan adds 'there are some shuttle buses than run from Glebe Street in Stoke up to the Britannia Stadium, which depart every 15 minutes before kick off. There are return buses after the game back to Glebe Street from behind the Sentinel (East) Stand'.

Björn Sandström adds; 'To catch this bus, turn right from the station and head down Station Road. At the bottom of Station Road at the traffic lights, turn right to go along Leek Road (A52). Then go straight across the A500 dual carriageway and into Glebe Street which is straight across in front of you. You should then see the line of buses that will take you to the stadium. It is only about a five minute walk from the station'. The shuttle bus costs for a return ticket £3 Adults, £2 Concessions.

Colin Bell adds; 'It took us less than 30 minutes to walk to the stadium from the station, using this route: Turn right from the station and head down Station Road. At the lights, turn right along Leek Road (A52), under the railway line and then left down on to the tow path of the Trent & Mersey Canal. Follow the tow path all the way until you are level with the stadium, where two footbridges take you over the canal and then the railway line, straight into the ground near the South Stand away end.'

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A Closer Look At The Marstons Pedigree Stand

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Ben Buckingham (Queens Park Rangers) 19/11/11
Jack McLellan (Manchester City)  26/01/10
Kevin Griggs (Portsmouth) 21/02/09
James Burgess (Stoke City) 23/02/08
Daniel Luke (Burnley) 16/09/06
Jourdan Rhule (Derby County) 8/08/06

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