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| Contents |
What's The
Liberty Stadium Like?
The Liberty Stadium
(photo)
What
Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
East
& South Stands (photo)
Where To Drink?
South &
West Stands (photo)
How
To Get There By Car or Coach & Where To
Park
By Train
Looking
Towards The North Stand (photo)
North Stand
Local Rivals
Admission Prices
Ivor Allchurch
Statue (photo)
Programme & Fanzine
Disabled
Facilities
Ground Layout
Record & Average Attendance
Fixtures 2011-2012
Fans Ground
Reviews
Hotel Accommodation
Other Places
Of Interest
Liberty
Stadium Location Map
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| What's The Liberty
Stadium Like? |
After spending 93 years at their former
Vetch
Field home, Swansea have moved into the 21st
Century, with a new stadium near to the former site
of the Morfa Athletics Stadium on the West side of
the River Tawe. The stadium was christened White
Rock by the Swansea residents, but is now called the
Liberty Stadium under a 10 year corporate
sponsorship deal.
Built by Interserve for a cost of around £30m,
the stadium saw its first game in July 2005.
Although fairly conservative in its design, the
stadium is still impressive. It is completely
enclosed with all four corners filled with seating.
Each of the four stands is two tiered and three are
of the same height. The West Stand at one side of
the pitch is slightly taller, having a row of 28
corporate hospitality boxes, situated above the
upper tier. The Club's offices are also located
behind this stand. An unusual feature is the great
use of transparent roofing towards the South End of
the stadium. This allows more natural light into
this area, making for an interesting effect. Both
ends have an electric scoreboard situated on the
front of their roofs, although for some reason the
scoreboard at the North End is larger than the one
at the South End. Outside the stadium at the South
West corner, by the club shop and ticket
office, is a statue of former Swansea legend
Ivor Allchurch. The stadium is shared with Ospreys
Rugby Union Club.
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| The Liberty Stadium |
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| What
Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? |
Away
fans are housed in the North Stand
at one end of the stadium, where up to 2,000
fans can be accommodated. This is increased to 2,500
for Cup games. The views of the playing action from
this area are excellent as there is a good height
between rows and the leg room is probably the most
generous of any stadium that I have visited. The
concourses are spacious, with food and beverage
outlets, plus a number of television sets,
for pre-match and half time entertainment. As you
would expect from a new stadium the facilities are
good. Away fans are separated from home fans by
black netting spread over a few rows of
seats to either side of the away section, with a
line of stewards and Police also in attendance.
Interestingly, the main singing contingent of home
fans, have, in the traditions of the Vetch Field,
situated themselves along one side of the pitch in
the East Stand, rather than at the South end of the
stadium.
David
McNeil informs me; 'As a West Brom fan on holiday
in Swansea, I visited the new stadium for the
first League game against Tranmere. The stadium is
very impressive and the facilities inside the
stadium are excellent. Large concourse and great
views from the stands. The atmosphere generated by
the Swansea fans was excellent throughout the 90
minutes and it will become an intimidating place
just as the Vetch used to be. Pre match
entertainment was enjoyed by my kids especially
the antics of Cyril the Swan. Great day out, would
love to visit the ground again when West Brom play
there'.
Tickets will not be
sold to away supporters by Swansea City on the day
of the match, so do not travel unless you already
have a ticket from your own Club. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Swansea fans
are passionate about their club and this can make
for an intimidating atmosphere. Exercise caution
around the ground.
Steve Griffiths adds; 'On the nearby retail
park, there is a KFC & Pizza Hut – within 5
minutes walk. Opposite the stadium is a very nice chippy called
‘Rossi’s’. As well as the usual chips with fish,
pies, sausages, etc.. they also
do salads and jacket potatoes'.
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East
& South Stands
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| Where To Drink? |
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Nearly
all the pubs near to the stadium are for home fans
only, although I have heard reports of away fans drinking
in the Harvester pub and Frankie & Benny's right
outside the ground as Phil Weston a visiting
Stoke City fan confirms; 'The Liberty Stadium is a
lot more friendly than the old Vetch Field. Stoke
fans were drinking in The Harvester, Frankie and
Benny's and a couple of the pubs just up from the
stadium'.
Otherwise
it a choice of a drink on
the way to Swansea, go into the city centre or
drink inside the stadium.
Merv Williams informs me; 'There
are a number of pubs on Wind (pronounced as winding a watch) Street
in the centre of town, such as Yates, the Bank Statement and the No Sign Bar (the latter
being listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Ask for Castle Gardens, and you'll see Wind Street'. Mick Clarkson a
visiting Preston North End fan adds; 'After leaving
the train station we proceeded up the High
Street and went into the Full Moon public
house. The
locals both young and old were very friendly and we
had a good laugh with all in there both before and
after the game. Basic pub with pool table and Sky
Sports and a Leeds fan for a landlord and excellent
cheap beer'.
Alcohol in the form of Carling
(£3.20 a pint) and Worthington (£3.20 a pint) are served
within the stadium. The Club
open the turnstiles 90 minutes before
kick off, so that fans have the option to eat
& drink within the stadium itself.
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South
& West Stands
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| How To
Get There By Car or Coach & Where To Park |
Leave the M4 at Junction 45
and take the A4067 towards the City Centre (sign
posted A4067 South). Stay on the A4067 for around
two and half miles and you will reach the stadium on
your left. Car parking at the stadium is for permit
holders only and most of the immediate residential
areas around the stadium now have 'residents only'
parking schemes in place. However away mini buses
and coaches can park behind the North Stand in a
fenced compound, at a cost of £20 per
coach and £10 per minibus. Don't be
tempted to park on the nearby Retail Park as you may
well end up with a ticket, or worse still,
clamped for your trouble!
Away Fans Park & Ride Facility
Away supporters are being encouraged to use the Park
& Ride facility located at the Felindre old
steel works site, which is signposted off Junction
46, shortly after leaving the M4. The cost of
parking there including transport by bus to and from
the stadium is £6 per car. Away
supporters have their own separate buses to and from
the stadium, with the buses waiting outside the away
stand at the end of the game to take supporters back
to the car park. Simon Wright a visiting West
Bromwich Albion fan adds; 'The park and ride is
located in the middle of nowhere, but curiously has
a high fence. Apparently the facility is also used
as a park and ride for the DVLA so the fencing may
be for the benefit of their staff. There are toilets
on the site although they do look rather ancient.
All the staff were friendly and the buses frequent.
After the game has ended, the park and ride buses
leave the compound with the away coaches for fairly
obvious reasons. In my case, this meant a wait of
around 20 minutes'.
There is also some street parking to be had. If
coming from the M4, you pass the stadium on your
left and continue straight on towards Swansea, then
after going under a bridge, then there are a number
of roads on the right, where on street parking is
available. It is then around a 10-15 minute walk to
the stadium. Andrew Bartlett a visiting Southampton
fan adds; 'I intended to use the park
and ride and followed the signs but found the site
to be desolate wasteland with flooded potholes, not
very inviting at all. Instead I drove on to the
stadium and despite the dire warnings found free on
street parking only a few minute's walk away and
almost traffic free after the match. The level of
security and large Police presence was completely
unnecessary for such a low key game'.
Map showing the location of
the Liberty Stadium (at the bottom of this page).
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| By Train |
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Swansea Railway Station
is on the main line route from London Paddington. It
is about two miles from
the stadium. Regular local
bus services (every ten minutes:
routes 4, 4a, 120, 122, 125, 132) and taxis (around £5) are
available from the train station to the stadium. Otherwise if you have time on your
hands and wish to embark on the 25-30 minute walk,
then as you come out of the station turn
right and go up the High Street. At the traffic lights turn right
into Neath Road. Proceed straight along Neath Road
and you will eventually reach the stadium on your
right. Thanks to Tom Evans for providing the
directions.
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Looking
Towards The North Stand
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| Local Rivals |
| Cardiff
City and from a little further
along the M4, Bristol City & Bristol Rovers.
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| Admission Prices |
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All
areas of the stadium:
Adults
£35
Senior Citizens £17.50
Full Time Students £17.50
Under 16's £17.50
Disabled supporters are admitted at the relevant
price above, a helper is admitted free.
Please note that tickets for the away section
are not on sale on the day of the game, but must
be purchased in advance from the visiting club.
Concessions will require proof of status to
purchase tickets and to gain access to the
stadium.
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Ivor Allchurch Statue
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The
plinth on the statue reads:
Ivor Allchurch MBE
'Swansea's Golden Boy'
16.10.29 - 09.07.97
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| Programme & Fanzine |
Official
Programme 'Jack Magazine' £3.
Swansea
Oh Swansea Fanzine £1
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| Disabled
Facilities |
| 26 spaces
for wheelchair away supporters are available in the
North Stand at the front of the upper tier. There is a
lift on the concourse of this stand to help disabled
fans gain access. Five car parking spaces are reserved
for visiting disabled fans at the stadium, at a cost
of £10 per vehicle, but these must
be booked in advance through your own club.
Additionally there is a disabled drop-off bay by
the stadium and the 'Park & Ride' scheme is wheel
chair accessible. Disabled fans pay the full adult
ticket price, but the helper goes free.
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Ground
Layout
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| Record & Average
Attendance |
At The Liberty Stadium:
20,404 v Aston Villa,
Premier League, November 27th, 2011.
At The Vetch Field:
32,796 v Arsenal,
FA Cup 4th Round, February 17th, 1968.
Average Attendance:
2010-2011: 15,507 (Championship League)
2009-2010: 15,407
(Championship League)
2008-2009: 15,187 (Championship League)
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| Fixtures 2011-2012 |
| Swansea City FC fixture list (takes
you to the BBC Sports
Website)
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| Fans Reviews
Of The Liberty Stadium |
Victoria
Evans (Tottenham Hotspur) 31/12/11
S Smale (Southend
United) 29/4/06
Mike Churchill
(Walsall) 12/3/06
Adrian Womersley
(Bradford City) 14/2/06
Lisa Higgins (Swansea
City) 22/1/06
Isaac Joy (Bristol
City) 10/9/05
Mike Rhodes (Grounds
Enthusiast) 20/8/05
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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 have a
huge choice of places to stay and their booking
facility is straightforward 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. Hotels are listed giving details of
their distance from the stadium. Access their Swansea
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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| Other Places Of
Interest |
| The
Gower peninsula adjoining Swansea is very
picturesque and the area called 'The Mumbles' can be
lively on summer weekends. The area has great beaches
and several pubs along the sea front and is not a bad place to stay at for
the weekend.
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| Map showing the location of
the Liberty Stadium, railway station and listed
pubs |
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Instructions for using the map:
- Use the bar on the left of the map to zoom in /
out using the + / - keys.
- Click and drag an area of the map to move around
or use the up/down, left/right arrows
- Click the Satellite button to see aerial view
photograph..
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| Feedback |
Any incorrections
or you have something to add, then please e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide.
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