Sheffield Wednesday 16.04.11

HOW TO GET THERE

CAR
Leave the M1 at Junction 36 and follow the A61 into Sheffield. Continue along the A61 for approximately eight miles. You will see Hillsborough Stadium on your right. This is not the shortest route to the ground, but this is definitely the easiest and avoids Sheffield City Centre.

PARKING
There is some street parking to be had if you arrive early, otherwise there are some unofficial car parks along the A61 that charge in the region of £3. There is also a car park directly behind the Kop and the Wednesday Club shop. It is called the wednesdayite car park and is open to fans of both teams. It costs £5 for visitors'.

TRAIN
Sheffield Railway Station is situated in the town centre, two miles from the ground. Either get a taxi or a tram, which runs every ten minutes during the day but may be restricted on an evening. Leaving the station on a blue tram, you can either change to a yellow one in the city centre, which takes you to Leppings Lane (right by the ground), or stay on the blue one to Hillsborough, which is 10 minutes walk to the ground'. The journey time of the tram is around 20 minutes. On match-day’s regular shuttle buses run from the road at the far side of the bus station, near to the train station, these are marked ‘football’.

PUBS/FOOD
Sheffield is vibrant and cultured city with a large student population. It also has a great reputation for live music and has given us many top bands in recent years. If you are staying over for the night there should a large enough variety of venues to keep everyone happy. Although the ground is quite a distance fro the city centre you do have the following options;

The Park- Recently refurbished pub a short stroll from the ground turning left as you leave the away end and head for Wadsley Lane. The owners have spent £500,000 trying to turn it into a traditional style British Pub that caters for all.

Horse and Jockey- Another pub on Wadsley Lane that normally welcomes away fans, that enjoys a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

The Rose and Crown- Match-day pub located just under a mile from the ground on Stour Lane, just follow Wadsley Lane. This pub apparently doesn’t allow children in here so they will have to head somewhere else for a pint.

There are many other pubs in the city centre and on the way to the ground. For this guide I have only recommended a few pubs within walking distance of the away end. There are quite a few pubs located on the A61 Penistone Road, as you enter from the motorway, that fans may wish to head to. In my experience these are very much home pubs and should be treated as such. I remember going past them on the coach after the game and the pubs emptied to give away fans grief. Due to the low-key nature of this game, they may be a little bit more relaxed.

There are also a few take-away’s along the Penistone Road and a large concourse in the ground that does not sell alcohol.
 

HILLSBOROUGH- Capacity 39,812 (all seated) 
Hillsborough is a huge cavernous ground that oozes in tradition. As you head towards it you get that match-day buzz that supporters crave. The stands dominate the area and it’s very easy to feel that this is the ‘blue’ part of this passionate football-loving city.

Away fans are housed in the Leppings Lane End, known for the tragic events of 1989. This is a large 2-tiered stand, which can hold 3,700 in the upper-tier. When demand requires it, teams can be allocated the lower-tier and a large open corner to the left. This provides space for 8,000 fans, but I don’t think these will be needed for this game. The Leppings Lane End is behind the goal and offers a great view providing you are not stuck behind one of the large poles. The concourse is large and spacious.

To the right is the massive South Stand, which is 2-tiered and will be open for our visit. This stand sits beautifully against the passing river and behind it is memorial to the fans that died in 1987.

Opposite this is the single-tier North Stand, which is a large bank of seats and very simple looking.

Behind the other goal is the very impressive Kop, which dominates the full area and sends a tingle down your spine when it is in full voice. This is a massive bank of seats that have quite a steep rake.
 

SAFETY
As I have already mentioned, some of the pubs on Penistone Road can be a bit partisan and this general area may be a little bit threatening for away fans. There is always the worry about revenge attacks from Wednesday fans for their popular fan that was attacked at Hartlepool this season. Bearing this in mind I would exercise caution and keep covers to a minimum.
 

PRICE- Tickets are available on the day of the game.