SWINDON TOWN 02.04.11

HOW TO GET THERE

CAR
From M4 Junc.15: Follow A345 (Queens Drive) to Drake's roundabout. Turn left towards the Magic Roundabout, The County Ground is on the corner of this roundabout.

From the North A419 from Cricklade/Cirencester/M5: Continue on the A419 until reaching the top of the new 3 lane stretch of dual-carriageway, which runs uphill. (I would advise to stay in the inside lane on this climb as the exit approaches quickly). Take the exit at the top of the hill (Lady Lane Junction). At the lights go right, then almost immediately at the next set of lights go left. Follow this road through the next set of traffic lights (passing the Motorola building to the right), then branch left onto the A4311. From here follow this road, following signs for Town Centre. At Transfer Bridges roundabouts turn left at the first and then straight over the second. The County Ground is on the left after the mini-roundabout.

One thing you will experience if you drive is the famous Magic Roundabout that tests even the most competent of drivers. If you don’t know what I am talking about then Google it!!!

PARKING
The club offer very expensive parking for supporters and there is also the option of the Cricket Ground that is located right next to the ground. The town centre is a 10 minute walk, but I have found this very expensive for parking in the past. There is also a limited amount of street parking to be found for early arrivals.

TRAIN
The station is around a 10 minute walk from the ground. As you leave the station head between the 2 pubs (feel free to give them a go though) and follow this road right to the end. Turn left onto Manchester Road and follow this to the ground.

PUBS/FOOD
There are quite a few pubs within a 10 minute walk from the ground and the town centre with the usual amenities and chain pubs is not far. The County Hotel at the ground has always been for home fans only and will not offer a friendly welcome to those without a local accent. The pick of the pubs nearby are;

The Cricket Club- This is located near to the away turnstiles and also offers match-day parking. It has a reputation for its welcome reputation and cheap drinks. They have a mix of home and away fans on a match-day and do not charge for entrance.

The Merlin- Although not a brilliant pub, The Merlin offers everything a match-day pub should. It is located on Drove Road, which is accessible by crossing the crazy roundabout. They have a load of TV screens located around the pub, showing Sky Sports. They also have a couple of pool tables and offer cheapish drinks for home and away fans. I have used this pub a few times in the past and always had a decent time in here. The South East Poolies will be heading for this pub before the game.

The Grove- Located a short stroll up from the Merlin and is now part of the Harvester Chain after previously being a Beefeater pub. There are mixed reports on this pub, but it will have more of a family feel than a pre-match atmosphere. These pubs are normally cheap and cheerful, whilst I remember it being quite a nice building with a lot of space.

G W Hotel Bar and Grill- The building looks more like a stately home than an urban boozer. This is not a typical football pub but is located bang opposite the train station. The pub tends to attract some more intelligent and up-market customers, resulting in our group feeling a little of place on our last visit. It offers comfortable surroundings as well as over-priced food and drink. It will appeal to a limited group, but certainly worth a visit if only to look out for some upmarket ladies enjoying a fine spring day.

Queens Tap- Again opposite the station, but more of a pub feel to it than the previous entry. They show Sky Sports and serve a decent range of ales and lagers. I have always found this place to be friendly with a mix of local lads and those after a quickie (oooh I say) before catching a train.

COUNTY GROUND Capacity 15,728 All-Seated
This is a traditional style ground, with many original features to excite the ground enthusiasts (including me). Away fans are housed in The Arkells Stand which runs along the length of the pitch and is shared with home fans who sit to the right of visitors. It is a large covered stand, which has an upper and lower section and can house 1,200 away fans. The facilities are ok and they even have a separate counter to buy a beer. It is very easy to make some noise in this stand, which we have done a few times in the past.

To the left is the open Stratton Bank, which is an old terrace with seats bolted on to it. This is used for away supporters when a large following is expected. We have used it previously and it is pretty poor in comparison to the rest of the ground. This stand should be closed for our visit.

To the right is the Town End, which in typical fashion is a small covered stand, housing the clubs more vocal supporters. This stand is dwarfed by the 2 side stands and as a result looks worse than it actually is. Look out for the floodlight pylon that is actually built into the corner of the stand.

Opposite away fans is the impressive Don Rogers Stand, which is simply a newer version of the Arkells Stand. It again has an upper and lower seated area, but unlike its older brother, has no supporting pillars.

SAFETY
There should be no problems here. Swindon fans are a good bunch and there is no history between the 2 clubs.

SOUTH EAST POOLIES
As mentioned we will be heading for the Merlin pub on Drove Road to watch the West Ham United V Manchester United game. Feel free to join us. Keep in touch via Stu on 07789 734790

PRICE