Well, having seen Charlton play at both Eastville and Twerton Park, might as well collect my hatrick at the Memorial Ground in February.
So I've rooted around and found a useful site:
Linky thingy: What's it like for visiting supporters?
There's loads of useful info, like how to get there - and all about the unconvered away terracing for those of us who like a bit of Yeovil-like masochism:
"The club moved to the stadium in 1996 and two years later bought the ground from the then owners Bristol Rugby Club. Although the Memorial Ground has seen some changes since the Football Club took up residence, it still has the feel of a rugby ground about it, blah blah ...."
And:
"What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away supporters are mostly housed in an open terrace on one side of the Uplands Stand. This area is open to the elements so you might get wet if it rains. The open terrace makes it difficult for away fans to really generate some noise. Up to 1,100 away supporters can be accommodated in this area. If the weather is poor then it may be a better bet to head for one of the seats that are made available to away fans in the South Stand at one end of the ground. I must recommend the huge Cornish pasties (£2.20) that are sold at the ground, huge and tasty, plus they even do vegetarian ones which makes a change. Also on offer are a range of pies including the the Chicken Balti Pie. I did not experience any problems on my visits, however I noted that the Rovers fans seemed to tolerate away fans rather than being over friendly. They can still do a good rendition of their club anthem 'Goodnight Irene', when the occasion stirs""Where To Drink?
Pete Stump recommends; 'The Victoria pub on the Gloucester Road (five minutes walk from the ground) which usually has a comfortable mix of home and away fans - unfortunately it's not that big and does get busy'. Rhys Gwynllyw a visiting Wrexham supporter recommends the Annexe Inn next to the Sportsmans Arms. 'The Annexe Pub is friendly has previously been listed in the Good Beer Guide. Last time I was there it had seven real ales on tap. I had no hassle at all in my Wrexham top'. Steve Pugh adds; 'The Annexe Inn is in Nevil Road, which is about ten minutes walk from the ground. You can find it by following the signs for the County Cricket Ground'. Otherwise there is a bar behind the clubhouse terrace that allows away supporters in. I have been informed that 'away fans should avoid the John Cabot pub'."
Anyway, lots more, pix & stuff .....
like how to get there, etc.
The website is a really good read from the away supporter's perspective.
Comments
"Exit M5 at junction 16 (Signposted Filton) and join the A38 (South) towards Bristol City Centre. The ground is about five miles down the A38. You will pass the large British Aerospace works and further on, you will pass on your left the Inn on the Green and the Gloucester pubs. You then pass the Wellington pub on your right and continuing along the A38 Gloucester Road, turn left into Filton Avenue. The entrance to the Club car park is the second right down this road. There is a fair amount of street parking around the sides and back of the Wellington pub.
There's maps and links on the site:
Linky: Car parks, maps & stuff
By Train
"The nearest railway station is Filton Abbey Wood, which as Peter Moody informs me; 'is approximately 1.5 miles or 20-25 minutes walk away from the ground'. More likely though you will end up at Bristol Parkway which is about two miles away from the ground and is really too far to walk from, so you are probably best to jump in a taxi or buses 73 & 74 run from the station past the stadium."
Right, now who's going .......?
LOL must be good then :-)
5 minute drive from where i live :-)
We've all been to Bristol City loads of times, Rupert ...... but I've not seen Charlton at the Memorial Ground,
Bristol Rovers, yet. Have you?
Open terracing. Could be a classic day out, like Yeovil.
Come on, you know you want to!
;o)
However I've got a supplier who will be treating us for the game. ;-))
What is an "indread"? An example of rastafarian in-breeding?
I know it's on telly, but are many now thinking of going anyway?
Was on the phone to box office earler - about 550 sold so far, can't imagine we'll shift too many more. Bit of a shame, certain we would have sold this out on the Saturday.
Does anyone know how realistic it is to try and get from the ground to Bristol Parkway station afterwards in time for train at 10.02pm? Am willing to run all the way or get a cab or bus.
I'm hoping to be on that train too, gonna get a cab, so if you wanna get the cab with me and we split the fare?
I'll let you know mate, not sure whether to go for that one or half ten from Temple Meads.
The 10:02 gets you into Paddington 50mins earlier than the Temple Meads one
eh?
so you think the performance against swindon would've inspired a further 700 to make the longer journey the following saturday?
btw, i probably don't qualify to comment as i wasn't there.
Getting to Parkway should be ok by cab. It takes about 10 minutes by car. The buses are terrible in Bristol though so wouldn't use them.
Sky have a lot to answer for - but we've already been through this in a separate thread!
totally agree , bristol is a little bit nearer than swindon and a new ground for everyone so deffo would have sold it out on a saturday like we nearly did at swindon and would have at walsall if the fixture wasn't midweek
Where you coming in from then?
we played swindon away only 2 seasons ago and have played them many times in the pre-prem days, swindon is a boring nothing place not renowned for good drinking etc (although there were plenty of pubs on the way to the ground), and its a boring ground.
walsall is an ABSOLUTE shith*le and is tricky to get to from london, and is a rubbish, relatively new ground. (and yet we still managed to take 450 on a horrible tuesday night for a game rearranged only a few weeks before)
bristol is a great city with a shedload of pubs and a good weekend away or day out destination, bristol rovers is a new ground with terracing, and bristol is really easy to get to from london (as previously stated). yeovil is a far more realistic comparison in my opinion (new ground, terracing) and is harder and longer to get to than bristol and not as appealing a visit, yet we still took 1370 there. on that basis i think taking that amount plus maybe 100 or 200 more to bristol rovers would have been pretty realistic for a saturday, and i would suggest that the amount of disappointed / angry responses that were posted on here / sent to the club when the game was moved to the monday would support that estimate.
norwich were in the same situation albeit with a more difficult journey than us but were still able to take 1365 there though as opposed to our 450.
Rovers lost tonight at home.
so on that basis they should have 66% more than us = 750 or we should have 40% less than them= 819 .....but they took 1365 and we took 450 ...... you i'll do the maths ;-)
my comment was simply raising the point that in my opinion based on OUR support only (which is the only relevant one for predicting OUR away support), we wouldve taken a significant number to bristol rovers had those Sky b8stards not got involved