As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Resident Plastic wrote:Does this one usually go down to general sale? With it being the end of the season i'm guessing it wont
This went to red members last year as I got a ticket, that was in May so around the same time, but that was Sunday afternoon.
Not the worst location to get to as I managed a day trip easily last year. We were taken to a student bar from the station to drink at then by police escort on buses to the game which seemed very excessive but made the trip to the station quicker.
armchair supporter wrote:It is also worth bearing mind though that the Stoke fans are passionate about their club and this can make for an intimidating atmosphere
About as intimidating as a trip to Asda...
Really? I went to the Victoria Ground in 1990 for a cup game and got chased through the cobbled (i think) streets before the game never shit myself as much as that time
armchair supporter wrote:It is also worth bearing mind though that the Stoke fans are passionate about their club and this can make for an intimidating atmosphere
About as intimidating as a trip to Asda...
Really? I went to the Victoria Ground in 1990 for a cup game and got chased through the cobbled (i think) streets before the game never shit myself as much as that time
Flash...aaa-aaa...he'll run ahead of us
Flash...aaa-aaa...back safely in first class
Flash, you've really got to pm Herd for some writing tips. He knows how to "dyer up" his posts
armchair supporter wrote:It is also worth bearing mind though that the Stoke fans are passionate about their club and this can make for an intimidating atmosphere
About as intimidating as a trip to Asda...
Really? I went to the Victoria Ground in 1990 for a cup game and got chased through the cobbled (i think) streets before the game never shit myself as much as that time
To be fair flash that was probably just you. Your reputation for being a must have preceded your arrival.
Yeh , last year as soon as we got to Stoke station we were escorted to Student Uni bar and got a bus from there to stadium and back after, seemed to remember a delay coming out,can't remember if it was waiting for a coach or being held back.
Remember the train going there being packed full of Chelski and southern Munure fans going to OT for their 4pm game.
flash gunner wrote:
Really? I went to the Victoria Ground in 1990 for a cup game and got chased through the cobbled (i think) streets before the game never shit myself as much as that time
Flash...aaa-aaa...he'll run ahead of us
Flash...aaa-aaa...back safely in first class
Flash, you've really got to pm Herd for some writing tips. He knows how to "dyer up" his posts
One thing im not is a bullshitter (unlike some hard men on here) if at 19 i shat myself being chased in an alien world of cobbled streets like Stoke then i'll admit it I was with my little brother too if he had got hurt my mum and dad would have killed me
flash gunner wrote:
One thing im not is a bullshitter (unlike some hard men on here) if at 19 i shat myself being chased in an alien world of cobbled streets like Stoke then i'll admit it I was with my little brother too if he had got hurt my mum and dad would have killed me
flash gunner wrote:
One thing im not is a bullshitter (unlike some hard men on here) if at 19 i shat myself being chased in an alien world of cobbled streets like Stoke then i'll admit it I was with my little brother too if he had got hurt my mum and dad would have killed me
I hope there will be tickets left come 2.30pm on 2.4.12. I just missed out on Wolves tickets, and I haven't been able to get to an away match yet. Really hoping for this one!
For those of you travelling by train: the procedure for most, if not all, of our home games this season has been this: there will be police/stewards at Stoke train station, waiting for trains coming from your area, and also looking out for any passengers on any train wearing your colours. They may ask to see your match-ticket. Then they'll direct you to the Stafford House Hotel, which is directly opposite the train station, where they'll have a big room set up especially for away fans, where you can get drinks etc. Then, at the right time, you'll all be directed on coaches that will take you to the ground. The coach will also take you back to the train station after the match. As far as I'm aware, you have to pay for the coach, but it will be cheaper than a taxi.
Obviously, as a home fan, I haven't had first-hand experience of this set-up, but I haven't heard any away fans complaining about it - most seem to think it's a reasonable arrangement.
If, by any chance, this isn't the plan this week (which is doubtful), the set-up will probably be much like last season, when away fans were advised to go to Staffs uni's student union bar, which is just along the road.
Pubs
For those driving down the options are severely limited. Around the ground there's only the Harvester and the bar at the Power League centre. Both of these tend to have a mixture of home and away fans, but they get very busy as kick-off approaches. The other options are basically:
- Fenton Bowling Club; this is around a 10 minute walk from the ground, and match parking is available at the school over the road
- the Plough or, probably better, the Gardener's Retreat; these are a 10-15 minute walk from the ground; it's possible you might be able to park in one or the other, but I don't know
I would suggest train travellers don't even think about drinking in the centre. The police encourage away fans to head for the Ember Lounge, which is the students union bar at Staffordshire University, just over the road from the station. However, they don't push it. One advantage of the Ember Lounge is that buses are provided to take everyone to the ground. The downside is that it's featureless and will probably be pretty lifeless. You may well therefore want to consider something else, for instance:
- jump in a cab or walk (15-20 mins) to Jolly Potters on Hartshill Road; this is taking you slightly further away from the ground, but this of course means that it'll be perfectly safe; in addition, it's a canny pub, and they welcome away fans!
- jump in a cab or walk (20 mins) to the Greyhound Inn in Penkhull; this is a sound pub and is away fan friendly, although a 30-35 minute walk from here to the ground; it's downhill all the way though!
- cab/bus/walk to one of the bars nearer the ground mentioned above
Pubs
Any reds arriving by train at Stoke station will be ‘encouraged’ by Staffordshire Police officers to go to a designated away fans pub that police have not identified.
It used to be the Ember Lounge – Staffordshire University Students’ Union – which is virtually opposite the station, but that is not the case this year as it is Freshers’ Week for new students.
That doesn’t mean the Ember Lounge is closed, it just might be difficult to get into.
The Ember Lounge is pretty big and has two bars, so the queues shouldn’t be that long. It’s a decent place to get a no-hassle pre-match pint.
If you prefer a walk into town, be careful. It’s dodgy enough for away fans on a normal match day in the city centre – let alone when United are in town.
If you wear colours in the town centre, you may attract trouble.
And you certainly won’t be allowed into any bar at all and the vast majority of town-centre boozers have bouncers on matchday. Avoid The Whitestar and the Famous Lion in particular, as they are staunch home-fan pubs.
But if you’re a bit more subtle, you might want to try a couple of these suggestions.
The only Wetherspoons pub in town is called The Wheatsheaf, at 84 Church Street – the main high street in town.
Now in its 10th year, it’s a typical Wetherspoons joint, on one level, with decent, cheap food and a good-value pint. Plus, it’s right by the bus stop (outside the church) where you can catch the stadium bus.
If you walk up from Wetherspoons on Church Street and onto Hartshill Road, you’ll see the Famous Lion on the other side of the road.
Walk past that and, a couple of doors down, you’ll find another modern-looking pub which is both spacious and relaxing.
There are sofas as well as tables and they do cracking hot snacks.
At the ground itself, a brilliant place to enjoy a pre-match pint is The Harvester, which is two-minute walk from the away end, in Tony Waddington Place.
Just a reminder to everyone travelling up to Stoke for this one that they need to adjust their watches back to 1976 and to make sure thet they visit their GP to receive all the necessary immunisations before they travel
I will be travelling up by car with a few mates and never been there before so dont know the area at all.
When will Arsenal fans know which pub is being designated to away fans? What time will away fans arrive into stoke via train?
I dont want to get up there really early without knowing which pub is for away fans.
I was thinking of just parking the car in the train station car park, then at least i could get from there to the ground and back with other arsenal fans rather than parking near lots of home fans. What will the people travelling by coach do/go before the match? im not sure how long before kick off they will open the away end to get drinks in there.
Just trying to plan the journey to give me some idea of where i will be going as i know its not the greatest place for an away fan!!
Macca wrote:Yeh , last year as soon as we got to Stoke station we were escorted to Student Uni bar and got a bus from there to stadium and back after, seemed to remember a delay coming out,can't remember if it was waiting for a coach or being held back.
Remember the train going there being packed full of Chelski and southern Munure fans going to OT for their 4pm game.
They didn't seem to mind fans leaving the uni bar, I wondered off and found the only place that looked ok to eat a nearby Subway.
I think the delay was to do with the escort to the ground. Though unlike French police they did take us to the right end of the ground.
Hi guys,thought I'd post this if you're driving as this is what we usually do when we set off for our home games. When we arrive in Stoke,we come off at junction 16 on the M6 and go to a carvery called the Caldwell Tavern on Congleton Road,put ST7 1LW in your Sat-Nav. Its a nice place,£3.89 for a nice carvery meal and a vegetarian alternative as I know how finicky you southerners are at eating!
After you are finished,get back on the A500 and drive down to Old Whieldon Road,put ST4 4HW in your Sat-Nav. Park-up there,walk over bridge and along the side of the canal to the ground. 15-20 minutes. A nice walk after your lunch. You'll walk over a bridge when you reach the Brit then head right to the away end. You could park closer but its not free,as where we park is and it takes ages to get away after the match. If you are driving,google what I've put on here and see what you think. In all the years we've done this,we've never had or seen any trouble or bother,its quite a nice day out,especially when the weathers good.
The only thing you have to be careful of is them pesky low-flying Pterodactyls,they always get me !
scfc64 wrote:Hi guys,thought I'd post this if you're driving as this is what we usually do when we set off for our home games. When we arrive in Stoke,we come off at junction 16 on the M6 and go to a carvery called the Caldwell Tavern on Congleton Road,put ST7 1LW in your Sat-Nav. Its a nice place,£3.89 for a nice carvery meal and a vegetarian alternative as I know how finicky you southerners are at eating!
After you are finished,get back on the A500 and drive down to Old Whieldon Road,put ST4 4HW in your Sat-Nav. Park-up there,walk over bridge and along the side of the canal to the ground. 15-20 minutes. A nice walk after your lunch. You'll walk over a bridge when you reach the Brit then head right to the away end. You could park closer but its not free,as where we park is and it takes ages to get away after the match. If you are driving,google what I've put on here and see what you think. In all the years we've done this,we've never had or seen any trouble or bother,its quite a nice day out,especially when the weathers good.
The only thing you have to be careful of is them pesky low-flying Pterodactyls,they always get me !
Is the traffic a nightmare getting away if you park at the Harvester next to the ground?
must have preceded your arrival. 
then i'll admit it 
I was with my little brother too if he had got hurt my mum and dad would have killed me 
