Source: FOOTYMAD
Toon FA Cup Tie A 'Banana Skin'?
We went to Stevenage when they were non-league ... and the buggers gave us a shock! STEVENAGE BOROUGH - THE LAMEX STADIUM (But still known to many fans as Broadhall Way) How To Get There And Where To Park Leave the A1 (M) at Junction 7 and take the A602 towards Stevenage. Go straight across the first roundabout and as you approach the next roundabout you can see the floodlights of the ground over on the right. However, if you go straight across the roundabout then you will see the entrance on the left to the large official car park which is free. The car park though has only one entrance/exit, so this can lead to bit of a bottleneck after the game has finished. By Train The nearest station to the ground is Stevenage which is about one mile away from the ground. Leave the station booking hall and turn left towards the town. Take the stairs on the right before the bridge over the dual carriage way and head along the A602, Lytton Way. At the roundabout which has the police station on the right, take the second exit into Six Hills Way. At the next roundabout take the third exit (south) continuing along the A602, Monkswood Way, passing a large Asda store on your right. After about 3/4 mile (McDonalds/Burger King etc will be on your right) you will arrive at a roundabout and the ground will be opposite you on the other side of the A602. You can also get the Arriva No.5 Bus to the ground, from Stop E at the nearby bus station. The ten minute journey costs £1.50 single, or £2.30 return. As the ground is not easily spotted in the distance, ask the driver to drop you off on Monkswood Way, opposite the entrance to the retail park. What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? Away fans are located at one end of the ground in the Buildbase South Stand, where up to 1,400 supporters can be housed. As you would expect from a relatively new stand the facilities and views of the playing action are good. I found the public address system though within the away end to be particularly loud, which interrupted a few conversations. The atmosphere within the stadium is aided by a drummer on the home East Terrace, who keeps the Stevenage fans going throughout most of the game. If you are into plane spotting then from the away stand you can watch a steady stream of jets descending into London Stansted airport. There is a good selection of catering on offer, although I thought a little bit on the pricey side. Rob Parker a visiting Macclesfield Town fan adds; 'The club is one of the most friendly I've ever visited, with everyone from the stewards to the staff in the shop keen to be as helpful as possible. The home fans were passionate about their club but in a non-threatening way, which made a for a relaxed atmosphere. Away fans were admitted into the spacious social club behind the South Stand, with no admission charge. Large numbers of home and away fans mingled inside and outside without a hint of trouble. There were no long queues at the (reasonably priced) bar and plenty of room as well. There was a large TV screen showing the early kick-off. Once inside the ground, the away end has good views of the action with no obstructing pillars and being elevated above the action. The only slight negatives were that the catering consisted of just one small hut which looked like it would run out of food pretty quickly (selling steak slice pasties for £3.50) and the toilets which are medium sized but lack sinks, instead providing sanitary spray to wipe your hands. Broadhall Way is a decent ground which really only needs some work on the North end to turn it into a really professional looking stadium. It's hard to find an example of a more friendly and relaxed away days anywhere else in the league and while it may not be top of my list for a return visit, I would happily go back in the future'. Where To Eat & Drink? There is a large Club House bar at the ground, behind the South Stand, which is popular with both home and away fans alike. However, for some high profile games, the bar will be open to home fans only, but this is only for a small minority of games. On my last visit, eventhough the bar was busy, I was served relatively quickly and it was a friendly atmosphere. Otherwise there is not much in the way of pubs near to the ground. Still if you like your real ale then it is worth taking the 15 minute walk to the 'Our Mutual Friend' pub in Broadwater Crescent. This pub which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide offers seven beers on hand pump, plus real cider and perry. If you have time on your hands then you can take the 15-20 minute walk into the town centre, where there are plenty of pubs to be found including a Wetherspoon outlet (called the Standard Bearer, which is located near to the Bus Station). Across the roundabout from the ground there is a Retail Park that has various eating outlets such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds & Burger King. There is also a Harvester outlet called the 'Roaring Meg, which also has a bar. FA CUP FIXTURES Saturday 08th January 2011 Arsenal v Leeds Utd 12.45 Blackburn v QPR 15.00 Bolton v York City 15.00 Brighton v Portsmouth 15.00 Bristol City v Sheff Weds 15.00 Burnley v Port Vale 15.00 Burton Albion v Middlesbrough 15.00 Coventry v C.Palace 15.00 Doncaster v Wolves 15.00 Fulham v Peterborough 15.00 Huddersfield v Dover 15.00 Hull City v Wigan Athletic 15.00 Millwall v Birmingham 13.30 Norwich v Leyton Orient 15.00 Preston NE v Nottm Forest 15.00 Reading v West Brom 15.00 Scunthorpe v Everton 15.00 Sheff Utd v Aston Villa 15.00 Southampton v Blackpool 15.00 Stevenage v Newcastle 17.30 Stoke City v Cardiff City 15.00 Sunderland v Notts County 15.00 Swansea City v Colchester 15.00 Torquay v Carlisle Utd 15.00 Watford v Hartlepool 15.00 West Ham v Barnsley 15.00 FA Challenge Cup Second Round Replay Lincoln City v Hereford 15.00 Sunday 09th January 2011 Chelsea v Ipswich 15.00 Leicester v Man City 16.00 Man Utd v Liverpool 13.30 Tottenham v Charlton 13.30 Monday 10th January 2011 Crawley Town v Derby 20.00 Tuesday 11th January 2011 Wycombe v Hereford/ Lincoln City 19.45
