Bournemouth v Palace - 17th July 2002
Bournemouth v Palace
Pre-season friendly
Wednesday 17th July 2002 7.45pm
Ground Name: Fitness First Stadium
Capacity: 9,986
Address: Dean Court, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7AF
Main Telephone No: 01202-726300
Ticket Office: 01202-726303
Ticket Hotline: 0845-0112322
Tickets are now on open sale for both home and away supporters
Crystal Palace: Adults £10 for all areas. Concessions £3 for all areas except MS3 Main Stand Centre where adult price applies for all seats.
By telephone: 0845 011 2322 – 09.30am to 9.00pm (Sat-Mon)
On-line: through www.afcb.co.uk -up to 4.00pm on day before match
By post: AFC Bournemouth Ticket Office,
The Fitness First Stadium at Dean Court,
Bournemouth BH7 7AF
Old Dean Court has been completely re-developed. Away fans are located on one side of the East Stand, at one side of the pitch. Up to 1,000 away fans can be accommodated in this area of the stand which is shared with home supporters. The view of the playing action is good and there is quite a good atmosphere generated from this stand. The facilities are okay, but the small concourse behind the stand, can become uncomfortably packed with fans. Beer is served on the concourse as well as such delights as the Balti Chicken Pie (£1.90). For those that have travelled to Bournemouth before, the new ground is placed exactly where the ground used to be situated (give or take 50 yards and 90 degrees). The stadium is a no smoking one, (the stewards will throw you out if you are caught smoking in the seated areas).
The family stand is available to families of visiting supporters
Getting to the ground
there is one way in and out of the area and that is to find the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road. Follow the A338 towards Bournemouth. The ground is situated on the left of the A338 in the outskirts of Bournemouth. If you keep looking up to the left as you go into Bournemouth you will eventually see the tops of the ground floodlights. At this point take the next exit off the A338 and turn left towards the ground. There is a large car park located at the ground. Alternatively, there is a council run car park, on the opposite side of the dual carriageway, which is handy for getting away quickly after the game.
From the M3 take the M27/A31 to just past Ringwood. At the relatively new Ashley Heath interchange, get on the left hand lane, then come off and go left down the A338 to Bournemouth.
- From the M4 at junction 15, come off the A345 to Marlborough and stay on this road, via Salisbury and Ringwood on the A338. Then, take the A31 to Bournemouth. 500 metres later, take left hand lane for the A338 to Bournemouth. (Alternatively, there is the route via the M3 and M27 via Newbury and Winchester)
- From the West take the A35 from Dorchester. At Bere Regis, take the A31 to Wimborne and turn right at Ashley Heath interchange onto the A338.
- From the North and Midlands, head towards the M40. It will take just under two hours from Cherwell Valley Service station on the M40 at junction nine. Take the next exit towards Oxford and follow signs to Newbury. Just North of Newbury, you will meet a roundabout connecting the M4. Continue South and follow directions posted further up the page.
- From the East (north of London), head towards the M25 and then take the turn-off at the M3. Follow subsequent directions above from there.
The junction of the A338 to exit at is one after the Cooper Dean flyover (before the town centre). The exit is signposted and the floodlights can just be seen on the left hand side. You will know the Cooper Dean flyover from a leisure centre with a large grass area and prominant a glass building (JP Morgan Chase), also on the left hand side. The main car-park is situated behind the ground and is also nearest the away seating area. From the mini-roundabout just off the A338 turn-off, go straight on to where stewards will guide you. Parking there will cost £1, but there is various street parking available. Kings Park Road, Littledown Drive and Littledown Avenue are all within a minute or two walk from the ground. Look out for restrictions in some areas.
Pubs etc.
There is a bar behind the Main Stand, called the Cherry Tree, Only fans with tickets in home areas are allowed in the stadium pub before the game. It operates normal licensed hours, but will not serve alcohol within 30 minutes before the start of, or after the end of a match.
The closest pub to the ground is "The Queens Park by the dual carriageway, and it is popular with both home and away fans. The pub shows SKY Sports and serves Ringwood real ale. Home fans tend to congregate in the bar and the away fans in the lounge. To find this pub, simply walk away from the ground, on the road going from the main entrance to the stadium. At the end of the road turn left and the pub is a little way up on the left. It is situated on the corner where Holdenhurst Road meets Ashley Road – by car as you turn off the A338, turn right at the mini-roundabout and the pub is by the traffic lights on your left around 200 yards along the road.
If you turn left at the tarffic lights and carry on down Ashley Road, you come to "The Portman", situated on the right just after the railway bridge where Away fans are welcome. It’s about 10 minutes walk away from the ground across Kings Park. It is a fairly spacious pub with two bars, serves good ale and food is available. It is normally a good pub with a friendly atmosphere.
The new(ish) Sir Percy Florence Shelley pub in Boscombe is recommended on the Internet football fans’ guide for a drink beforehand, its only about ten minutes walk to the ground.
including a Firkin.
If travelling by train, "The Bell" is directly opposite Pokesdown Station and "The Dolphin" is on Holdenhurst Road and a short walk from Bournemouth station on the way to the ground.
The catering inside the ground is now being done by Lindley catering and is much imrpoved from the old stadium! There is a wide selection of pies, pasties, burgers and hot-dogs along with crisps, sweets, larger and bitter all at reasonable prices. Please note that the bar will stop serving alcohol ten minutes prior to kick-off and will re-open in time for a half time pint or two.
By train
The nearest train station is Pokesdown which is roughly a mile from the ground. However, most trains arrive at Bournemouth Central, which is around a half an hour walk to the ground. Either try to get a train to Pokesdown or grab a cab.
As you come out of Pokesdown station, turn left and take then subsequently the first left into Gloucester Road. This will take you into Kings Park and the ground is to your left when you get to the end of Gloucester Road. Keep going through the park until you see an Athletics Stadium. This marks the back end of the official car park and the stadium can be seen from there. From Bournemouth Central Station, walk towards the main road by Asda (Holderhurst Road) and then turn left, and follow that road for about a 15 minutes walk past the Dolphin and Queen's Park Pubs. As you pass a small roundabout by a telephone box on the corner, corss the road, keep walking ahead and then take the first right into Thistlebarrow Road.
Trains run from Clapham Junction
it s SOMETIMES quicker to get fast train to southampton then change for 20 mins fast train to bournemouth. I think most of the bournemouth trains stop everywhere.
The last direct train to Clapham Junction is at 10pm it stops at every station until Woking & takes 2 hours 47 minutes to get back
Next one is at 5.14am.
Fare is £27 or £18.35 with a network card
Train arrives Clapham Jct at 00.47 and connects with train to E croydon at 01.06.
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