AWAY DAYS: Stoke City travel information
30th October
Stoke City v Swansea City
Monday, October 31 (8pm kick-off)
Address: bet365 Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke on Trent ST4 4EG
Telephone: 01782 367 598
Website -www.stokecityfc.com
What's it like? The newly-renamed bet365 Stadium is high with the corners open, which make for blustery conditions. With a large evening crowd the home fans can make a big noise, so the atmosphere should be pretty good. Swans fans are behind the goals near the players' tunnel. Excellent facilities are available in the ground with good views of the pitch as well as alcohol sold in the bars.
Pubs and grub - There aren't many away-fan friendly pubs near the stadium. The student union bar at Staffordshire University (ST4 2DF) on Leek Road campus is the nearest big place to the train station, and the police normally escort the buses there. The venue is exclusively used by about 500 away fans. Bus to the ground and back is £3.50.
Also, near the train station is Terrace Bar (ST4 2BW). The shuttle bus to the stadium stops outside the pub and costs £3 for a return trip, stopping at the pub after the game.
There's a Holiday Inn Express (ST4 4EG) and Harvester (ST4 4TL) next to the ground. Car parking in the Harvester is £10. Also close to the stadium is a Power League complex (ST4 4TN) which has a bar with Sky TV and allows in away fans, parking is £4.50. Longton Rugby Club (ST4 8WG) is a 20-minute walk away with parking at £5.
Another option is to stop en route. The small town of Stone is off junction 14 of the M6 and has a few pubs that serve food, among them The Royal Exchange (ST15 8DA), Langtry's (ST15 8EB, which also has accommodation), The Poste of Stone - a Wetherspoons - (ST15 8AB), the Red Lion Inn (ST15 8AJ) and the Star Inn (ST15 8QW).
The Crown & Anchor (ST15 8JP) is more of a restaurant now than a pub.
Parking - Not a lot of parking is near the ground and you need to book to use the official car park, which can be difficult to get out of. There are 300 parking spaces at Screwfix Direct (ST4 8GR) for £4. It's a mile away and gives a quicker getaway onto the A50 after the game. There's parking (around £5) at the industrial units on Great Fenton Business Park (ST4 4LZ), a signposted 10-minute walk from the ground.
By train - Stoke railway station is a two-mile hike or £7 by taxi. Buses (detailed above) are £3 return, £2 for concessions. Stoke is a five-hour train journey from Swansea on the 11.55am, 12.28pm, 12.54pm, 1.28pm and 1.55pm.
