Newcastle are back in London for their next outing, away to West Ham on Saturday, 23 December at 15:00 GMT.
LONDON STADIUM
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR VISITING SUPPORTERS?
London Stadium On MatchdayAway fans are housed in both the upper and lower tiers in the South West part of the stadium, where just under 3,000 can be accommodated for League games (or up to 8,000 for domestic cup ties). Supporters enjoy fine unobstructed views, however, fans are housed quite far away from the playing area, especially at the back of the upper tier, so make sure you bring some binoculars, or more practically if you can, get yourself a seat in the lower tier or at the front of the upper tier. Due to the nature of the retractable seating, there is a fair gap between the lower and upper tiers of the visiting fans sections.
On the plus side, the facilities inside the stadium are excellent, with ample food and drink outlets located on spacious concourses. And of course a visit to a game of football wouldn't be complete without a pie, although it will set you back £4.20 for a choice of Steak and Ale, Chicken and Vegetable or Vegetarian Pie. Even the toilets, which when I compare to other grounds that I have visited, can only be described as more of akin to a hotel standard rather than a stadium one. Most of the food and drink outlets take card payments, which also is handy. Entrance to the stadium is through electronic turnstiles, meaning that you insert your ticket into a bar code reader to gain entrance.
Although last season there were a number of reports of small pockets of disturbances both inside and outside the stadium, this thankfully seems to have been eradicated so far this season. The stewards certainly seem to have a bit more of a handle on away fans walking to and from the visitors coaches using mostly a separate walkway. I would still though exercise some caution around the vicinity of the ground.
Please note that as nearly all League matches will be sold out in advance this season at the London Stadium, then please do not travel unless you already have a ticket.
WHERE TO DRINK?
There is not much in the way of drinking outlets close to the stadium, so it is mainly the case for visiting fans to drink in Central London or en route. Alcohol though is served inside the stadium, although not cheap at around £4.80 for a pint of Amstel, or there are bottles of Fosters, Strongbow or Bulmers (all £4.60), Smirnoff Ice (£4.80) or small bottles of wine (£5.10).
There are a number of pubs in the centre of Stratford itself, but nearly all of these have declared themselves for home fans only. John Ellis a visiting Leicester City fan informs me; 'Having been turned away from the Wetherspoons pub called the Goldengrove, the doormen pointed us in the direction of the Goose pub at 78 Broadway, where we were made welcome. There was a mixture of home and away fans inside and families were also allowed in. Adam adds; 'Before the game we went to the Hamilton Hall Wetherspoons pub at Liverpool Street Station before journeying onto Stratford and the Stadium. This pub has been popular with fans visiting London for a game over a number of years'.
There are a number of eating places and restaurants within the nearby Westfield Shopping Centre that also serve alcohol. My pick of these is the 'Cow' on Westfield Avenue, but there is also a bar inside Aspers Casino, as well as the Holiday Inn, which are all situated on the Westfield complex. Just outside Stratford International Station there is the 'Tap East' which brews its own beers. Whilst near Hackney Wick station there are two bars that also are attached to breweries, The CRATE and the 'Howling Hops' are both housed next door to one another in an old warehouse complex. Whilst just a little further along the canal from these brew pubs (in the opposite direction to the stadium ) is Mason & Company which is a Craft Beer and Italian Food outlet.
DIRECTIONS AND CAR PARKING
The London Stadium has been designated as a 'public transport destination,' which in other words means that people driving by car to the venue are actively discouraged. So, for example, an extensive Residential Parking Zone is put in place around the area of the stadium on matchdays, meaning that you need to have a permit to street park. Also what limited paid parking is available close to the stadium, such as the Aquatics Centre and Copper Box, are off-limits to the normal fan.
If you still wish to drive then: Leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London. At the end of the M11 motorway keep in the left hand lane and follow the signs for the North Circular A406 (S) (A12, A13). At the bottom of the flyover where the roads merge, move into the left-hand lane for the A12. At the roundabout take the fourth exit onto the A12 towards Central London and Stratford. Keep straight on the A12 for around four miles At this point you should be able to see the Velodrome building over on your left. Exit here onto the A106 signposted Stratford and Westfield. At the bottom of the slip road at the traffic lights, take the left hand filter lane, towards Stratford and Westfield. Continue along this road and you will reach the stadium on the right and the Westfield Centre on the left. Just before the Westfield Shopping Centre you will reach a set of traffic lights, where you turn left for the Westfield Car Park, A,B & C, which are clearly signposted from this point.
Car Parking The nearby Westfield Shopping Centre offers car parking at £9.80 for a day (Saturday or Sunday), or £6.70 for a weekday evening. You can get a discount of 25% on the evening rate if you sign up for the Westfield Smart Parking Scheme. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Wembley Stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.
BY TRAIN AND LONDON UNDERGROUND
The London Stadium is served by three railway stations all of which are around a 10-15 minute walk away. These are; Stratford, Stratford International and Hackney Wick. The stadium and stations are well signposted around the area.
Stratford Station is located next to the large Westfield Shopping Centre. It is the main station in the area, as not only does it have overground connections to London Liverpool Street and Clapham Junction, but is also has an Underground station which is located both on the Jubilee and Central tube lines. In addition, it is also located on the Docklands Light Railway.
Stratford International Railway Station is located on the other side of Westfield Shopping Centre and is served by local services from London St Pancras, the journey time from which is just seven minutes. It is also located on the Docklands Light Railway.
Hackney Wick Railway Station is located on the opposite (West) side of the stadium compared to the Stratford Stations and Westfield Shopping Centre. It is served by trains from Clapham Junction, Richmond and Stratford. It also stops at Highbury and Islington, which is also situated on the Victoria Tube line and can be a handy for those fans travelling down to London Euston, which is around 20 minutes journey time away. Please note that due to its limited size, fans are being discouraged from using Hackney Wick. However it is open on matchdays and I'm sure if arriving in good time, it will be fine to use before the match. After the game it might not be a good choice, as the trains arriving at Hackney Wick, will probably be already jam packed with fans who will have already got on at the preceding Stratford Station.
I have been informed that after the match all fans that are wanting to go to Stratford Station, are sent on long set route (this avoiding going into the shopping centre) and is stop/started in places to regulate the flow of fans, before being finally met with huge queues for the trains themsleves.