Tuesday 20th October 2009 Coca-Cola Championship
Blackpool v Sheff Utd 19.45
Bristol City v Plymouth 19.45
Cardiff City v Coventry 19.45
Doncaster v Peterborough 19.45
Ipswich v Watford 19.45
Leicester v C.Palace 19.45
Middlesbrough v Derby 20.00
Nottm Forest v Barnsley 19.45
QPR v Reading 20.00
Scunthorpe v Newcastle 19.45
Sheff Weds v Preston NE 19.45
West Brom v Swansea City 19.45
GLANFORD PARK - SCUNTHORPE
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
The ground is on the outskirts of Scunthorpe, making it easy to find from the motorway. Leave the M180 at Junction 3 and take the M181 for Scunthorpe. At the end of this motorway, you will see the ground on your right. Turn right at the first roundabout onto the A18 and right again into the large car park at the ground, which costs £3.
By Train
Scunthorpe station is over two miles away from the ground. Neil Hallam a visiting Burnley supporter informs me; 'On our last visit we found that the Police were laying on a free bus service from right outside the railway station to Glanford Park. Once in the vicinity of the ground, the fans are not compelled to go straight in but are allowed to head for the heavily policed and liberally bouncered pubs and bars on the adjacent retail park. The return service operates about ten minutes after the final whistle. With Burnley this service worked well, however it remains to be seen how it gets on with other clubs who may have a larger visiting contingent.'
Otherwise a taxi is probably the easiest way to reach the stadium. However, if you have time on your hands and are feeling fit..... Turn left out of the station and head towards the crossroads (facing a church) and turn right into Oswald Road, going past a set of traffic lights and the Honest Lawyer and Blue Bell pubs. At the next traffic lights turn left into Doncaster Road (where there a number of fast food outlets). Then just go straight down this road and you will eventually reach Glanford Park on your left. Otherwise catch the number 7 or 8 Yellow Line bus from the bottom of Doncaster Road (outside the Atlantis Chippy) down to the ground (fare £1).
What's The Ground Like?
The club left the Old Show Ground and moved to the new Glanford Park in August 1988. When opened, it was the first new league football ground to be built since the Second World War. It is somewhat box like in appearance with all four stands being an equal height. The ground is totally enclosed with all four corners having been filled (with advertising hoardings). The home end is terracing, whilst the other three sides of the ground are all seated. The main downside is the many supporting pillars to impede your view. The ground is completed with a modern looking set of four floodlights. The Club seem to have gone a bit over the top, with each stand having a named sponsor. Gone are East, West, North & South Stands. In are; Grove Wharf, Scunthorpe Telegraph, ArcelorMittal & AMS Stands!
Future Developments
The Club have submitted a planning application to build a new stand at the Study United end of the ground. The proposed stand will be three tiered and will raise the overall capacity of Glanford Park to 11,000. The scheme will also see the provision of conference and leisure facilities. However, this scheme is currently on hold as the Club evaluate the possibility of moving to a new stadium.
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are housed in the AMS Stand (aka the South Stand) at one end. This is all seated and can house 1,650 supporters. If demand requires it, then extra seats can be made available in the south corner of the West Stand. Although there are a couple of supporting pillars in this stand, the view is generally okay. A good selection of refreshments are available in the form of Cheeseburgers (£2), various Pies & Pasties (£2), Hot Dogs (£1.50), Bacon Butties (£2 - 'the best in the world!' according to Tim Porter) and Chips (£1). On my last visit the atmosphere was good inside the ground and no problems were encountered.
James Broadbent adds; 'the ground is very easy to find on the edge of town. Scunthorpe is generally a friendly place to visit, where you can have decent banter and a good day out. To help boost the atmosphere the club allow drums and musical instruments to be brought into the ground'.
Where To Eat & Drink?
There is one pub right at the entrance to the ground called 'The Old Farmhouse', which as Bryan Woods informs me 'This pub welcomes all fans but no colours are allowed'. There is another pub near the ground called the Berkeley, a favourite haunt for away supporters. To find this Sam Smiths pub go past the ground (or park there first) and follow the main road towards Scunthorpe and it is on the left hand corner of the first roundabout you reach. On my last visit this 1930's/40's art deco pub/hotel had a pleasant mixture of home and away supporters and served good beer in a comfortable atmosphere. The only draw back was that it seemed that you could only park in their car park if you were staying at the hotel, as there was an automated barrier across its entrance.
If coming by train, then the Honest Lawyer on Oswald Road is well worth a visit. Although a modern pub inside, it has been listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and has a number of beers on offer. Also on Oswald Road is the Blue Bell which is a Wetherspoons outlet.
Across the road from the ground there is a Retail Park with a number of eating outlets such as a Tesco's Cafe, KFC & McDonalds.