R's on The Road.......... To Sheffield Wednesday.
On Saturday the R’s hit the road once again and we make our first trip to Sheffield. As usual here are a few hints on how to enhance your trip up in Yorkshire.
The Stadium.
Current Capacity – 39, 812
Hillsborough has been the home of The Owls since 1899 and is currently the 12th largest ground in the country.
Plans to improve the stadium were announced in August 2009. The improvements include :-
• Increased capacity to 44,825 seats with no viewing restrictions
• Removal of pillars and building of a new 'iconic' roof structure for the Kop
• Removal of pillars and building of new 'iconic' roof structure for the West Stand
• A new specific learning zone in the West Stand overlooking the pitch
• Extension of the North Stand to create the biggest classroom in the country and enterprise zones for use by local business and community organisations
• New corporate facilities - 17 new executive boxes in the North Stand
• Improved stadium access and increased car parking spaces
• Making Hillsborough into a 'green stadium' through rainwater harvesting and solar cell technology to power learning zones
The History between the teams.
At Sheff Weds (30)
Sheff Weds 20
QPR 7
Draw 3
Since Rangers won promotion at Hillsborough on 8th May 2004 this away trip has not been a happy one for the R’s travelling supporters with three losses and a draw coming out of the last four meetings in Sheffield. With only two fixtures ending in a goalless draw and Sheffield Weds averaging two goals a game to QPR’s one a game you can pretty much guarantee there is going to be goals in the game on Saturday.
How to get there.
By Car:- The post code for today is S6 1SW.
The easiest way to get to Hillsborough is to leave the M1 at junction 36 and then follow the A61 for eight miles towards Sheffield and you will eventually come across Hillsborough on your right hand side.
If you arrive early enough then you may be able to park your car for free on the street. Otherwise you can use the car park just behind The Kop end which should cost you £5. There are also some unofficial car parks dotted around the area leading into the stadium.
By Train:- Sheffield Railway Station is situated in the town centre, two miles from the ground. Either get a taxi up to the ground or the bus station is a one minute walk from the railway station. Cross over at the pedestrian crossing, and follow the signs. Head for the far side of the terminus. Bus no. 53 to Ecclesfield runs regularly to the ground (every ten minutes), the journey time is about 30 minutes.
Another option is to use the trams that are also available from the station. Jump on the blue tram and then once you are in the city centre you jump onto a yellow one that will take you to the Leppings Lane End which is where all the away supporters will be today.
Pubs 'n' Grub.
There is one pub I highly recommend from previous visits to Hillsborough and that is the Wadsley Jack pub up on Rural Lane. From outside the away stand you head left and then climb uphill. It is a 20 minute walk and is all uphill. The pub is really friendly and does tend to get busy. Other pubs that I have been told do welcome away fans are The New Bridge Inn, Rose and Crown and The Red Lion. If coming from the City Centre then you may be welcomed by some of the pubs there including a Wetherspoons.
The city centre will offer you an array of restaurants and outlets for food, if you choose not to use them then burger vans will await your arrival at Hillsborough.
Alcohol is not served in the ground so if you want a drink before the game then make the most of the pubs available to you.
posted by Lee @ 11/05/2009
2 Comments:
At 1:02 pm,
Dee Vincent-Day said…
A bit of travel advice for those travelling to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
If you are using public transport you should be aware that we do not have a joined up transport system like London. There are two main bus companies operating in Sheffield, First and Stagecoach both sell day tickets for their own buses and a Stage coach Dayrider also includes the tram.
First are the most expensive with the fare from town to Hillsborough costing around £1.80 each way. You can buy a First day ticket for £4 allowing travel within Sheffield on any First bus service.
My advice is to take the Tram to Leppings Lane and purchase a Stagecoach Dayrider ticket I think these cost around £3.80, however, this gives you travel on the bus and tram anywhere within Sheffield.
If you want a ticket that allows you to use any form of transport in South Yorkshire there is a ticket called the South Yorkshire Day Tripper this allows yu to ride on any form of transport to anywhere in South Yorkshire. This ticket costs £5.50 and is the closest thing to having a day travelcard in London. Some of the bus drivers are not familiar with this ticket so if you buy one on the bus be sure to say you want the £5.50 South Yorkshire Day Tripper or they will give you their own company's day ticket. When I first moved up here I often had to demand that the driver reissue the correct ticket when they gave me the wrong one.
Finally if you have children aged 11 - 16 there are no child fares unless you have a mega pass (issued by South Yorkshire Passernger Transport Executive) These are obtainable from Sheffield Interchange upon production of the Child's passport/birth certificate, proof of address and a passport sized photo. Children with Maga travel cards are charged 40p per journey. There are no day tickets for children.
Otherwise children (11 - 16) are carried at adult fare.
At 1:12 pm,
Dee Vincent-Day said…
Some advice for those of you travelling to Hillsborough by bus or tram. The public transport in South Yorkshire is not joined up like it is in London and we do not have an oystercard system up here.
So if you are going to Hillsborough the cheapest way is to take the tram and purchase a Stagecoach Day Rider ticket. I think this costs around £3.80 and allows you to travel anywhere in Sheffield on Stagecoach operated bus services and the Stagecoach Super Tram.
The 52 bus is operated by First who charge £4.00 for a day ticket. I am not sure how much a ticket to Hillsborough is from town but it will certainly not be less than £1.80 for a single journey.
If you would like a bit more freedom and have plans to explore befor the match you might be better off buying a South Yorkshire day tripper ticket costing £5.50. This allows you to roam anywhere in South Yorkshire by bus train or tram. this ticket can be purchased on the bus or tram but you should stress that you want the £5.50 ticket or they will give you the company day ticket.
I often see visitors to the city having to pay out additional fares because they have a Stagecoach or First day ticket and then get on a service operated by another company. So don't get caught out.
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