Derby County
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Contents | |
What's Pride Park
Stadium Like? |
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What's Pride Park Stadium Like? | |
The Club moved to Pride Park in 1997 after spending 102 years at their former Baseball Ground home. Pride Park which was opened by Her Majesty the Queen, is totally enclosed with all corners being filled. One corner is filled with executive boxes, giving the stadium a continental touch. The large Toyota West Stand which runs down one side of the pitch is two tiered, complete with a row of executive boxes. The rest of the ground is smaller in size than the West Stand, as the roof drops a tier to the other sides, making it look unbalanced. It is a pity that the West Stand could not be replicated throughout the rest of the stadium as this would have made it truly magnificent. An unusual feature inside the stadium is next to the home dugout there is a statue of former player Steve Bloomer who overlooks the pitch. Outside the stadium on one corner is a statue of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. |
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Future Stadium Developments | |
The stadium has been built in such a way that an additional tier could be added to three sides of the stadium, namely the North, East and South Stands. This would increase the capacity of Pride Park to around 44,000. However, this is unlikely to happen unless the Club become established in the Premier League. | |
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What Is It Like For Away Supporters To Visit? | |
Away fans are located at one
end of the stadium in the Winfield Construction (South) Stand, where the
allocation is 3,100, although this can be
increased to 5,600, for cup games. The
facilities within the stadium and view of the
playing action are both very good. This coupled with
normally a great atmosphere and a deafening PA
system, make for a memorable experience. I have visited Pride Park a
number of times now and have found the Derby
supporters to be friendly and have not experienced any
problems. Available on the concourse are a selection of Hollands Pies and Pasties all at £2.90, as well as Cheeseburgers, Burgers and 'Beechwood smoked' Hot dogs. There is also a betting outlet too. There are televisions on the concourses showing the game going on inside, with commentary, so that you don't have to miss anything while waiting for your half time cuppa. Please note that you have to buy a match ticket before entering the stadium from the lottery office adjacent to the away turnstiles. I have received reports of away fans not being allowed entry into the stadium for being 'too drunk' in the opinion of the stewards, so be on your best behaviour. George
Donovan a visiting Ipswich
Town supporter adds; 'In
my opinion Pride Park is the best ground in the
Championship - yes, even better
than Portman Road! - thanks to its location,
proximity to the train station,
best pub I've been to on the way to the ground
(The Brunswick - over a
dozen real ales always on tap including my fave
Timmy Taylors Landlord),
superb catering with no queues, fantastic view,
friendly home fans and
great PA'. The teams
emerge to 'White Riot' by the Clash. |
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Where To Drink? | |
Pete Stump informs me; 'On a recent visit, the police directed us to a "Harvester" about five minutes walk away from the stadium. It was full of away fans, however we were told that they don't always admit visiting supporters.' The the Navigation Inn on London Road, is also popular with away supporters. There are a couple of pubs opposite the station, such as the Merry Widows, that tend to be the favourite haunts of away supporters. However, unless you are going to arrive mob handed, then it is probably best to turn right out of the station and make your way down to The Brunswick or Alexandra Hotel. Both these pubs have a railway theme, serve a great range of real ales and offer a selection of filled rolls. Although they both have bouncers on the doors away fans are normally let in as long as there is no singing. There are bars at the back of the stands, offering Beer and Lager at £3.10 a pint, however they do get quite crowded. |
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How To Get There By Car & Where To Park | |
From the M1, exit at Junction
25 and take the A52 towards Derby. The ground is
signposted off the A52 after about seven miles. There is not a great deal of parking
available around the stadium so it may an
idea to park in the centre of town and then walk out
to the ground. Kenny Lyon suggests;
'perhaps a better place to park for all fans is the
cattle market car park. This costs £3 and is
about 15-20 minute walk
from the ground and is just off the A52. To get there, go past the normal
turning for the stadium and go up to the 'pentagon
roundabout;' take the first
turning off there and then take the next left - you then drive about 300
yards back on yourself, passing it on your left as you drive
along the A52'. Pete Stump adds; 'Walking from the cattle market car park to the stadium, you will pass a KFC and a Burger King, where I noticed that matchday parking was available for £6'. Michael French a visiting Birmingham City fan informs me; 'If you take the stadium exit off the A52, then immediately on your right is Wyvern fireplace wholesalers who offer matchday parking at £6. Its only a 5-10 minute walk away from the stadium and offers a fairly swift getaway after the game'. There is also parking available at the Derby Conference Centre on the A6 London Road, which costs £5. Whilst Steve Cocker informs me; 'There is free street parking available on Downing Road on the West Meadow Industrial Estate (DE21 6HA), which is off the A52. It is then about a 10-15 minute walk to the stadium. Make sure though that you get there in plenty of time before the kick off, as the road fills up quickly.' Steve Hallam informs me; 'A stretch of the A52 between Nottingham and Derby is named Brian Clough Way in honour of the great mans achievements with both Derby and Forest'. See also the Map showing the location of Pride Park (at the bottom of this page). |
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By Train | |
The ground is about a
10 minute walk away from Derby railway station and is signposted. A new exit
has been opened at the station which leads directly
onto the retail park, as Dave Plunkett adds; 'When
you go up the stairs from the platform, turn
right and walk to the end of the bridge.
Go down the stairs, exit and turn right down
Roundhouse Road. Bear left at the roundabout,
go straight down Riverside Road or turn right go
down Pride Parkway where there are couple of
places to eat and drink, including Old Orleans). You
will reach the ground in front of you'. |
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Admission Prices | |
Ticket prices are not listed here as the Club have introduced something called 'Demand based pricing.' In essence the Club set a starting price for a ticket for a particular game and area within the stadium. But once the tickets are on sale the Club can then put up the prices of the tickets if the fixture or area of seating is particularly popular. I can understand that the Club are trying to encourage fans to purchase tickets early (i.e as soon as the tickets go on sale at the starting price), but I feel somewhat uncomfortable that these can be subsequently hiked up as the Club sees fit.
I do not believe that this scheme applies to tickets in the away section. It is worth bearing in mind though that tickets for the visiting section, cost up to £3 more if purchased on the day of the game. |
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Fixtures 2012-2013 | |
Derby County FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website). | |
Programme | |
Official Programme £3. | |
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Local Rivals | |
Nottingham Forest. | |
Stadium Tours | |
Periodically the Club offer tours of the stadium (On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings) which are priced at £8 for Adults, £6 for OAP's and £5 for juniors (when accompanied by an adult). Tours need to be booked in advance on: 0871 472 1884. Season ticket holders at Derby can qualify for a discount on these prices. One off tours can also be booked, subject to a minimum charge of £25. | |
Disabled Facilities | |
For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. | |
Record & Average Attendance | |
At Pride Park; 33,597 England v Mexico, Friendly, May 25th, 2001. For a Derby game at Pride Park: 33,475 V Glasgow Rangers Friendly, May 1st 2006 At the Baseball Ground; 41,826 v Tottenham Hotspur, Division One, September 20th, 1969. Average Attendance: 2011-2012: 26,020 (Championship League) 2010-2011: 26,023 (Championship League) 2009-2010: 29,207 (Championship League) |
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Fans Reviews Of Pride Park | |
Mark
Lees (Ipswich Town) 7/4/12 Donald Tindall (Fulham) 29/4/08 Tim Samson (Neutral) 3/12/05 |
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Hotel Accommodation | |
If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a hotel
booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all
types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets
from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast
establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced
Apartments. Plus their booking system is
straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will
earn a small commission if you book through them, but
it will go to help with the running costs of keeping
the Guide going. Access their Derby Hotels and Guest Houses page. Remember that you can use the above link or panel below to book any other hotels that you may need for business or leisure, either in the UK or abroad. |
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Map Showing Location of Pride Park Stadium, Railway Station and listed Pubs | |
Instructions for using
the map:
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Feedback |
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If
anything is incorrect or you have something to
add please e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide. |
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