Football Grounds Guide: Northern Echo Darlington Arena, Darlington FC

Contents
What's The Ground Like? Looking Towards The East Stand (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? The North & West Stands (photo) Where To Drink? The North & East Stands (photo) How To Get There By Car & Where To Park By Train A Closer Look At The West Stand (photo) Admission Prices Programme Price Local Rivals Ground Layout What Do The Darlington Fans Sing? Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2011-12 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Old Feethams Ground Hotel Accommodation Location Map
Share \|
What's The Ground Like?
The stadium which was opened in 2003, is impressive looking and is of a good size. It is completely enclosed with all the corners filled with seating. All the stands are single tiered and of an equal height. There is a perspex strip that runs around the stadium, beneath the roof, to allow more light to reach the pitch. The stands look virtually identical apart from the South Stand, which has a row of executive boxes running across the back of it. In the South East corner of the stadium is a Police Control Box, whilst in the North East corner, there is a large video screen. Top Of Page
Looking Towards The East Stand
Top Of Page
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are housed in East Stand at one end of the stadium, where around 3,000 supporters can be accommodated. Martin Redfern a visiting Scunthorpe fan informs me; 'It's a nice stadium and there seems to be plenty of parking (although I heard several grumbles about the Ł5 charge!). The usual food and drink are on offer inside from well run & well staffed outlets and the view from the away end is very good. I hardly noticed the stewards (which is good), but the atmosphere was a little subdued on my visit. No surprise really with just over 3,600 fans sitting in a stadium that can seat over 20,000'. Although the stadium is conservative in its design and shows little character, the acoustics inside are very good as well as the facilities on offer. It also has the best display of pies that I have ever come across at a football ground. Like going into your local bakers, glass cabinets display the rows of different hot pies that are available. These included pork pies (served hot), minced beef & onion and steak and kidney all at Ł1.30 each, plus as Tim Porter informs me they also now offer 'a steak and gravy pie with mushy peas and mint sauce for Ł2'. This 'Aladdin's Cave' of pies certainly had the desired effect on myself and my colleagues as we promptly ate a pie before the game started and another (or two) at half time (it did help our appetite though, that it was bitterly cold day!). However the downside was that teas and coffees were only available from a vending machine (which also had soup, crisps & chocolate), which meant queuing for a second time. The atmosphere was boosted somewhat by the presence of a drummer in the home end. Top Of Page
The North & West Stands
Top Of Page
Where To Drink?
At the stadium itself there are two bars; one called 'Bar 66' and the other called the 'Corner Bar'. Both admit away fans, however as you would expect they get very crowded. Greg Howard a visiting Grimsby Town supporter informs me; 'Just 10 minutes walk along Neasham Road, going towards the town centre is a fantastic little pub called the Copper Beech, which also serves decently priced food. The bar that we went into at the ground itself, was very spacious and modern. It also had a number of televisions and also did food such as bangers & mash and trays of curry'. Steve Duffy adds; 'There is also the Tawny Owl Pub, a Vintage Inn which is about a quarter of a mile the other side of the A66 roundabout. This though is more of a restaurant than pub, but decent enough for lunch'. As the stadium is located on the outskirts of Darlington and there are not that many pubs in the vicinity. It may therefore be an idea to drink in the town centre, where there are plenty of pubs to be found. For the real ale buffs there is the Number Twenty 2, in Coniscliffe Road. A large spacious pub, that offers food as well as a good range of beers. Mick Hubbard a visiting Aston Villa fans adds; 'We ducked down a little side street called Mechanic's Yard (which is opposite the indoor market, near the big train sculpture) and discovered a gem of a pub called the 'Quaker House'. The small bar was an Aladdin's Cave of real ales, having ten on tap. It was a fantastic place and also has a separate cafe upstairs'. There is also a Wetherspoons outlet situated on Skinnersgate. Simon Lorch tells me; 'We found a great little pub on the Market Square in the town centre called the Boot and Shoe. This pub was extremely friendly and served a cheap pint. Also Hogans right outside the station was cheap and friendly and good for real ale drinkers'. Otherwise alcohol is available on the concourses inside the stadium in the form of Fosters Lager & John Smiths Bitter. Top Of Page
The North & East Stands
Top Of Page
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
From The South: Leave the A1 (M) at Junction 57 and take the A66 towards Darlington/Teeside. Continue straight along the A66 going across two roundabouts. At the third roundabout you can clearly see the stadium just over on your left. Turn left at this roundabout into Neasham Road for the stadium. From The North: Leave the A1(M) at Junction 59 and take the A167 towards Darlington. Then take the A1150 towards Teeside. Turn onto the A66 towards Darlington and you will come to the stadium on your right. Although this route is not the shortest it does avoid driving through Darlington Town Centre. Car Parking There is a fair sized car park at the stadium which costs Ł5 per car. Although the stewards do their best to let the cars get away quickly at the end of the game, it is almost and impossible task, with supporters also walking through car parks to leave the area, so expect some delay. If you continue on past the stadium towards Darlington, then there is some street parking to be found, although this can be quite a walk from the stadium as there is a residents only parking scheme in operation on matchdays in the streets nearest to the ground. Map showing the location of the Northern Echo Darlington Arena (at the bottom of this page). Top Of Page
By Train
Darlington train station is around one and a half miles away from the stadium. Either get a taxi, a bus (see below) or walk it; leave the station and turn right past the taxi rank and towards the car park. Cross the covered footbridge back over the railway into Albert Road. Go right down this road and then take a right into Neasham Road. The stadium is about a mile further on down this road on your left. It should take about 25 minutes in total to walk it. Simon Brodie informs me; 'The Club now pay for a subsidised bus which runs every 15 minutes from Tubwell Row in the town centre to the ground. It costs just Ł1.50 for a return ticket. On Saturday afternoons the first bus departs at 1.15pm and the last at 2.30pm. The first bus back is at 4.45pm from outside the ground, with last leaving at 5.30pm. Away fans will be welcomed on this service as long as they are well behaved'. Top Of Page
A Closer Look At The West Stand
Top Of Page
Admission Prices
All areas of the stadium: Adults: Ł16, Senior Citizens Ł10, Under 16's Ł5 Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 Under 16's) Ł35 These prices are for tickets purchased prior to matchday. Tickets purchased on matchday can cost up to Ł2 more per ticket (Ł5 extra for a Family ticket). Top Of Page
Programme
Official Programme Ł2.50. Top Of Page
Local Rivals
Hartlepool United. Top Of Page
Ground Layout
Top Of Page
Disabled Facilities
For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. Top Of Page
Fixtures 2011-12
Darlington FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website) Top Of Page
Record & Average Attendance
At The New Stadium: 11,600 v Kidderminster Harriers Division 3, August 16th 2003. At Feethams: 21,023 v Bolton Wanderers, League Cup 3rd Round, November 14th, 1960. Average Attendance: 2010-2011: 1,886 (Blue Square Premier) 2009-2010: 1,943 (League Two) 2008-2009: 2,932 (League Two) Top Of Page
Fans Reviews Of The Darlington Arena
Christopher Mason (Cambridge United) 5/3/11 Martyn Stimson (Doing the 92) 3/10/09 Ben Borkowski (Rotherham United) 26/12/08 Dan Davies (Shrewsbury Town) 6/11/07 David Hammond (Swansea City) 22/02/05 Martin Naylor (Notts County) 19/02/05 Top Of Page
Old Feethams Ground
To see photos of Darlington's former Feethams ground then visit the Old Football Grounds & Stands Section of the Guide. Top Of Page
Hotel Accommodation
If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They have a huge choice of places to stay and their booking facility is straightforward 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 Darlington Hotels and Guest Houses page. Top Of Page
Location Map Of The Northern Echo Darlington Arena, Railway Station & Listed Pubs
Instructions for using the map: - Use the bar on the left of the map to zoom in / out using the + / - keys. - Click and drag an area of the map to move around or use the up/down, left/right arrows - Click the Satellite button to see aerial view photograph. Darlington FC (Larger Map) Top Of Page
Feedback
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net and I'll update the guide.

Return To The Main Menu

DarlingtonNorthern Echo Darlington Arena

Darlington
Northern Echo Darlington Arena