With the new season about to get underway at the VBS Community Stadium, we want to give supporters the following update highlighting changes to match-day operations.
Tickets
The Club has held ticket prices across the board for the new season. The slight changes that come into effect this season are an increase to the age for Junior tickets which is now Under 14, up from Under 12 in previous seasons. This means children aged 12 and 13 can take advantage of reduced ticket prices, but it also means they now need to be accompanied by an adult (or senior concession). Unaccompanied juniors won’t be allowed access to the stadium. Tickets for the games against Altrincham, York, Forest Green (which is a 5.30pm kick off to facilitate enhanced coverage by DAZN) and Ebbsfleet are available on line here. Subject to a game not selling out or being designated all ticket, tickets for all home games will be available from the ticket kiosk on the day of the game, but as before these carry a £2 increase in price.
Home/Away Accommodation
Segregation of Home and Away supporters will be in effect for the upcoming season. The Collingwood Road end of the stadium is now designated a Home facility, as is the fan zone behind that stand where additional improvements have been made, with two bars now open before, during, and after matches. In line with all stadia across the country there is no drinking in sight of the pitch and alcoholic beverages must be consumed within the fan zone and not taken to seats. Prematch fan-zone activations of events and entertainment will continue. Halftime on-pitch entertainment however will not feature in the match-day events this season.
Away fans are to be accommodated on the Mound Terrace, via turnstiles 5-8 at Gate B, with a new drinks facility operating behind that stand. The Parkside Terrace will be predominantly used as a Home facility but will have the ability to switch to Away on those occasions where away demand is sufficient and Home supporters can be accommodated elsewhere. This is the same procedure as the one adopted at the Tardis Terrace last season.
This new stadium layout requires relocating segregation gates and an amendment to the stadium operating licence. This isn’t anticipated to occur in time for the season’s first match, meaning Away fans will still use those turnstiles but solely be located on Parkside Terrace.
The previous home fan zone in the car park has been decommissioned.
Stadium Entrance and Opening Times
For this season the turnstiles will now open at the earlier time of 12-30pm for a 3pm kick off. All supporters will need to enter via the turnstiles to access not just the stadium but also the internal bars and the fan-zone. The doors between the pitchside and Ambers’ Bar will now open at the same time as the turnstiles instead of after 3 pm. The only exception is that pre-booked hospitality guests will enter the MBA Lounge as normal, with their match or season tickets scanned there. The MBA Lounge is now exclusively for hospitality users only, with no access permitted internally from Ambers’ Bar. MBA Lounge hospitality guests will be allowed exit and re-entry to the lounge meaning it is no longer the case they are required to exit and walk through the car park to enter the stadium at the turnstiles.
1898 members are required to enter the stadium via the turnstiles and enjoy the facilities in the 1898 members’ lounge via Ambers’ Bar.
The Club Main Reception entrance is now closed on match-days to all except those with media passes and to Boardroom guests (without MBA hospitality). Only MBA hospitality users, and media, and players should travel past the Club Shop.
Car Park
The car park is not a public facility on match-day. Authorised permit holders are required to be parked before 2 pm (or 1 hour before kick-off for games that do not kick off at 3pm). It is a condition of the stadium operating licence that there is no vehicular traffic movement except emergency vehicles in the hour before kick-off. Late arrivals will be turned away.
Family Enclosure
This season, as part of the Collingwood Road end switching to a home area, the yellow seats in the Ideal Medical Solutions Stand (above) are to become a Family Enclosure. Part of this stand has already been available for season ticket purchases, and this will be extended for match ticket purchases too, where these seats are only available for purchase for adults and senior concessions with children in the party. Access to the fan zone for supporters from other parts of the stadium is allowed but will be via the pathway behind the seated section.
Standing Positions
Our stadium operating licence allowed for a 3-year transitional period when standing at the pitch side barrier was permitted on the sides of the ground. Standing against the barrier at the two ends was ended in May 2021. This transition period has now finished and stewards will now be instructed to allow standing only in the designated terraces behind the terrace barriers.
