By Griff
July 26 2022

With the move to the new stadium it would be nice to get a matchday/stadium guide together. In order to do that it would be best to crowd-source the information so here's a request for submissions.

Since we've been in the BCS a while now most of the regulars should have some input into our new matchday experience so literally everybody should be able to chuck in some wisdom to help any newcomers, visiting supporters or reluctant Reading 4's etc. join-in and get the best experience.

I have a few ideas for sections of information but they are by no means a fixed set, feel free to shout-up anything you think could be of use for people.

Travel/Parking

I suspect this might be the most useful, how to get to and into the ground for a game. What rail/tube/bus routes work best? Timings are very much appreciated as are stories of problems that have occurred, along with how often they occur. For me this has been the most unexpected part of the move - I was expecting an absolute horror show. It's not like I haven't travelled into London before but very often I have hit niggles and delays when I have and I was expecting my matchday travel to echo that but, touch wood, my first choice of route (train to Ealing Broadway and the 65 bus) has been pretty reliable.

During the pandemic (before the club organised a stadium home for the drums) I was driving in - they enabled the ULEV since so I've no experience of that. I parked at various places - club car-park (thanks Kelly), local NCP and even on-road (Green Dragon Lane - not on Saturdays), we need stories of the various official and unofficial car parks and on-road opportunities. I suspect we may annoy the locals if we publish vast lists of free on-road parking but feel free to send them if you like and if anyone get upset we can simply take it down.

Any other ways to the game?

Stadium Catering

What have you tried? What's good (and bad)? For me the in-stadium offerings are a little better than the MadStad but it's still stadium food you wouldn't write-home about. For me the pizza is probably the best value if they have any - I've only seen that sold on the West end of the North Stand concourse. Where in the stadium can you get stuff (and are there any speedy ways to get beer)?

Local businesses

Not only pubs, although it'd be great to give a synopsis of all the local hostelries. Since it's on the way into the stadium from the 65 bus I'm quite partial to Kew Roastery which does a selection of eat-in and take-away stuff. What's your top-tip? Food, drink, any tips for the club shop would be welcome.

AOB

Anything not covered above? I've literally just chucked this together to get the site back online - I'm serious about the request, though. I might use first-drafts of the various sections as stories to keep us alive over summer.

At some point it'd be good to have a map with stuff around the stadium marked - if anyone wanted to volunteer to make that I'd be very pleased.

To send anything at all you can PM me (Griff) or email editors@londonirish.org and I'll collate all the submissions into a guide - do please note if you don't want to be attributed for your submission. Feel free to suggest stuff on the thread below this article and I'll do my best to grab any info from here too but a PM/email will be less likely to be missed.