Your guide to the new Gate please log in to view this image All the information you need for the big season opener. City kick-off their Sky Bet Championship campaign against Wigan West Stand will open with a reduced capacity for the first game Fans urged to arrive early; Fan Village open from midday Ashton Gate Stadium will open its doors for the 2016/17 campaign tomorrow as City host Wigan Athletic (kick-off 3pm). For the first since April 2014, the stadium will have supporters in all four stands – with West Stand lower tier being opened at a limited capacity for home fans. As fans prepare for the season opener, here’s a simple guide to each stand and the stadium. TICKETING More than 17,000 tickets have already been sold for the match, with Wigan taking an allocation of 1,300 tickets. That includes the club's 13,479 season card holders, who have signed up for the 2016/17 campaign! (Season cards remain available) The brand new ticket office will be in the Winterstoke Road Fan Village for all collections, along with press and scout ticket collections. Note: A decision on whether there will be any ‘pay on the day’ matchday sales will be made later today. Supporters are advised to arrive early where possible to avoid queues. FAN VILLAGE In the Fan Village (which opens at 12noon), situated outside the Sports Bar & Grill, will be: - A 30ft bar - Burger van - Pizza stall - BBQ hut - Live guitarist and band - Olympics on the giant screen The Sports Bar & Grill will be closed for general admission. TRAVEL Please use public transport where possible. The new First Bristol bus routes will be in operation, along with ABus from Temple Meads. Find out full details here. There is a bike rack in the South-East corner. Remember, parking is limited around the stadium at Ashton Gate and there are no spaces available on site. Please park legally and with consideration for the people that live, work and visit the area. The club doesn’t want to spoil the enjoyment of others. Police officers can and do use their discretion in dealing with parking issues and options available range from words of advice to fines and ultimately to have vehicles towed away. That is a ‘final’ option, so please consider where you park. WI-FI Ashton Gate Stadium has partnered with Bristol University’s Zeetta Networks in a world-first stadia WiFi technology trial. The trial will initially focus on the South and Dolman concourses and if successful will then be extended throughout the stadium and into the seating areas. To connect to the network (free of charge) simply join ‘Ashton Gate EdgeZ’ and fill out the short form to get browsing. (Note: this is not yet available in the West or Atyeo Stands) WEST STAND Only supporters with season cards or tickets for the West Stand will be able to access the West Stand, via turnstiles 1-15. Whilst the toilets will be available in this stand, no concession (food and drink) stands will be open inside the concourse. To compensate, a large bar will be open in the walkway behind the West Stand, along with a West Country pasty shop. Further to earlier communications, the club has received permission for all supporters to access the walkway behind the back of the West Stand. However, there will be no access from inside the concourse for Dolman and South Stand ticket holders to move around beyond the S18/S19 vomitory into the West Stand concourse, and vice versa. Smoking will be in a designated area along the West Stand rear walkway. SOUTH STAND The Coffee Shop will be open from 10am, with the Store open from 9am. Inside the concourse one of the concession stands is now “drink only”, following feedback from supporters. There will also be four fast-pour stations in the concourse. In the South-East corner there will be a Real Ale and Pasty Bar. The smoking area remains unchanged from last season, outside the rear of the stand. DOLMAN STAND One of the concession stands will again be “drink only”. In addition there will be 14 fast-pour stations. There will also be a pasty shed and Scrumpy Pig stall, plus a Pulled Pork station just outside the turnstiles. The smoking area remains unchanged, in the alley behind the stand. Please note, however, that fans will not be able to walk the entire length of the walkway behind the Dolman Stand (from Atyeo around to South). ATYEO STAND The away supporters will be housed in the west end of the stand. The home supporters will be housed in the east side of the stand, with unreserved seating throughout. It is the Three Lions flag day (on West St), and supporters in the Atyeo Stand can expect lots of colour and noise for the season opener. In the Atyeo Stand car park there will be the usual burger van and a Lavazza Coffee station. The smoking area remains unchanged, outside the rear of the stand. DRINK The following alcoholic drinks will be available in the stadium: Thatchers Gold Thatchers Dry Thatchers Haze (on some concession stands) Butcombe Fosters Heineken Guinness John Smith’s In addition, soft drinks, hot drinks and water will be on offer. Remember, the new discount rates for season card holders is now operation. (20% for dual, 15% for season card PLUS, 10% for season card member, 5% for Forever Bristol members). http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/your-guide-to-the-new-gate-3226482.aspx
Will be elsewhere (Three Lions) but the fan village is an immense improvement on the past. Expectantly this is where Bristol Sport will improve service, earn plaudits instead of derision for their too recent errors of judgement.
Thanks for this info Will the ground be finished this season or are they still renovating the Atyeo stand?
