bet365 Stadium/Britannia Stadium (Stoke-on-Trent)

The Bet365 Stadium (stylised as bet365 Stadium) is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City. The stadium was previously called the Britannia Stadium but was renamed on 1 June 2016 when the club entered into a new stadium-naming-rights agreement with its parent company, Bet365. In European competitions it is known as the Stoke Ground due to UEFA regulations on sponsorships.

General information

Arena capacity: 30,089 spectators

Address: Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke On Trent, ST4 4EG

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 52.9883° N, 2.1761° W

Year of construction: 1997

Construction cost: €21.50 million

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 105 x 68 m

Seating plan of bet365 Stadium

The Bet365 Stadium is considered to be one of the trickiest club grounds to play in thanks to its location and design. There are essentially only two stands in the stadium, owing to the fact that the East Stand and North Stand were actually one L-shaped structure and the South East corner between them and the South stand was filled in with more seating in 2017. That means that two corners of the ground are still exposed to the wind and the rain, allowing for tricky playing conditions on days when the weather is found wanting.

The North Stand is connected to The East Stand to make one large stand that surrounds half of the pitch. The East Stand also houses the Family area.

The West Stand is two-tiered and houses not only the club’s spectators but also the corporate and media facilities.

The South Stand houses the away supporters and is connected to the East Stand. Because home supporters can also sit in this stand there is some segregation that means the stadium loses some seats from its overall capacity.

Away fans

Away fans are housed on one side (towards the Players Tunnel and Main Stand) of the South Stand at one end of the ground, where around 2,800 supporters can be accommodated. This stand is shared with home fans on the other side. There is a large sign advising fans that persistent standing would result in ejection from the ground, however, the facilities and view of the action from this stand are good. The concourse is adequate and there is a large choice of refreshments available such as Wrights Pies, Pasties and Sausage Rolls.

The stadium is quite high up in an exposed position and the open corners can mean that a cold wind can whip through the stadium, so bear this in mind, especially in the winter months.

It is also worth bearing mind though that the Stoke fans are passionate about their club and this can make for an intimidating atmosphere, so it is best to keep colours covered around the ground. Don’t be surprised if you are kept in after the game, in a fenced off compound to the rear of the away stand, whilst the Stoke fans are allowed to disperse.

Where to buy tickets?

Stoke have eschewed the game categorization employed by many clubs, and instead offer premium or standard seats for a lot of their seating areas. The price you pay will therefore only depend on your age, and where you want to sit.

The club’s website is the best place to start if you’re looking to get tickets. You can also phone the club’s ticket sales hotline and you’ll be able to pick tickets up from official third party sources, too. It is likely that some people will be offering match tickets near the ground on the day of games, but these aren’t always genuine so we’d advise that you avoid them. Stoke rarely sell out their games, so you’ll almost certainly be able to pick a genuine ticket up from the box office located at the ground.

How to get there?

The bet365 Stadium is located on an office and retail park in the south of Stoke-on-Trent, almost 2 miles from Stoke-on-Trent Rail Station and about 3 miles from the Hanley shopping and nightlife area. There are a few options to get to the ground.

By car

Leave the M6 at Junction 15 and then go straight across the roundabout onto the A500 towards Stoke. Continue along the A500 passing the junction with the A34. Leave the A500 at the slip road following signs for the A50 towards Derby. At the top of the slip road turn right at the roundabout (still A50) and then move into the second from left lane (signposted Bet365 Stadium). You can see the stadium over on your right. Turn right at the top of the slip road and then right at the next roundabout for the stadium. The Bet 365 Stadium is quite well signposted, although a few may still say the Britannia Stadium!

By train

Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station can be reached on a direct train from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Derby and Crewe. From there the club actually puts on shuttle buses from Glebe Street in the town centre to the stadium itself.

By bus

The number 20 bus runs from Stand N at Stoke’s centrally located bus station all the way to the ground. Buses wait on Glebe Street, which is to the right after exiting the station, on the other side of the A500 by the church.

By taxi

There is a taxi stand right outside Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station. It’ll cost you about £8 and take around 10 minutes, traffic dependent.

On non-matchdays the Wardle Transport PLUM service, and Baker’s Buses line 350/351 connect the stadium with the rail station and Hanley Bus Station.

Parking

Officially the North, West 1 and West 2 car parks are restricted on match days to those who have parking permits. There is another car park to the South that sells its limited spaces on a first come first served basis. Unofficially there is plenty of on-street parking in Hanley, about 2 miles or so from the stadium and with good access to the ground.

Where to eat and sleep?

The bet365 Stadium is located on an office and retail park on the edge of the city with, apart from the odd roadside pub/restaurant little around in terms of eating and drinking, which is better done in Hanley or near the main rail station.

If you wish to stay the night close to the bet365 Stadium, there is a Holiday Express on the same retail park pretty much next to the stadium. There are few more hotels near Hanley and elsewhere around Stoke-on-Trent, but it’s all very limited and most people will travel in and out for the match while staying elsewhere.

Facilities

Like all top end clubs in England, the facilities at Stoke City are as good as you’d imagine. In fact, having been built as recently as 1997 The Britannia’s facilities are better than most. From places to buy a bite to eat or a quick drink before the match through to places to stick a bet on the game with the club’s partner Bet365, The Britannia won’t disappoint from the point of view of what you can get in the stadium itself.

The Bet365 Stadium offers the sort of match day hospitality we’ve come to expect from Premier League clubs, so given that Stoke are in the Championship it is something of a cut above. From the Tony Waddington Suite through to The Stanley Matthews Lounge via The 1863 Lounge and numerous executive boxes, there are choices to suit most budgets and desires.

For example, The 1863 Lounge was named after the year that the club was founded and here you’ll get complimentary refreshments at both half-time and full-time, tasty hot food and premium seating for the match itself. In The Stanley Matthews Suite, named after one of the club’s most famous players, you’ll get a two course buffet, waiter/waitress service, Executive VIP padded seating, and a cash bar.

Whether you’re hoping to hold a party in the home of your favourite football club or you want to host a conference in unique surroundings, The Bet365 Stadium has got you covered. The club have ploughed a huge amount of money into ensuring their conference facilities are amongst the best in the country, hoping that their location in Staffordshire will attract business from both the North and the South.

For the ultimate Potters fan that is hoping to tie the knot, the club also hosts weddings at The Bet365 Stadium. Stoke have dedicated wedding planners to help you organise your special day, so you can hold a big affair in The Tony Waddington Suite or a smaller gathering in one of the club’s 3 licensed suites.

History

The Britannia is a purpose built, all-seater stadium that replaced the Victoria Ground, Stoke’s previous home, in 1997. As well as hosting football matches, the ground has also been the location for numerous concerts by performers as diverse as Bryan Adams, Elton John and Bon Jovi.

The ground cost £14.7 million to build and has a capacity of 27,902. The capacity was originally 28,384 but had to be reduced in order to allow for the segregation of fans. Former Stoke City player Sir Stanley Matthews, who officially opened the stadium on August 30th 1997, had his ashes buried underneath the center circle when he died in February 2000.

The ground was renamed for the 2016/17 Stadium after sponsors Bet365 although it may take a while for the new name to stick, fans will likely always know it as the Britannia Stadium.