Memorial Stadium/Memorial Ground (Bristol)

Commonly known as the Memorial Ground, the Memorial Stadium was named in memory of local rugby union players who lost their lives during the First World War. Indeed, the ground’s history is steeped in rugby, given that it only became the home of Bristol Rovers in 1996 yet has been used to host sports fixtures since it opened in 1921.

General information

Arena capacity: 12,300 spectators

Address: Filton Avenue, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 0AQ

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 51.4862°N 2.5831°W

Year of construction: 1921

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 101 × 68 m

Seating plan of Memorial Stadium

The North Stand is a single-tier terrace section of the ground that is home to the more vocal Rovers supporters. The East Stand is a tall structure that has terraced sections either side of it, whilst the South Stand is a fully-seated section that also has a roof. Finally, The Somerlap West Terrace is identifiable by the fact that it looks like a cricket pavilion. It contains both terraced areas and seating.

Away fans are housed within the south-east corner of the stadium split between the East Stand which terraced, and the South Stand which is fully-seated. The standard allocation of tickets is around 1,100 however it can sometimes feel like less due to the two separate areas, and the relatively open nature of the ground which hinders acoustics.

Where to buy tickets?

Tickets to see Bristol Rovers in action at the Memorial Stadium can be purchased in advance online and at the club shop for an early bird discount. If you purchase on the day of the match then you will have to pay normal prices.

Category A matches also carry an additional fee, however, the majority of matches each season are Category B.

How to get there?

The Memorial Stadium is located in the north of Bristol at just over 2 miles from Bristol’s city centre and slightly further from Bristol Temple Meads, the main railway station.

If you go by car, exit M5 at junction 16 (Signposted Filton) and join the A38 (South) towards Bristol City Centre. The ground is about five miles down the A38. You will pass the large British Aerospace works and further on, you will pass on your left the Inn on the Green and the Gloucester pubs. You then pass the Wellington pub on your right and continuing along the A38 Gloucester Road, turn left into Filton Avenue.

The entrance to the Club car park is the second right down this road. It is rather small and there are no spaces available to the general public on match days.  The club recommend parking on either Gloucester or Muller Road which are around 5-10 minutes walk away. There is a fair amount of street parking around the sides and back of the Wellington pub. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near the Memorial Stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

The nearest railway station is Filton Abbey Wood, which is approximately 1.8 miles or 35 minutes walk away from the Memorial Stadium. More likely though you will end up at Bristol Temple Meads which is about three miles away from the ground and is really too far to walk from, so you are probably best to jump in a taxi or bus.

A taxi from Bristol Temple Meads Station to the Memorial Stadium will take about 15 minutes and should cost you between £10 and £15.

Various buses connect the stadium with the city centre and railway station, running across Gloucester Road and past the Memorial Stadium, including bus 73, 75, and 76.

Where to eat and sleep?

Bristol is actually one of the larger city’s in England, and surprisingly popular with tourists. There’s plenty of accommodation options including Hotel Ibis in the centre, The Premier Inn near Broadmead and Holiday inn Express near Temple Meads train station.

There is a bar behind the clubhouse terrace at the ground that allows in away supporters. Not far from the Memorial Stadium on Gloucester Road is the Wellington. This pub which is owned by Bath Ales, serves food too and normally has a mix of home and away fans on matchdays. Also on Gloucester Road is a micropub called the Drapers Arms. Located half mile away from the stadium, the Annexe Inn pub on Seymour Road along with the Drapers Arms are listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. It is close to the County Cricket Ground, going further along the A38 towards Bristol. After passing an Indian Restaurant called Guru, turn left into Nevil Road and then right at the Sportsman Pub into Seymour Road. Other pubs near to the stadium such as the Queen Vic, the Anchor and the Royal Oak, are best avoided by visiting supporters. Please note that alcohol is not made available to away fans inside the stadium.

The King Street Brew House is a city centre pub & microbrewery located on the cobbled street corner of King Street and Welsh Back waterside. It is handily placed if you are arriving at Bristol Temple Meads railway station or going into the city centre before or after the game. The bar has up to 18 different beers on tap, some of which are produced on site & serves food from lunch time until late. In addition, the pub is family friendly, shows Sky/BT sports & has lots of space inside and out.

Facilities

The stands are quite good at Memorial Stadium, but most of them feature irritating support pillars that limit your view. You’ll also find the concourses offer the sort of thing you’d expect from a middling Football League club.

There are numerous sponsorship packages as well as executive boxes available at Memorial Stadium, but the most popular hospitality option is probably in the club’s restaurant. Here you’ll enjoy a three-course carvery before the game, half-time refreshments and access to a cash bar. You’ll also get seating in The East Stand and the chance to watch the Man Of The Match award being presented.

From Christmas parties to funeral wakes, there aren’t many events that the Memorial Stadium can’t cope with. Weddings, conferences, and Mothers Day lunches have all been hosted there in the past.

History

The ground was built on an area of land known as Buffalo Bill’s Field because Colonel William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Show performed there from the 28th of September until the 3rd of October in 1891. Two years later in September 1893 Clifton RFC played on the site for the first time. It was used as allotments during the war before being bought by Sir Francis Nicholas Cowlin, the Sheriff of Bristol (continuing the wild West theme), and given to Bristol Rugby Club so that they could build themselves a stadium on it. It was opened as the Memorial Ground on 24 September that year by G. B. Britton, the Lord Mayor of Bristol.

The ground has remained a focal point for the wider Bristol community, and a minute’s silence is held annually at the closest game to Remembrance Sunday, while on 11 November a service of remembrance is held at the Memorial Gates with players and officials from both Bristol Rovers and Bristol Rugby attending the service each year.