Oakwell Stadium (Barnsley)

Oakwell is a multi-purpose sports development in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England used primarily by Barnsley Football Club for playing their home fixtures, and those of their reserves. While the name ‘Oakwell’ generally refers to the main stadium, it also includes several neighbouring venues which form the facilities of the Barnsley FC Academy, an indoor training pitch, a smaller stadium with seating on the south and west sides for around 2,200 spectators, and several training pitches used by the different Barnsley FC squads.

General information

Arena capacity: 23,287 spectators

Address: Grove Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, S71 1ET

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 53°33′8″N 1°28′3″W

Year of construction: 1887

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 110 x 75 yards

Seating plan of Oakwell Stadium

DX West Stand

The DX West Stand is made up of two tiers.

The stand’s roof only covers the top tier, which is much smaller than the bottom tier beneath. This roof also comes down sharply at the front and can restrict the view somewhat if you are in the very back rows. Supporting pillars run regularly along the front of the roof that further restrict your view from inside.

The bottom tier has no such restrictions, but with no roof over your head, you will be exposed to the elements.

Up on the stand’s roof is the mezzanine that holds the matchday camera, and the stadium’s dugouts can be found down the very front.

Palmer Construction North Stand

The Palmer Construction North Stand is single-tiered and much taller than the adjacent Hayselden West Stand.

A row of pillars come down towards the back of the stand and can restrict the view of those sat behind here, but for the rest of the stand your view is perfectly clear, with large windshields in place at either end to offer protection from the elements.

Barnsley’s changing rooms are located within this stand, and the stadium’s tunnel is next to the northwest corner. Above this tunnel is an electronic scoreboard, which everyone except for the fans in the Palmer Construction North Stand can see.

Investment Room East Stand

The Investment Room East Stand is two-tiered much like the Hayselden West Stand opposite.

Both of these tiers however are of fairly equal size, with the letters BARNSLEY F.C spelt out in white seating amongst the rows in the bottom tier.

The two levels are separated from one another by a row of executive boxes, and the cantilever roof on top means that there are no supporting pillars anywhere, so your view from every seat is perfect.

Windshields at the sides of the stand cover the entire top tier but only part of the bottom tier beneath. This means that those in the front row seats are not going to be as protected from the elements as those higher up.

Wakefield Audi Corner Stand

In the southeast corner between The Investment Room East Stand and the CK Beckett South Stand is the Wakefield Audi Corner Stand, a white three-storey building that holds additional executive areas and disabled facilities for matchday and other events. It can seat just over 200 people and is a really considerate touch by Barnsley towards disabled fans, ensuring that they get the best view of the action possible.

CK Beckett South Stand

The CK Beckett South Stand is made up of a single-tier, which is split into two sections.

The blocks of the lower section are slightly off-centre from the blocks in the top section, with the entrances from the South Stand concourse about half-way up.

The windshields on the sides of the stand only run part-way down and so you are not protected from the sides if sat on one of the front rows.

A row of small pillars can be found near the back of the stand, but these do not restrict your view.

Away Fans

Away fans are put behind the goal in the Palmer Construction North Stand.

Depending on the allocation and the expected attendance of the fixture, fans can take up just one side of the stand, usually the one nearest to the tunnel, or the whole of the North Stand.

Covered sheets and stewards have also been used at times to divide the stand into two sections, with the away fans on one side and some home fans put in the other. This normally happens though on days when the home crowd is expected to be exceptionally large. On most matchdays, only away supporters are housed on this side of Oakwell.

Where to buy tickets?

Barnsley have decided to categorize their matches, A, B, and C, and all prices will be two pounds cheaper if bought in advance as opposed to on the day of the match.

They have a flat rate across the stadium, with only the category of the match and your age dictating the different amount that you’ll pay.

As is the case with most Football League clubs that are on the ball, Barnsley have a great website that will be the first port of call for most fans looking to pick up tickets. For those of you that prefer a more old school way of working, there is a ticket office that you can either call into in person or call on the phone.

How to get there?

Barnsley is in South Yorkshire, not far from Sheffield. For that reason it’s not the hardest place to get to depending on where you’re coming from, but then it’s not the easiest place to visit either. Here are some methods of transport you might like to consider.

Train

Barnsley Railway Station is about a ten-minute walk away from Oakwell. This station is served by trains running between Sheffield and Leeds.

From the train station turn left away from the town centre and head towards the bridge that the dual-carriageway runs over. Note that due to regular building works, you should check the Barnsley Council website for more information and alternative routes to the ground. Go under the dual-carriageway bridge and turn left up the slip road and then take the first road on the right and head towards the Metro Dome leisure complex at the top of the hill. Oakwell is now clearly visible.

Bus

Because the stadium is so close to the centre of Barnsley and the train station in particular, there isn’t really a need to get the bus to the ground. If you really want to do it, though, you’re best off asking the locals of the best route for you.

Car

Oakwell Stadium is just off the M1, so get onto that motorway before leaving at Junction 37 and taking the A628. Stick on that road until you see the signs for the ground.

Taxi

A taxi from the centre of Barnsley to the ground will take about five minutes and shouldn’t cost you any more than £4 unless you get caught in traffic.

Parking

There are car parks at the ground, with access being decided on a first-come-first-served basis. There is another one at the nearby Metrodome Leisure Centre and visiting supporters can park at Queens Ground.

Where to eat and sleep?

Nearby Sheffield offers the bright lights of a bigger city, but Barnsley is not without some decent hotel options of its own. Here are some of our favourites for you to consider.

1. ibis Styles Barnsley Hotel. The ibis chain of hotels are nothing spectacular but they’re cheap, cheerful and clean. The Barnsley branch is around two miles from the stadium and promises a restaurant, a bar, eight meeting rooms and free parking.
2. Holiday Inn Barnsley. Just over two miles from the ground is another chain hotel, this time from the Holiday Inn. It has a garden, a restaurant, a 24-hour fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool. There’s also a conference centre and free parking as well as free Wi-Fi.
3. Mercure Barnsley Tankersley Manor. Located in the nearby suburb of Tankersley, around four miles away from Oakwell, this delightful suburban hotel offers a full-service spa with an indoor pool, a health club, a garden and free Wi-Fi.

Barnsley is an excellent place to go for a drink or two; full of colourful locals and plenty of history, there are watering holes aplenty. Here are some of our favourites for when you come to consider where to have your pre-match pint.

1. The Joseph Bramah. This is a Wetherspoon’s pub located near to Barnsley train station and you can never go too far wrong with a Wetherspoon’s. You’ll get cheap drinks, cheap food, an ugly carpet and TVs to watch live sport on. This place is welcoming to both home and away supporters.
2. The Mount. This is the closest pub to the ground, so you can expect it to get busy on matchdays. It’s a traditional style pub with the usual lagers, spirits and craft ales, as well as pub games like pool and darts. It’s popular with home supporters and shows live sport, and it’s also dog friendly.
3. The Court House. Food is served from 9am to 6pm, there are nice outdoor areas for a drink or a smoke, CAMRA like them because they serve two cask ales from award winning local breweries and they show live sport. What more could you ask for?

Facilities

Renovated in the 1990s, Oakwell is now starting to show its age a little in some areas of the ground. It’s generally a friendly place to go with a good atmosphere, though, and it has all of the usual facilities you’d expect at a football ground including kiosks where you can buy a drink and a bite to eat. There’s even a purpose-built structure for disabled fans.

As with most clubs in the top few divisions of the Football League, Barnsley offer numerous hospitality packages for your benefit and amusement. Here are some details about some of the options open to you:

1. The Legends Suite – Spending your match day here will see you enjoy a pre-match three-course meal, half-time refreshments including freshly brewed tea or coffee, half-time and full-time drinks from a cash bar and executive seating.
2. Hospitality Suites – These can be hired out on a match-by-match basis for groups of at least twenty people, so they’re the perfect location for family celebrations or business meetings. You’ll enjoy dedicated waiting staff, half-time refreshments and a varied food menu.
3. The Premier Lounge – This is one of the more relaxed of the hospitality options at Oakwell. You’ll receive reserved seating, a complimentary match programme and access to a cash bar as well as the ability to place drinks order for both half-time and full-time.

As is the case with the majority of clubs that have excellent hospitality options, Barnsley allow their function rooms and suites to be used for private hire purposes, should you require it. In the past, the stadium has been used to host business conferences (with the executive boxes used as breakout rooms), seminars, exhibitions, sportsmen’s dinners and more. They can even host your wedding if you’re a massive Barnsley fan! They can host your wedding if you’re not a massive Barnsley fan, of course, but then why would you want to get married at Oakwell if you didn’t support Barnsley?

Accessibility

The club operates a specific non-discriminatory ticketing policy for disabled supporters and will ensure that the scheme does not differentiate between disabled people with differing impairments. The club will issue a complimentary carers ticket when needed. The carer must enter the stadium with the disabled supporter to who the ticket was issued.

The club has 60 parking spaces allocated to its home disabled supporters in the South Stand (Grove Street) car park – postcode S71 1ET. These are allocated on a seasonal basis.

Additional easy access lanes are reserved for matchday sales on a first come, first served basis, charged at the standard £5 per car rate.

12 car parking spaces for away supporters are situated in the Queens Ground car park adjacent to the North Stand (away end) – postcode S71 1AN. These are allocated on a first come, first served basis, charged at the standard £5 per car rate.

The club has designated areas for wheelchair users, who are advised to purchase tickets in advance if they do not hold a season ticket, as the club has limited spaces available. A breakdown of wheelchair spaces available can be found below:

Wheelchair Users (Designated Areas):

• 17 wheelchair bays are situated in the inside corner stand at a slightly elevated level;
• 9 wheelchair bays are situated in gangway OR5 of the South Stand at an elevated level;
• 16 wheelchair bays are situated in gangway OR2 of the South Stand at ground level;
• 18 wheelchair bays are situated in the North Stand (away end) at an elevated level.

Ambulant Disabled Supporters (Designated Areas):

• 17 Ambulant disabled seats are situated in the inside corner stand at a slightly elevated level.

Ambulant disabled supporters are able to sit anywhere within the stadium.

The Club is able to accommodate supporters with visual impairment in all parts of the ground but the club recommends that each visually impaired person attending a match at Oakwell should be accompanied by a person aged 16 or over who is fully able to support their needs in the event of an emergency.

Full match commentary is available via free earpieces, which should be collected from the South Stand Main Reception. Announcements and supporter information will be carried via the public address system.

Visually impaired supporters wishing to attend a match aided by their guide dog should contact the club in advance for all relevant information.

History

Oaskwell Stadium was renovated throughout the 1990s, with the club’s solitary season in the Premier League almost single-handedly paying for the re-building of the The North Stand; much to the consternation of some of the fans as it cost £4.5 million. It was hoped that the club would also be able to develop the ageing West Stand, but the club’s relegation from the top-flight and subsequent financial problems put paid to that notion.

There have been a number of attempts to use the ground for purposes other than Barnsley matches. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Rugby League Club played their first Super League game in the stadium in 1998, for example. Wakefield & Emley non-league Football Club used the ground for an FA Cup tie against Rotherham in the same year, and Manchester City played there in a UEFA Cup qualifying game when the City Of Manchester Stadium’s pitch was being relaid in the summer of 2008.