Turf Moor Stadium

Turf Moor has been the home of Burnley Football Club since it opened in 1883. The ground is located on Harry Potts Way, a location named after the club’s longest serving manager. It had a slight claim to fame in that it was one of the final grounds in England to boast the location of the player’s tunnel and dressing room behind one of the goals until they had to be covered in seating for the 2014-2015 season when the club was promoted to the Premier League.

When Turf Moor was first built there weren’t any stands and it was just a pitch that people gathered around. The first stand wasn’t built until 1885. The entirety of Turf Moor was rebuilt after the Second World War at which point it had four stands erected. There were further redevelopments to the ground in the 1990s when the Taylor Report ruling meant that football stadiums had to be all-seated affairs.

General information

Arena capacity: 21,401 spectators

Address: 52-56 Harry Potts Way, Burnley BB10 4BX, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 53°47′21″N 2°13′49″W

Year of construction: 17 February 1883

Construction cost: 5.3 million pounds

Field: Desso GrassMaster lawn with dimensions of 115 yd × 74 yd (105 m × 68 m)

Seating plan of the Turf Moor Stadium

Burnley have played continually at Turf Moor since 1883, which is one of the longest continual occupations of a ground by any club in the League. Half the ground was re-developed in the mid-1990’s with two smart looking new stands being opened. The first of these the James Hargreaves Stand was opened in early 1996. It has two large tiers, with a row of executive boxes, housed between them.

This stand replaced the famous Longside Terrace, which was a big steep covered terrace. Later in 1996, the Jimmy McIlroy Stand was opened at one end of the ground. This two-tiered stand is similar in design to the James Hargreaves Stand, which gives half the ground a uniform look.

The other two sides of the ground are much older and look out of place next to their shiny new neighbours. The Bob Lord Stand at one side of the pitch was opened in 1974. It is a small all seated single tiered stand, with a row of supporting pillars running across its middle and has windshields to either side.

The Ladbrokes Stand (formerly known as the Cricket Field Stand) at one end of the ground was opened in 1969. Again it is a simple looking single tiered stand that has some supporting pillars. The teams enter the playing area from a tunnel located in-between the Ladbrokes and James Hargreaves Stands. As the team dugouts are located on the other side of the stadium, in front of the Bob Lord Stand, then this leads to quite a procession of players and staff, at half and full time.

Away fans

Away fans are housed in the covered Ladbrokes Stand at one end of the ground. Visiting supporters are housed on one side (towards the Bob Lord Stand), where 2.414 seats are allocated. This stand is shared with home supporters which coupled with the stand having good acoustics, normally makes for a good atmosphere. The Club have at long last spent some money on improving the facilities in this stand. This includes new turnstiles as well as a refurbishment of the undercroft and toilets in this stand.

What was a dark dank concourse is now quite pleasant complete with large television screens. However, the seats are still the old wooden type (although they have been painted recently) and if you end up being seated behind a supporting pillar, then the view is not great. On a brighter note, then in one open corner at the far end, you can see beyond the stadium, the Pennine hills rolling into in the distance.

The away stand has two pillars which can affect your view and has old, wooden seats instead of plastic ones. The concourses below the stand are not for the faint-hearted if your team has a large away following, as it is like a rugby scrum to get a drink.

There are some Burnley fans in the James Hargreaves Stand who do their best to get the atmosphere going, but they never really succeeded on my visit. If you travel by official club coaches, then you’ll get a police escort from the M65 to the ground. Food on offer inside the ground includes Hot Dogs (£2.70), plus a range of Holland’s Pies; Big Potato and Meat (£3), Cheese & Onion (£3) and Peppered Steak (£3).

Burnley are generally a well supported club and there is normally a good atmosphere, however, this can sometimes become quite intimidating for the away supporter making your way around the ground, so exercise discretion.

Where to buy tickets?

Like most clubs, Burnley have a categorisation process for their matches. Unlike most clubs, though, they only have two categories and they have labelled them either Silver or Gold matches. Obviously whether the opposition is counted as Silver or Gold depends on whether Burnley consider them as difficult or interesting opponents! You’ll also pay a different amount of money depending on where in the stadium you wish to sit and how old you are.

Home Fans:

• Bob Lord Stand: Adults £40, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £25, Under 18’s £20;
• James Hargreaves Stand (Upper Centre): Adults £40, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £25, Under 18’s £20;
• James Hargreaves Stand (Upper Wings): Adults £35, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £20, Under 18’s £15;
• James Hargreaves Stand (Lower Tier): Adults £30, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £20, Under 18’s £15;
• Jimmy McIlroy Stand (Upper Tier): Adults £35, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £20, Under 18’s £15, Unders 12’s £10;
• Jimmy McIlroy Stand (Lower Tier): Adults £30, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £20, Under 18’s £15.

Away Fans:

• David Fishwick Stand: Adults £30, Over 65’s/Under 22’s £20, Under 18’s £15.

The best place to head to if you want to buy tickets for Burnley matches is the club’s official website. There’s also the possibility to buy them over the phone if you’d prefer, and there’s a box office at the stadium where you can pick up tickets from.

How to get there?

Burnley is located in the heart of Lancashire, so it’s easy enough to get to from pretty much anywhere in the country. Here are some different ways to get there, though, just in case you want a bit of guidance.

Leave the M6 at Junction 29 and onto the M65. Leave the M65 at Junction 10 and follow signs for Towneley Hall. This road eventually goes past the ground. There is a car park at the cricket ground by Turf Moor which costs £6. There is also a private car park available on Doris Street, off Belverdere Road (BB11 3DL), which is around 400 yards from the stadium and costs £5.

There is also the option of renting a private driveway near Turf Moor via YourParkingSpace.co.uk. Otherwise, street parking.

Post Code for SAT NAV: BB10 4BX

By train

There are two train stations that are in walking distance of Turf Moor, Burnley Central and Burnley Manchester Road. Central station is around a 20 minute walk away from the ground and is mostly served by local trains. Manchester Road is a 15 minute walk away and is served by the faster express service from Manchester Victoria. Walking directions from both are as follows:

Manchester Road Station

Upon leaving the station cross the main road towards the cinema. The ground should be clearly visible in the distance straight ahead. Turn left and progress down “Centenary Way” an unmissable dual carriageway (A682) going downhill towards the ground. A few minutes walk down this road will bring you to a roundabout where you should turn right under the canal bridge into Yorkshire Street (A671). Continue down this road and you will reach Turf Moor on your left, with the away stand the first to be reached. Thanks to Rob Quinn for providing the directions and station information.

Central Station

Walk out of the station and across the road down towards a small retail area including Fads and Halfords Cycles. You will reach the inner ring road (A679), where you turn left and after about 200 yards you will reach a set of traffic lights. Turn right at the lights into Church Street (A682). Continue down Church Street until you reach a large roundabout at which you turn left under the canal bridge into Yorkshire Street (A671). Continue down this road and you will reach Turf Moor on your left, with the away stand the first to be reached. Thanks to Paul Hanson for providing the directions.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the Trainline website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets.

Bus

Because of the ground’s location close to the centre of the town, there isn’t really any need to get a bus. In fact, the bus station is just off Centenary Way near to the stadium.

Taxi

It’s less than a mile from the centre of Burnley to the stadium, so you’ll be in a taxi for around two minutes if they agree to take you! You’ll end up paying about £5 for that journey.

Local points of interest

Burnley is surrounded by hills and moorland and is located on the edge of an area of outstanding natural beauty. You can walk around Towneley Hall with characters from the past, or take part in fun runs through Padiham Greenway, enjoy theatre performance at The Mechanics and in the park or visit exhibitions of sculptures or paintings at Gawthorpe Hall.

The iconic Singing Ringing Tree which stands high above Burnley on Crown Point Moor and has been named in the top 10 pieces of ‘sound art’ in the world. The splendid views over the town to the hills beyond make a visit for a closer inspection of this amazing artwork an absolute must.

Facilities

The facilities at Turf Moor are very good for a stadium that was completed in 1883! You’ll find concourses with places to buy a bite to eat or get a drink and the views of the pitch from most places in the ground are unrestricted view.

Hospitality

There are two main lounges at Turf Moor that offer hospitality packages. The Neville Gee 1882 Lounge and The Jimmy Adamson Suite. Here’s some information about both of them and the sort of welcome you can expect to receive:

• The Neville Gee 1882 Lounge. This is an open plan lounge that offers an unrivalled match day experience for Burnley fans. You’ll enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the ground with a Clarets legend, a match day host, pre-match competitions in which you can win club memorabilia, a three-course carvery meal, a gift, half-time cheese and biscuits and a pay bar facility.
• The Jimmy Adamson Suite. This lounge is located in the Jimmy Milroy Stand and you’ll receive a one-course meal, half-time refreshments, a padded seat and a match day teamsheet. There’s also a pay bar facility for all of your drinking needs.

Private hire

Whether you’re hoping to have a private dinner party for ten guests, a formal dinner night for around 150 people or or a large party for up to 550 people, Turf Moor will be able to accommodate you. The ground is able to host any event that you could reasonably expect them to, including business meetings and, more excitingly, weddings. For the big Burnley fans out there why not think about celebrating your big day with a view of the Turf Moor pitch?

Turf Moor Hotels

Burnley is a lovely little city with lots of personality and charm. They are used to welcoming people from all over the place so there are a wealth of hotel options available to you. Here are some of our favourites.

1. Best Western Oaks Hotel & Leisure Club – £50+. Colne Road, Reedley, Burnley, BB10 2LF. The Best Western is about two and a half miles from Turf Moor and has a restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and an indoor pool. There’s also a picnic area and a conference space as well as free Wi-Fi and free parking.
2. Norwood Guest House – £70+. 349 Whalley Road, Accrington, BB5 5DF. The Norwood Guest House is a bit further afield, six miles away to be exact, as it’s located in Accrington rather than Burnley itself. It’s a lovely, boutique hotel that offers free Wi-Fi, free parking and breakfast.
3. The Pendle Inn – £110+. Barley, Burnley, BB12 9JX. The Pendle Inn is a nice pub guesthouse with a restaurant, lounge, games room and luggage storage. It’s around five miles away from Turf Moor, so it might a better choice for you if you’re considering driving.

Pubs & Bars Near Turf Moor

The clubhouse at the Cricket Club (you can also park there) is open on matchdays and visitors are always made welcome (wearing colours), which is ideal as it is right next door to Turf Moor. Another place recommended is the Queen Victoria Public House. The away fans are always directed/encouraged to park in one location, by the side of the Burnley fire station.

Pass there, away from the football ground and proceed for about 100 yards where you will find the entrance to the Queen Victoria (Brewers Fayre establishment). The ground is no more than 10 minutes walk away. Away fans visit regularly wearing their colours. You can also park at the Queen Victoria at a cost of £5 (which you can get refunded back at the bar against the cost of food and drink).

The Bridge Bier Huis pub’, which is around ten minutes walk away from the ground, serves good beer and food and is fine for away supporters. This pub which is in the centre of Burnley is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and in addition to a number of real ales, offers a large selection of bottled beers from around the world. Visit the Bridge Bier Huis website for more information.

You can enjoy the Talbot pub (opposite the Sparrow Hawk) for pre match drinks. It is a good sized pub with a large screen tv and plenty of sensible home fans, plus well kept real ale on tap. The Turf Hotel on Yorkshire Street and pubs in the town centre are best avoided. Colours are best covered up in and around the centre of town. Alcohol is normally available inside the ground for away fans to purchase in the form of Lager (£3.50), Bitter (£3.20) and Cider (£3.50).

History

Turf Moor is a stadium filled with history. Burnley played their first match there on the 17th February 1883 when they lost 6-3 to a local side called Rawtenstall. Though football has been the main sport played at Turf Moor since Burnley moved in there, the other sport played on the site was cricket. The site was also used as the location for horse racing. The first Football League match took place there on the 6th of October 1888 when the home team beat Bolton Wanderers by four goals to one.