Vitality Stadium (Bournemouth)

Vitality Stadium is a football stadium in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England, and the home ground of AFC Bournemouth.

General information

Arena capacity: 11,360 spectators

Address: Bournemouth BH7 7AF, United Kingdom

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 50°44′07″N 1°50′18″W

Year of construction: 1910

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 105 x 78 m

Seating plan of Vitality Stadium

Main Stand

The Main Stand consists of a single tier of mostly red seating, though the very front and very back rows are coloured black instead. Towards either end of the stand are the letters AFCB, spelt out in white with a slither of black seating to give each letter a 3D effect. At the back of the central blocks are slightly darker red seating that is dedicated to executives, and up at the very back of the stand is a row of executive boxes which each have a couple of rows of black seating in front of them. The stadium’s dugouts and tunnel are based down at the very front of the stand and the changing rooms are located inside.

Your view from anywhere inside the Main Stand is perfectly clear because of the cantilever roof above.

Large windshields at either end, which have images of notable AFC Bournemouth moments printed on them, provide protection for every row in the stand.

A television studio is set up in the northwest corner between the Main Stand and the Steve Fletcher Stand.

Steve Fletcher Stand

The Steve Fletcher Stand consists of a single tier of mostly red seating, though the back rows and very front row are coloured black instead.

Your view from anywhere inside the Steve Fletcher Stand is perfectly clear because of the cantilever roof above.

Large windshields at either end, which have images of notable AFC Bournemouth moments printed on them, provide protection for every row in the stand.

A large electronic television screen is in place in the northeast corner between the Steve Fletcher Stand and the East Stand.

East Stand

The East Stand consists of a single tier of mostly red seating, though the back rows and very front rows are coloured black instead. Towards either end of the stand are the letters AFCB, spelt out in white with a sliver of black seating to give each letter a 3D effect. Towards the back of the stand’s central block is a flat platform for disabled supporters to use, and the area holding the matchday camera is up behind here.

Your view from anywhere inside the East Stand is perfectly clear because of the cantilever roof above.

Large windshields at either end, which have images of notable AFC Bournemouth moments printed on them, provide protection for every row in the stand.

Ted MacDougall Stand

The Ted MacDougall Stand consists of a single tier of entirely red seating that is slightly darker in colour than in other parts of the stadium.

Your view from most of the Ted MacDougall Stand is clear, but there are two white pillars coming down at the front of the stand. These will likely restrict your view of the south goal slightly if you are sat behind them, but should not get in your way if you sat down towards the front.

Large windshields at either end, which have images of notable AFC Bournemouth moments printed on them, provide protection for every row in the stand.

A large electronic television screen is in place in the southwest corner between the Ted MacDougall Stand and the Main Stand.

Away Fans

Away fans are housed in the East Stand, taking up the blocks nearest to the stadium’s southeast corner.

More blocks can be allocated to larger away followings, with rows of stewards and large sheets used to segregate the away crowd from any home supporters sat elsewhere in the stand.

Away fans enter this part of the stadium via Entrance F by the stadium’s southeast corner, and are given a perfectly clear, well-protected view of the action taking place in front of them.

Where to buy tickets?

Unlike with most Premier League clubs, AFC Bournemouth don’t categorise their ticket prices depending on the opposition for any given match. They have set prices for tickets that only alter depending on where in the ground you are sitting. The most expensive tickets they offer are ‘Executive’ tickets, but even these are only about £10 more than the next most pricey options.

Under 8s can watch a game at The Vitality Stadium for free, whilst wheelchair users will pay £5 and their assistants will attend for free. You can also buy family tickets, should you wish to attend with a group.

As The Vitality is such a small stadium games do tend to sell out rather quickly there, especially if the big boys like Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City come to town. Your first port of call in your search for tickets, then, should be the Bournemouth website. There’s also a ticket office at the back of the club shop at the ground itself. There may be some unsavoury types hanging around the ground on match days claiming to have tickets but we’d recommend against buying off them as they could be fake.

How to get there?

The Vitality Stadium is eminently accessible by numerous different transport methods. Although the ground is located just outside the city of Bournemouth itself, it is still walkable from local train stations, for example.

By car

Follow the A338 towards Bournemouth. The ground is situated on the left of the A338 in the outskirts of town. You should be able to spot the tops of the ground floodlights on the left. Otherwise leave the A338 via the slip road which is signposted  Kings Park/Football traffic. You will then reach a small roundabout at which you take the second exit into Kings Park Drive.

The entrance to the stadium and car park are down this road on the left. The car park at the ground is of a good size, however please note that this is a pay and display car park that costs £3.50 for 4 hours or £5 all day. As you would expect that though it fills up pretty quickly So if you don’t get to the car park until at least 90 minutes before kick off you may end up disappointed.

A ten minute walk across the park is Harewood College on Harewood Avenue, which offers free matchday parking. Some fans are also parking in Boscombe itself and walking to the ground. There is the Sovereign Shopping Centre on Christchurch Road which costs £2 for 4 hours.

Post Code for SAT NAV: BH7 7AF

By train

The nearest train station is Pokesdown which is roughly a mile from the ground and is around a 15 minute walk away. However, most trains arrive at Bournemouth Central, which is around a half an hour walk to the ground. Either try to get a train to Pokesdown or grab a cab (£7-£8).

If you do arrive at Pokesdown Station (which is served by trains from London Waterloo), then exit the station (there is only one exit) and turn right down the main Christchurch Road (A35). Proceed for about 400 metres and then turn right into Gloucester Road. Vitality Stadium is located down the bottom of this road. Thanks to Andy Young for providing the directions from Pokesdown Station.

If you arrive at Bournemouth Central, then leave the station by the South exit, thereby facing an Asda Supermarket. Turn left and walk down to the main Holdenhurst Road. Turn left (going away from the town centre) and then keep straight on along Holdenhurst Road for around 25 minutes, reaching the Queens Park pub (recommended by this Guide).

Continue straight on past the pub until you reach a roundabout at which you turn right into Kings Park Drive. The ground is down the bottom of this road on the left. Alternatively you can catch a Yellow Number 33 bus to the ground, normally a half hourly service. Come out of Station again by the South exit, facing Asda and turn left until you get to a Texaco Garage. There is a bus stop with shelter on the same side of the road.

Ask the driver to be let off near Kings Park Drive. Please note that if you decide to use the same service coming back, take a yellow number 2 bus as this is a circular service’. Latest bus timetables can be accessed by visiting the Yellow Buses website. Thanks to Richard Barnes for supplying the directions from Bournemouth Central.

By Bus

More Bus Wilts & Dorset can take you from Lymington, Salisbury, Poole and Boscombe to within walking distance of the stadium, whilst Yellow Buses operate services from Bournemouth that also run through Pokesdown to within 5 minutes of the ground.

By Taxi

The Vitality is less than 10 minutes drive from Bournemouth Train Station, traffic dependent, so expect to pay about £6 to get there by this method.

Where to eat and sleep?

Bournemouth is essentially a seaside town, so there are loads of bed & breakfast options for you to have a look at. We’ve found a few more specific places for you here, though.

1. The Strand Hotel. About 0.7 miles from the ground lies this small hotel that offers breakfast, a laundry service and a garden.
2. Ocean Breeze. Also around 0.7 miles from the stadium is this boutique gust house that offers Wi-Fi, self-parking and access to the nearby Bournemouth International Centre.
3. Village Hotel Bournemouth. More like a mile from the ground, the Village offers you an indoor pool, health club and a full-service spa.

Owing to the fact that the stadium itself a little outside of Bournemouth centre you might not find an ideal place to drink all that close to the ground. Instead, you may wish to explore the city centre or nearby Boscombe for a pre-match pint and a bite to eat.

1. Always a favourite of stag dos and Australians, the Walkabout in Bournemouth shows sport, serves alcohol and does reasonably tasty food.
2. Clarendon Pub House. A very friendly traditional pub that is clearly run by football fans. It does no-nonsense food and sells an unpretentious range of drinks a short walk from the stadium.
3. Lions Head. This place is just a cough and a spit from the train station and in the right direction for the stadium too, being just a 20 minute walk away. It’s a great place for karaoke too apparently.

Facilities

As the Premier League’s smallest ground, the facilities you’ll enjoy at The Vitality aren’t quite as impressive as you’d expect from the bigger, more famous stadiums in the country. That said you’ll still be able to get a drink or a bite to eat on the concourse and there are plenty of toilets available, too. You’ll also find places to put a bet on before the match kicks off, should you be particularly confident about the outcome of the game!

Hospitality

Just because The Vitality is a small stadium doesn’t mean that the hospitality options are lacking. You can sponsor the match day, have a young member of your group become the club mascot for the day or even enjoy panoramic views of the stadium from an executive box. If you really love the Cherries you can become a Vice President for a season and enjoy reserved seating, thee-course meals and access to a private lounge.

Private hire

There are a host of private hire options at The Vitality, including the club’s very own champagne lounge, Bubbles. This is an ideal location for parties, bridal showers, product launches and more. From lounges to executive suites, there are plenty of options for you to explore depending on the size of your party. The club even runs a business club once a month for you to meet like-minded business people.

Accessibility

AFC Bournemouth strives to make visiting Vitality Stadium enjoyable for all.

Purchasing tickets

To purchase tickets, home supporters must be registered with the ticket office and have the qualifying number of Cherries Points required for that match. Details of the points required, and the on-sale details can be found by online at: https://www.afcb.co.uk/tickets/onsale-dates.

If the ticketing account has the required number of Cherries Points, a supporter can purchase tickets by calling the ticket office, in person at the ticket office at Vitality Stadium, or online at: https://tickets.afcb.co.uk/Online/.

You may be asked to provide proof of eligibility for a concessionary price type or complimentary personal assistant’s ticket. The club accepts the following documents:

1. Receipt of the higher or middle rate of Disability Living Allowance (mobility and/or care component)
2. Receipt of standard or enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for mobility, and/or care
3. Receipt of either Severe Disablement Allowance or Attendance Allowance
4. War Pensioners’ Mobility Allowance or War or Service Disablement pension for 80% or more disability
5. Blind or partially sighted registration certificate (BD8 or CV1 certificate) or evidence from an eye specialist, for example an optometrist, that the individual would qualify to be registered as severely sight impaired (blind) or sigh impaired (partially sighted). Further advice can be found on the Royal National Institute of Blind people (RNIB) website.

The ticket office is located in the Superstore at the ground on non-matchdays.

Personal assistants

Supporters with any of the above will be entitled to a free match ticket for their personal assistant (PA) to accompany them. The PA should be capable of supporting the disabled person’s needs in the event of an emergency.

Please note, the club reserves the right to request evidence to support this where necessary and requires the disabled supporter and their PA to enter the ground together and sit together. Seats for personal assistants are located next to the disabled supporter’s seat.

The club’s health and safety policy requires that disabled supporters who attend in a wheelchair to remain in their wheelchair during the game.

Accessible parking

The club offers 41 accessible parking spaces on site at Vitality Stadium. These are issued on a seasonal basis, free of charge, and are prioritised by season ticket status and rate of mobility received.

Parking is also available to the south of the stadium and there is no charge for Blue Badge holders – evidence will be required. The club’s policy is to reserve spaces for the use of disabled supporters for as long as possible but it is important to note that there is no guarantee of matchday parking on the basis of being a Blue Badge holder.

All supporters attending matches at Vitality Stadium and wishing to park in this car park are advised to arrive early as the car park usually reaches capacity around 75 minutes before kick-off.

Supporters may experience delays in leaving the car park after the final whistle. Please be aware, there is a left turn at the exit of the south end of the car park, which will bring you out on to Gloucester Road in Boscombe. Access from this car park to the stadium is step-free and up to 100m in distance.

Free matchday parking is available at Avonbourne Academy, which is a 10-minute level walk across the park to Vitality Stadium. This parking facility has the advantage of being away from the congestion around Kings Park, and will be staffed by a steward until kick-off. The postcode for Avonbourne Academy is BH7 6NY.

Alternatively, the Sovereign Shopping Centre on Christchurch Road, which is approximately a 15-minute walk from the stadium, offers low-cost easy parking (£2 for 4 hours), with over 600 spaces. This parking facility has the advantage of being away from the congestion and is located near cafés for food and snacks.

Several residential roads adjacent to the ground have parking restrictions, which the club asks supporters to adhere to. Please be mindful of existing drive entrances and avoid parking illegally as this can cause problems for residents and is a safety hazard. Parking enforcement officers and police will respond to residents’ complaints.

Car parking is also available to visiting disabled supporters upon request. Visiting supporters will need to contact the Disability Access Officer in advance of the matchday should they wish to book a car parking space, by emailing [email protected].

The matchday parking attendants do allow for disabled supporters without parking to be dropped off in the main car park. Thistlebarrow Road is also recognised as a main pick-up point, providing it is not within the coned areas.

Accessible entrances

There are four accessible entrances into the stadium, all of which offer level access to front row wheelchair accessible seating. The entrances are located at each of the four corners of the stadium and are clearly signed. Entrances open approximately an hour and a half before to kick-off.

Stewards are present at each of the accessible entrances to offer assistance. Tickets are checked and scanned at each entrance with handheld scanners.

Entrance 1: South-west corner of the stadium, for blocks; 1, 2, ,3, 4, 28, 29, 30 (Home supporters)

Entrance 2: South-east corner of the stadium for blocks; 25, 26, 27, 21, 22, 23, 24 (Home and visiting supporters)

Entrance 3: North-east corner of the stadium for blocks; 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 13, 14, 15, (Home supporters)

Entrance 4: North-west corner of the stadium for blocks; 10, 11, 12, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Home supporters)

Accessible viewing areas

The club provides a number of dedicated viewing areas for disabled supporters, situated in all four stands.

The stadium has 287 home wheelchair viewing positions, and 11 visiting wheelchair positions. Of which, 31 home positions are on elevated viewing platforms, and eight visiting positions are on elevated viewing platforms. With the majority of positions located pitchside, ponchos and blankets (subject to availability) are available during inclement weather. All elevated viewing platforms are fully undercover.

All personal assistants sit adjacent to wheelchair users.

Service to seat is available to all the elevated viewing platforms and both card and cash are accepted methods of payment. Food and drink orders will be taken by concourse staff during the first half and delivered to your seat at half-time.

Elevated viewing positions in the east stand block 16 and visiting block 24 can be accessed via platform lifts within the stands. Elevated positions in the centre of the east stand are accessed via a lift from the DC Lounge. Elevated positions in the main stand are accessed via a lift in main reception.

Supporters should contact the Disability Access Officer ([email protected]) to book a place on the elevated viewing platforms. Alternatively, supporters purchasing tickets on a match-by-match basis, can book directly onto one the elevated viewing platforms when purchasing tickets with the ticket office. Bookings should be submitted in advance of the match and places will be allocated and confirmed two days prior to the match to ensure use of the platform is fairly distributed across the season.

Some wheelchair storage is available for all supporters. To book supporters are required to contact the Disability Access Officer ([email protected]).

Ambulant disabled supporters

Ambulant disabled supporters are able to enjoy the game from seats of their choice, with a personal assistant if eligible. If you require easy access seats or have any specific seating requirements, please contact the club’s Disability Access Officer ([email protected]) or ticket office to discuss.

Every effort will be made to accommodate such requests, subject to availability.

Ambulant disabled supporters with visual impairments

In-stadium commentary for visually impaired supporters is available for all areas of the stadium. Complimentary headsets can be ordered in advance through the club’s Disability Access Officer ([email protected]).

The club encourages supporters to bring their own earphones/headphones but can also supply if required. Matchday programmes are available in alternative formats on request via the Club’s Disability Liaison Officer ([email protected]).

Accessible toilet, lift and accessible entrance signage is all in tactile and braille formats.

Supporters with hearing impairments

The club have portable hearing loops in several customer contact points. They are located at the matchday ticket office, superstore, main reception, 1910 club bar and each of the lowered concourse counters.

On matchdays, information including team line ups, substitutions and goal scorers will be shown on the electronic scoreboards as well as the public address system.

Assistance dogs

The club does allow supporters to bring assistance dogs into the stadium, but asks that the supporter contacts the club’s Disability Access Officer ([email protected]) in advance to make the appropriate arrangements.

Supporters with autism and sensory processing disorders

The club operates a 100% searching policy on matchday, if supporters attending have any concerns in respect of the searching procedure and entering the stadium, they should contact the Disability Access Officer ([email protected]) ahead of the match so that alternative arrangements can be made.

The club and Community Sports Trust are delighted to be able to offer sensory packs for supporters. The packs have been designed for supporters, particularly those with autism and sensory processing disorders who attend matches to make the matchday experience more accessible, comfortable and enjoyable.

The sensory pack comes in an AFC Bournemouth draw string bag and includes:

• Club branded mini soft football;
• A card and keychain, which can be shown to matchday staff and stewards on matchdays to ask for assistance, including a map of the stadium;
• Club-branded noise-cancelling headphones;
• Menu for concourse food which can be shown at the concourse to order.

Sensory packs need to be pre-ordered prior to matchday. This can be done by completing the application form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=wfMQoVSG-Uyu7t_YMpDbeAc2TlmpS1NFg16a8r94W6VUQkJIWU5OQjRZTDNENUpPRURIRUMxSUs2Vy4u

Once ordered supporters will receive a confirmation email, with the pack available for collection two hours prior to kick-off from the DC Lounge at Vitality Stadium.

Accessibility card

The club provide accessibility cards to supporters that may have a disability, medical condition or an access requirement. The card enables supporters to easily identify themselves to staff should they require assistance or access to the stadium’s accessible facilities without further explanation.

These cards are optional and staff will still be happy to assist supporters without one.

Accessible toilets

There are 14 accessible toilets at the Vitality Stadium. There is one situated close to each of the areas provided for our disabled supporters. All have level access and are clearly signed with tactile and braille signage. Accessible toilets have additional signage, mirrors, coat hooks and colour contrast. All accessible toilets are fitted with an alarm.

Changing Places facility

A Changing Places facility is located on the outside of the stadium in the south-west corner, adjacent to the accessible entrance. This facility is available to all supporters pre/post-match and to supporters in the south stand during the match.

Disabled supporters in the south stand can access the accessible toilet in the main stand and the Changing Places facility.

Concourses

Catering is available in all concourse areas based around the ground, offering a variety of refreshments, including vegetarian and vegan options. Each concourse counter has a low-level service counter. Handheld menus are also available within all concourses areas, and these can be found at the low-level service counters. Stewards are located in the concourse before, during and after the game so if you need any assistance at all, they will be more than happy to help.

Supporters in the south stand have the same food options via the burger vans. These do not currently have low-level service counters but staff are available to assist. No alcohol is served in these areas.

Paper straws are available upon request.

Allergen information is on display, if you have any specific dietary requirements, please ask one of the servers or contact [email protected] ahead of your visit.

Exterior

It is worth noting that Vitality Stadium is a cashless stadium, both inside and out.

Fans approaching Vitality Stadium from Bournemouth Station will likely first arrive at the stadium’s West Stand.

This is the stadium’s largest and main stand, with most of its exterior consisting of a brickwork base, large white and silver panels higher up and a red cantilever roof at the top.

Down towards the southern end of the stand is the 1910 Club Bar Entrance and the Press Entrance.

The very centre of the Main Stand’s exterior consists of a large glass façade and holds the Main Reception Entrance. Immediately to the left of here is the is the Red Zone Entrance, followed by the Main Ticket Office and then the entrance to the Junior Fan Zone.

Head up towards the stadium’s northwest corner and you will find the AFC Bournemouth Superstore which takes up a large part of the exterior here.

Turnstiles for the Main Stand itself (Entrances A and B) can be found in the stadium’s southwest and northwest corners respectively. Entrance B is round the far side of the AFC Bournemouth Superstore.

Out beyond the Main Stand exterior is one of the stadium’s car parks, mainly for VIPs, and the Kings Park Cricket Ground. The presence of a fence and hedges restricts how many access points there are between the car park and the West Stand.

Continuing round in a clockwise direction brings you to the North Stand, which is named after Steve Fletcher.

Born in Hartlepool on 26th July 1972, Fletcher moved to AFC Bournemouth in 1992, playing well over 550 times for the Cherries and scoring over 100 goals across the next 15 seasons. After two seasons away with Chesterfield and Crawley Town, he returned to AFC Bournemouth in 2009, making another 146 competitive appearances for the club between then and 2013. Steve Fletcher still holds the appearance record for AFC Bournemouth and has had several non-playing roles at the club since retiring in 2013.

The exterior of the Steve Fletcher Stand consists of a brickwork base with grey corrugated iron higher up and a red cantilever roof coming down from the top.

Two small brick buildings protrude out of the stand’s base and there is a turnstile located in each of these. Entrance C is the one nearest to the stadium’s northwest and Entrance D is the one nearest to the stadium’s northeast corner. The space between these two entrances is taken up by a food kiosk.

With a row of houses out beyond the Steve Fletcher Stand’s exterior, the path immediately outside this stand is tighter than on other sides of the stadium.

The East Stand has an exterior that mostly continues the design of the adjacent Steve Fletcher Stand.

It consists of a brickwork base with grey corrugated iron higher up and a red cantilever roof coming down from the top. Around two thirds of the exterior here is made from silver panels which protrude outwards above ground level. This is the AFC Bournemouth Performance Centre.

Turnstiles for the East Stand itself can be found in the stadium’s northeast and southeast corners. Entrance E is in the northeast corner, and Entrance F, which is for away fans, is in the stadium’s southeast corner.

A brick wall that separates Middleton Gardens from the East Stand is the base for the AFC Bournemouth Wall of Fame. It contains multiple large images of important players from throughout the Cherries’ history.

Out beyond the southeast corner of Vitality Stadium is the AFC Bournemouth Training Complex.

The South Stand at Vitality Stadium is named after Ted MacDougall.

Born in Inverness on 8th January 1947, MacDougall was a prolific forward, scoring over well over 100 goals for AFC Bournemouth across two spells between 1969 and 1980. Capped seven times by Scotland, one of MacDougall’s biggest claims to fame came in 1971, when he scored nine goals during Bournemouth’s 11-0 FA Cup win over Margate. It is still the record number of goals by one player in a single FA Cup Proper Round match.

The Ted MacDougall Stand is the smallest of the four at Vitality Stadium. Its exterior is very simple in design, consisting mostly of white corrugated iron with red trim on the edges and drainage pipes coming from the top.

The stand has two sets of turnstiles along its back wall and a pair of red exit doors in place between them. Entrance G is closer to the stadium’s southeast corner and Entrance H is closer to the stadium’s southwest corner.