The Laughing Bluebird
New member
Over the last couple of days I've been attempting to gather as much relevant information as I can for the Albion fans who are planning to travel to Cardiff for the game next Saturday. An old friend of mine is responsible for a lot of the policing at Ninian Park these days, which is handy as he was able to give me plenty of pointers. The club itself was also helpful earlier today. If I've forgotten anything please let me know, but in the meantime here's the info:
Directions For Those Driving Straight To The Ground
Exit the M4 at Junction 33 and join the A4232. Exit the A4232 at the second exit, which is sign-posted: Cardiff (Leckwith) Athletics Stadium. You will be able to see Ninian Park to your left shortly before this exit. Stay in the left-hand lane on the slip road and join Leckwith Road. The entrance to the club car park is about 150 yards on your right.
Car Park Details
The club car park is very large and costs £2-50 per car. It opens at 1-00pm and is usually very busy by around 2-15pm. There is a separate section for visiting coaches and minibuses, but all cars (home and away fans) park up together. The car park itself is much-improved since Albion's last visit in 2001. Most of it is now covered by tarmac and there are security cameras and floodlights at various intervals. I have been reliably informed that there has been no trouble at all in the club car park for several seasons now.
Street Parking
Parking space in the streets surrounding Ninian Park is very limited, and many of the streets in the neighbouring Canton and Grangetown areas are restricted to resident permit holders. There are some parking spots available in these areas if you arrive early enough, but they are usually taken before 2-00pm.
Trains To Ninian Park
Cardiff Central station is a 25 minute walk away from Ninian Park. Those who wish to walk the journey should turn left out of the station and cross the bridge over the Taff opposite the Millennium Stadium. The route is then pretty much a straight one until you reach the intersection on which the Ninian Park pub stands. Bear left past a large car showroom (Jeff Whites), keep left past the pub on your right and walk under the railway bridge. Turn left again at the traffic lights for Ninian Park.
For those who wish to get a taxi from the station to the ground, there is a rank just to the right of the main entrance. The taxi should cost no more than £3.
For those who wish to catch a train from Central to Ninian Park Halt (which is just a couple of minutes walk from the ground), the services you need are the Radyr, Taffs Well or Pontypridd services. Ninian Park Halt is just a four or five minute journey from Central, and the times of the trains are as follows: 11-39, 11-47, 12-39, 12-47, 13-39 or 14-39. Ask an attendant for the relevant platform as these can change from day to day. The train costs £1-30 for a single or £1-40 for a return.
Pubs Near The Ground
The nearest pub to the ground is the Ninian Park, but that is strictly for home fans only. There are plenty of other pubs in the Canton area, but although there has been no trouble reported in any of them in recent years it would probably be best to treat almost all of them with caution.
The Corporation and the Admiral Napier should certainly be given a wide berth, while others such as the Ivor Davies (a big Wetherspoons pub), the Canton Cross, the Insole and the Kings Castle are likely to be full of Cardiff fans on match days. None of them have a reputation for trouble, but none are regarded as being particularly welcoming to away fans either.
Away fans are normally welcomed at the Lansdowne Hotel on Lansdowne Road in Canton, which is about a ten minute walk away from the ground. The landlord Roger, another old mate of mine, is a Cardiff City fanatic and the whole place is decorated with some terrific CCFC memorabilia (one of my replica shirts from the 80's is framed up on the wall). It is a big pub and very popular with decent, law-abiding City fans - the supporters clubs hold a lot of their functions there. However, there is a problem in that it does tend to get very, very busy on match days. If you do fancy having a pint near to the ground then the Lansdowne is undoubtedly your best bet, but don't expect to be served quickly!
There are several decent pubs in the Grangetown area such as the Poets Corner and the Cornwall, but realistically the best advice is for visiting fans to avoid Grangetown altogether.
Pubs In The City Centre
Albion fans who are taking the train to Cardiff and want to have a drink before the game can just about take their pick of the city centre pubs. I have been informed that it may be best to avoid the Prince of Wales (the large Wetherspoons pub a couple of minutes from the station), although there have been no problems there on match days for a long time. The only other pub over which there may be a slight question mark in the centre is the Borough on St Marys Street, as this used to be a Soul Crew hang-out. However, that tended to be in the evenings after games rather than in the afternoons before them, and these days it is said to be quiet.
Pubs to consider in the centre are as follows: the Cottage, the Great Eastern, Kitty Flynns, O'Neills, Oz Bar, Philharmonic, Sams Bar (which wasn't named after Hammam, despite his claims) and Walkabouts (all St Mary's Street), the Flyhalf and Firkin and the Gatekeeper (Westgate Street), the City Arms (Quay Street), Dempseys (Castle Street), the Old Arcade (Church Street), O'Neills (Trinity Street), the Rummer Tavern (Duke Street), the Owain Glyndwyr (St Johns Square) and the Wellington (The Hayes). If you do try the Wellington, which is a decent pub but very quiet, you should be aware that the pub next door (the Kings Cross) is a favourite with Cardiff's gay community. I'll resist the temptation to make jokes.
Taxis From The City Centre To Ninian Park
There are taxi ranks outside the central train station, on St Mary's Street and on Westgate Street. A taxi from the city centre to Ninian Park should only cost you around £3 to £4.
Stopping For Refreshments Out Of Town
Good options for those who are planning to drive and get to Cardiff early for something to eat and drink are the northern suburbs of the city such as Tongwynlais, Rhiwbina, Llanishen, Whitchurch and Birchgrove. All of these places have very decent pubs in which small groups of travelling fans will be welcome. They also afford an easy opportunity to get back onto the M4. The exit at Junction 32 is best for these villages.
Wearing Colours - IMPORTANT
There are a number of pubs in the city centre that won't let football fans in wearing any colours on odd occasions. Those tend to be the bigger places such as the Wetherspoons and Walkabouts, but I have heard of other smaller pubs that have also refused football fans entry from time to time - in some cases just for wearing badges! These policies don't seem to follow any pattern at all. Sometimes you'll get in wearing a shirt and a scarf, other times you won't get in wearing a badge. Crazy, I know, but something to bear in mind all the same.
Over the last couple of seasons I have seen plenty of fans from plenty of different clubs wandering around the streets outside Ninian Park displaying their colours with no problem at all, both before and after games. However, you are all well aware of the reputation that some of the idiots who follow Cardiff City have given our club, and although things have improved greatly here in recent years that reputation exists with good reason. Please be sensible and careful.
Leaving The Ground After The Game
I've been advised that is highly unlikely that Albion fans will be kept inside the ground after the final whistle. The police don't envisage any problems at all and almost always let the away fans leave whenever they want these days unless the fixture is a high-risk one such as Millwall, Leeds, West Ham, etc. Those who have travelled by coach or minibus will have only yards to walk to their transport and should be on their way home fairly quickly. Those who have come by car could be in for a bit of a wait as the car park has only one main exit (the coaches use a seperate smaller exit), and apparently it can take some time to get out of.
The trains from Ninian Park Halt back to Central Station depart at 17-02 and 17-33. The 17-02 is normally absolutely heaving. It used to be busy when we were getting crowds of only 3,000 - these days you often can't get on it. My feeling is that you are probably better off walking back to Central to be perfectly honest.
Additional Information
Our match day programme contains 60 pages and costs £2-50.
There is a bar in the away end, although I believe it is a bit primitive (like most of the facilities at NP). Probably open air. Starry can tell you more about it than me.
Our DJ won't play 'YMCA'. He's promised me faithfully.
For further details of the pubs in and around Cardiff please click on the following link:
http://www.cardiff.ukpub.net/
Visiting Fans At Cardiff This Season
Here's a list of the numbers of fans that other clubs have brought to Ninian Park so far this season (the Burnley figure hasn't been released yet):
Coventry 489, Plymouth 403, Stoke 483, Watford 298, Derby 795, Leeds 1,040, Rotherham 137, Leicester 1,071, West Ham 599, Portsmouth 1,152, Preston 57, Gillingham 298, Sunderland 865, Wolves 1,200, Forest 1,200, Blackburn 926.
The numbers of Leeds, Wolves and Forest fans were restricted for security reasons. The Preston game was on a Friday night and it was also live on Sky, but 57 was still a pathetic turn-out. Some of last year's bigger away followings were:
West Ham 889, West Brom 1,692, Ipswich 1,154, Forest 1,283, Sunderland 1,558, Norwich 1,103, Palace 839.
The early police estimate is that just 250 Albion fans will travel to Cardiff next week.
Directions For Those Driving Straight To The Ground
Exit the M4 at Junction 33 and join the A4232. Exit the A4232 at the second exit, which is sign-posted: Cardiff (Leckwith) Athletics Stadium. You will be able to see Ninian Park to your left shortly before this exit. Stay in the left-hand lane on the slip road and join Leckwith Road. The entrance to the club car park is about 150 yards on your right.
Car Park Details
The club car park is very large and costs £2-50 per car. It opens at 1-00pm and is usually very busy by around 2-15pm. There is a separate section for visiting coaches and minibuses, but all cars (home and away fans) park up together. The car park itself is much-improved since Albion's last visit in 2001. Most of it is now covered by tarmac and there are security cameras and floodlights at various intervals. I have been reliably informed that there has been no trouble at all in the club car park for several seasons now.
Street Parking
Parking space in the streets surrounding Ninian Park is very limited, and many of the streets in the neighbouring Canton and Grangetown areas are restricted to resident permit holders. There are some parking spots available in these areas if you arrive early enough, but they are usually taken before 2-00pm.
Trains To Ninian Park
Cardiff Central station is a 25 minute walk away from Ninian Park. Those who wish to walk the journey should turn left out of the station and cross the bridge over the Taff opposite the Millennium Stadium. The route is then pretty much a straight one until you reach the intersection on which the Ninian Park pub stands. Bear left past a large car showroom (Jeff Whites), keep left past the pub on your right and walk under the railway bridge. Turn left again at the traffic lights for Ninian Park.
For those who wish to get a taxi from the station to the ground, there is a rank just to the right of the main entrance. The taxi should cost no more than £3.
For those who wish to catch a train from Central to Ninian Park Halt (which is just a couple of minutes walk from the ground), the services you need are the Radyr, Taffs Well or Pontypridd services. Ninian Park Halt is just a four or five minute journey from Central, and the times of the trains are as follows: 11-39, 11-47, 12-39, 12-47, 13-39 or 14-39. Ask an attendant for the relevant platform as these can change from day to day. The train costs £1-30 for a single or £1-40 for a return.
Pubs Near The Ground
The nearest pub to the ground is the Ninian Park, but that is strictly for home fans only. There are plenty of other pubs in the Canton area, but although there has been no trouble reported in any of them in recent years it would probably be best to treat almost all of them with caution.
The Corporation and the Admiral Napier should certainly be given a wide berth, while others such as the Ivor Davies (a big Wetherspoons pub), the Canton Cross, the Insole and the Kings Castle are likely to be full of Cardiff fans on match days. None of them have a reputation for trouble, but none are regarded as being particularly welcoming to away fans either.
Away fans are normally welcomed at the Lansdowne Hotel on Lansdowne Road in Canton, which is about a ten minute walk away from the ground. The landlord Roger, another old mate of mine, is a Cardiff City fanatic and the whole place is decorated with some terrific CCFC memorabilia (one of my replica shirts from the 80's is framed up on the wall). It is a big pub and very popular with decent, law-abiding City fans - the supporters clubs hold a lot of their functions there. However, there is a problem in that it does tend to get very, very busy on match days. If you do fancy having a pint near to the ground then the Lansdowne is undoubtedly your best bet, but don't expect to be served quickly!
There are several decent pubs in the Grangetown area such as the Poets Corner and the Cornwall, but realistically the best advice is for visiting fans to avoid Grangetown altogether.
Pubs In The City Centre
Albion fans who are taking the train to Cardiff and want to have a drink before the game can just about take their pick of the city centre pubs. I have been informed that it may be best to avoid the Prince of Wales (the large Wetherspoons pub a couple of minutes from the station), although there have been no problems there on match days for a long time. The only other pub over which there may be a slight question mark in the centre is the Borough on St Marys Street, as this used to be a Soul Crew hang-out. However, that tended to be in the evenings after games rather than in the afternoons before them, and these days it is said to be quiet.
Pubs to consider in the centre are as follows: the Cottage, the Great Eastern, Kitty Flynns, O'Neills, Oz Bar, Philharmonic, Sams Bar (which wasn't named after Hammam, despite his claims) and Walkabouts (all St Mary's Street), the Flyhalf and Firkin and the Gatekeeper (Westgate Street), the City Arms (Quay Street), Dempseys (Castle Street), the Old Arcade (Church Street), O'Neills (Trinity Street), the Rummer Tavern (Duke Street), the Owain Glyndwyr (St Johns Square) and the Wellington (The Hayes). If you do try the Wellington, which is a decent pub but very quiet, you should be aware that the pub next door (the Kings Cross) is a favourite with Cardiff's gay community. I'll resist the temptation to make jokes.
Taxis From The City Centre To Ninian Park
There are taxi ranks outside the central train station, on St Mary's Street and on Westgate Street. A taxi from the city centre to Ninian Park should only cost you around £3 to £4.
Stopping For Refreshments Out Of Town
Good options for those who are planning to drive and get to Cardiff early for something to eat and drink are the northern suburbs of the city such as Tongwynlais, Rhiwbina, Llanishen, Whitchurch and Birchgrove. All of these places have very decent pubs in which small groups of travelling fans will be welcome. They also afford an easy opportunity to get back onto the M4. The exit at Junction 32 is best for these villages.
Wearing Colours - IMPORTANT
There are a number of pubs in the city centre that won't let football fans in wearing any colours on odd occasions. Those tend to be the bigger places such as the Wetherspoons and Walkabouts, but I have heard of other smaller pubs that have also refused football fans entry from time to time - in some cases just for wearing badges! These policies don't seem to follow any pattern at all. Sometimes you'll get in wearing a shirt and a scarf, other times you won't get in wearing a badge. Crazy, I know, but something to bear in mind all the same.
Over the last couple of seasons I have seen plenty of fans from plenty of different clubs wandering around the streets outside Ninian Park displaying their colours with no problem at all, both before and after games. However, you are all well aware of the reputation that some of the idiots who follow Cardiff City have given our club, and although things have improved greatly here in recent years that reputation exists with good reason. Please be sensible and careful.
Leaving The Ground After The Game
I've been advised that is highly unlikely that Albion fans will be kept inside the ground after the final whistle. The police don't envisage any problems at all and almost always let the away fans leave whenever they want these days unless the fixture is a high-risk one such as Millwall, Leeds, West Ham, etc. Those who have travelled by coach or minibus will have only yards to walk to their transport and should be on their way home fairly quickly. Those who have come by car could be in for a bit of a wait as the car park has only one main exit (the coaches use a seperate smaller exit), and apparently it can take some time to get out of.
The trains from Ninian Park Halt back to Central Station depart at 17-02 and 17-33. The 17-02 is normally absolutely heaving. It used to be busy when we were getting crowds of only 3,000 - these days you often can't get on it. My feeling is that you are probably better off walking back to Central to be perfectly honest.
Additional Information
Our match day programme contains 60 pages and costs £2-50.
There is a bar in the away end, although I believe it is a bit primitive (like most of the facilities at NP). Probably open air. Starry can tell you more about it than me.
Our DJ won't play 'YMCA'. He's promised me faithfully.
For further details of the pubs in and around Cardiff please click on the following link:
http://www.cardiff.ukpub.net/
Visiting Fans At Cardiff This Season
Here's a list of the numbers of fans that other clubs have brought to Ninian Park so far this season (the Burnley figure hasn't been released yet):
Coventry 489, Plymouth 403, Stoke 483, Watford 298, Derby 795, Leeds 1,040, Rotherham 137, Leicester 1,071, West Ham 599, Portsmouth 1,152, Preston 57, Gillingham 298, Sunderland 865, Wolves 1,200, Forest 1,200, Blackburn 926.
The numbers of Leeds, Wolves and Forest fans were restricted for security reasons. The Preston game was on a Friday night and it was also live on Sky, but 57 was still a pathetic turn-out. Some of last year's bigger away followings were:
West Ham 889, West Brom 1,692, Ipswich 1,154, Forest 1,283, Sunderland 1,558, Norwich 1,103, Palace 839.
The early police estimate is that just 250 Albion fans will travel to Cardiff next week.
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