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| Contents | |
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What's
Princes Park Like? |
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| What's Princes Park Like? | |
| Having been opened in
2006, you would be forgiven for assuming that this is
just another identikit bland stadium, similar to many
others that have recently been built around the
country. But in the case of Princes Park you would be
wrong, it is anything but ordinary. This is mostly due
to its green credentials, being probably the most
environmentally friendly football ground so far
constructed in the UK. These credentials include
amongst other things, collecting rain water for use
within the stadium, producing its own electricity from
solar panels, having timber beams to support the roof
(which incidentally has a covering of green vegetation
to provide insulation and help the stadium blend into
its surroundings) and having the pitch sunken below
the surrounding ground level to reduce noise and light
pollution. And then of course there is the 'Wooden or
Oak Man'. Whereas stadiums costing ten times as much
have little to write home about apart from the price
of the entrance ticket, then Dartford have instilled
character in theirs, with this towering wooden
sculpture. He stands inside the stadium with his arms
stretched up aloft and appears from a distance to be
holding up the roof. Certainly something which is
unique. On one side is the Main Stand. This stand is all seated and comprises just three rows, seating in total 642 spectators. It has the team dugouts at its front and a glassed area at the rear, which contains amongst other things the clubhouse bar. Like the rest of the stadium, the roof is situated quite high above the spectator area and has a slight oval angle to it. The other three sides of the stadium are small terraced areas, being around seven rows high. Opposite the Main Stand the Wooden Man sculpture stands on the terrace, keeping a watchful eye over proceedings. All four corners of the stadium are enclosed, although these areas are not used for spectators. The stadium is completed with a set of four floodlight pylons. |
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| Looking
Towards The Academy End |
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| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
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If segregation is in force then
away fans are housed in the Car
Park End. This covered terrace has a capacity of
700. In addition a small number of seats (24) are
made available in the Main Stand. With no supporting pillars
to contend with, then sightlines of the pitch are
good. Although the ground is totally enclosed, it
feels quite open as there is quite a large gap
between the back of the stands and the stadium roof.
Although this may allow more light and air into the
stadium, so it does for wind and rain. Mike Kimberley from the
Ninety-Two Club adds; 'Princes Park is a pleasant,
well designed and comfortable ground. The club house
is accessible from inside the ground (if segregation
is not on force) and has a spacious bar area with
plenty of seating. All the facilities were quite
adequate including an area for wheelchairs, and
their assistants if necessary, in all four corners
of the ground. The stewarding was pleasant, friendly
and low key.' |
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| Where To Drink? | |
| There are two good
sized bars at the stadium, which also have SKY
television. However it remains to be seen after
Dartford's promotion, whether away supporters will
continue to be allowed entry. The nearest pub to the
ground is the Ivy Leaf on Darenth Road, which is
about a five minute walk away (from the stadium
entrance turn right along Darenth Road, cross over
the main road at the traffic lights and the pub is
further up Darenth Road on the right). A better bet
may be the Malt Shovel which is further along
Darenth Road on the left. This pub which is listed
in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide also does food.
Otherwise Dartford Town Centre is around a 15 minute
walk away, where there are plenty of pubs to be
found. Ones of note are the CAMRA Good Beer Guide
listed Wat Tyler on the High Street, the Paper Moon
Wetherspoons outlet opposite and another
Wetherspoons outlet called the Flying Boat on
Spital Street. |
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| How To Get There & Where To Park | |
| From the
North: After going over the Dartford Crossing (which costs £1.50 per car, rising to £2 in October 2012), leave the motorway at Junction 1b and take the left hand slip road for A225 Dartford. At the roundabout at the end of the slip road above the motorway turn right the Esso garage onto the A225 towards Dartford. Go straight across the next roundabout, passing a BP garage on the right. At the next set of traffic lights turn left into Darenth Road and then take the second left into Grassbanks for the stadium. From the South: Leave the M25 at Junction 2 (signposted A2/Dartford A225). At the roundabout below the roundabout take the Dartford A225 exit. At the next roundabout take the 1st exit by the Esso garage onto the A225 towards Dartford. Go straight across the next roundabout, passing a BP garage on the right. At the next set of traffic lights turn left into Darenth Road and then take the second left into Grassbanks for the stadium. There
is a car park at the stadium which has 300 spaces
and is free. If this is full then drivers are
directed towards the Orchards Shopping Centre Car
Park, which charges £1.50-£2 for 3-4
hours. Map showing the location of the Princes Park football ground (at the bottom of this page). |
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| By Train | |
| Dartford railway station
is located just over a mile away from Princes Park. It
is served by trains from Charing Cross and London
Bridge. If on leaving the station you follow the
pedestrian signs for the Orchard Shopping Centre then
before the bridge going across the main road, descend
the steps down to the road side. Just to left you will
find a row of bus stops including the Fastrack B bus
stop. This service runs every ten minutes during the
day (every 20 minutes in the evenings) to the
Bluewater Shopping Centre and stops at Princes Park.
The cost (one way) is Adults £1, Children 50p.
Otherwise a taxi from the station to the stadium will
cost around £5. Otherwise the ground is a 15-20 minute walk away. Descend down the steps as above (or at the bottom of the station approach road) keep to the left along the main road and at the roundabout take the exit signposted Central London (A2). At the next traffic lights bear left onto the A226 (signposted Dartford Crossing/Darent Hospital). Proceed up the hill and on reaching the Malt Shovel pub on your right, turn right onto Darenth Road. Continue along Darenth Road passing the Ivy Leaf pub on your left. Go straight across the main road at the traffic lights and then take the second left into Grassbanks for the stadium. |
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| Admission Prices | |
| Adults
£15 Over 65's/Under 18's £8* Under 12's £3 * Evidence of concessionary status must be shown to qualify for reduced admission. |
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| Programme | |
| Official Programme: £2.50 | |
| Local Rivals | |
| Ebbsfleet, Welling and Dover. | |
| Fixtures 2012-2013 | |
| Dartford FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| Record Attendance: 4,097 v Horsham YMCA Ryman League, 11 November 2006 Average Attendance: 2011-2012: 1,246 (Blue Square South) |
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| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel
accommodation in the area then first try a hotel
booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer
all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and
pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed &
Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and
Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is
straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will
earn a small commission if you book through them,
but it will go to help with the running costs of
keeping the Guide going. The Hotels listing also
includes details of how far away the accommodation
is located from the football ground. Access their Dartford Hotels and Guest Houses page. Remember that you can use the above link or panel below to book any other hotels that you may need for business or leisure, either in the UK or abroad. |
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| Fans Reviews Of Princes Park | |
| Scot Rowland (Tamworth) 11/8/12 | |
| Location map showing the location of Princes Park, railway station and listed pubs. | |
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Instructions for using
the map:
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| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect
or you have something to add, then e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide. |
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